The William S. Abell Foundation is a family foundation that supports organizations in the DC area focused on homelessness, hunger, domestic violence, at-risk pregnant women, persons with intellectual disabilities, and the arts.
Our focus areas
Hunger
We support efforts to meet the day to day nutritional needs of vulnerable populations, while focusing on strategic initiatives aimed at addressing the root causes of food insecurity.
Homelessness
A central goal is to focus our resources on helping our most vulnerable citizens on a priority basis and with programs designed to remove them permanently from the condition of homelessness.
Domestic Violence
We fund advocacy and safety services for adult victims of domestic violence and children who have suffered maltreatment (abuse or neglect).
At-Risk Pregnant Women
The Foundation seeks to encourage and empower women to continue their pregnancies by supporting them during and after pregnancy so that they can deliver healthy babies and can create a sustainable lifestyle for themselves and their children.
Persons with Intellectual Disabilities
Our mission is to identify, fund, and track strategic projects which benefit persons with intellectual disabilities, improve their quality of life, and assist them to rise to their full potential.
The Arts
The Margaret Abell Powell Fund endeavors to advance the high quality of classical ballet and traditional theatre in the Washington DC area through performance support & training.
Our Non-Discrimination Policy
The William S. Abell Foundation believes that no person should be excluded from agency services, employment or volunteer participation, and will not fund organizations that engage in discrimination on the basis of age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, religious belief, or other characteristics. We recognize that some organizations serve specific populations and the Foundation will support organizations that assist such vulnerable populations or those that have been historically underserved or have faced discrimination.
“[W]e are called to play the good Samaritan on life's roadside; but that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho Road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life's highway. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.”
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
