The purpose of the Community-Based Grants Program is to provide grants management services and technical assistance to non-profit organizations to improve their capacity to provide high quality programs to the District’s Latino residents.

Through OLA, the District of Columbia government funds the following grants initiatives:

1. Latino Community Education Program

The Mayor’s Latino Community Education Grant (LCEG) was established in 2000 with an award of $1 million to be used for Latino educational programs. This grant is managed and monitored by the Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs. LCEG provides funding for programs working to increase or enhance work skills and educational services for adults, and stay-in school programs for children/youth.  

2. Latino Community Health Program

The Latino Community Health Grant (LCHG) was awarded in October of 2001 to a collaborative of health-focused organizations serving the Latino community of the District of Columbia. The goal of this OLA-funded program is to provide health services, early detection, health referrals, and education and prevention for low-income and uninsured Latinos of the District. The grant has been renewed in the subsequent years, and has evolved to better serve the changing needs of the community.

3. Latino Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Services Program

The program is administered by OLA in partnership with the Addiction Prevention and Recovery Administration (APRA). The goal (for OLA and APRA) is to develop and enforce the highest quality regulatory standards for delivering services related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) addictions in the Latino community. The intended effect is to prevent ATOD addiction; and to identify, treat, and rehabilitate Latino consumers. The program operates the District’s only culturally competent Latino residential/inpatient drug treatment facility.