Imoni Washington oversees the implementation of the Foundation’s strategies and its programs to ensure that the District’s civil legal justice system is serving its residents well.
Imoni brings more than 20 years of experience in philanthropy, nonprofit and program management in leading grantmaking for the DC Bar Foundation, the largest funder of civil legal aid in the District of Columbia. She has served as the Director of Programs for the DC Bar Foundation since July 2010 and oversees the implementation of the Foundation’s strategies and its programs to ensure that the District’s civil legal justice system is serving its residents well. Imoni manages the Foundation’s nearly $11 million in annual grantmaking to the District’s civil legal aid system—some of which comprises funding public interest attorneys working on behalf of low-income DC residents.
Prior to joining DCBF, Imoni was a senior program manager for 11 years with Equal Justice Works where she managed the fellowship program and Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP), awarding over 500 fellowships to lawyers serving low-income communities across the country. Imoni developed trusted relationships through the years with this network of justice advocates who are collectively engaged to serve the civil legal justice ecosystem with equity. She also worked closely with Equal Justice Works’ development team to grow the organization’s fundraising capacity.
Growing up with a Foreign Service Officer father stationed for many years in West Africa, Imoni witnessed deep poverty, and vividly remembers visiting slave castles as a child. She is a DC native and current resident of Southeast DC, where a number of her neighbors are plagued by lack of resources, joblessness and poverty. Imoni says, “I see the need every day. There is no escaping it.”
Imoni’s experiences are essential to her work and decision-making at DCBF to ensure that everyone has access to fair and equal justice, regardless of resources. “We have a wealth of resources in DC and I want everyone to benefit from that.”
Imoni received her Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Spelman College.
When it is time to relax, Imoni enjoys walks along the waterfront, working on her green thumb, and venturing in home improvement projects.
Comments