Since 1991, Friendship Place has used solution-driven and person-centered homeless services to serve the DC region. People experiencing homelessness turn to Friendship Place to meet their immediate needs: showers, laundry, meals, basic needs, blankets, healthcare, and more. A street outreach team coordinates services for neighbors in Ward 3, ensuring more people know that Friendship Place offers free drop-in services, including a health clinic. Young people under the age of 30 participate in developmentally-informed services while veterans work with staff to gain rapid rehousing. Through a job placement program, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing, Friendship Place empowers people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness to attain stable housing and rebuild their lives. Ending homelessness for thousands of people annually, Friendship Place believes in a region where everyone has a place to call "home."

Headquarters: DC-Ward 3

Where They Operate: DC-Citywide; DC-Ward 1; DC-Ward 2; DC-Ward 3; DC-Ward 4; DC-Ward 5; DC-Ward 6; DC-Ward 7; DC-Ward 8; MD-Montgomery County; MD-Prince George's County; MD-Frederick County; VA-Arlington County; VA-Fairfax County; VA-Loudoun County; VA-Prince William County; VA-City of Alexandria; VA-City of Fairfax; VA-City of Falls Church; Street outreach, drop-in and job placement in upper NW DC (although our job placement program works with clients and employers throughout the region); Housing services throughout DC; Veterans services throughout Metro Area

Age Groups Served: All

Ethnic Groups Served: African American; Asian American; Caucasian; Latino/Hispanic

Population(s) Served: All


  • Number of people (clients, patrons, students, etc) we serve annually:   2600

Awards & Recognition

2010 -- Meyer Foundation Exponent Award for Visionary Nonprofit Leadership (to our Executive Director)
2013 and 2014 -- Awarded Mentor Status by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for our Veterans Services
2014 -- The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness 25th Anniversary Award for Outstanding Services to Homeless Adults
2015 -- National Association of Workforce Development Professionals Leadership Award (to the Director of our job placement program, for the program's innovations in the field of employment services for people experiencing homelessness)

Press

  • On D.C. Streets, the Cellphone as Lifeline
    Wed Mar 25 2009  
    The Post's front-page article illustrates how cellphone technology helps homeless people stay connected with society and reverse the downward spiral of homelessness. As the article pointed out, however, most homeless people do not have cellphones. For them, social service agencies such as Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place, located in Tenleytown, are a lifeline. Friendship Place receives mail and takes phone messages for people who are homeless. And we give people the option of participating in Community Voice Mail, a nationwide nonprofit service that offers service through 19 locations in the District. Through CVM, 20 clients of Friendship Place have their own free voice mail, to which they have access from any phone. This provides a valuable link to employers, medical care, and families for those who can't even afford pay-as-you-go phones.
    connect here

Budget (FY2023)

  • The current budget for Friendship Place is: $3 million or higher
  • $1 million to $3 million
  • $500k to $1 million
  • Less than $500k

Catalogue charities range in size from $100,000 to $3 million. This graphic indicates the budget range of the organization featured here. If you see an organizational budget above the $3 million mark, that is because the featured charity has grown in size since it first appeared in the Catalogue. We proudly present on our website the work of these "growth" charities.

About Spur Local

Every year, 190+ local nonprofits (with budgets under $4M) apply to join the Spur Local network. 170+ community volunteers assess these applications for impact. 100% of organizations are site visited and financially reviewed. Finally, 76+ critical, local nonprofits are selected for inclusion in Spur Local's annual print and digital catalog, and enter a four-year partnership with us. Since 2003, we have raised over $65 million for nonprofits across the Greater Washington region. We charge no fees and raise funds separately to support our work.

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