Thank you and happy new year!

Greetings!

Reflecting on 2018, I am so thankful for the generosity of our donors and the commitment of our nonprofit partners who make our community development work possible. Together, we are contributing to a more vibrant, equitable, and inclusive community for all who call the Greater Washington region home.

From our work on various community impact initiatives focusing on education, homelessness, and workforce development, The Community Foundation is dedicated to partnering with you to continue as caretakers of our community. And, I am so proud of what we have accomplished together over the last year alone – here are a few highlights:

• Did you know that we have granted out more than $1.2 billion in our 45-year history? In FY18, we administered 8,450 grants worth more than $96 million in total, making us the largest local funder of nonprofits in the Greater Washington region. We are proud to have partnered with and provided funding to more than 2,600 nonprofits through our community grants. The majority of these grants support nonprofits who share our mission for Building Thriving Communities in DC, Montgomery County, Northern Virginia, and Prince George’s County.

• Data from our VoicesDMV community engagement initiative, which surveyed more than 3,400 local residents on their experiences in their communities, guided a refresh of our strategic approach and the launch of our Building Thriving Communities framework. This refresh allows us to deepen and expand existing work and more fully captures the range of efforts The Community Foundation, our donors and partners collectively undertake across the region to address poverty, deepen culture and human connection, and prepare for the future of work.

• As we are preparing to launch new community impact initiatives throughout the region, we have started building a public-private partnership focused on ending homelessness in DC. On any given night, nearly 7,000 people in DC sleep outside or in shelters, including 2,000 children. We believe that homelessness is a complex issue that is solvable, but it requires businesses, individuals, local government, and nonprofits working together to find solutions. You can learn more about these efforts in an article I authored for the Washington Business Journal’s annual Giving Guide. Please contact Angela Willingham if you are interested in learning more about or supporting the Partnership to End Homelessness.

• We were pleased to renew our accreditation with the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations, a voluntary and rigorous program administered by the Council on Foundations to represent the highest standards of operational excellence and integrity in community philanthropy. We are among 500 of the nation’s largest community foundations who participate and meet the benchmarks for quality in operations, accountability and impact.

Now as we enter 2019, I am hopeful and filled with excitement for the possibilities of what we can do together. With your support, we can build thriving communities that are ripe with opportunity for everyone—good schools and enrichment programs for our kids, a sense of safety and security in our neighborhoods, well-paying jobs, affordable housing, vibrant cultural options, and a sense of fairness and justice for all.

Cheers to a happy and healthy new year!

Bruce McNamer,

President & CEO

Reflecting on the Legacy of Vicki Sant

All of us at the Greater Washington Community Foundation were deeply saddened to learn of Victoria (“Vicki”) Sant’s passing on Tuesday, December 11, 2018. Vicki was a long-standing champion of The Community Foundation’s ideals, having served as vice chair of the board, an emeritus board member, major donor, and President of the Summit Fund.

“The Community Foundation would not be the thriving organization and community leader that it is today if it wasn’t for Vicki Sant’s hands-on leadership and stewardship,” said Bruce McNamer, President and CEO of The Community Foundation. “Vicki was instrumental to our early growth and success, and The Summit Fund provided major financial support which enabled us to address community needs and to develop as a community leader.”

Vicki began an over 35-year relationship with The Community Foundation in the early 80s when she and her husband, Roger — the co-founder of a global power company — established The Summit Fund as a donor-advised fund at The Community Foundation. As a board member, she chaired The Community Foundation’s grants and programs committee and served on the Steering Committee for the Creative Communities Initiative, focused on creating a strong support system for artists in the region. Vicki was eventually named a board member emeritus, a position of honor she shared with the late R. Robert Linowes.

The Summit Fund of Washington, established by Roger and Vicki Sant, was the first supporting organization of The Community Foundation. Vicki was the co-founder and president from 1993 to 2015, focused on two specific causes of importance to her: restoring and protecting the Anacostia River and reducing teen pregnancy in the District of Columbia. Her other passions included international population issues, global environmental issues and the arts.

“Vicki embodied the true spirit of philanthropy.  She became a mentor of mine in the early 90s when I was a young program officer just starting out at The Community Foundation, and her love and guidance made such a huge difference in my life. Her impact came not just from her strategic mind but also from her enormous heart and emotional intelligence,” said Silvana Straw, Senior Community Investment Officer and Philanthropic Advisor at The Community Foundation.

Vicki’s long history as a fundraiser for nonprofit organizations also gave her a unique nonprofit -friendly perspective on philanthropy. She once shared that, “Knowing the complexity of running a nonprofit has helped me enormously as a donor and helped me experience the partnership donors and grantees share as they each work toward the same common goal.”

“Vicki was my great friend—kind, caring and funny.  Most of all we shared a total commitment to children both here and around the world.  She was always an inspiration and had the attitude that anything good was possible, and that attitude meant that good came to pass,” said Charito Kruvant, a Community Foundation donor and former board member, and Founder and Chairperson of the Board of Creative Associates International. 

Underlying her commitment was a belief that, in her eloquent words, “our community’s greatest assets are its citizens, and that their creativity, ideas and energy are essential to the resolution of the challenges facing our community.”

Year-End Giving Tips from Leslie Smith of Chevy Chase Trust

With the end of the year quickly approaching, professional advisor Leslie Smith hopes individuals, families and businesses recognize that expertly managed and cost-effective donor-advised funds offer numerous financial advantages. Leslie, Senior Managing Director with Chevy Chase Trust, notes that a fund at the Greater Washington Community Foundation offers a special opportunity to learn about the issues facing the community and can support worthy causes, such as providing scholarships for students or helping to create a brighter future for vulnerable neighbors. There’s no better time to consider the financial benefits than in the last days of December.

Leslie has a long history with The Community Foundation—including as co-chair of The Foundation’s Professional Advisors Council and serving on The Community Foundation’s Advisory Board in Montgomery County and its Sharing Montgomery Grants Committee.

“I quickly went from having an academic understanding to comprehending the tremendous benefits of community foundations and donor-advised funds,” she says. “The bottom line is private foundations are not a very efficient option for most donors.” 

Leslie estimates that she and her colleagues have helped dozens, if not 100 or more clients set up donor-advised funds over the years. One client told Leslie that she wanted to focus on her own charitable giving after her husband passed away. A volunteer with the Literacy Council, the client was personally moved by stories of her immigrant neighbors who were determined to learn English while raising their families and working full-time, usually at low paid jobs. She wanted to find a way to help their children go to college. Leslie introduced her to Anna Hargrave, executive director of The Community Foundation’s local office for Montgomery County. Anna arranged a meeting with staff from the Literacy Council and Future Links, a nonprofit that provides academic support, internships and scholarships to underserved high school students. Fast forward four years: Leslie’s client has provided scholarships to three students, so far. 

“Every time we meet, she talks about those students and her terrific experience with The Community Foundation,” Leslie says. “Of course we also talk about her portfolio, but it’s her charitable giving and those scholarships that really make her light up.”

Leslie and her colleagues at Chevy Chase Trust not only refer clients to The Community Foundation, they also host learning events for clients on topics like hunger and poverty and roll up their sleeves and volunteer in the community. They are not alone. The Community Foundation partners with many corporations, professional advisors and financial institutions throughout the region who have demonstrated a strong commitment to addressing the community’s greatest challenges. 

Leslie recognizes that giving through The Community Foundation makes it possible to maximize the tax benefits and impact of philanthropy. As the year comes to a close, Leslie offers these five tips for end-of-the-year giving:

• As you are considering your tax situation, you may find the cap of the deduction for state and local income tax as well as property taxes (a $10,000 deduction limit for all) results in higher than expected taxes, despite the reduction in federal rates. It may make sense to give more to charity, or to accelerate charitable giving into the current year.

• Always consider gifting appreciated securities rather than cash, to avoid the capital gain on the securities. 

• If you want to take advantage of the standard deduction rather than itemize, it could make sense to bunch charitable giving into alternate years so that one year you itemize and the next you use the standard deduction. 

• If you don't want to make larger gifts to your usual charities in one year, a donor-advised fund can provide the mechanism to make a large deductible gift now, then take your time deciding how it will be used to benefit the community in the future.

• If you are at least 70 1/2 years old, consider using your IRA to make a direct contribution to charity. You may give up to $100,000, which can include your Required Minimum Distribution. A donor-advised fund does not qualify for these donations, however, The Community Foundation offers other giving vehicles that allow you to take advantage of this type of gift.

Leapfrogging Inequity in Montgomery County

Guest post by Kimberly Rusnak, Project Director for the Children's Opportunity Fund

What is leapfrogging in education? The concept was explored with a group of Community Foundation donors at our most recent President’s Forum in Montgomery County. It is the ability to jump ahead or disrupt existing paradigms to make rapid and non-linear progress. It is the possibility to transform what and how children learn so that young people can develop a broad set of skills needed to thrive. The concept is discussed by Rebecca Winthrop, a Senior Fellow and the Director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institute, in her new book, Leapfrogging Inequality: Remaking Education to Help Young People Thrive. 

The first major point covered during the talk sought to answer a critical question: What is the goal of education? Though it seems like such a simple question, the answers in the room were vastly different. Some of the answers were: the goal is to teach basic skills of reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. This was countered with the goal to ensure sustainable employment. Or is the goal to provide young people with the tools for a fulfilling life and to encourage active civic participation? Or all of the above?

The answer posed to the group by Ms. Winthrop was called, “Academic +,” also known as The Breadth-of-Skills-Movement. While an education system must prioritize knowledge acquisition, there must also be a strong emphasis on developing skills needed to use that knowledge in different settings overtime. This includes academic subjects, plus globally relevant topics, communication skills, problem solving skills; and trying to prepare students for the future. It’s a tough job—and no single approach is the perfect solution because learning happens everywhere—at home, at school, in the community. 

In an average year, an elementary school student only spends 14% of their time in school (based on a 7-hour school day, 180 days  per year). Roughly 33% of a student’s time is spent sleeping, and 53% of their time is spent awake and out of school. If the majority (53%) of learning happens at home, in the community and among peers, think about what that means. 

For many families that cannot afford quality early learning and pre-K access, fee-based out of school programs, private tutoring and costly summer camps, the opportunities and exposure to academic and non-academic skills and knowledge are very different compared to affluent families who can. The families who cannot afford expensive out-of-school supports are often immigrants and people of color; which is why the opportunity gap and racial inequity exists in almost every county and city in the United States.  Race and poverty are not the same thing, but there are strong correlations in the world of education.  As Kevin Beverly, a Trustee of The Community Foundation reflected:

“Encouraging educators to open the aperture and look beyond the standard approaches is a key to helping our at-risk youth excel.” 

In order to make major strides and changes in education, we must take big leaps and major calculated risks to achieve greater change for children and address this inequity. We must do our work differently so that we can achieve different results. Incremental change is not enough; we must find ways to leapfrog. As Shirley Brandman, an Education Advocate in Montgomery County reflected:

“Our commitment to equity will only become real when we can invest in tangible strategies that catch students up and keep them on track academically.  Making more than a year's worth of progress in a year of schooling is key and the insights shared about how we can harness innovation to leapfrog or accelerate learning should inspire us to rededicate our efforts.” 

There were several examples of this idea shared at the President’s Forum last week.  An initiative called, LEMA (Literacy and Math Education Labs) has created board games that teach literacy, numeracy, teamwork and collaboration at the same time. Another example was Wonderschool in California who works with families, educators and childcare providers to helps individuals start their own businesses by assisting with licensing, marketing and everything in between. 

I have spent my entire career working in education and the field of out of school time.  I am excited for the opportunity to take my experiences and knowledge and put them to work in Montgomery County through the Children’s Opportunity Fund. It is our goal to help every child succeed.  The Fund focuses on supporting and scaling evidence-based initiatives that are meeting gaps in Montgomery County. 

Thank you to Rebecca Winthrop for sharing her knowledge and expertise.  Our community will use these learnings and others to help investigate opportunities to innovate and address inequity in education in Montgomery County, and across the region. 

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Kimberly joined The Community Foundation in the summer of 2018.  Through her previous experience as a Program Officer with the Social Innovation Fund, she oversaw a portfolio of innovative interventions ranging from cradle to career.  Kimberly came to The Community Foundation well-versed in program development, nonprofit management and community development.  She is a passionate advocate for young people and believes it is critical that we provide equal opportunities to all. 

Regional Community Foundations Submit Letter to Amazon

With Amazon’s HQ2 coming to Northern Virginia, we joined with ACT for Alexandria, the Arlington Community Foundation, the Community Foundation for Loudoun & Northern Fauquier Counties, and the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia to welcome the company to the region in hopes of developing collaborative solutions to address workforce development, affordable housing and other local issues.

Three simple ways you can make a difference in our communities

What a difference you have helped make this year! Throughout 2018, you, along with our entire community of givers, have generously helped thousands of students pursue their higher education goals, supported training programs for local workers to enter and advance in their careers, aided our neighbors struggling with housing or food insecurity, expanded enrichment programs for youth, and so much more. The spirit of giving is very strong in the Greater Washington region thanks to your contributions!

Like us, you know that while this progress is encouraging there is still more work to be done to ensure that all our neighbors can benefit from our region’s prosperity and economic growth. If you share our commitment to build thriving communities for all who call our region home, there are three simple ways for you to make a difference right now:

• Replenish Your Fund at The Community Foundation: One of the many benefits is that you can add to your fund now, claim the charitable deduction on your FY18 tax filing, and make grants at any time you wish. This is especially attractive under the new tax law — using a donor-advised fund you can bundle multiple years’ worth of giving into one year to gain the maximum tax benefits available. Make a contribution.

• Invest in the Fund for Greater Washington: Your gift is a critical investment in our efforts to Build Thriving Communities by helping our neighbors find pathways out of poverty, deepening culture and human connection, and preparing workers to succeed in our region’s changing economy. It will enable us to lead community impact initiatives which spark change, create dialogue, and influence policies to address the most pressing needs of our communities. Donate now.

• Contribute to a Collaborative Fund to Make a Deeper Impact Together: Sharing Funds in DC, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County bring together donors and community leaders to learn about the challenges facing our communities, combine resources, and invest in helping our low-income neighbors achieve economic security. It’s easy to make one gift that touches the lives of thousands right here in our local communities. Contact us to learn more.

As you are conducting your year-end giving, please keep in mind our December 14 deadline for recommending grants to ensure your grantees receive their grants by December 31. You may submit grant recommendations through your DonorCentral account . Feel free to contact Kathy Matthews (202-263-4773 or [email protected] ) with any questions.

We appreciate your continued partnership and support to build thriving communities that are more equitable, just and vibrant.

Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season,
Bruce McNamer
President & CEO

Thank You for Supporting the 2018 Celebration of Giving

Thank you for supporting the 2018 Montgomery County Celebration of Giving! 

We were proud to bring together more than 350 people to recognize the donors, nonprofits, and local leaders who make up our community of givers and doers in Montgomery County and to salute our 2018 Philanthropist of the Year, Linda Youngentob. 

As we head into the holiday season, we hope you will remember Linda’s story and the three epiphanies which guided her own philanthropic journey:

• You can have impact when you help one person at a time,

• That impact will have a ripple effect, and

• Every one of us can have this impact right here in our own community.

We wish to extend a special thank you to the Celebration Sponsors, Host Committee, and everyone who contributed to making the night a success. Proceeds raised will help The Community Foundation in Montgomery County to meet its goal of addressing critical community needs by investing in high-impact nonprofit organizations and inspiring more people to give!

We couldn’t have done it without you!

With deep gratitude,

Anna Hargrave

P.S. Watch Linda's salute video and visit our Celebration page to see additional photos from the event. 

Apply to Perform or Exhibit at the 2019 Celebration of Philanthropy

We are currently accepting proposal submissions for performance opportunities at The Community Foundation’s 2019 Celebration of Philanthropy. The event will take place Monday, March 25, from 6:00-9:00 pm at Arena Stage. The annual Celebration brings together about 800 local philanthropists, nonprofits, business and community leaders to honor their individual and collective contributions to ensuring our region is a more equitable, vibrant and inclusive place to live. This is the largest annual celebration of local philanthropy in our region, providing an opportunity to celebrate The Community Foundation’s impact and legacy of bringing people and resources together for community change.

The Celebration of Philanthropy is a unique experience — it is structured like a community arts festival featuring performances and exhibits showcasing some of the region's most exciting artists and nonprofit arts organizations supported by The Community Foundation and its community of givers. Performances are staggered throughout the evening and across all three levels of Arena Stage, allowing guests to experience the region’s vibrant local arts community while enjoying delicious food, an open bar, and networking opportunities with friends and colleagues.

We are specifically looking for:

• Performance art — Live music, theater, dance, poetry/spoken word, or other performances (individuals or groups of artists of all disciplines and ages) that run for about 10-15 minutes. Performances do NOT take place on stages or in theaters, so submissions must be conducive to an open but limited performance space.

• Visual art — Interactive and participatory exhibits or roving experience/activities that engage the audience as individuals or a group. Stations may run throughout the evening on various levels of the event space.

Please note: The Celebration offers guests a very festive party atmosphere. It is a standing and roving reception and, because the space is very open, the noise level can conflict with performance audio.

Eligibility Requirements

We will consider applications from artists and nonprofit organizations which are:

• located in and/or serving residents of the Greater Washington region, including DC, Montgomery County, Northern Virginia, and Prince George’s County;

• current or past grantees of The Community Foundation and/or its component funds;

• available the evening of Monday, March 25, 2019, from roughly 4:00-9:00 pm, and for a pre-scheduled walk through and rehearsal prior to the event.

You may submit as many ideas as you’d like for consideration. Applications are due, via the online form below, no later than 5:00 pm on December 21, 2018.

Individuals and organizations selected for performance opportunities will be notified in mid-January 2019. Selected individuals/organizations will receive a $500 honorarium (one per performance) and up to two tickets for staff or guests to attend the event. Please send your questions to [email protected].

Fill out my online form.

Save the Date for the 2019 Celebration of Philanthropy

It's time to celebrate! You’re invited to the 2019 Celebration of Philanthropy on March 25, 2019! This is the largest annual celebration of local philanthropy in our region. It is a true celebration of what makes our community remarkable—including the individuals and organizations who dedicate their time and resources to public service, philanthropy, and nonprofits to drive the area’s tremendous giving spirit and make our region a more vibrant, equitable and inclusive place to live. This is also an opportunity to celebrate The Community Foundation’s impact in our region and reflect on our legacy of bringing people and resources together for community change.

At the Celebration, we will present the 2019 Civic Spirit Award to former Mayor Anthony Williams. Anthony Williams is a long-time champion for a thriving DC, having served as CFO, Mayor, and now as CEO of the Federal City Council. During more than a decade of service in local government, he is widely credited with leading the City out of bankruptcy and for initiating a period of sustained economic growth leading DC to the economically vibrant place it is today. He has continued his civic contribution and leadership at the Federal City Council, engaging the business community in investments in infrastructure and more equitable development, most recently with the launch of the Washington Housing Initiative. 

Attending the Celebration of Philanthropy is an experience unlike any other! You’ll take part in a cocktail reception and community festival featuring live music, theater, poetry, and dance performances from some of the region's most exciting nonprofits and local artists who are supported by The Community Foundation and our community of givers. These showcases are staggered throughout the evening and across the venue, allowing you to choose from a line-up of incredible acts while enjoying delicious food, an open bar, and networking with friends and colleagues. 

When you purchase a ticket or sponsorship for this event, you are also giving back to your community by supporting our efforts to build thriving communities throughout the region. Proceeds benefit The Community Foundation's Fund for Greater Washington, enabling us to make grants to effective nonprofits, incubate new ideas, convene partners to address community issues, and conduct programmatic initiatives and advocacy. Through this Fund, The Community Foundation invests in effective solutions to help our marginalized neighbors find pathways out of poverty, create diverse and inclusive spaces to deepen human connection, and prepare workers to succeed in our region’s changing economy.

Sponsorship Packages

We have a variety of sponsorship opportunities for organizations of all sizes and for individuals who want to celebrate with us and share their great work with an audience of 700+ community, philanthropic, local government, and business leaders— contact Emily Davis for more details.

We hope you will join us on March 25! This is truly a special celebration that you will not want to miss!

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WHEN

Monday, March 25, 2019
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

WHERE

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater
1101 Sixth Street SW | Washington, DC 20024

TICKETS

Ticket sales will open in January 2019

Business Attire

FiscalNote Announces Wendy Martinez Legacy Project

View RollCall’s coverage of FiscalNote’s announcement of $500,000 in seed funding and stock shares to establish The Wendy Martinez Legacy Project, which will support advancing women in tech and programs that empower women and promote community through running.

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Make a Contribution

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How You Can Support Relief Efforts in California

Creative Commons image courtesy of Dawn Armfield

The Camp and Woolsey wildfires have devastated several areas across Northern and Southern California. According to The New York Times, 44 people have died, and 225,500 acres have been scorched as a result.

If you are wondering what you can do in response, there are many ways that you can donate help the people and communities affected.

Local community foundations are extremely important when disaster strikes, because they are experts on the needs of their local communities, have established processes for vetting and giving out resources, and are committed to both the immediate need and the long-term recovery efforts.

Some accredited community foundations in California include:

• California Community Foundation Wildfire Relief Fund (Los Angeles County)

• North Valley Community Foundation Evacuation Relief Fund

• Ventura County Community Foundation has activated the Hill Fire and Woolsey Fire Sudden and Urgent Needs Effort as well as the CONEJO VALLEY VICTIMS FUND to support relief and recovery efforts following the shooting in Thousand Oaks that took 12 lives

In a time when Californians are dealing with multiple tragedies, remember that you can make a difference where it counts: in the local community.

Businesses and individuals together can end homelessness

In a feature article for the Washington Business Journal’s annual Giving Guide, our CEO Bruce McNamer talks about how it is possible to end homelessness if we can increase the supply of supportive and affordable housing and help individuals and families experiencing homelessness move out of shelters and into a stable home.

Maximizing the tax benefits and impact of your giving

Dear donors,

As the end of year approaches, I am amazed at how much we have accomplished together for our community. Thanks to your continued generosity, The Community Foundation made more than $96 million in grants to nonprofits responding to critical needs in our region. This includes Building a Safer, Stronger DC, supporting victims of domestic violence in Prince George’s County, closing the opportunity gap for Montgomery County’s vulnerable youth and families, assisting local workers to launch living-wage careers, and providing assistance to reunite families separated at the border and detained in the region. Learn more about our work and impact in the community from our  FY 2018 annual report.

As you are looking for meaningful ways to make a difference this holiday season, now is an ideal time to consider replenishing your fund at The Community Foundation. One of the many benefits of doing your giving through The Community Foundation is that you can add to your fund now, claim the charitable deduction on your FY18 tax filing, and make grants at any time you wish. This is especially attractive under the new tax law — using a donor-advised fund you can bundle multiple years’ worth of giving into one year to gain the maximum tax benefits available.

We can help you maximize the tax benefits and impact from a range of gifts.

• You can make gifts of cash via check, credit card, or wire transfer. Click here for details.

• Now is a great time to turn gains in your portfolio into charitable support that will make a lasting impact toward strengthening our region. Making a gift of appreciated securities held long-term allows you to take an immediate charitable deduction for the full fair market value while avoiding capital gains taxes typically due upon sale. Click here for our wire transfer instructions.

• If you are age 70.5 or older, an IRA charitable rollover (QCD) allows you to make a tax-free transfer of up to $100,000 each year directly to certain types of funds (but not to a DAF) at The Community Foundation without taking the distribution as taxable income. Contact us for more information.

• We can also accept gifts of complex assets including closely held stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, or other real assets. Contact us to explore your options.

As you are considering your year-end giving plan, please keep in mind our December 14 deadline for recommending grants to ensure grantees receive the funds by December 31. You may submit grant recommendations through your DonorCentral account. Feel free to contact Kathy Matthews (202-263-4773 or [email protected]) with any questions.

We appreciate your continued partnership and support as we build thriving communities that are more equitable, just and vibrant.

Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season,
Bruce McNamer
President & CEO

P.S. I hope you will consider making a gift to the Fund for Greater Washington to support The Community Foundation's work to build thriving communities in the Greater Washington region.

The Resilience Fund Combats Hate and Intolerance in the Greater Washington Region

Announces New Grants to Local Nonprofits Serving Immigrant and Muslim Communities

The Resilience Fund has announced $200,000 in grants to seven nonprofits supporting our neighbors experiencing hardship as a result of shifting federal policies and growing anti-other sentiment. The grant awards will enable these organizations to provide legal or medical services, conduct advocacy, and help protect the civil rights of immigrants, refugees, Muslims and other vulnerable communities in our region. 

“In light of recent tragedies from Pittsburgh to Louisville, we are reminded of both the strength and the vulnerability of our communities, including in the Greater Washington region,” said Tonia Wellons, VP of community investment for the Greater Washington Community Foundation, and Terri D. Wright, VP for program and community for the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, who co-chair the Fund’s Steering Committee. “The Resilience Fund is one tool to help stem the rising tide of intolerance, fear, bigotry, hate and anti-other sentiments that impact us locally. These grants will support the critical work of nonprofits responding to community needs to ensure our neighborhoods remain resilient, thriving, and more equitable and inclusive places to live.”

Grant Awards

The Resilience Fund’s latest grants will support:

• DC Law Students in Court to expand immigration representation by leveraging hundreds of pro bono hours from student attorneys who will represent clients seeking release on bond before the Arlington Immigration Court. This will be the first legal clinical program of its kind in DC.

• Identity, Inc. to help mitigate the negative consequences of new MCPS policies and practices on immigrant students and their families, including the visitor ID policy, Free and Reduced-Price Meals paper application, and high school athletics registration. Identity will advocate for policies that reduce barriers to equitable participation.

• Jews United for Justice to conduct advocacy around the Montgomery County Trust Act, which would formalize rules preventing police and other local emergency services from cooperating with ICE; and the statewide Trust Act which will amend the Maryland Dream Act, so all young people have equal in-state tuition regardless of DACA status.

• Justice for Muslims Collective to organize and empower Muslim communities to challenge federal anti-Muslim policies and societal bigotry. JMC will host community-building events, complete a DMV assessment on the needs of Muslim communities, organize rapid response mobilizations, and host community defense and wellness workshops.

• League of Women Voters of Virginia to conduct voter services and voter education programs in Northern Virginia, specifically Arlington County, Fairfax area, Loudoun County, and Prince William area.

• Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care to provide medical, dental, and behavioral health services to undocumented children separated from their parents at the border and receiving shelter in the region. Mary’s Center will provide behavioral health care in its School Based Mental Health program at 18 public schools, and wraparound care at its health centers.

• The Fuller Project for International Reporting to counter hatred and intolerance by expanding its reporting, training, and raising awareness about the issues facing immigrant women, children, and their families.

About the Resilience Fund

The Resilience Fund was created in early 2017 as a collaborative partnership of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, and other foundation and individual contributors. It supports the critical needs of nonprofits who are responding to changes in federal policy and budget priorities, as well as the climate of intolerance and hate, both of which are disproportionately impacting local people of color, and immigrant and refugee communities. 

Since the Fund’s inception, it has raised and leveraged more than $1 million and granted out $550,000 to organizations supporting our neighbors affected by changes to immigration and deportation policies, as well as efforts to build community cohesion and combat anti-other sentiment. Grants have supported immigrant-serving organizations providing advocacy, legal representation, medical services, training on legal and civil rights, and assistance with reuniting families separated at the border and detained in Maryland or Virginia. The Fund has also responded to increases in incidents of hate and intolerance in the region by supporting grassroots community engagement, voter education services, and the expansion of educational programs in local schools that teach news literacy as well as tolerance, respect and inclusion. 

Call for Proposals

The Resilience Fund is interested in identifying community-based solutions which respond to federal policy shifts impacting our region. Organizations located in or serving the Greater Washington region may submit a letter of inquiry for a rapid response grant to address current or emerging issues affecting our neighbors and communities. We will entertain inquiries linked to immigration, justice reform and civil rights roll-backs, and efforts that expand access to citizenship and democracy including voter registration and participation efforts (GOTV). New proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed by the Resilience Fund Steering Committee in 2019. 

Grants may support special projects, programs, or include general operating support. Grant awards may range from $10,000-$30,000. For more details on proposal submission guidelines, click here. Letters of inquiry may be submitted through our online application system. Contact Melen Hagos with questions at [email protected].

Join Us!

If you share our commitment to ensuring our communities are strong and resilient, we invite you to stand with us by contributing to the Resilience Fund.

Reflecting on the Tragedy in Pittsburgh

Our hearts are breaking for the innocent victims and families who have lost a life or a loved one to senseless acts of violence fueled by hate and intolerance – from Pittsburgh to Louisville and other tragedies that have afflicted our country. The rhetoric of hate and bigotry has been translated into acts of terror so heinous that there are no suitable words to describe the feelings of grief or to soothe the pain and despair. The growing anti-Semitic, anti-Black, anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ path of pursuit is appalling and conjures up painful events in our country’s history that we have long worked to overcome. But here we are at this juncture once more and, as we reflect on past horrors and mourn the present circumstances, we must also make a clear decision not to abandon our hope for a better future. During these times, we are reminded of both the strength and the vulnerability of communities, including our own, and that there is still more work to be done to more intentionally build a community that values people from all walks of life and fully embraces the strength of our diversity. In the Greater Washington region, we are committed to Building Thriving Communities by continuing the important work to ensure our neighborhoods are more resilient, equitable, just, and enriching places for all who call our region their home.

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How you can help those affected by the Mass shooting in pittsburgh

If you’re looking for ways to help the victims and their families, first responders, or the broader Squirrel Hill community, our friends at The Pittsburgh Foundation have launched a Critical Needs crowdfunding program to support organizations assisting victims of the mass shootings at Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill.

The Critical Needs event, under the #LoveIsStronger banner, is underway now and will continue until 11:59 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at www.pittsburghgives.org, the Foundation’s donation portal. People contributing to one or more of eight designated organizations during that period will have their donation matched dollar-for-dollar by the Foundation – up to $150,000.

The new Donor Central is now live

A new and improved version of Donor Central is now live! You can expect a cleaner interface and better presentation of your fund’s data — including your fund summary, spendable balance and grants activity — along with a streamlined process for grant recommendations.

If you are a current Donor Central user, you should have received a welcome email on Moday, October 29 with a link to access the new Donor Central site. When you visit the new site, you will need to create a new account using your email address as the username. We’ve included a quick start guide for you to read through to help make the transition to the new site as seamless as possible.

To create your new account, please click on the “Don’t have a Blackbaud ID? Create a new one” link, and enter the information requested on the next page. Make sure to use the email address included above as your user name. Once you’ve created your new account, you’ll be ready to access all that Donor Central has to offer. 

Please keep in mind: We do NOT recommend that you use the feature to sign in with your Google account (if you have a Gmail address), as that option is less secure than creating a Blackbaud account.

If you have not yet signed up for a Donor Central account, you are welcome to take advantage of this free and secure online tool which makes it easy to submit your grant recommendations and get up-to-date information on your fund balance, gifts and grants. Contact us for more information.

If you have any questions, we are here to help! Please contact us at 202-955-5890 or [email protected].

Meet the 2018 Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year

On Thursday, November 1, 2018, The Community Foundation saluted Linda Youngentob as the 2018 Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year at our annual Celebration of Giving.

Linda’s philanthropic journey was first shaped by her parents who emphasized tikkun olam, the belief that we all have a responsibility to heal the world.  While pursuing a busy career in the telecommunications field, Linda and her husband, Bob, always made giving and volunteerism a top priority for their girls, Lisa, Jamie, and Casey.  In addition to supporting numerous international causes, Linda spearheaded the first Mitzvah Day at Washington Hebrew Congregation in 1992, which galvanized hundreds of congregants to volunteer with local nonprofits and has since become a national model adopted by synagogues around the world. 

As a faculty member of Montgomery College’s Macklin Business Institute, Linda proudly cheers on her students at graduation.

More recently, Linda felt compelled to focus her professional, volunteer, and philanthropic resources on her main passion: empowering youth to achieve their higher education goals, attain professional success, and give back to the community.  She left a successful career in the private sector to become a Macklin Business Institute faculty member at Montgomery College, where she eventually joined the Montgomery College Foundation Board and now co-chairs its Capital Campaign.

While impressed by her students’ talent and drive, she was deeply troubled by the overwhelming barriers holding them back from completing a college degree.  To tackle these larger issues, she became a volunteer and board member for several youth-focused organizations: CollegeTracks, FutureLink, and Identity, Inc. She also tapped into her business acumen and networks for Compass, an organization that enables nonprofits to address pressing challenges in order to make a deeper impact. 

Linda worked one-on-one with CollegeTracks students and served on the Board, helping the organization expand to serve hundreds more students dreaming of earning a college degree.

In 2014, Linda and Bob took the next step in their philanthropic journey by opening a giving fund at The Community Foundation.  Linda quickly became an active member of our Sharing Montgomery Grants Committee, lending her keen analytical skills to assess high-impact nonprofits supporting our County’s low-income neighbors.  While connecting and learning from other inspiring philanthropists, Linda quickly found even more ways to activate her friends and family to experience the deep joy in giving back.

All of us at The Community Foundation express our deep appreciation to Linda for her thoughtful leadership, tireless advocacy, and strategic philanthropy which have touched the lives of so many throughout our community.  She is an inspiring example of the positive difference each of us can make when we give where we live.

SOME CET Preparing Adult Learners for Careers in Healthcare

This post is part of a series highlighting the impact of our grantmaking through the Greater Washington Workforce Development Collaborative. Launched in 2008, this coalition of funders aligns its investments in effective, data-driven workforce development efforts. Grantees are selected to receive funding and lead sector partnerships. So Others Might Eat Center for Employment Training (SOME CET) is one of three grantees from our most recent round of awards.

The SOME CET is a tuition-free adult workforce-training program that prepares adult learners for national, industry-recognized certifications for careers in healthcare and building trades like engineering, electrical, HVAC, and more. The program empowers people to move themselves out of homelessness and poverty and into living wage careers through hard and soft skills training, adult basic education, and career development.

Greater Washington Works selected SOME CET to lead a healthcare sector partnership that trains and places DC and Prince George’s County residents in Certified Medical Assistant and Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist occupations. The organization has partnered with the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation and employer partners including Abundant Health Chiropractic & Wellness Center, Providence Hospital, and Unity Health Care. “Because of this initiative, the number MD residents enrolling in SOME CET has increased by 172 percent between January and October of 2018, making them the fastest growing subpopulation of our students,” says Emily Price, SOME CET’s Chief Program Officer. “Moreover, the grant funds offered through GWW have allowed us to expand to meet this demand and initiate some best practices in the field of Adult Ed and Workforce Development.”

IMPACT STORY: CHARLES DOZIER as told by SOME CET

Charles Dozier is one of the most remarkable individuals we have worked with during this grant period. Mr. Dozier distinguished himself throughout the program with his professionalism, enthusiasm for the medical field, and drive for excellence and self-improvement.

Mr. Dozier maintained a 3.6 grade point average while excelling in his basic skills courses. As evidence of this, he attained an educational functioning level gain in reading (equivalent to 2 or more grade levels of primary school) and a point gain (equal to more than one grade level) in math. Mr. Dozier also successfully passed his National Healthcareer Association Certified Medical Administrative Assistant exam. During this time, he was also in the process of applying to Georgetown University and was accepted after completing their interview process.

Mr. Dozier served as an extern at Providence Hospital, one of our industry sector partners, and was hired on 4/9/2018. One of the benefits about this job that he found most appealing was that Providence offers tuition assistance, allowing him to continue his education. While he has delayed his enrollment to Georgetown due to both time and financial considerations, Mr. Dozier has registered at UDC and intends to begin prerequisites for a nursing degree this coming fall.

The Workforce Collaborative is a coalition of local workforce investors who share a common commitment to addressing poverty and income inequality by helping workers advance their skills and credentials so they can earn family-sustaining wages. Current Collaborative partners include The Community Foundation, the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase & Co., the Consumer Health Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, the Moriah Fund, Northern Virginia Health Foundation, the Weiss Fagen Fund, the Marian Osterweis Fund, United Way of the National Capital Area, and the Washington Area Women’s Foundation.

Greater Washington Works is a $1 million grantmaking initiative of the Collaborative designed to address local employer hiring challenges by meeting the talent needs of local IT and Healthcare employers. Greater Washington Works will support at least 250 local workers to launch living-wage careers in the IT and Healthcare sectors.

Preparing Our Region for the Future of Work

By Benton Murphy, Senior Director of Community Investment at The Community Foundation

As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Greater Washington Workforce Development Collaborative, I am reminded of how The Collaborative was established at a time when our region was gripped by the Great Recession, with unemployment spiking to more than 7 percent and many of our neighbors unable to meet basic needs for food, shelter and healthcare. The Greater Washington Community Foundation helped mobilize and direct the local philanthropic response with major investments in homelessness, hunger, and education. The Collaborative was an opportunity to bring local philanthropists and businesses together to support both immediate and long-term solutions by investing in job training in fields from green construction to healthcare to help more of our neighbors get good, living wage jobs.

Ten years later, unemployment in our region is down (currently at 3.5 percent) and conditions have improved for many of our neighbors. Yet economic insecurity still remains a major challenge for many residents, especially people of color, and the Workforce Collaborative’s work is even more relevant today than when it was founded. Our recent VoicesDMV community engagement initiative surveyed more than 3,000 local residents on their experience in their communities and their overall quality of life. When asked what would happen if they lost their current sources of income, one in three people said they would not have enough money to continue to live as they do today for more than two months. This share rose to nearly half of people without a bachelor’s degree and more than half of people with household incomes below $50,000.

Our low unemployment rate masks deep issues of income inequality in our region. Black workers make just 47 percent of what whites make in Washington, DC alone, according to Census data. Since the Great Recession our local job market has become even more competitive, with a greater and greater share of job openings requiring some form of post-secondary education. Many jobs that once were the mainstay of the middle class—from bank tellers to librarians to cashiers at your local grocery store—are disappearing due to automation.

The impact on our workforce is clear—today average firms employ fewer workers and offer fewer opportunities for workers with no postsecondary education or training. The result is a widening gap between rich and poor that is keeping many un- or under-employed stagnating in low-wage work or struggling to meet the demands of multiple part-time positions. Yet access to job training programs is a challenge for many in our region, with nearly a third of Prince George’s County and Montgomery County  residents rating access to education and training as a “major” barrier to finding a job, according to VoicesDMV.

It is with this reality in mind that The Community Foundation has refreshed our workforce development strategy to orient toward the Future of Work. We will continue our work to eliminate income gaps, especially those based on race or ethnicity, but with a specific focus on connecting workers to quality job opportunities in the occupations of tomorrow to help them enter and advance in their careers, build skills, and increase wages. We will also make investments in small businesses and local entrepreneurs that make up an increasing share of our local economy.

Enter into this new economic reality the potential for Amazon HQ2, with an estimated 50,000 new high-paying jobs. HQ2 presents a tremendous opportunity to spur our region’s growth, but what will it do to our relative prosperity? A recent op-ed by our CEO Bruce McNamer and Sarah Rosen Wartell from Urban Institute pointed out how racial and economic inequities that have long plagued our region could prevent many residents from having equal access to these new jobs, modern housing and other amenities that growth brings. 

I interviewed some of our region’s workforce development system and policy leaders to hear their thoughts. Will these new jobs be offered to local residents rather than importing workers from across the country to fill these high-skill, high-wage jobs? Local leaders are hopeful that at least 50 percent of Amazon’s new workforce will be local, and yet they are also concerned that many in our region do not have the skills or experience to compete effectively against imported workers from other regions. Amazon’s recent partnership with Northern Virginia Community College— to provide a specialized Cloud Computing credential for its Amazon Web Services operation in Northern Virginia— has made local leaders hopeful that Amazon will think locally to meet its talent pipeline needs and provide opportunities for local residents to land fulfilling careers at Amazon.

As we consider the Future of Work in our region, we will look to continue to find ways to help employers—like Amazon—get connected to the right workers with the right skills. We will also work to examine closely how our region can offset the negative consequences that economic development on the scale that HQ2 can bring. From massive pressures to our transportation infrastructure, local schools, and, perhaps most worryingly, an increase in the upward pressure on housing prices and exacerbate our region’s existing housing affordability crisis, Amazon’s presence is a double-edged sword. The Community Foundation, through the Collaborative and our other Future of Work investments—can be a place where philanthropy can support efforts to ensure that all our region’s residents can benefit from the prosperity that Amazon may bring to the region.

If you’re interested in learning more about our focus on the future of work, I encourage you to take advantage of the following resources:

• Workforce Development Collaborative website

• The Catalyst Fund impact story

• Our Building Thriving Communities framework

Plan Ahead to Maximize Your Year-End Giving

The Greater Washington Community Foundation would like to acknowledge the generosity exhibited by our donors in 2018.  Throughout the year you’ve continued to demonstrate a strong philanthropic spirit by maintaining and establishing new funds, and recommending thousands of grants to local and national nonprofit organizations.

In an effort to assist you with carrying out your end-of-year philanthropic goals, please see below for The Community Foundation’s deadlines regarding year-end giving and grantmaking activities:

RECOMMENDING GRANTS FROM YOUR FUND

Grant recommendations submitted by December 14 will be processed by December 31, provided the grantee organization meets The Community Foundation’s due diligence requirements. Due to increased volume, we cannot guarantee that grant recommendations submitted after December 14 will be processed and mailed in 2018.

PLEASE NOTE: Grants submitted prior to December 14, 2018 must also be approved (meeting The Community Foundation’s due diligence requirements) to be processed and mailed by December 31, 2018.

Grant recommendations should be submitted through your Donor Central account. Questions regarding Donor Central can be forwarded to Emily Davis (202-973-2501, [email protected]).

MAKING GIFTS TO THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Stock and cash gifts (check, wire, online) submitted to The Community Foundation by December 31 will be earmarked as a 2018 contribution. Please note: The gift must be in The Community Foundation’s account by this day to be eligible for a 2018 tax deduction.

Gifts made online:

Gifts can be made online at www.thecommunityfoundation.org. 

Gifts made via check can be sent to:          

Attn: Finance Department
Greater Washington Community Foundation
1325 G Street NW
Suite 480
Washington, DC 20005

*Please include the name of the fund in the memo line of the check. 

**Checks sent by US Postal Service mail can be earmarked as a 2018 contribution if postmarked by the US Postal Service on or before December 31.

Gifts of cash or securities made via wire transfer:

Please see the instructions for making gifts of cash or securities by wire transfer.  Please contact the Finance Department at 202-955-5890 if there are any questions. Monies must be in The Community Foundation’s account by December 31, to be earmarked as a 2018 contribution.

Gifts made via transfer from mutual funds:

In order for gifts made from mutual funds submitted to The Community Foundation to be received by December 31 and earmarked as a 2018 contribution, the transfer must be initiated by December 7, 2018.