Changing Lives, One Student at a Time

OST Scholarship Recipient Kooper Brisbon enjoys time on the playground at an After-School Program

This Summer, The Community Foundation reached an exciting milestone, distributing more than $500,000 in funding to support students in DC. Established in 2021 through DC’s Learn 24 Office, The Community Foundation has distributed ‘Out of School Time’ (OST) scholarships to support more than 170 students and their families through a wide range of programs including:

Advanced Coursework

Research has recently shed light on a phenomenon known as the Achievement Trap -- the systemic neglect experienced by high-achieving students from lower-income families. In DC, there are thousands of such students that overcome challenging socioeconomic circumstances everyday in order to excel academically. However, even bright children need extra support to achieve their full potential. Extracurricular programs like writing camps and advanced STEM classes can stretch the minds of talented students and help them take their knowledge to the next level.

Remedial Programs

Starting-line disparities hinder educational mobility. Many DCPS students start school needing extra support. Others have special learning needs that require additional assistance. The extra support and additional assistance needed is often out of the financial reach of DCPS families. Through the Learn 24 OST scholarship grant, The Community Foundation has helped students and families access programs that provide individual tutoring that helps students build the foundation for academic success.

Nurturing Creativity

There are countless stories of the challenging child whose shining accomplishment is creative talent. By giving children the space, opportunity, and encouragement to pursue their own passions and dreams, self-confidence and feelings of love and acceptance are instilled. Since its inception in 2021, the Learn 24 OST grant has provided dozens of students the opportunity to explore their creative interests through cooking classes, art programs, and music lessons. Creating a natural culture of fulfillment that will have lasting effects well into their adulthood.

Social Support

Problem-solving, imagination, critical thinking… they’re all cognitive skills necessary to keeping a competitive edge in today’s ever-changing world. Developing these skills in socio-economically disadvantaged households often requires the type of wraparound services and support provided through the Learn24 network. Over the past year, through the Learn 24 OST grant, dozens of DC students have benefited from life-changing speech therapies, life-skills development camps, and world culture camps and classes that enrich their physical, mental, and emotional health.

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OST Scholarship Award Statistics

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Student Success Stories

We are excited to share the impact of this incredible initiative, including testimonials from several families who were beneficiaries:

“I can’t begin to explain the impact this grant will have on my son’s future and on his confidence. The past 3 years have been strenuous and the amount of assistance he needs is not easily found and funded.

This will make sure his transition into middle school will be a little less difficult and more importantly, give him the foundation he needs in order to succeed in life. Thank you thank you!
”

— Parent Allison Farouidi after her son Emil Farouidi was awarded $10,000 to support specialized tutoring for his needed for learning needs.

“I am truly thankful for this scholarship opportunity for my son Kooper. As a single mom, I did not have the resources to pick up my child at the regular dismissal time. Because of the OST Youth Scholarship Program, Kooper will be able to continue learning beyond the classroom.

I am also excited that Koop will be able to continue his studies at Lee Montessori-East End Campus. Thanks for giving my son the chance to thrive and become someone great in life!”

— Janille Brisbon after her son, Kooper was awarded $4,000 to support his academic after school programming at Lee Montessori East End.

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Due to high demand, the Learn 24 OST scholarship program is not accepting new applications at this time. For information about available grant and scholarship opportunities, please visit our website!

Pride at the End of the Rainbow: Celebrating LGBTQ+ Identity and Intersectionality

In celebration of Pride Month, The Community Foundation invited some of our nonprofit partners to highlight their experiences working with the Greater Washington region’s LGBTQ+ community.

La Clinica Del Pueblo

1) Briefly describe the mission of your organization and the services you provide to the LGBTQ+ community in the Greater Washington region.

La Clínica del Pueblo's mission is to build a healthy Latinx community through culturally appropriate health services, with a focus on those most in need. La Clínica was founded in 1983 to address the emerging health needs of DC's Central American immigrant population. Today, it serves the Latinx community in the Greater Washington region, providing linguistically and culturally appropriate, as well as LGBTQ+-friendly, health services.

The Empodérate Program, specifically designed for LGBTQ+ Latinx youth, has been a part of La Clínica's services since 2006. It operates two drop-in safe spaces in the region, one in Washington, DC and another in Prince George's County, MD. The program focuses on culturally and linguistically appropriate HIV prevention services. Annually, the Empodérate Program serves approximately 2,350 MSM (men who have sex with men) members of the Latinx community.

2)  What do you find most meaningful about the work that you do with the LBTQ+ community in the Greater Washington area? What are you most ‘proud’ of?

In addition to providing essential healthcare services, we recognize the importance of representation and visibility. One of the aspects we are most proud of is providing a safe space for LGBTQ+ individuals within the Latinx community, advocating for their rights, and actively participating in events like the DC Pride parade. We understand the unique challenges and barriers they may face, such as cultural stigma and language barriers, and strive to create an inclusive and welcoming environment where they can access the healthcare services they need. By doing so, we contribute to a more inclusive society where all individuals, regardless of their cultural background or sexual orientation, can live with dignity and access the healthcare services they deserve.

3) As a nonprofit partner, tell us about how funding that you’ve received from The Community Foundation  has helped you achieve your goals?

The funding we have received has been instrumental in expanding our programs, enhancing our service delivery, and improving health outcomes for the Latinx LGBTQ+ community in the Greater Washington area.

4) What do you wish that more people understood about the LGBTQ+ community?

People must understand the intersectionality and unique struggles experienced by low-income, immigrant, Limited English Proficient (LEP), LGBTQ+ Latinx individuals.

Low-income members of this community often confront multiple barriers to accessing healthcare, housing, education, and employment opportunities. Discrimination and systemic inequalities exacerbate their challenges, making achieving economic stability and social well-being even more difficult. Furthermore, being an immigrant and identifying as LGBTQ+ introduces additional hurdles. Immigrants within the LGBTQ+ Latinx community may face discrimination, prejudice, and even legal challenges related to their immigration status.

Addressing these intersectional challenges requires a comprehensive and inclusive approach. It involves creating safe spaces that embrace diverse identities and experiences within the LGBTQ+ Latinx community. It also necessitates developing tailored programs and services that account for economic disparities, immigration concerns, language access, and cultural sensitivity. This entails advocating for policies that address systemic inequalities, promoting cultural competency training for service providers, and supporting initiatives that uplift and empower LGBTQ+ Latinx individuals in low-income and immigrant communities.

The Equality Chamber Foundation

1) Briefly describe the mission of your organization and the services you provide to the LGBTQ+ community in the Greater Washington region.

The Equality Chamber Foundation (ecf) was founded in 2019 to create a united community. United by a common purpose to enhance our community’s culture, evolve its economy, and create safe spaces for the entrepreneurial spirit to thrive.

We are an essential conduit between community, culture, and enterprise. We help our community do more, be more, and grow more, so that they may continue to enrich our LGBTQIA+ family and evolve our community to meet their economic potential.

2) What do you find most meaningful about the work that you do with the LBTQ+ community in the Greater Washington area? What are you most ‘proud’ of?

All of the work we do is for the LGBTQ+ and allied community. Through our work we are able to help individuals, business leaders, business owners, and the community as a whole grow.

3) As a nonprofit partner, tell us about how funding that you’ve received from The Community Foundation has helped you achieve your goals?

The funding we have received has provided us with a vehicle to do safe space training for employers.

4) What do you wish that more people understood about the LGBTQ+ community?

The LGBTQ+ community is the most intersectional community - you can be a member of any other identity or affiliation and also be LGBTQ+

Whitman-Walker institute

1) Briefly describe the mission of your organization and the services you provide to the LGBTQ+ community in the Greater Washington region.

Whitman-Walker Institute expands the body of knowledge and science needed to strengthen our foundation of care, advocacy, research, and education. Through our work, we empower all people to live healthy, love openly, and achieve equity and belonging. Today, Whitman-Walker Health lives out its mission statement by offering affirming, community-based health and wellness services to all with a special expertise in LGBTQ+ and HIV care. WWH has the expertise to address numerous health disparities, including providing services to the largest cohorts of transgender and gender expansive patients in the country.

2) What do you find most meaningful about the work that you do with the LBTQ+ community in the Greater Washington area? What are you most ‘proud’ of?

For almost fifty years, Whitman-Walker has been woven into the fabric of DC’s diverse community as a first responder and trusted resource for those living with and affected by HIV; a leader in LGBTQ+ care and advocacy; a research center working to discover breakthroughs in HIV treatment and prevention science; a fierce advocate for health equity and inclusion; and one of DC’s dependable healthcare partners throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

3) As a nonprofit partner, tell us about how funding that you’ve received from The Community Foundation has helped you achieve your goals?

As a nonprofit, grant funding is pivotal to expanding our capacity to advocate, research, and educate about the health needs of LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV. Funding supports our research into the bio-psycho-social drivers of ill health and the interventions to address these causes! Grant funding supports the many services we provide that are not covered by medical insurance.

4) What do you wish that more people understood about the LGBTQ+ community?

While LGBTQ+ people are subject to the bias and stereotypes that permeate our culture, the LGBTQ+ community is an invitation to questioning many of these assumptions that are woven into the fabric of our society. Liberation from sexual norms and gender roles provides us with an insight into how we can build a more expansive and inclusive society where more people can flourish. This process is fun and exciting!

AsylumWorks

1)  Briefly describe the mission of your organization and the services you provide to the LGBTQ+ community in the Greater Washington region.

Founded in 2016, AsylumWorks is a regional 501(c)3 nonprofit created with the awareness that asylum seekers and other immigrants seeking safety from violence often arrive in the United States with many needs but few resources.

Rebuilding one’s social support network is an important component of feeling at home in a new place. Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers are not always welcomed by members of their diaspora when they arrive in the U.S. To address this need, AsylumWorks formed PRISM (Pride Refugee & Immigrant Support Meet-Up) to build an alternative inclusive, safe, and affirming peer community for LGBTQ+ refugees, asylum seekers, and other immigrants seeking safety from violence. PRISM works to foster spaces in which LGBTQ+ immigrants feel comfortable being themselves and can also participate in community-building activities that expand their social support in a new country and support their mental health and well-being via a facilitator-led psychosocial peer support group.

2) What do you find most meaningful about the work that you do with the LBTQ+ community in the Greater Washington area? What are you most ‘proud’ of?

PRISM is open to all AsylumWorks clients who identify as LGBTQ+, including alumni, waitlisted clients, along with other local LGBTQ+ asylum seekers who reside in DC, Maryland, or Virginia. This impact is far-reaching and enables group members to connect with the greater DMV community, as well as fellow group members. With each new member, our PRISM group inches closer to our vision of community-based support group where members with shared identities connect, grow, and support each other.

3) As a nonprofit partner, tell us about how funding that you’ve received from The Community Foundation has helped you achieve your goals?

The funding that we have received has made it possible to offer metro cards to PRISM group members to remove the cost barrier for attendees to move around the city, especially for our monthly dinners and in-person Pride Month events, such as tie dye t-shirt making and marching in the DC Pride Parade. An attendee reflects: “Hi! I want to thank you again. The metro card is helping me a lot. I started meeting the [immigration] lawyers and I am using it to go to school like to keep my visa status active till I submit my asylum applications. Thank you so much.”

4) What do you wish that more people understood about the LGBTQ+ community?

A person fighting to explore their identity is so brave. In addition to the complexity of navigating their identity, LGBTQ+ asylum seekers face significant challenges to overcome in new cultural, linguistic, and societal contexts as they seek to navigate complex immigration systems. There are innumerable barriers, and everyone has their own unique journey.

Bridging the Health and Wealth Gap Through Guaranteed Income

In September 2022, The Community Foundation announced the inaugural grant round for the Health Equity Fund — a $95 million fund designed to improve health outcomes for DC residents through an economic mobility framework.

A number of those inaugural grantees are currently (or will soon become) part of the growing Guaranteed Income or Cash Transfer movement — a group of initiatives and pilot programs across the country that are using cash payments to provide direct assistance to community members.

As part of our journey to understand the impact that these programs can have in our community, we reached out to some of our partners to understand how providing direct cash assistance helps the communities they serve.

My Sister’s Place

My Sister’s Place (MSP) emergency cash transfer program, RISE Trust, serves 45 families who have experienced domestic violence. Financial abuse goes hand-in-hand with domestic abuse, and is one of the main reasons survivors stay in, and return to, abusive relationships.

MSP is providing $500/month for 24 months to our participants. Equally as important, financial literacy and programs with our partner, Capital Area Asset Builders, will allow our participants to gain financial education, the combination leading to financially empowered and hopeful families.

Just 3 months into the program participants are getting their credit scores for the first time, creating financial goals, and learning about how trauma affects finances. Participants reported being able to drop a part-time job and having more time with their children, paying off credit card bills, feeling a new sense of hope and a reduction in stress. We are excited to see the impact after 24 months.

Mother’s Outreach Network

Mother’s Outreach Network (MON) deploys policy advocacy, legal programs, and community building to address and strengthen the social determinants of health for Black mothers. MON is specifically focused on Black family preservation -- building the economic security of Black mothers involved with Washington, DC’s Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA). These women are some of the city’s most economically marginalized mothers.

In 2019, 4 out of every 5 D.C. cases in foster care stemmed from neglect-based allegations alone. These were cases where parents were charged with harming the “health or welfare” of a child under 18 years of age by failing to accord them “adequate food, clothing, shelter, education or medical care.” 

To combat this, in 2021, MON conceived of a guaranteed income pilot research program to provide monthly unconditional cash payments for three years to DC residents that identify as Black mothers and have current or recent involvement in the child welfare system. Set to launch in three phases starting in early April 2023, MON's program seeks to inform policy around how poverty reduction affects involvement of parents in the child welfare system.

Capital Area Asset Builders

Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB) started to be involved in the guaranteed income and cash transfer movement in the Fall of 2017. At CAAB we strongly believe that in order to achieve poverty alleviation, financial stability and long-term prosperity community members need access to information, education, empowerment, and money. No one community member can ever be directly serviced out of poverty. Without access to money one’s dreams and aspirations cannot be converted into goals and actions. With access to money, they can be.

Since early 2018, CAAB has been managing DC Flex, the nation’s first eviction- and homelessness-prevention cash transfer program. DC Flex is funded by the DC Department of Human Services (DHS) for the benefit of low-income TANF-receiving families to be able to pay rent on time and thus avoid eviction and homelessness. Since the creation of DC Flex, we have seen the significant impact the program has in enabling a family to stay housed, avoid financial hardships, and be put on a pathway to financial security. DC Flex goes beyond providing cash assistance. Program participants also receive financial wellness services provided by CAAB: bank accounts, budget management, financial wellness workshops, one-on-one confidential financial coaching sessions, information on the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit, as well as access to free tax preparation services.

DC Flex was supposed to be a 4-year long pilot program for 125 low-income families in Washington, DC with total annual cash transfers of $900,000. Because of its deep impact, DC Flex has now grown to benefit 669 low-income families and 125 low-income individuals with total annual cash transfers of over $6.5 million. In addition to DC Flex, over the past 4 years CAAB has also partnered with several private sector and non-profit sector partners to manage 7 other guaranteed income and cash transfer initiatives. We celebrate and applaud all entities offering guaranteed income and cash transfer programs.

Mutual Aid Groups: Preparing for Tomorrow’s Crises by Investing in Today’s Problem Solvers

Ever since early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a tremendous mobilization in the social services sector. Within weeks, nonprofit organizations across the country scrambled to shift their operations to meet community needs – organizing new programs, experimenting with new technologies, and seeking new ways to connect and collaborate with community members.

Yet perhaps the most impressive mobilization has come from a different source – Mutual Aid Networks -- a growing movement of neighbors helping neighbors on a grassroots level.

“Mutual aid is a critical part of our region’s social safety net,” said Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “When neighbors help neighbors meet their basic needs, it strengthens the whole community’s ability to address current crises – and weather future ones, as they continue along the path to economic progress.”

While the concept of mutual aid has been around for a long time, the pandemic saw a dramatic increase in the organization and mobilization of networks throughout the Greater Washington region. Neighbors mobilized to help each other with issues that ranged from food and transportation needs to utilities assistance.

“The heart of our work is to redistribute wealth and resources to Black communities in DC who are facing rapid displacement,” one organizer with Serve Your City, Ward 6 Mutual Aid shared. “When a community can care for itself from within, leaders are developed, and new power models are created.”

In addition to greatly increasing the efficiency and reach of ongoing relief efforts, these power models can provide vital infrastructure and partnership opportunities for future community-wealth building initiatives.

“Our dream is to create sustainability within Black neighborhoods so that the city's most long-standing residents can maintain homes within thriving communities,” another organizer added. “We are all best served when our community is safe and healthy, and when communities have agency over decision-making.”

Recognizing the critical role of mutual aid networks in responding to current and future crises, the Greater Washington Community Foundation recently awarded $250,000 in grants to help meet the basic needs of low-income residents, bridge diverse communities, support vaccine education/access, strengthen political education and organizing, and more.

These investments also marked a milestone for The Community Foundation as they represent the final grants issued from the organization’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund established at the onset of the pandemic.

“We are grateful for the donors and nonprofit partners who have stood by us and our community during one of the most trying and transformative periods in its history,” Wellons said.

“Though this concludes our immediate crisis response work, we will continue working together with our partners to prepare for future crises and to support pathways to economic mobility so more people can overcome everyday crises that prevent them from thriving in our region.”

Grant Recipients include:

East of the River Mutual Aid (EORMA/Grassroots DC)

To support the work of East of the River Mutual Aid in Wards 7 and 8 to provide residents with basic needs such as groceries, hot meals, hygiene items, cleaning supplies, school supplies, transportation, emergency housing, clothing, baby formula, diapers and more. EORMA will also provide support related to grief/loss, elderly resident support, political education/organizing, and operates a COVID-19 hotline to help neighbors with vaccine education/access.

Serve Your City/Ward 6 Mutual Aid (SYC/W6MA)

To support the work of Serve Your City/ Ward 6 Mutual Aid Network in Wards 5,6, 7 and 8, including food and supply distribution, providing critical supplies and advocating alongside unhoused neighbors for access to resources, youth education and workforce programs, digital divide program, and political organizing and advocacy.

Silver Spring & Takoma Park Mutual Aid (SSTPMA)

To support mutual aid efforts in the Silver Spring, Takoma Park, and Kensington areas of Montgomery County that includes grocery store gift cards and financial assistance for utility bills. Funding will help expand the capacity of ongoing work as well as assist with the backlog of requests for assistance.

Ward 3 Mutual Aid (W3MA)

To support food assistance programs including buying /delivering groceries to neighbors, grocery gift cards, Ward 3 Food Pantry and household cleaning supplies, and financial assistance to other mutual aid groups in the city. W3MA has an ongoing commitment to providing support to East of The River Mutual Aid and to supporting a hot meal program for low-income people in other wards.

Ward 5 Mutual Aid (W5MA)

To support mutual aid efforts in Ward 5 and help neighbors with basic needs including groceries, personal and household items. W5MA operates a grocery delivery system and supply hub which is staffed by volunteers and has a storehouse of canned/dry food items, some fresh produce, diapers, and clothing. Funding will help meet the consistent inflow of grocery requests, and growing backlog.

The Hope Collective

To support a group of nonprofit organizations in Prince George’s County that utilize their resources collaboratively to provide school-based and community wraparound services in areas where violent crime is an issue. The Hope Collective will support up to 5 nonprofit organizations that will provide youth and their families with mental health, workforce development, after-school programming, and re-entry services specifically to address rising crime and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Heading “Up-County”: Community Foundation Visits Focus Neighborhoods in Montgomery County

Members of The Community Foundation’s Montgomery County Advisory Board, staff, and Sharing Montgomery donors recently visited with key community partners in Germantown, Maryland -- one of the “Priority Neighborhoods” identified by The Community Foundation as part of its new 10-year strategic plan.

The day began at Captain James E. Daly Elementary School, where the group met with school administrators and leaders of the Thriving Germantown coalition – a collaboration launched by the Healthcare Initiative Foundation, Shepperd Pratt (locally known as Family Services), and other nonprofits to holistically connect students and their families to vital supports.

Principal Pedro Cedeño explained, “We have 618 students here at Captain James E. Daly Elementary. More than 77 percent of them are enrolled in the Free and Reduced-price Meal Program. Partnerships like Thriving Germantown have been critical to helping us meet the needs of our students and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Daly Elementary School’s student population is 56% Latinx, 28% Black, 6% Asian, and 6% White. School and nonprofit staff both noted the importance of providing linguistically and culturally appropriate support to fully engage the families and foster a sense of community.

“In the years prior to COVID, most nonprofits didn’t provide services north of Gaithersburg,” Sharon Settlemyer, a Community School Liaison at the school added. “As a result, many of our families spent hours on public transportation just to get food.”

To combat this challenge, the school staff worked with Thriving Germantown’s network of community partners to set up a food pantry on the school’s campus and began connecting parents to other resources for clothing, training, job opportunities, and more.  

While acknowledging these efforts have made great strides in helping families address their basic needs, both school staff and nonprofits were acutely aware of systemic breakdowns which hinder economic mobility that would led to greater stability.  They especially flagged the numerous barriers families face in securing affordable, accessible childcare which is necessary to get and keep a job. 

The group then moved to the Up-County Wellness Center where they met with representatives from local nonprofits providing a continuum of supports from basic needs through economic mobility: Care For Your Health, Up-County Hub, Identity, Inc., CareerCatchers, and Shepperd Pratt. While reflecting on both accomplishments, lessons learned, and the work ahead, the nonprofit leaders emphasized the importance of leveraging and cultivating relationships with community members.

“This isn’t charity,” Anna Maria Izquierdo-Porrera with Care 4 Your Health explained. “These are vital members of the community, all of whom have talents and gifts to share. Investing in them is key to the recovery of our community.”

She went on to point out how this is especially true in immigrant communities, where trust is often as great a barrier as language or culture.

“These folks are used to nonprofits showing up for a short time and then disappearing,” Grace Rivera-Oven with Up-County Hub added. She added that to truly make a lasting difference, “you need to be willing to stick with the community; to listen to them and be willing to invest in them.”

Representatives pointed to the recent COVID vaccination initiative as an example. At the height of the pandemic, Latinos made up 77 percent of COVID cases in Montgomery County. Working in collaboration with Up-County, Care 4 Your Health and others, the County government launched the Salud & Bienestar (Health & Wellbeing) initiative – which was so successful that Montgomery County’s Latinx population become one of the most vaccinated in the country; even going so far as to surpass the County’s more affluent White population.

However, like many efforts launched during the pandemic, the initiative’s outreach efforts have scaled back as the county’s federal relief dollars dwindled.

“The problems that our community is facing won’t just go away overnight,” Rivera-Oven continued. “We need the government to keep showing up.”

The group ended the day at the Middlebrook Mobile Home Park, where they spoke with resident leaders to hear about their priorities for their community and ways they are they have been empowered to help drive change.   One of the neighborhood’s elders spoke of how she became the leader of a collective effort to address concerns the residents are being overcharged for some of their basic utilities.  We also heard from a young man who, even though he moved out of the trailer park, comes back every week to help with food distributions and other outreach efforts.  Nicknamed “El Comandante,” he recalled how he used his background in IT to provide tech support for the neighborhood’s children when school were operating remotely. 

Rivera-Oven and Izquierdo-Porrera noted that partnering with residents has been the key to their organizations’ ability to not only provide services, but also build lasting community relationships with other entities such as the Police Department and the Fire Department which have contributed greatly to the well-being of the community.

“Before COVID, the crime rate in this community was very high,” El Comandante shared. “Now that they come to help with the food distribution, it’s much safer.”

Following the tour, Anna Hargrave, Executive Director for Montgomery County for the Greater Washington Community Foundation, reflected on two key takeaways:

• It was gratifying to see the incredible outcomes achieved by grantees of our covid-response efforts.  Their achievements prove that investments in organizations which center racial equity ultimately make our entire community healthier.

• The pandemic forced government and nonprofits to cut red tape and innovate at lightning speed.  Moving forward, it will be important that we continue to test out new ideas, “fail forward” by learning and improving, and then scaling solutions that work—all while meeting the urgent demands of the day.

On behalf of The Community Foundation, we must give special thanks all the resident leaders, Daly elementary school staff, our nonprofit guest speakers for sharing their wisdom, and to our funding peer, the Healthcare Initiative Foundation, who led a similar community tour seven years ago which sparked the creation of the Thriving Germantown coalition and helped “plant seeds” for other partnerships that ultimately launched during the pandemic.

To learn more about upcoming in-person and virtual visits plus other learning opportunities, contact Olivia Hsu at [email protected].

Moving the Needle in the Fight Against Food Insecurity

By Anna Hargrave

In 2019, a study by the USDA estimated 1 in 8 Americans were “food insecure”. In Montgomery County, one of the wealthiest counties in the country, that number was closer to 1 in 12 (about 8%).

Within six month, both of those numbers nearly doubled, as thousands of families found themselves struggling with the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In response, donors across Montgomery County sprang into action, pouring their time and resources into Food for Montgomery – a strategic public-private response effort spearheaded by The Community Foundation, County Government, and the Montgomery County Food Council to address urgent needs within our food security system.

To date, Food for Montgomery has deployed over $2.6 million to support nonprofits in our food system. This work is increasingly vital – as studies suggest that food insecurity may have more to do with an already broken food system than the impact of a global pandemic. 

Even as COVID infection rates continue to decline, food insecurity rates remain high -- the latest report by the Capital Area Food Bank says that 46% of households with children in Montgomery County have experienced food insecurity at some point in 2022.

As we continue work with our amazing nonprofit grantees to lower these rates and build a more just and equitable food system, here are three key lessons that we have learned:

Go for the “Triple Win”

The pandemic forced nonprofits and government to collaborate more strategically and efficiently to meet ever-changing needs. In time, many found ways to innovate a single creative solution/partnership to solve multiple problems facing the community. By seeking a “triple win” they were able to leverage both philanthropic and public dollars to make a deeper impact.

For example, the leaders of the Mid-County Hub, led by Hughes United Methodist Church, realized they needed to provide hot meals for frail seniors, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable residents facing food insecurity.  Food for Montgomery’s grant enabled Mid-County Hub to team up with So What Else which provided donated and recovered food. They then partnered with IMPACT Silver Spring, which led a culinary class to teach residents new skills while they prepared the weekly meals for their neighbors.  Ultimately, this effort rescued perfectly good food that might have ended up in a landfill, turned it into delicious meals, and empowered people with meaningful skills that helped them get jobs in local restaurants.

Community Members take notes during a Culinary Class offered by IMPACT Silver Spring

To make a deep impact, racial equity must be top of mind (not an afterthought)

The tragedy of food insecurity is inevitably tied to racial inequity. According to the USDA and Feeding America, nearly 1 in 5 Black people and 1 in 6 Latinx people live in households facing food insecurity due to a wide range of social, economic, and environmental challenges. That’s 2-3 times higher than the rate of food insecurity experienced by white individuals.

In order to create lasting, meaningful change in our food system, we need to lead with racial equity at the forefront. This means not just serving people with dignity, but also creating space so that low-income residents can lead the change they want to see for their communities.

For example:

Early on, leaders at the Manna Food Center realized that many families – especially in immigrant communities -- were fearful of asking for help from unfamiliar organizations. In addition, given the incredible diversity of our community, it was difficult to provide all the culturally specific foods that our many immigrant communities need to prepare traditional meals at home.

Community Member poses with produce grown at an AfriThrive Community Garden. AfriThrive partnered with the local immigrant community to grow culturally appropriate produce for residents.

To address both issues, Manna teamed up with several grassroots nonprofits that employed resident leaders who already had established relationships within their communities. Thanks to this partnership, those neighborhood leaders were able to enroll more than 4,000 households to receive food through Manna and provide 1,500 households with vouchers to purchase supplemental food from ethnic grocery stores. 

Systems either amplify or undermine your philanthropy—there is no in between!

Policy decisions at the federal, state, and local levels have a major impact on what we all eat—and how much it costs us.  Those decisions can also undermine our philanthropy by making it harder and costlier for nonprofits to help people.  That is why it is vital we invest in strategic partners advocating for a healthier, more equitable food system. 

One fantastic example is the Montgomery County Food Council which created a food security response plan in partnership with over 100 nonprofits, local businesses, and government partners. Working closely with Montgomery County Government and The Community Foundation, the Food Council’s leadership was vital to maximizing public and private resources to meet community needs. Building on that important work, the Food Council is now galvanizing partners and gathering insights from families who are experiencing food insecurity right now.  Together, they are identifying barriers and developing strategies to reduce food insecurity across all childhood age groups in Montgomery County.

As we continue our efforts to fight hunger and build a more just and equitable food system, we would like to thank our donors and partners for their consistent and ongoing support.  Creating meaningful, lasting systems change requires an incredible amount of time, resources, and patience. We have witnessed all of this, and more from our incredibly generous community.

With your support, we continue to move this work forward and build a Montgomery County where food is plentiful for all.

For more information about Food for Montgomery and it’s incredible impact, visit https://www.thecommunityfoundation.org/food-for-montgomery-fund

COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund is a Model for Future Crises

By Benton Murphy

Almost every facet of our everyday lives were deeply, fundamentally, and permanently changed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ripple effects of the pandemic have impacted the places we choose to live, how we work with our colleagues, how our children learn, and how we interact socially. Our world now is so different than the one we experienced when the pandemic first hit in February 2020. Now with two and a half years’ worth of hindsight, we can say that some of these changes are for the better and many are for the worse, while it will take years to fully understand the impact of these changes.

Looking back on the past two years, we now have a better sense of how our efforts to support and protect this community made a lasting impact.  The Community Foundation's COVID-19 emergency response effort began in March 2020 when the pandemic was just unfolding, and quickly grew into the largest coordinated philanthropic response focused on the Greater Washington region. Thanks to an outpouring of support from our donors, partners, and broader community, we ultimately distributed more than $91 million in support of COVID-19 emergency response impacting disproportionately impacted communities all throughout Greater Washington. Our funding supported critical efforts across a number of different issue areas ranging from housing to education to emergency food and healthcare.

Our investments were not only aligned to address the pandemic's immediate impacts, but we were also able to support organizations through a race equity frame. We concentrated resources in neighborhoods with disproportionate number of individuals impacted by COVID-19, primarily people and communities of color. Additionally, 57% of the organizations supported through our Emergency Response Fund were led by people of color. 

Our staff and partners also sought to align our investments around initiatives and projects intended to support system change in the face of the pandemic. We collaborated with healthcare providers to make PPE available to hundreds of local, smaller healthcare clinics and providers. We supported parents and children's ability to learn remotely in a safe and impactful environment in Montgomery County. We supported hundreds of small and local businesses and entrepreneurs in Prince George’s County to whether the economic impacts of the pandemic. These are just a handful of examples of the ways in which The Community Foundation provided support to help strengthen the region to be better prepared to face our next crisis, together. 

As we start to close this chapter and move from crisis to recovery, we are thrilled to report that more than 330,000 individuals in our region benefited from your generosity. Thanks to you, nearly 850,000 meals were provided; more than 100,000 people received tools to enable them to work or learn from home, safely; and nearly 45,000 people directly received cash assistance to help them weather the pandemic. You can read our final impact report to the community here.

At the Community Foundation we are always striving to make an immediate impact as well as lasting systemic change, and our COVID efforts proved to be excellent examples of how were able to accomplish this. Moving forward, we will be using our COVID effort as a template to respond to disasters that impact our region. This has led us to establish an Endowment for Disaster Recovery so that we can be prepared to help our region remain resilient in the face of future crises.

Black Voices for Black Justice Fellow Spotlight: Xavier Brown

As the Fall approaches, Black Justice Fellow Xavier Brown has one thing on his mind. Getting back to the land.

“I’m excited to get out there and get my hands dirty,” Brown shares.

Brown is part of a growing movement of Black agriculturalists who are working to reconnect Black people to their roots – literally.

Farming and agriculture is something that is deeply ingrained in the history of the Black community. Many African-Americans today only have to go back a few generations to find a relative who worked the land.

Yet, today Black people make up less than 2% of farm producers – a result stemming both from decades of discriminatory land-ownership policies that denied land ownership to Black Farmers, as well as an effort by some to distance themselves from a lifestyle that holds painful memories of slavery and racial oppression.

But for Brown and his fellow Black Agriculturalists, the future is far brighter than the past.

“I want to help my people reconnect to the land,” Brown says. “When you’re out in nature, together with other agriculturalists, you get this feeling of peace that you can’t find anywhere else. It’s an amazing thing.”

Brown first got into gardening – or gardening got into him (as he likes to say), while living with his parents in DC. After taking a master gardening class at UDC in 2011, Brown developed an interest in Urban Agriculture. He soon joined the newly formed Black Dirt Farm Collective – a collective of Black agriculturalists from across the Mid-Atlantic region. Inspired by this community and his new-found love of farming, Brown founded Soilful City in 2014 to bring farming to DC.

“I enjoy the process of working with the land, nature and the people,” Brown says. “It’s easy to start a garden, but it’s harder to work with the community to sustain that garden. It’s a whole process of organizing people, having discussions, building and connecting with folks to get the garden going. I enjoy that process.”

Brown has partnered with organizations across DC to help promote and strengthen urban agriculture in Black communities. Together with groups like Project E.D.E.N, Hustlaz 2 Harvesters, and Green Scheme, Brown has helped set up neighborhood gardens throughout Wards 7 & 8.

“The purpose of the gardens is to create a healthy green space in the community,” Brown shares. “It may not be able to feed everybody, but what it allows is for each neighborhood to come together and organize based on their needs.”

Last year, Brown was selected as one of The Greater Washington Community Foundation’s Black Voices for Black Justice Fellows – an initiative to invest in local Black leaders in the Greater Washington Region. The grant allowed Brown to invest in a new food cooperative, South Eats – an initiative that is improving access to healthy, affordable prepared meals for families East of the River in Washington DC.

“As we were helping communities set-up gardens, we realized just how many families didn’t have access to healthy meals,” Brown explains. “We recognized an opportunity to fill a need, while also creating a new local-based business.”

But perhaps most impactful was that Brown was able to contribute to the longevity and future legacy of the Black Dirt Farm Collective.

In 2021, together with other members of the Collective, Brown purchased a 24-acre plot in Prince George’s County, MD. For the first time in the organization’s history, the Collective has land that it can call its own – a home, where members can farm, host workshops, and continue to build the Black agriculturalist Community.

“This land will be such an important healing space for the Black community,” Brown says. “By creating this space for Black women, Black males, and Black youth to exist and connect to the land, we can help create a brighter future for everybody.”

Xavier Brown was one of our Black Voices for Black Justice Fellows. Launched in Fall of 2020 in partnership with Bridge Alliance Education Fund and the DC-based GOODProjects, the Black Voices for Black Justice fund supported activists, organizers, and leaders who are on the front lines of advancing social justice and racial equity.

For more information about this initiative, visit https://www.thecommunityfoundation.org/news/introducing-the-black-voices-for-black-justice-dmv-fellows

Coming Out Strong: DC’s LGBTQ+ Budget Coalition Builds Community That Goes Beyond Pride Month

By Jesse Steinberg, SMYAL Communications and Development Youth Fellow

At its inception three years ago, the DC LGBTQ+ Budget Coalition was a way for local LGBTQ+ organizations to collectively petition the DC Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs and City Council for funding where it mattered most.

Organizations like SMYAL, the DC Center for the LGBT Community, Whitman-Walker Health, the Wanda Alston Foundation, HIPS, Planned Parenthood of Metro Washington, DC, and many more have joined forces in this coalition to ensure that our local government is investing in the future of the LGBTQ+ community, especially our low-income residents and trans people of color–not just during Pride month, but year-round.

In practice, though, the Budget Coalition has become much more than that- it’s a space to build community, coordinate efforts, and strategize how to move our local LGBTQ+ movement forward.

“Thanks to the support of the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s LGBTQ+ Fund and Partnership to End Homelessness, 25 LGBTQ+ community-focused organizations have been empowered to advocate for the people they serve as well as one another, and ensure the District allocates specific funding to meet needs identified by organizations on the ground,” adds SMYAL Deputy Executive Director Jorge Membreño, MSW, LICSW. “SMYAL is proud to be a leader in this effort in partnership with many other community organizations.”

In its weekly meetings, the LGBTQ+ Budget Coalition brings together leadership from across the city to identify our community’s most pressing needs, develop programmatic solutions, and advocate for funding of these programs to local government officials. The Budget Coalition has secured over $4.7 million in funding for 2022, and continues to engage members of the Mayor’s office and DC Council to identify areas for improvement.

The Community Foundation is unique in its commitment to local advocacy, as one of the very few grants that allows community organizations to directly advocate for what they need. The LGBTQ+ Fund and Partnership to End Homelessness has allowed SMYAL, a DC based nonprofit that serves LGBTQ youth ages 6-24, to deepen meaningful engagement with other LGBTQ+ organizations in the District, offer a broad range of additional resources to SMYAL youth, and expand its network of referral sources through implementation of new programs.

SMYAL has referred youth to multiple programs funded by the coalition’s advocacy, including the city’s trans and gender non-conforming (TGNC) low-barrier shelter and TGNC youth workforce program. Other new programs, such as the LGBTQ+ Domestic Survival Housing, meet specific needs of young people in crisis and provide another avenue for SMYAL youth to access critical resources. By growing the network of support that exists for LGBTQ+ people in DC, SMYAL can continue to expand its offerings through a city budget that prioritizes the needs of our community.

The LGBTQ+ Budget Coalition’s number one priority is addressing housing insecurity for queer and trans people in DC. We’re immensely proud of the LGBTQ+ Budget Coalition’s work in securing almost $1.5 million in recurring funding for designated LGBTQ+ housing programs in 2021, including vouchers for LGBTQ+ seniors, extended transitional funding for LGBTQ youth, and more.

Our work won’t stop here. DC can do more to protect vulnerable populations of LGBTQ+ residents, and the LGBTQ+ Budget Coalition will continue to use The Community Foundation’s support to petition the local government for additional funding. In the three short years since the DC LGBTQ+ Budget Coalition began its work, we’ve successfully secured almost $5 million in additional funding for the coming year.

It’s clear that our voices have been heard, and with the support of The Community Foundation and the other organizations involved in the Budget Coalition, SMYAL intends to continue speaking truth to power.

Writer Bio: Jesse (they/them/theirs pronouns) is a writer, photographer, embroidery artist, and SMYAL Youth Fellow from Manassas, Virginia. As a recent graduate of Northeastern University’s MA Media Advocacy program and alumni of American University’s Justice and Law program, Jesse is passionate about supporting and uplifting LGBTQ+ youth nationwide. They can usually be found at the Old Town Alexandria waterfront with an iced chai. Jesse’s current Spotify top artist is Orville Peck.

A Night of Music, Vision, and Celebration of Philanthropy at The Warner Theatre

Over 200 of Greater Washington Community Foundation supporters, community partners, and friends joined us on May 4 at Warner Theatre for an intimate 2022 Celebration of Philanthropy. The energy in the room and the commitment to this region was truly inspiring!

A huge thank you to the speakers, staff, performers, and everyone who contributed to making this Celebration possible – especially our Community Champions who contributed over $728,000 to support The Community Foundation’s work to advance equity and economic justice by closing our region’s racial wealth gap.

The Celebration was a wonderful opportunity for our community of changemakers to reconnect, enjoy incredible performances from local nonprofit arts organizations, and join an important conversation about economic justice.

During the program, The Community Foundation CEO Tonia Wellons shared a preview of The Community Foundation’s new strategic vision and path to pursue economic justice, with a neighborhood-centered approach. She shared that as The Community Foundation embarks on this journey, it will require a clear vision, strong leadership, and a coalition of the willing that understands the compounding impact of the racial wealth gap. The Community Foundation is ready to step up to that challenge and Tonia invited our community of givers and changemakers to be part of the coalition of the willing, as together we deepen our collective understanding of the racial wealth gap and what it will take to close it.

The program also included a special conversation with two of the country’s leading experts on racial inequality -- Dr. Rashawn Ray, a Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution and Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland, and Dr. Thomas Shapiro, award-winning author and Professor of Law and Social Policy at Brandeis University –- to reflect on the causes and consequences of the racial wealth gap, and how can we pursue economic justice for the Greater Washington region. The conversation, which was moderated by Tonia, touched on systemic policies and historical practices that have extracted wealth from Black families and communities –- from redlining, to home loans and appraisals, tax policy, over-policing of Black communities, and beyond –- what this costs all of us, and ways that individuals and organizations can take steps to shift resources, policies, and practices to create a more equitable and just future.

The celebration was also headlined by talented local artists representing nonprofit arts organizations across the region -- including a lively musical performance from the East of the River Steelband, a program that incorporates the history and culture of traditional steelpan music of Trinidad and Tobago with a high-quality arts experience for youth in Wards 7 and 8. The performance, which kicked off the evening, had guests dancing in the aisles to a steelpan rendition of “This is How We Do it” by Montell Jordan.

The program also featured a moving spoken word performance from Fella Morgan-Bey, a writer, spoken word performer, and published author. Presented by BlackRock Center for the Arts, Fella regaled the crowd with an original piece called “Who Done It”.

Following the program, Words, Beats & Life presented a slam poetry performance by Elana Ernst, Kashvi Ramani, and Sarina Patel, three youth poet laureates from DC, Arlington County, and Montgomery County. 

As participants enjoyed cocktails, delicious food from Spilled Milk Catering, they also grooved to a "canvas" of African rhythms from Sahel, a band representing the African diaspora.

Sahel was immediately followed by Gerson Lanza and Friends — a duo composed of Ana Tomioshi and Gerson Lanza, two leading tap dance artists — who led participants on a journey of dance, music, and song. These final two performances were presented by EducArte, Inc, a Prince George’s County-based arts education nonprofit dedicated to fostering diversity and cultural vibrancy in the arts.

Throughout the night, guests participated in a Together, We Prosper polaroid photo wall activation and experienced Life Pieces To Masterpieces’ art gallery displaying its students' artistic masterpieces that tell profound and inspiring stories.

The Community Foundation’s hope is that the Celebration serves not just as a reminder of what our region has already achieved — but also as an exciting preamble to the unlimited potential that we can unlock by working together. As we prepare to celebrate The Community Foundation’s 50th anniversary next year, we are excited about what we can accomplish together for our community over the next 50 years.

Thank you for your continued support of The Community Foundation! Together, we will build more equitable, just, and thriving communities where everyone prospers. 

Quarterly Community Update

Dear Friends of the Community Foundation,

I hope this note finds you doing well and enjoying some nice spring weather.

We are grateful to be your trusted philanthropic partner and proud of what we have accomplished together for our community. Last fiscal year, our community of givers collectively awarded more than $92 million in grants to nonprofits addressing the most pressing needs of this region. This was also a record year of growth for The Community Foundation, as we welcomed 54 new funds and surpassed over $517 million in assets due to your generosity and investment in our new strategic vision and broader community impact.

Last quarter, our ongoing work to support and strengthen this community included:

• Reactivating Equity Hubs in Montgomery County, a proven program to support virtual learning for children and their families that was launched during the pandemic by our Children’s Opportunity Fund, County government, and several partners.

• Launching a new cohort of the Emerging Leaders Impact Fund, a giving circle that involves and inspires young professionals to create positive impact in Prince George’s County through philanthropy.

• Releasing a second round of Housing Justice grants in honor of Waldon Adams from our Partnership to End Homelessness to support seven organizations and coalitions leading systems change efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing in DC.

• Welcoming the historic $95 million Health Equity Fund to our philanthropic family. The purpose of this transformative fund is to improve the health outcomes and health equity of DC residents.

Over the last year, we’ve taken additional steps to align our core business with our vision for a just and equitable region, while also enhancing our investment management services to help meet your objectives. In partnership with SEI, a leading global investment management firm that serves as our Outsourced Chief Investment Officer, we have broadened the asset allocation for endowed funds that were invested in our Combined Investment Fund to expand return potential while managing risk across a variety of market environments. 

With the start of a new fiscal year, we have also adjusted our support fees structure for endowed funds to help more of our donors support this community now and for generations to come. And we recently updated our Investment Policy Statement to outline our approach to exercising socially responsible stewardship in managing financial resources, including a “Do No Harm” policy that prohibits funding to organizations designated as hate groups.

Thanks to your generosity and the inspiring service of our community partners, I am hopeful about what we can accomplish together in the year ahead.

Sincerely,
Tonia Wellons
President and CEO
Greater Washington Community Foundation

Basic-Income Pilot Helps Hospitality Workers Affected by COVID

The Greater Washington Community Foundation is excited to share the launch of Let’s GO DMV! – a guaranteed income pilot in the Washington, DC region that intends to give $1,000 a month–no strings attached– to 75 hospitality workers who lost their jobs during COVID. All but one of the workers are individuals of colors. The pilot, which recently began its first cash distributions, is planned to last five years.

“This initiative addresses a glaring reality as it relates to the racial wealth gap: that Black people and other people of color in our region were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 dual health and economic crises, further widening pre-existing disparities,” said Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation.

“Let’s GO DMV! is designed to get cash in people’s hands now – giving them increased flexibility and financial freedom to overcome the systemic barriers they face. Our hope is that this initiative can be used as a case for future government-supported programs and policies that are needed to advance economic justice.”

The launch was funded by a number of regional partners including Greater Washington Community Foundation, Amalgamated Foundation, Meyer Foundation, if, and several others. The Greater Washington Community Foundation is proud to serve as the designated fiscal agent for philanthropic grants and other financial contributions to Let’s Go DMV!.

For more information, visit www.letsgodmv.org

Partnership to End Homelessness Awards Housing Justice Grants in Honor of Waldon Adams

The Partnership to End Homelessness (The Partnership) is pleased to announce $350,000 in grants awarded to seven organizations and coalitions leading systems change efforts in DC. Selected nonprofits receive $50,000 in funding to support work to end homelessness and increase the supply of deeply affordable housing.

Systems change is the intentional process of working to make population level change for whole groups of people by disrupting and dismantling the structures of cultural, social, and economic systems that perpetuate inequities. There are many ways to transform and disrupt systems. We know that in order to end homelessness, we must create systems that center people experiencing housing instability and homelessness and that prevent homelessness in the first place. To do that, we focus on efforts developed and led by people most directly impacted by homelessness and housing instability.

Our second round of Housing Justice Grants are made in memory of our Leadership Council member, Waldon Adams, a fierce advocate for ending homelessness who was tragically killed in 2021.

This grant opportunity provides flexible funding to the seven organizations below to support their advocacy, organizing, and other systems change efforts. This funding can be used for local and federal advocacy efforts, community organizing and education, or even infrastructure to increase the capacity of these organizations and coalitions. It can be used for staffing, messaging and communications, research, or meetings and events. We know these grantees share our goal of ending homelessness and increasing the supply of deeply affordable housing and it is important to us that we support them, as the experts in how to make that happen.

SYSTEMS CHANGE Community Partners

• DC Jobs with Justice

• DC Fiscal Policy Institute

• Empower DC

• Fair Budget Coalition

• Miriam's Kitchen

• ONE DC: Organizing Neighborhood Equity

• The Washington Legal Clinic For The Homeless Inc

Last year, the Partnership awarded our first grants to advance housing justice. Together with tenants and people with lived experience, our community partners led efforts to secure:

• historic budget investments resulting in Permanent Supportive Housing for over 2,300 households;

• $50 million for public housing maintenance and repairs;

• protections for neighbors experiencing homelessness during the pandemic;

• investments in rental assistance to ensure housing instability during the pandemic; and

• more just and equitable housing policies.

These grants were made possible thanks to generous partners and donors to the Partnership’s Grantmaking Fund.

Read on to learn more about a few of our partners, their work, and strategic priorities to transform and disrupt systems and advance housing justice. 

WORKING WITH TENANTS TO BRING ABOUT SYSTEMIC CHANGE

Empower DC’s work emphasizes the housing needs of DC’s lowest income residents, those earning 30% of the Area Median Income or below, including people with disabilities, the retired, low wage earners and people coming home from incarceration or experiencing homelessness. Empower DC received $50,000 to engage in community-led planning to expand deeply affordable housing and to preserve existing affordable rental housing, including public housing.  

“While DC has affordable housing laws that other cities envy – like Inclusionary Zoning (IZ), and the Housing Production Trust Fund – in reality, these programs have not stemmed the tide of displacement or addressed the need for low- income housing. DC’s existing policies and practices systemically fail to address the need for housing at this lowest income level, targeting instead incomes at 60 or 80% of the Area Median Income when units are built with public subsidy from the Housing Trust Fund or set aside by developers through IZ.

Empower DC addresses this inequity by organizing with people who need deeply affordable housing, including public housing residents, to push for greater investment in and protections for low-income tenants. Using policy, budget, planning and even legal strategies, Empower DC centers the expertise of low- income Black and Brown DC residents with lived experience of housing instability, elevating their voices as visionaries and champions for their communities. For more information or to get involved in Empower DC’s work, go to www.empowerdc.org.”

-          Parisa Norouzi, Executive Director, Empower DC

WORKING TOGETHER TO SECURE LIFE-SAVING HOUSING INVESTMENTS

Driven by the truth that housing ends homelessness, Miriam’s Kitchen and The Way Home Campaign community worked together to secure historic investments to end chronic homelessness in last year's budget. Now, Miriam’s Kitchen is working hard to ensure that this funding translates into life-saving housing for our neighbors experiencing homelessness. Miriam’s Kitchen received $50,000 to build capacity to push for resources, policies, and implementation that prevents and ends homelessness, and to enhance and expand The Way Home Campaign, a citywide movement to end chronic homelessness.

“Through our leadership of The Way Home Campaign, we continue to convene various stakeholders, including people with lived experience of homelessness, service providers, and advocates, to identify and advocate for policy solutions needed to quickly and effectively implement the over 2,300 new Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) vouchers available this year. Additionally, we, along with local and national partners, have spent much of the past year pushing back against Mayor Bowser’s harmful approach to homeless encampments and ensuring that our neighbors living outside are treated with respect and dignity.  

Mayor Bowser releases her budget proposal on March 16. This is a critical time to ensure that she hears from community members like you! Click here to urge Mayor Bowser to fully fund the recommendations laid out in Homeward DC 2.0, her strategic plan to end homelessness. To read our full budget recommendations and to join the over 7,000 individuals and 110 organizations pushing DC to end chronic homelessness, please visit www.thewayhomedc.org.”

-          Lara Pukatch, Chief Advocacy Officer, Miriam’s Kitchen

Historic Opportunities in the Fight to End Homelessness in DC

By Jennifer Olney, Community Investment Officer, Partnership to End Homelessness

As the Mayor and City Council are considering the FY2023 budget for DC, we face a historic opportunity to end chronic homelessness in DC. Last year, the DC Budget made significant investments in Permanent Supportive Housing, a proven solution to end housing instability for individuals who have experienced homelessness for an extended period of time and who struggle with complex health challenges such as mental illness, addiction, physical disabilities, or other chronic conditions.

This year, the Partnership to End Homelessness is working with our nonprofit, government, and public sector partners to build on this progress and leverage both federal and local resources available to end homelessness and make even more investments in long-term solutions.

We know that our investments alone will never end homelessness and that public sector resources must be targeted to support our neighbors who are struggling with homelessness and housing instability. That is why we created the Partnership to End Homelessness – to bring together public and private sector around a shared strategy to ensure all our neighbors have a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home.

We hope you will consider joining us in this critical work. There are three immediate and exciting opportunities to help advance the work of the Partnership in 2022:

1. Securing Public Sector Investments for housing and ending homelessness
   Last week, we sent a letter to Mayor Bowser asking her to use the revised 2022 budget and 2023 budget to continue to address housing challenges — specifically by expanding Permanent Supportive Housing, as well as Rental Assistance and Eviction Prevention.

   In addition to our own advocacy, we’re making our second round of housing justice grants to support our nonprofit partners leading budget advocacy and other essential systems change efforts. Last year their work secured historic investments, including almost 2,300 new vouchers for Permanent Supportive Housing. You can read more about those grants and how to get involved here.

   If you live or work in DC, we encourage you to get involved! Our elected officials need to hear from you. Tell them that increasing access to affordable housing and ending homelessness are a priority and that our future will be stronger if we do these things. Our partners at The Way Home Campaign have made it easy, click hear to send a letter now .
   

2. Investing in our nonprofits to leverage federal resources to end homelessness
   DC has an opportunity to leverage up to $20+ million in annual federal resources for Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) services in DC. This year, DC will launch a new Medicaid Benefit that will provide higher reimbursement rates for nonprofit providers and new and ongoing federal resources for ending homelessness in DC.

   In order to successfully leverage these resources, nonprofits will need to adopt new practices, quality control checks, and new or updated internal systems related to human resources, accounting, and compliance functions. We are working with our partners to raise critical funds to invest across the system to ensure all nonprofit partners, including smaller Black and Brown-led organizations, are ready to make this transition and leverage these new resources.

   Learn more in our recent blog post or support this work now by contributing to our Grantmaking Fund.

3. Ensuring housing stability through rental assistance and eviction prevention

   One of the key roles that we, as philanthropy, can play is that of convener. In response to the devastating effects of the pandemic and economic crisis, for over a year now, The Partnership has been working with Urban Institute and The DC Bar Foundation to convene key partners – including local government, philanthropy, legal services, landlords, and housing counseling organizations – to prevent evictions and connect tenants to available rental assistance.

   We know that our Black and Brown neighbors have faced higher rates of unemployment and eviction during the pandemic With 21,000 DC residents currently unemployed, we cannot stop working to ensure tenants can stay in their homes. We will continue to advocate for additional resources for tenants and to work with our partners to develop new systems that support tenants and their landlords to increase housing stability.

We know that increasing housing stability and ending homelessness will pay off, in stronger families, stronger communities, and a stronger future for this region. Research confirms that housing instability harms a child’s development and an adult’s ability to get and retain employment, and that providing housing stability creates better health and better futures for children, their families, and single adults.

This year presents an opportunity for DC. How will we respond? Ending homelessness will take everyone working together and doing their part. We hope you will join us.

The Partnership to End Homelessness works to ensure homelessness is rare, brief, and nonrecurring in Washington, DC. By joining together, we can increase the supply of deeply affordable housing, bolster our response system to help more people obtain and maintain stable housing, and ultimately end homelessness in DC

What a Wonderful World! A Celebration of Cultural Relevancy in Education Through Reading in Montgomery County

By Grace Kim, AmeriCorps member at The Community Foundation

On March 2, 2022, the Children’s Opportunity Fund of the Greater Washington Community Foundation hosted a social media event ‘What a Wonderful World! A Celebration of Cultural Relevancy in Education through Reading in Montgomery County’.

The event was part of Read Across America Day -- the nation’s largest celebration of reading which inspires individuals, both young and old, to pick up a book and read.

This event was completely virtual, with videos being released on our social media platforms (@communityfndn) at the top of each hour from 9:00am to 5:00pm.

Some inspiring takeaways from our spotlights were:

• Helen Winder, program coordinator for Wheaton Woods Imagination Library program, explained how "culturally relevant books help children shape their identities." The Wheaton Woods Imagination Library program coordinator, provides free books for young students ages 0-5.

• Cultural relevancy is "not a zero-sum game" where "some groups will lose and others will gain. No one loses, we all gain," from Diego Uruburu, who co-founded the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Excellence and Equity and is the Executive Director of Identity Youth.​

• Shebra Evans, member of the MCPS Board of Education, shed light on the school district's "asset-approach to expanding culturally relevant literacy into the instruction and that means that we are viewing the skills, knowledge, background that each of our students bring to their educational experience and that we value it."

• Myrna Peralta of CentroNía explained the influence of linguistic diversity on which educational resources are brought to classrooms with different language-speaking instructors. She also shared that it's a "natural developmental requirement that we acknowledge and promote the diversity with our children from a very early age." CentroNía incorporates bilingual and multicultural supports to provide quality early childhood education to students.

• For the last segment of the event, Montgomery County Council President Gabe Albornoz and MCPS Principal Shawaan Robinson read aloud Juana Martinez-Neal’s book, Alma and Her Name, in Spanish and English respectively.

Parents, students, and educators were encouraged to participate by using the hashtag ‘#ReadAcrossMoCo’ on social media. See below for the complete list of videos!

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Nonprofit Partner Spotlight - Story Tapestries

In this video, we spotlight nonprofit partner, Story Tapestries, and the creative ways that they promote cultural relevancy in learning.

Nonprofit Partner Spotlight - Imagination Library

In this video, Helen Winder, Montgomery County Public School Parent Community Coordinator shares the impact that Wheaton Woods Imagination Library is having in the lives of children at Wheaton Woods Elementary.

Nonprofit Partner Spotlight - Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity & Excellence

In this video, Diego Uruburu, co-founder of Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence shares what it means to be culturally relevant.

Community Partner Spotlight - Shebra Evans

In this video, Shebra Evans, Montgomery County (MD) Board of Education Member shares why cultural relevancy and literacy are so important to Montgomery County Public Schools.

Nonprofit Partner Spotlight - ISPOT

In this video, one family shares the impact that ISPOT, a Children's Opportunity Fund nonprofit partner, has had on their learning experience.

Nonprofit Partner Spotlight - CentroNia

In this video, Myrna Peralta, President and CEO of CentroNía shares the importance of incorporating cultural relevancy into everyday classroom learning.

Nonprofit Partner Spotlight - Arts on the Block

In this video, Chris Barclay, Interim Executive Director at Arts on the Block explains how their program is supporting culturally relevant learning through the arts.

Read-Aloud in Spanish & English

In this video, Gabe Albornoz, Montgomery County (MD) Council President and Shawaan Robinson, Montgomery County (MD) Public School Principal read "Alma and How She Got Her Name" by Juana Martinez-Neal.

Black-led organizations share impact of last year’s sustainability investments

For many nonprofit organizations in our region, the COVID-19 pandemic tested them in ways they had never imagined. Faced with the combined challenges of an uncertain environment, limited availability for volunteerism and an overwhelming demand for services, many organizations and their staff were pushed to the limit.

But perhaps none have been tested so severely as Black-led nonprofits.

Historically, philanthropy has woefully underinvested in Black-led organizations. A report by Echoing Green and The Bridgespan Group found that even in areas where work targeted Black communities, Black-led organizations had 45 percent less revenue and 91 percent less unrestricted net assets than white-led organizations.

With a mission to advance equity and prosperity, the Greater Washington Community Foundation is working to close the racial wealth gap and mindful of our obligation to change how we look at our approach to philanthropy.

So last year when Facebook approached us with a generous gift intended to support BIPOC communities, The Community Foundation was eager to invest it in Black-led nonprofit organizations working in the critical area of Systems Change, serving Greater Washington. Grants were awarded to address immediate infrastructure needs such as leadership development, human resources and technology – areas that are traditionally difficult to fundraise for, yet incredibly vital to the sustainability of an organization – especially during a pandemic.

Recently, we reached out to them to understand the impact this funding had on their organization. Here are quotes from a few of those sustainability grantees:

Mamatoto Village is a DC-based nonprofit devoted to serving Black womxn and providing perinatal support services

"Receiving the Sustainability of Black-led Organizations grant has helped Mamatoto Village bolster our data and social impact initiatives. With this grant funding, our organization was able to purchase the SoPact Impact Cloud–– an innovative resource that is helping our organization accurately describe the social impact of our services.”

“The Greater Washington Community Foundation grant funding was instrumental in bolstering our advocacy and organizing efforts by allowing us to train and pay community members who are interested in advocating for maternal health rights and equity.

The Community Foundation grant funding has helped our organization meet necessary infrastructure needs as we continue to serve womxn, families, and communities in the Greater Washington region."
-Jordan McRae, Grants Manager, Mamatoto Village

“Racial Justice NOW is grateful for the support we've received from the Greater Washington Community Foundation's sustainability fund. This support has helped us with our strategic planning efforts as we work to map out our work and desired impact over the next few years. Without this support, it would've been extremely difficult to move forward with this process. The work we do in Montgomery County is very important because we center Black people unapologetically, that's self-determination!”

– Zakiya Sankara-Jabar, Co-Founder & Director, Racial Justice NOW!

"Facing the challenges of COVID, the Greater Washington Community Foundation grant allowed us to add a social media advisor to our team to help us expand our presence across the community.  With the funds, we established a virtual classroom to 1) support our middle student tutoring program, 2) produce a series of issue-focused public service announcements, and 3) deliver our monthly community forums to address critical issues facing our families. "

-- Jim Paige, Executive Director, Concerned Citizens Network of Alexandria

The Sustainability Grant allowed CCNA to bring on a social media advisor, who helped the organization to expand their community awareness, through social media graphics like this one.

2021 Sustainability of Black Led Organizations Grantees

• African Communities Together

• Bread for the City

• Collective Action for Safe Spaces

• Community Grocery Co-Op

• Concerned Citizens Network of Alexandria

• Critical Exposure

• DC Justice Lab

• Dreaming Out Loud

• Harriet’s Wildest Dreams

• Life After Release

• Mamatoto Village

• Many Languages One Voice

• ONE DC

• Progressive Maryland

• Racial Justice NOW!

• Serve Your City/Ward 6 Mutual Aid

• The National Reentry Network of Returning Citizens

Children's Opportunity Fund and Partners Reactivate Equity Hubs

Recent school closures across Montgomery County, due to the Omnicron variant of COVID-19, led Montgomery County Public Schools to turn to the Children’s Opportunity Fund (COF) at the Greater Washington Community Foundation and its partners to reactivate a proven program to support virtual learning for children and their families.

Initially launched in the Fall of 2020, the Educational Enrichment and Equity Hubs program provides a safe, structured learning environment for children from low-income families who lack internet access or technical support at home.

Each equity hub follows strict safety protocols and has adult staff on-site to support virtual learning and after-school programming. Last year, the program served more than 1,500 students at 70 different locations throughout Montgomery County. For more information about the Equity Hubs Program, click here!

Although the pandemic and necessity of virtual learning may be temporary, the Greater Washington Community Foundation recognizes that many of the challenges that students and families face are not. The Children’s Opportunity Fund will continue working with the community and its partners to understand the evolving needs of the most marginalized youth and families in order to close the opportunity gap in Montgomery County.  

The Children’s Opportunity Fund can only do this work with the help of cross-sector partners across Montgomery County. You can play an active role in ensuring that young people continue to have access to safe, quality learning opportunities and enrichments that support their academic and personal development, regardless of socio-economic status, race, or housing situation. Join us to ensure that all children have access to the essential services and growth opportunities they need to thrive.

Quarterly Community Update

Dear friends of The Community Foundation,

I hope you and your family had a safe and healthy holiday season and a happy new year!

Thanks to the continued compassion and care of our community of givers during a time of deep uncertainty, 2021 was another record year for generosity in Greater Washington. In 2021, we welcomed more than 51 new funds to our Community Foundation family and our donors collectively invested more than $86 million to support nonprofits responding to critical needs, nurturing an equitable recovery, and working to strengthen our region and beyond.

If you plan to continue or grow your giving in the year ahead, please make sure to follow our updated gift transmission guidelines for a variety of ways to contribute to your fund at The Community Foundation. It is crucial that you follow these instructions – especially including the fund name along with your contribution – to ensure timely processing of your gift. If you have any questions or need assistance with your gift, please contact us at 202-955-5890 or [email protected].

At The Community Foundation, we are grateful to be your trusted philanthropic partner and proud of what we have accomplished together for our community. In 2021, your support enabled us to:

• Develop a new strategic vision to close the racial wealth gap in our region's underinvested neighborhoods.

• Direct investments toward equitable recovery strategies – including feeding families facing personal crisis, closing the opportunity gap, supporting survivors of domestic violence, and building stability for more families.

• Make historic investments in Black-led social change work to build political and economic power to transform systems.

• Lead eviction prevention work in DC, expand educational equity in Montgomery County, and increase economic mobility in Prince George’s County.

• Enhance our investment management services and pursue mission-driven investments that are aligned with our values.

As we embark on our new 10-year strategic vision, we plan to engage our entire community in discussions about how we will work together to co-create a brighter future for our region where people of all races, places, and identities reach their full potential and prosper. From our quarterly book club convenings to our grantmaking and investment strategies, we are committed to fully embodying the values of racial equity and inclusion in all aspects of our work and operations. For example, our new Investment Policy Statement outlines our approach to exercising competent and socially responsible stewardship in managing financial resources in alignment with our vision for a just and equitable region.

Thanks to your generosity and the inspiring service of our community partners, I am hopeful about what we can accomplish together in the year ahead. There will be challenges still to come, but I am confident we can continue to get through them together.

Sincerely,
Tonia Wellons
President and CEO

P.S. In case you missed it, our OCIO recently recorded this video to share an investment outlook and performance update.

Top 10 Milestones to Remember: 2021 in Review

Now that 2021 is over, we’re reflecting on and celebrating our most impactful stories from the past year – from releasing our new strategic vision, to historic investments in Black-led change, to a $1 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott that boosted our recovery work for local arts groups. Here are some of our most meaningful milestones from 2021. 

Together, We Prosper: Launching a New Strategic Vision for Closing Our Community’s Racial Wealth Gap

In October, we shared the culmination of months of deep heart work: our 10-year strategic vision to close our region’s racial wealth gap. First unveiled at our annual meeting, the vision centers on three core leadership pillars: leading with racial equity and inclusion, aligning business with values, and closing the racial wealth gap. We envision a future where all have the opportunity to prosper – and know together, we can realize this vision as reality.

Celebrating Our Community’s Champions

View a recording of our Celebration of Community Champions program.

In May, our virtual Celebration of Community Champions lifted up our collective COVID-19 response efforts and the everyday heroes – local individuals and companies – who stepped up for our region in exceptional ways. We were proud to highlight Feed the Fight as our Community Hero; Food for Montgomery as our Collaborative Hero; CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield as our Corporate Hero; and Dr. Monica Goldson, Senator Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. (in memoriam), Steve Proctor, and Dr. Alvin Thornton as our Civic Heroes. The evening also featured special performances from Arts on the Block, DC Jazz Festival, the Prince George’s County Youth Poet Laureate, and Synetic Theater.

Historic Investments in Black Leaders and Black-Led Nonprofits

Jawanna Hardy, a US Air Force veteran, leads an outreach program providing resources to communities affected by youth homicide, suicide, and mental health illnesses.

We were proud to make several historic investments in Black-led change impacting our region. Through our Black Voices for Black Justice Fellows, an initiative launched in 2020 with Bridge Alliance Education Fund and GOODProjects, we selected 10 inspiring Black leaders and activists on the frontlines of advancing racial equity and social justice. Additionally, a generous gift from Facebook enabled investments of nearly $1 million in 17 Black-led organizations leading systems change work. These awards supported the immediate infrastructure needs of grantees, including staffing, strategic planning, marketing and communications, professional development, and more. 

Direct Cash Transfer as a Vehicle for Speed, Inclusivity, and Equity

During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Community Foundation and many of our philanthropic partners embraced giving directly—transferring cash to people—as an effective and efficient means of providing relief to those hit hard by the sudden economic and health emergency. Since the onset of the pandemic and in partnership with donors, nonprofit organizations, and local government agencies, we facilitated the administration of approximately $26 million in funds, distributed in increments of $50 to $2,500 to approximately 60,000 residents across the Greater Washington region. Urban Institute published a report chronicling the goals, strategies, and short-term achievements of our effort to develop and implement cash transfer strategies at the height of the pandemic. 

Advancing Housing Justice and Preventing Evictions

Housing Counseling Services received a grant to help tenants apply for rental assistance by meeting them where they live, learn, pray, and play.

Our Partnership to End Homelessness continued its critical eviction prevention work in response to the pandemic and economic crisis. Its work to advance housing justice included more than $300,000 in grants to address our region’s housing crisis and inequalities by funding seven nonprofits leading advocacy and organizing efforts. Hear from our Community Investment Officer Jennifer Olney on the Partnership’s eviction prevention work and her explanation of common misperceptions about homelessness – and how you can get involved in helping more people obtain and maintain stable housing during a crisis and beyond.  

Improving Equity and Economic Mobility in Prince George’s County

Jacob’s Ladder was selected by ELIF members to receive a microgrant for its Academic Enrichment Program that provides tutoring, basic literacy skills, and mentoring to students.

Our Emerging Leaders Impact Fund (ELIF), a new giving circle for young professionals in Prince George’s County, announced its inaugural grants to five Prince George’s County nonprofits working to combat chronic absenteeism in County schools. ELIF is currently recruiting new members for 2022; Interested candidates can apply here. While our Equity Fund, which works to eliminate social and economic disparities in Prince George’s County, awarded $440,000 in grants to help 19 nonprofits advance food security, affordable childcare, and workforce equity. These grants were made possible thanks to a generous gift from the Ikea U.S. Community Foundation. 

Increasing Food Security and Educational Equity in Montgomery County

Food for Montgomery received our Collaborative Hero Award for its public-private effort to coordinate and expand food distributions, support local farmers and small businesses, and improve food systems to combat food insecurity in Montgomery County.

Our Children’s Opportunity Fund was recognized by the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading as a 2021 Bright Spot community for its COVID-19 response work, including the launch of Educational Enrichment and Equity Hubs. Equity Hubs offered a safe place for low-income students to participate in remote learning during school closures, welcoming more than 1,400 students across 70 sites. Our Food for Montgomery initiative has marshaled the resources of nonprofits, faith communities, local businesses, farmers, and county agencies to increase food access and help families recover from crisis. It has raised and deployed over $2.1 million to double the number of food distribution sites, help sustain local farmers and small businesses, and improve the hunger relief system to meet today’s challenges and future crises. 

Gift From Mackenzie Scott Enables Additional Relief Funding For Local Arts Groups

Dance Institute of Washington received a grant to support its facility renovation and a program evaluation with a focus on racial equity.

Arts Forward Fund was established in partnership with The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation to help struggling arts and culture organizations to adapt their programming to survive and recover from the devastating effects of the pandemic. In 2021, the initiative was recognized by philanthropist MacKenzie Scott with a $1 million gift as part of a cohort of equity-focused efforts. Thanks to Scott’s generosity, we were able to award a second round of grants in September 2021, investing in nearly 90 local arts groups. In total, the fund has made nearly $2.7 million in grants to 130+ organizations – 60% of which are BIPOC-led or BIPOC-serving.

Turning Ideas Into Action for Community Change

Learn about several of our Community Action Awards supported projects in this video produced by our partners at Comcast.

As the last step in our three-part VoicesDMV community engagement initiative, we awarded our inaugural Community Action Awards microgrants to 50 local activists, artists, and advocates leading neighborhood-based projects which advance equity and inclusion. Projects included public murals in Brookland, Forest Bathing in Maryland, yoga and dance accessibility, and more. In December, our former Senior Advisor for Impact Benton Murphy reported back how grantees are doing – and the collective impact of these projects - read his post for several inspiring videos and photos. 

Aligning Our Business With Our Values: A New Partnership With SEI

Check out this video featuring our OCIO providing an update on your investment options and their performance.

We believe to truly affect change, our values must inform and drive our actions – and this was the impetus for partnering with SEI as our outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO). The leading global investment firm is known for its focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, values we wholeheartedly share. As an OCIO with 450+ clients worldwide – more than 170 of which are nonprofits – SEI serves as an extension of our staff, providing world-class investment expertise and constant focus on managing the charitable funds you have entrusted to us. Check out this new video featuring our OCIO providing an update on your investment options and the performance of our investment portfolio.

In Memoriam: Diane Bernstein, Jane Bainum, Milt Peterson, Senator Mike Miller, Waldon and Rhonda

As a member of our Partnership to End Homelessness Leadership Council, Waldon Adams was instrumental in our work to ensure everyone has housing they can afford.

Last year, we lost several special members of The Community Foundation family. We pay tribute to former Trustee, donor, and friend Diane Bernstein; Jane Bainum, co-founder of the Bainum Family Foundation and longtime philanthropic partner; Milt Peterson, trusted donor and founder of Peterson Companies; and the beloved Senator Mike Miller, one of our 2021 Civic Hero honorees. We also remember and honor our friends Rhonda Whitaker and Waldon Adams, two tireless advocates for ending homelessness who passed away unexpectedly in April. 

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From Crisis to Recovery: A Pivotal Year

You can also view our FY 2021 annual report for more highlights from our crisis to recovery work in 2020-2021.

The Community Foundation Invests $6.2+ Million in 70 Nonprofits Nurturing Equitable Recovery

Grants aim to increase food security, close the opportunity gap, support survivors of domestic violence, and build stability for more families.

The region’s largest local funder has announced more than $6.2 million in grants to 70 nonprofits addressing issues facing families and communities in the Greater Washington region as they adapt to a post-pandemic life. 

The Greater Washington Community Foundation is investing in equitable recovery targeting a wide range of challenges, from helping families facing food insecurity, to advancing educational equity, supporting survivors of domestic violence, and building stability for more families. 

These grants represent initial investments that lay the groundwork for The Community Foundation’s new 10-year strategic vision to close the region’s racial wealth gap. The Community Foundation’s new strategy focuses on increasing economic mobility by prioritizing historically underinvested BIPOC neighborhoods that have been systematically denied access to wealth building opportunities. The Community Foundation is specifically interested in neighborhoods and census tracts that are experiencing the highest incidences of system-induced inequities in the areas of health, homeownership, education, employment, income, and life expectancy. 

“The pandemic not only increased demand for housing, food, and educational supports, it also exacerbated and brought longstanding inequities into focus,” said Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “These grants will help our nonprofit partners sustain and continue to adapt their services to support equitable recovery by providing individuals and families with what they need to survive and thrive today and for the long-term.”

Food Security

With 1 in 10 Montgomery County residents facing food insecurity due to COVID-19, The Community Foundation’s Food for Montgomery initiative is marshaling the resources of nonprofits, faith communities, local businesses, farmers, and county agencies to increase food access and help families recover from crisis. Grants totaling $959,590 will build the resiliency of 14 nonprofit and faith-based partners to more effectively and efficiently meet the needs throughout Montgomery County.

Afrithrive to support its two-acre farm and community gardening program to engage African immigrants in growing culturally specific produce which is hard to obtain through most food distribution providers. 

American Muslim Senior Society to support staffing, equipment, and cold storage necessary to strengthen its food security work and maximize the power of its volunteer network.

BlackRock Center for the Arts / Up-County Consolidation Hub to hire a bilingual social worker to connect vulnerable families to sustainable food resources and supports that are vital to their recovery.

Celestial Manna for staffing needed to advance food recovery efforts that prevent food waste and save thousands of dollars.

Charles Koiner Center for Urban Farming to support the development of an urban farm and community gardening program in Wheaton, MD that will enable residents to grow their own culturally appropriate food.

Community Health and Empowerment through Education and Research (CHEER) to support community-garden work that will engage Long Branch area residents to grow their own food for their community.

Guru Gobind Singh Foundation to support expanded storage that will enable this volunteer-driven effort to sustain its food security work.

Kingdom Fellowship CDC / East County Consolidation Hub to support the development of an innovative cold storage resource to help hub partners prevent waste and distribute food more efficiently. Hub partners include Kingdom Fellowship, Rainbow Community Development Center, Kings & Priests Court Int'l Ministries, and People's Community Baptist Church. 

Manna Food Center, A Place of Hope, Co-Health, Ethiopian Community Center Maryland, Identity, Kings and Priests’ Court International Ministries, and Southern African Community USA to enable outreach partners to connect residents with Manna Food Center’s resources and provide vouchers to purchase culturally specific foods to meet their needs.

The Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland and its partners, the Crossroads Community Food Network and FRESHFARM, to build the capacity of local farmers markets so they can more effectively reach and serve customers that rely on federal nutrition benefits, thereby increasing access to healthy food from local farmers.

Rainbow Community Development Center for staffing necessary to foster resiliency in the East County region through collaborative work with key partners and to sustain the organization’s expansion spurred by the pandemic.

Red Wiggler Community Farm to employ adults with developmental disabilities to grow healthy food for group homes and food distribution partners throughout the county.

Shepherd’s Table to support the necessary equipment and kitchen improvements to sustain and deepen collaborations bringing prepared meals to individuals and families facing food insecurity.

WUMCO for expanded cold storage that will enable the collection of more donations from local farmers and hunters to distribute in the rural, Up-County area. 

Education and Literacy

The Community Foundation’s Children’s Opportunity Fund (COF) is a public-private partnership that invests in innovative, evidence-informed efforts targeted at reducing educational disparities to close the opportunity gap in Montgomery County. Reading mastery is a key predictor of a student’s career attainment, and the most critical time to gain these skills is between birth and third grade. Recent grants of $200,000 will further COF’s strategy to improve third grade literacy rates by supporting early literacy programs, tutoring programs, and out of school time activities. 

Kid Museum to create an intentional curriculum for students in Grades K-3 that integrates STEM, literacy, and social emotional learning at Rolling Terrace and Strathmore, two Title 1 Elementary Schools -- in the spring the program will be piloted at additional elementary schools. 

Imagination Library to expand its program developed for children from birth to age 5 in seven zip codes to receive free, high-quality, age-appropriate books delivered to their home every month. 

Survivors of Domestic Violence

In partnership with the Prince George’s County Department of Family Services, The Community Foundation administers the Domestic Violence Community Grants Fund to support nonprofits assisting families and survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking to achieve a greater level of independence and self-sufficiency, cope with healing, and rebuild the family unit. Grants of $120,00 to four organizations will support counseling services, housing and transportation, and legal services.

Community Advocates for Family and Youth to support the recently launched Begin Again and Thrive program to address housing needs by providing emergency accommodation, permanent relocation, and financial assistance. 

Community Crisis Services to provide shelter transportation, limited rental support, and to meet individual needs such as school lunches or school supplies for a family or student. 

Community Legal Services of Prince George’s County to continue funding a staff attorney position and program offering legal assistance.

House of Ruth Maryland to support the provision of counseling/therapy services including IPV education, safety planning, and trauma reduction. 

Children, Youth, and Families

The Community Foundation administers the Fund for Children, Youth, and Families, a five-year initiative, to invest in effective organizations working to make the community more vibrant, healthy, and stable. The 2021 cycle includes nearly $4.8 million in multiyear grants to 50 nonprofits offering housing services, permanency support, academic support, and early career development programs.

826DC to help students improve writing skill development and increase fluency with writing based on the National Writing Project standards.

Adoptions Together to provide training for families interested in fostering and to place foster children in permanent homes.

The Arc of Prince George’s County to support participants of the Ready@21 Program, which helps young adults through career coaching and resume development to increase job readiness, improve college awareness, and develop self-advocacy skills.

Aspire! Afterschool Learning to improve reading instructional level by one grade or more for students in its afterschool care program.

The Barker Adoption Foundation to provide older foster child adoption training and facilitate the placement of older foster children and/or sibling groups.

Bread for the City to support advocacy efforts for families at risk of housing displacement and to provide direct services to families through the Food Program, Clothing Program, Medical Clinic, Social Services Program, and Legal Clinic.

Bright Beginnings to support early childhood development for children ages 0-5.

Carpenter's Shelter to help families who enter shelter to gain stability and transition to permanent housing and sustain independent living.

CASA for Children of DC to provide advocacy support for reunification, adoption, or guardianship for foster youth and workforce development activities for older foster youth.

Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) to provide trainings and support for pre-adoption and post-adoption guardians.

Central American Resource Center to provide financial training and planning to support stable housing for Latino immigrants.

Children's Law Center to provide legal representation for child welfare cases to ensure children are growing up in permanent, stable families.

Community Crisis Services, Inc. to assist households experiencing homelessness and/or domestic violence to access safe, permanent housing.

Community Family Life Services to provide intensive financial coaching, financial case management, and wrap around supports for women seeking housing stability.

Cornerstones, Inc. to provide rental assistance services for at-risk tenants.

Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/ Prince George's County, Inc. Support the Job Readiness and Transitioning Youth program, which ensures that at youth participants who emancipate will do so with stable housing

Voices for Children Montgomery to provide placement in safe homes for clients at case closure.

DC SAFE to help clients move to safe transitional or permanent housing after their stay in SAFE Space.

DC Volunteer Lawyers Project to offer advocacy and referrals, including enforcing victim rights in housing, employment, and public benefits, as well as provide legal assistance and advocacy with victim legal rights.

DC127 to help teen parents who are aging out of foster care be prepared for a life of independence with stable housing, jobs, and increased access to supportive services.

District Alliance for Safe Housing to help families transition from emergency shelter to more permanent housing with increased economic and housing stability.

District Of Columbia Grassroots Empowerment to help secure long-term housing for residents displaced and impacted by public housing redevelopment.

Doorways for Women and Families to provide re-housing supportive services to help participants achieve stability and transition to permanent housing.

The Dwelling Place, Inc. to help program residents remain stably housed and maintain compliance with program requirements through case management, increasing financial stability, and home visits.

Family & Youth Initiative to assist participant teens in foster care with finding an adoptive family and provide continuing support to participant youth who age out of foster care.

Fihankra Akoma Ntoaso to provide afterschool and summer programs for children in the child welfare system to allow them to develop positive relationships with adults and peers.

Crittenton Services of Greater Washington to increase school attendance, academic engagement, and grade point average for Goal Setting Girls participants.

Foster and Adoptive Parent Advocacy Center (FAPAC) to provide training, peer support, financial stability, and individual advocacy to foster families in DC.

Homeless Children's Playtime Project to provide ongoing play programs and supportive services for homeless children in DC.

Hope And A Home, Inc. to help resident families increase financial stability and make progress towards transitioning into and/or maintain permanent, stable housing.

Horizons Greater Washington to provide literacy and math academic enrichment support for students.

Housing Up to provide employment support, rental assistance, and financial support services for affordable rental housing buildings.

Interfaith Works Inc. to help families experiencing homelessness achieve stability and transition to permanent housing with the assistance of case management and supportive services.

Martha’s Table to support academic enrichment for the six developmental domains — early literacy, early math, language, cognition, physical development, and socioemotional development.

Mary's Center for Maternal and Child Care, Inc. to support the Home Visiting Program, which encourages early childhood development through reading, storytelling, and singing with young children daily.

Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless, Inc. to help residents maintain on time rent payments and permanent, stable housing.

My Sister's Place to help residents increase income, provide case management, and transition to transitional or permanent housing.

National Housing Trust Enterprise to help NHT households participate in financial programs and maintain stable housing.

Neighborhood Legal Services Program to host “Know Your Rights” presentations and represent clients in cases involving housing discrimination, illegal eviction, rent increases, housing conditions, voucher termination, and loss of subsidies.

Neighbors Consejo to assist low-income families in transitioning from shelter to rental housing, while helping them improve their personal and financial stability.

Northern Virginia Family Service to provide foster care pre-service training and Resource Parent certification.

One Common Unity to improve course grades, increase class attendance, and reduce punitive disciplinary actions for students in the Fly by Light program.

One World Education to increase research and writing skills as well as social and emotional learning for students.

The Platform of Hope to provide housing, education, employment, family stability, finances, and health support services for low-income families at risk for homelessness.

Prince George's Child Resource Center, Inc. to improve language and cognitive abilities through participation in child development and parent/child learning activities.

Reading Partners to help students meet or exceed their primary, individualized end-of-year literacy growth goal.

Right Beginnings Inc. to provide career development, mentoring, and career counseling to homeless women seeking to increase financial stability to find housing.

Rising for Justice to provide tenant rights educational trainings and legal services for tenants in need of improved housing conditions or facing eviction.

Sasha Bruce Youthwork to help at-risk youth achieve safe and stable living environments.

Stepping Stones Shelter to help resident families increase their income during stay and move on to stable housing utilizing a subsidy program.