The Greater Washington Community Foundation honored Alex Orfinger, Market President and Publisher at Washington Business Journal with the 2024 Spirit of Philanthropy Award this past Thursday at an event held at the National Building Museum.

Working at the intersection of business and community, Alex’s work shines a light on vital social issues such as economic recovery and income disparity, and why these issues matter to the business community.  He is actively engaged in the philanthropic community and has made a significant impact on our region through his investment of time and resources to support some of the region’s leading nonprofit organizations.

Alex believes what is good for business is also good for the greater community. Alex is a champion of collaboration and is dedicated to developing relationships that strengthen the connection among business leaders and between the business and philanthropic communities.

For over two decades serving as Publisher of the Washington Business Journal, Alex has worked out front and behind the scenes to develop a strong identity for the region’s business sector. The core purpose of the Washington Business Journal is to help local business grow by providing leaders with the information they need to get their work done, including leads, competitive intelligence, and knowledge about who was doing what and with whom.

His Business Journal team continues to report on the diversity of the business community. Through the pages of the Business Journal, they tell the stories of companies, the personalities who run them, and what makes leaders tick.
Beyond reporting, Alex and the Washington Business Journal bring leaders and business people together – including senior executives from across the region and across industry sectors. These are places where deals are consummated, connections are made, and regional problems are solved.

Alex is also actively engaged in the philanthropic community. He is passionate about fostering relationships and believes that the cross-pollination of business and nonprofit contacts results in better business and a stronger community. As the Chair of Jubilee Housing’s Board of Directors, Alex helped the organization raise $5.27 million towards its Housing Justice campaign. In addition, Alex previously served two terms as the Secretary of The Community Foundation’s Board of Directors and founded and launched the David Bradt Nonprofit Education Fund to honor his friend by supporting nonprofit leaders to attend intensive executive training programs. Currently, Alex serves as board chair of Leadership Greater Washington, the region’s largest talent and leadership incubator.