Friends of the Washington Canoe Club, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, was founded to ensure that the historic Washington Canoe Club, built in 1904, will continue to grace the banks of the Potomac River and provide a facility for training athletes for another century.

The Washington Canoe Club is the oldest canoe and kayak club in the Washington area as well as one of the oldest and most distinguished in the country. The Canoe Club is recognized nationally as a pre-eminent Olympic sprint canoe and kayak facility in the United States. The Canoe Club has a strong history of representation on the US Olympic Team, with Club members on all but three Olympic teams since the addition of sprint canoe and kayak in 1936. Current activities at the Club include both recreational and competitive canoe and kayak.

The Canoe Club has been designated a District of Columbia landmark since 1973. In 1991, the Canoe Club was designated an historic building with the National Register of Historical Places and listed on the D.C. inventory of historic sites in the United States.

The Friends of WCC raises funds to maintain the historic clubhouse and to promote and expand Olympic sprint canoe and kayak activity at the WCC.