ACT for Alexandria

Turning ideas into action and resources into results

aka Alexandria Community Trust | Alexandria, VA | https://www.actforalexandria.org/

Mission

Amplifying the work of our community by bringing people and resources together.

Ruling year info

2009

President & CEO

Heather Peeler

Main address

201 N Union St Ste 110

Alexandria, VA 22314-2663 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

26-4322369

Subject area info

Nonprofits

Philanthropy

Population served info

Adults

Adolescents

Children and youth

Women

Infants and toddlers

Show more populations served

NTEE code info

Community Improvement, Capacity Building N.E.C. (S99)

IRS subsection

501(c)(3) Public Charity

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Tax forms

Show Forms 990

Communication

Programs and results

Reports and documents

What we aim to solve

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Support Giving

ACT catalyzes individual passions and generosity to advance community well-being.

Support Nonprofits

ACT ensures that Alexandria’s nonprofits are strong and offer high-quality, effective programs.

Support Community Voice

ACT supports and amplifies local leadership to ensure that groups historically excluded are involved in community decision-making.

Support Community Well-being

ACT optimizes systems and ensures they work better for Alexandrians who have been systemically marginalized. Supports programs and initiatives that help low-income Alexandrians access safe, affordable housing. Additionally, challenges outdated mindsets about the root causes of poverty and foster public support for policies and programs that are effective.

Where we work

Alexandria (Virginia, United States)
Fairfax County (Virginia, United States)

Accreditations

Council on Foundations Accredited

Council on Foundations Standards accreditation 2021

Affiliations & memberships

Citi Foundation's Community Progress Makers Award 2021

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of Grants Awarded

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Support Nonprofits

Type of Metric

Other - describing something else

Direction of Success

Context Notes

Number of Grantees

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Support Nonprofits

Type of Metric

Other - describing something else

Direction of Success

Context Notes

Total Grant Dollars Awarded

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Support Nonprofits

Type of Metric

Other - describing something else

Direction of Success

Context Notes

Number of Convenings and Meetings

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Support Community Voice

Type of Metric

Other - describing something else

Direction of Success

Context Notes

1,158 people have participated in these meetings

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

What is the organization aiming to accomplish?

Alexandria is a just, vibrant, equitable place where all who live and work here thrive and feel like they belong.

What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?

By deepening our commitment to the economic well-being of Alexandrians. Specifically, we seek to address socio-economic disparities and help low-income families and individuals navigate economic crisis, move up the ladder, and secure affordable housing. We will expand the generosity of current and future private and corporate donors who take advantage of our philanthropic advisory services and charitable fund offerings.

What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?

What have they accomplished so far and what's next?

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

We shared information about our current feedback practices.

How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback

Financials

ACT for Alexandria

Fiscal year: Jan 01 - Dec 31

Financial documents

Yes, financials were audited by an independent accountant.

Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

NET GAIN/LOSS: in

Note: When component data are not available, the graph displays the total Revenue and/or Expense values.

Liquidity in 2023

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

101.16

Average of 126.92 over 10 years

Months of cash in 2023

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

4.3

Average of 11.6 over 10 years

Fringe rate in 2023

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

15%

Average of 17% over 10 years

Funding sources

Source: IRS Form 990

Assets & liabilities

Source: IRS Form 990

Financial data

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Digitizing IRS form 990 data

ACT for Alexandria

Revenue & expenses

Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

Fiscal year ending: Download Data

Revenue
Contributions	$928,443
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$12,332
Investments	$41,410
Special Events	($11,888)
Sales	$0
Other	$9,176
Total Revenue	$979,473

Expenses
Program Services	$242,003
Administration	$148,552
Fundraising	$50,889
Total Expenses	$441,444
Net Gain/Loss	$538,029

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$3,811
Advertising & Promotion	$957
Information Technology Expenses	$21,570
Insurance Expenses	$1,050
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$2,069
Legal Fees	$343
Pension Plan Contributions	$0
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$508,376
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$0
Investments	($8,591)
Special Events	($26,488)
Sales	$0
Other	$168
Total Revenue	$473,465

Expenses
Program Services	$474,415
Administration	$101,092
Fundraising	$78,795
Total Expenses	$654,302
Net Gain/Loss	($180,837)

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$18,477
Advertising & Promotion	$0
Information Technology Expenses	$41,455
Insurance Expenses	$1,609
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$0
Legal Fees	$0
Pension Plan Contributions	$0
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$6,285,980
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$0
Investments	$49,811
Special Events	($17,239)
Sales	$0
Other	$4,747
Total Revenue	$6,323,299

Expenses
Program Services	$794,645
Administration	$171,922
Fundraising	$53,367
Total Expenses	$1,019,934
Net Gain/Loss	$5,303,365

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$16,454
Advertising & Promotion	$26,542
Information Technology Expenses	$64,628
Insurance Expenses	$1,845
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$5,864
Legal Fees	$2,353
Pension Plan Contributions	$5,799
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$2,791,938
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$0
Investments	$116,016
Special Events	($16,514)
Sales	$0
Other	$7,324
Total Revenue	$2,898,764

Expenses
Program Services	$1,354,293
Administration	$161,602
Fundraising	$52,703
Total Expenses	$1,568,598
Net Gain/Loss	$1,330,166

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$11,851
Advertising & Promotion	$73,868
Information Technology Expenses	$70,049
Insurance Expenses	$1,969
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$14,654
Legal Fees	$1,018
Pension Plan Contributions	$6,097
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$3,173,806
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$0
Investments	$393,484
Special Events	($1,764)
Sales	$0
Other	$12,724
Total Revenue	$3,578,250

Expenses
Program Services	$1,876,134
Administration	$203,233
Fundraising	$52,980
Total Expenses	$2,132,347
Net Gain/Loss	$1,445,903

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$13,893
Advertising & Promotion	$147,823
Information Technology Expenses	$60,497
Insurance Expenses	$2,476
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$17,422
Legal Fees	$3,500
Pension Plan Contributions	$5,773
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$3,937,768
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$0
Investments	$482,489
Special Events	($22,724)
Sales	$0
Other	$12,103
Total Revenue	$4,409,636

Expenses
Program Services	$1,949,744
Administration	$90,020
Fundraising	$80,835
Total Expenses	$2,120,599
Net Gain/Loss	$2,289,037

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$16,311
Advertising & Promotion	$8,966
Information Technology Expenses	$18,980
Insurance Expenses	$2,754
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$0
Legal Fees	$1,831
Pension Plan Contributions	$6,019
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$2,035,338
Government Grants	$44,028
Program Services	$0
Investments	$245,968
Special Events	($42,852)
Sales	$0
Other	$12,878
Total Revenue	$2,295,360

Expenses
Program Services	$2,074,104
Administration	$128,318
Fundraising	$86,995
Total Expenses	$2,289,416
Net Gain/Loss	$5,944

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$12,605
Advertising & Promotion	$15,458
Information Technology Expenses	$24,977
Insurance Expenses	$5,204
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$31,372
Legal Fees	$1,574
Pension Plan Contributions	$7,201
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$2,877,807
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$0
Investments	$247,219
Special Events	($62,052)
Sales	$0
Other	$31,509
Total Revenue	$3,094,483

Expenses
Program Services	$2,264,105
Administration	$142,363
Fundraising	$92,480
Total Expenses	$2,498,948
Net Gain/Loss	$595,535

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$13,000
Advertising & Promotion	$21,694
Information Technology Expenses	$18,066
Insurance Expenses	$3,609
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$28,970
Legal Fees	$1,699
Pension Plan Contributions	$10,080
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$2,771,140
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$101,410
Investments	$716,204
Special Events	($104,200)
Sales	$0
Other	$1,943,694
Total Revenue	$5,428,248

Expenses
Program Services	$2,040,447
Administration	$218,913
Fundraising	$156,596
Total Expenses	$2,415,956
Net Gain/Loss	$3,012,292

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$17,112
Advertising & Promotion	$28,472
Information Technology Expenses	$18,627
Insurance Expenses	$2,908
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$30,528
Legal Fees	$550
Pension Plan Contributions	$12,046
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$3,132,119
Government Grants	$162,083
Program Services	$23,784
Investments	$602,423
Special Events	($47,017)
Sales	$0
Other	$7,704
Total Revenue	$3,881,096

Expenses
Program Services	$1,826,127
Administration	$453,726
Fundraising	$257,039
Total Expenses	$2,536,892
Net Gain/Loss	$1,344,204

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$20,496
Advertising & Promotion	$6,609
Information Technology Expenses	$19,033
Insurance Expenses	$4,125
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$40,987
Legal Fees	$125
Pension Plan Contributions	$15,957
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$2,981,741
Government Grants	$163,055
Program Services	$54,686
Investments	$548,897
Special Events	($80,558)
Sales	$0
Other	$3,679
Total Revenue	$3,671,500

Expenses
Program Services	$2,343,675
Administration	$432,111
Fundraising	$455,152
Total Expenses	$3,230,938
Net Gain/Loss	$440,562

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$20,250
Advertising & Promotion	$4,439
Information Technology Expenses	$23,953
Insurance Expenses	$3,646
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$42,450
Legal Fees	$125
Pension Plan Contributions	$10,851
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$5,135,966
Government Grants	$5,144,977
Program Services	$46,081
Investments	$574,210
Special Events	($48,298)
Sales	$0
Other	$265,305
Total Revenue	$11,118,241

Expenses
Program Services	$9,453,915
Administration	$410,865
Fundraising	$448,923
Total Expenses	$10,313,703
Net Gain/Loss	$804,538

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$35,228
Advertising & Promotion	$48,749
Information Technology Expenses	$19,718
Insurance Expenses	$3,508
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$44,132
Legal Fees	$125
Pension Plan Contributions	$23,491
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$25,000

Revenue
Contributions	$5,319,705
Government Grants	$226,056
Program Services	$58,908
Investments	$1,679,851
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$333,221
Total Revenue	$7,617,741

Expenses
Program Services	$2,961,717
Administration	$420,552
Fundraising	$459,825
Total Expenses	$3,842,094
Net Gain/Loss	$3,775,647

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$21,520
Advertising & Promotion	$245,884
Information Technology Expenses	$0
Insurance Expenses	$3,764
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$48,269
Legal Fees	$0
Pension Plan Contributions	$12,777
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$2,587,245
Government Grants	$3,329,593
Program Services	$0
Investments	$467,104
Special Events	$33,683
Sales	$0
Other	$184,212
Total Revenue	$6,601,837

Expenses
Program Services	$7,250,819
Administration	$461,725
Fundraising	$495,161
Total Expenses	$8,207,705
Net Gain/Loss	($1,605,868)

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$51,286
Advertising & Promotion	$0
Information Technology Expenses	$17,371
Insurance Expenses	$5,679
Interest Expenses	$480
Investment Management Fees	$53,930
Legal Fees	$31,805
Pension Plan Contributions	$23,204
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$3,032,083
Government Grants	$2,160,430
Program Services	$0
Investments	$950,645
Special Events	$36,841
Sales	$0
Other	$31,355
Total Revenue	$6,211,354

Expenses
Program Services	$5,674,470
Administration	$517,744
Fundraising	$589,888
Total Expenses	$6,782,102
Net Gain/Loss	($570,748)

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$88,620
Advertising & Promotion	$57,026
Information Technology Expenses	$19,827
Insurance Expenses	$5,901
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$53,985
Legal Fees	$0
Pension Plan Contributions	$24,522
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

ACT for Alexandria

Balance sheet

Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.

Fiscal year ending: Download Data

Assets	Jan 09, 2009	Dec 31, 2009	Change
Contributions	$928,443
Cash & Equivalents	$0	$74,008	$74,008
Accounts Receivable	$0	$0	$0
Pledges & Grants Receivable	$0	$0	$0
Receivable, Other	$0	$0	$0
Inventories for Sale or Use	$0	$0	$0
Investment, Securities	$0	$681,578	$681,578
Investment, Other	$0	$0	$0
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$5,401	$5,401
Other	$0	$781	$781
Total Assets	$0	$761,768	$761,768

Liabilities	Jan 09, 2009	Dec 31, 2009	Change
Accounts Payable	$0	$3,828	$3,828
Grants Payable	$0	$0	$0
Deferred Revenue	$0	$0	$0
Loans and Notes	$0	$0	$0
Tax-Exempt Bond Liabilities	$0	$0	$0
Other	$0	$0	$0
Total Liabilities	$0	$3,828	$3,828

Fund balance	Jan 09, 2009	Dec 31, 2009	Change
Temporarily Restricted Net Assets	$0	$0	$0
Permanently Restricted Net Assets	$0	$0	$0
Total Restricted Net Assets	$0	$0	$0
Unrestricted Net Assets	$0	$757,940	$757,940
Net Assets	$0	$757,940	$757,940

Assets	Jan 01, 2010	Dec 31, 2010	Change
Contributions	$508,376
Cash & Equivalents	$11,166	$80,196	$69,030
Accounts Receivable	$0	$7,486	$7,486
Pledges & Grants Receivable	$0	$90,000	$90,000
Receivable, Other	$0	$0	$0
Inventories for Sale or Use	$0	$0	$0
Investment, Securities	$681,578	$485,030	($196,548)
Investment, Other	$0	$0	$0
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$5,401	$6,129	$728
Other	$63,622	$37,701	($25,921)
Total Assets	$761,767	$706,542	($55,225)

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2010	Dec 31, 2010	Change
Accounts Payable	$3,828	$17,046	$13,218
Grants Payable	$0	$42,050	$42,050
Deferred Revenue	$0	$0	$0
Loans and Notes	$0	$0	$0
Tax-Exempt Bond Liabilities	$0	$0	$0
Other	$403	$12,808	$12,405
Total Liabilities	$4,231	$71,904	$67,673

Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

Documents

Letter of Determination

Form 1023/1024 is not available for this organization

President & CEO

Heather Peeler

Ms. Peeler came to ACT from Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (www.GEOfunders.org), which is dedicated to effective philanthropy and nonprofit success. As Vice President of Member and Partner Engagement, she mobilized a national network of more than 5,000 grantmakers in adopting practices to make the greatest impact on nonprofit performance. Heather previously served as Chief Strategy Officer at the Corporation for National and Community Service and as Managing Director at Community Wealth Partners. She regularly writes and speaks about capacity building, community engagement, collaboration, and learning and evaluation. Her own community involvement includes serving as Chair of the Board of Fair Chance, an organization that builds the capacity of grassroots youth-serving organizations, and as a Commissioner on the Washington, D.C. Commission on Out of School Time Grant and Youth Outcomes. She holds a Bachelor's degree from Wellesley College, and MBA from UCLA.

Number of employees

Source: IRS Form 990

ACT for Alexandria

Officers, directors, trustees, and key employees

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Compensation

Other

Show data for fiscal year

Compensation data

Download up to 5 most recent years of officer and director compensation data for this organization

ACT for Alexandria

Highest paid employees

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Compensation

Other

Show data for fiscal year

Compensation data

Download up to 5 most recent years of highest paid employee data for this organization

ACT for Alexandria

Board of directors
as of 7/8/2025

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Board of directors data

Download the most recent year of board of directors data for this organization

Amy Rutherford BOARD MEMBER

Red Barn Mercantile/Penny Post

Anu Varma

Adani Group

Basim Khan BOARD MEMBER

Neighborhood Health, Exec. Dir.

Brian Lundeen

Grobstein Teeple, LLP

C. Eugene Steuerle

The Urban Institute

Charles Chuck Holt BOARD MEMBER

Verdence Capital Advisers

Chris Foster BOARD MEMBER

Omnicom Group

David Frantz

Retired

Erik Muendel BOARD MEMBER

Jake Truex

McLaughlin Ryder Investments, Inc.

Jennifer Ferrara

John Marshall Bank

John Armstrong

Joy Riot Agency

Julia Burgos

ACPS

Karen Avery BOARD VICE CHAIR

Isaacson, Miller, Inc.

Kelly Thomasson

Dominion Energy Foundation

Lauren Stack

Lisa Guernsey

New America Foundation

Lori Morris

Bruhn-Morris Foundation

Mark Jinks

Retired

Maureen Devine-Ahl

Candor and Company

Pam Gilchrist

Virginia Tech

Peter Madigan

University of Maine

Peter McElwain

Crowe LLP

Rose Dawson

Alexandria Public Library

Stephanie Landrum

Alexandria Economic Development Partnership

Sukumar Rao BOARD MEMBER

The Parnin Group

Virginia Bennett BOARD MEMBER

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? yes
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? yes
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? yes
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? yes
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? yes

Organizational demographics

Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity

Black/African American

Gender identity

Female

Sexual orientation

Heterosexual or Straight

Disability status

Person without a disability

ACT for Alexandria

Turning ideas into action and resources into results

Mission

Programs and results

Reports and documents

What we aim to solve

Our programs

Support Giving

Support Nonprofits

Support Community Voice

Support Community Well-being

Where we work

Accreditations

Affiliations & memberships

Our results

Evaluation documents

Number of Grants Awarded

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Type of Metric

Direction of Success

Context Notes

Number of Grantees

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Type of Metric

Direction of Success

Context Notes

Total Grant Dollars Awarded

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Type of Metric

Direction of Success

Context Notes

Number of Convenings and Meetings

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Type of Metric

Direction of Success

Context Notes

Goals & Strategy

Charting impact

What is the organization aiming to accomplish?

What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?

What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?

What have they accomplished so far and what's next?

How we listen

Financials

Financial documents

Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown

Liquidity in 2023 info

101.16

Months of cash in 2023 info

4.3

Fringe rate in 2023 info

15%

Funding sources info

Assets & liabilities info

Financial data

Digitizing IRS form 990 data

ACT for Alexandria

ACT for Alexandria

Operations

Documents

President & CEO

Heather Peeler

Number of employees

ACT for Alexandria

Compensation data

ACT for Alexandria

Compensation data

ACT for Alexandria

Board of directors data

Board leadership practices

Board orientation and education

CEO oversight

Liquidity in 2023

Months of cash in 2023

Fringe rate in 2023

Funding sources

Assets & liabilities