Invest in the Neighborhoods We Call Home: Introducing the District Bridges Founders Fund
Strong neighborhoods don’t happen by accident. They’re built by people who show up, invest in one another, and believe in what’s possible when a community has the support it needs to thrive.
District Bridges has been helping neighborhoods grow stronger and more connected to support for over a decade. Founded in 2005 as the volunteer-led effort known as the Columbia Heights Day Initiative and reimagined under Brianne’s leadership, District Bridges has grown into a nationally recognized community-based economic development organization. District Bridges:
- Pioneered the first multi-Main Street model in the country, supporting small businesses, entrepreneurs, residents, and neighborhoods across Washington, DC
- Created and a transformational community navigation program that helps individuals in crisis navigate the fragmented social services system.
Through her tenacious leadership and ability to take risks and think holistically about community care, Brianne Dornbush has created a one-of-a-kind organization that provides essential support to over 800 small businesses and hundreds of vulnerable residents.
That’s why we’re launching the District Bridges Founders Fund: an opportunity for community members, local leaders, and supporters to honor the 10 years of investment from our Founder and Executive Director, Brianne Dornbush, and invest in the future of our neighborhoods as we look to the future.
Since launching in 2015, District Bridges has worked alongside residents, small businesses, community organizations, and local leaders to strengthen the neighborhoods we serve. Our mission remains rooted in the same belief that inspired our founding: strong communities are built through relationships, collaboration, and investment in the people who call them home. While the heart of our work remains unchanged, the landscape around us has shifted significantly. Funding uncertainty, rising costs, and evolving political and social conditions have made it increasingly challenging to sustain our programs and achieve the same level of impact. Today, continuing this work requires not only the dedication that has always defined District Bridges, but also new resources and a renewed commitment from the community that makes it all possible.
Our work takes many forms, from helping small businesses grow to creating opportunities for neighbors to connect, to meeting vulnerable community members where they are and helping them navigate complex systems of care.
The Founders Fund will help sustain this community-centered approach and the relationships that make it possible.
Investing in People: Community Navigators
In 2021, District Bridges launched its Community Navigators program after identifying a critical gap in services for people experiencing homelessness, substance use disorder (SUD), and complex medical needs. What began with a $50,000 foundation grant has grown into a vital, relationship-driven resource for our community.
Our Community Navigators meet people where they are: in commercial corridors and areas experiencing concentrated need. They build trust, connect individuals to essential services, and help people navigate systems that can otherwise be difficult to access.
Unlike traditional referral-based approaches, our Navigators go beyond handing someone a phone number or an appointment slip. They provide hands-on support, including accompanying clients to appointments, helping complete housing paperwork, coordinating medical care, and connecting individuals across service providers.
The program is built on trust and community knowledge. More than half of our Navigators live within the service area, and two-thirds are natively bilingual in English and Spanish. These connections help us reach people who may face language barriers or have been underserved by traditional systems.
The impact speaks for itself.
In FY26, our six Navigators:
- Conducted 540 street outreach encounters, totaling more than 1,083 hours of direct engagement.
- Connected 100 individuals to essential health, housing, and social services.
- Performed 33 lifesaving Naloxone overdose reversals in one month during the severe citywide overdose spike in July 2026.
- Helped create meaningful solutions for 250 clients since the program began.
- Ensured approximately 70 individuals successfully secured housing over the past two years.
And our work doesn’t stop when someone receives a housing placement. We help people navigate the transition into stable housing, from securing furniture and groceries to rebuilding daily routines and social connections. By remaining present during critical transitions between service providers, we help reduce the risk of returning to homelessness.
Investing in Local Business: Stronger Main Streets
Thriving neighborhoods depend on thriving small businesses. Independent businesses create local jobs, anchor commercial corridors, and give our neighborhoods their unique identities. But they need support to succeed.
Through our six Main Street programs, District Bridges works to strengthen local commercial districts, support business vitality, and create welcoming public spaces where residents and visitors want to spend time.
We directly invest in small business through our grant program, helping small businesses scale and grow their businesses through facade improvement, equipment upgrades, and more, and invested $301,456.21 in to locally owned small businesses here in DC in FY26 alone.
Alongside our technical assistance and grants, we drive foot traffic through programming and community events.
Across our Main Street initiatives, recent programming has included:
- Markets and neighborhood festivals: Columbia Heights Tree Lighting, Logan Market, Cleveland Park Winter Market, Cleveland Park Night Market, Cleveland Park Day, Columbia Heights Day, and Chevy Chase Winter Festival.
- Arts and culture: Art All Night, Chevy Chase Art Walk, DC Witch Fest, Paddington Palooza, and the BYO Vinyl Listening Party.
- Food and local business experiences: Chili Cook Off, Taco Crawl, Sips and Snacks, and Cooking Class with Rice Market.
- Community connection and engagement: Park View Clean Up, Trivia, Karaoke, World Cup watch parties, and neighborhood walking tours.
- Seasonal celebrations and special events: Dog Days Market, Santa Bar Crawl, Holiday Hunt, and the Cleveland Park Main Street anniversary celebration.
These events create opportunities for businesses to reach new customers, neighbors to connect with one another, and commercial corridors to remain active, welcoming destinations.
Our Main Street work reflects a simple belief: when local businesses thrive, the whole neighborhood benefits.
Become a Supporter
The District Bridges Founders Fund is an invitation to be part of what comes next.
Your support helps strengthen the community infrastructure that makes our work possible—from connecting vulnerable neighbors to essential services to supporting the local businesses and events that bring our neighborhoods to life.
Every contribution matters. Whether you’re giving as an individual, a local business, or a longtime supporter of our work, you’re helping build a stronger foundation for the future of DC.
Choose your impact
$500 — Community Connector
Help sustain the relationships, outreach, and neighborhood programming that bring people together and connect community members with support.
$1,000 — Commercial Corridor Champion
Help strengthen the work that supports local businesses, creates opportunities for community connection, and responds to neighborhood needs.
$5,000 — Community Investor
Help advance the community-based programs, partnerships, and initiatives that make our neighborhoods more vibrant, connected, and resilient.
$10,000 — Founders Circle
Make a leadership-level investment in the future of District Bridges and the neighborhoods we serve, helping sustain the work and relationships that drive lasting community impact.
These giving levels are suggested contributions. Every gift, at every level, helps move our mission forward.
Want to learn more about our work and get to know the people behind the impact? Join us October 29th for our 🎃 Halloween Fundraiser 🎃 at Wonderland Ballroom.
The Founders Fund is an opportunity to invest in that potential—and in the people who make it real.
Join us as a founding supporter. Together, we can continue building neighborhoods where businesses thrive, neighbors connect, and everyone has a stronger path forward.
Make Your Founders Fund Gift Today
Thank you for believing in our neighborhoods and investing in their future.