Faces of Sharing - Getting to Know Sharing Montgomery's Ana Morales

Ana Morales has been a proud member of Sharing Montgomery for the past three years – including serving as Chair/Co-Chair of the committee for the past two years.

“I love learning about the needs in our county and admire the incredible efforts of so many people and organizations in our community who are dedicated to addressing them,” Morales shared of her experience. 

For Morales, Sharing Montgomery’s work has also been a way to grow closer to a community she knows and loves.  Born in Guatemala, she immigrated to the United States at the age of 9 and has called Montgomery County home for most of her life. She attended Montgomery County Public Schools and vividly recalls taking ESOL classes in elementary school at a time when the county’s immigrant community was growing rapidly.

Morales now serves as Senior Vice President and Director of Treasury Management at Founders Bank.  She started her banking career in Embassy and International Banking but has predominantly focused on Commercial Banking within local community banks.

Morales says that while her career provided her with opportunities to participate in fundraisers and events for various nonprofits – including serving on the board of several influential nonprofit organizations -- Morales felt like she was not getting the complete picture.

“I think it’s easy for many of us to stay within our bubbles and not know what’s going on outside of the world that we live in,” Morales shared. “I’ve always wanted to learn about the county I’ve lived in for so long and better understand what some of the challenges are, so I can better support the people who are in support of those in need.”

Ana at an event for NAMI-Montgomery County, where she serves on the Board of Directors.

That’s when her friend Steve Hull, a long-time supporter and member of The Community Foundation Advisory Board in Montgomery County invited her to learn more about The Community Foundation and the Sharing Montgomery initiative.

The invitation came about a year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic – a critical time for nonprofits which continued to struggle to meet growing needs across our region.

“I was really impressed with The Community Foundation’s response and involvement during and following the COVID pandemic,” Morales shared. “It was inspiring to watch them build bridges between nonprofits and empower these organizations to mobilize and meet needs in the community – putting all the pieces together to build people up.”

Morales joined both the Montgomery County Advisory Board and Sharing Montgomery Grants Committee in 2021. She quickly gained an appreciation of The Community Foundation’s vision to close the racial wealth gap.

“As an immigrant working in the banking industry, I really connect to the importance of promoting economic mobility,” Morales shared. “Through The Community Foundation and the Sharing Montgomery initiative, I’ve been able to see how my contributions can play a role in that.”

On one occasion, Morales recalls being introduced to a nonprofit partner which works to help Latino and immigrant students in Mongomery County maximize their potential.

“The more I heard about the work they do and attended their events through Sharing, the more I could see my experience mirrored in the kids they serve,” Morales shared. “I know what it’s like to be a young person in a foreign place and all the challenges that come with it. Seeing them helped me realize that I could do more for my community.”

Morales went on to join the board of directors of that Sharing Montgomery grantee organization, while continuing her leadership work of inspiring more people to give and join in the Sharing Montgomery learning journey. 

Ana with team members from The Community Foundation in Montgomery County after announcing the Sharing Montgomery 2023 cohort of nonprofit partners.

“Sharing Montgomery is a place where you can see all of the various needs that there are in a county that many consider to be very affluent,” Morales shared. “I love that Sharing Montgomery is a platform for us to have a candid look at our county’s needs and challenges in an organized, methodical, and analytical way while focusing on the mission of empowering local nonprofits to do more.”

In addition to her board involvement, Morales says that being a part of Sharing Montgomery has inspired her to be more intentional in her personal philanthropy of giving back to her community, making it a bigger part of her long-term plans and life-goals.

“No matter what touches your heart, The Community Foundation will guide you to find not only the right causes and organizations to support, but also the right ways that you can support them and make a difference in your community.”

Want to get involved? The Sharing Montgomery Fund Committee welcomes new members. Contact Olivia Hsu ([email protected])  to find out more about how you can be a part of this impactful fund!

Learning Together: Launching the Community Impact Forum Series

On April 18, The Community Foundation kicked off our Community Impact Forum series at Imagination Stage in downtown Bethesda. The event (formerly known as the Funder roundtable) is set to be the first in series of Impact Forums that The Community Foundation will host across our region to bring together fundholders, board members, corporate funders, and leaders from local private foundations.

The events – which have a strict no-solicitation policy – are designed to help participants learn more about the region and exchange ideas with other people who share a passion for strengthening the local community. 

“The Impact Forum is designed to bring us together to better understand the needs we’re experiencing in communities, look at the lessons we’ve learned from the past, and discuss the strategies we can collaborate on to solve for the future,” shared Tonia Wellons, President & CEO of The Community Foundation.

Following the warm welcome from our CEO, guests heard from Darius Graham, Managing Director of Community Investment at The Community Foundation about the soon-to-be-released VoicesDMV Community Insights report.

The VoicesDMV Community Insights report is part of a comprehensive civic engagement initiative originally launched by The Community Foundation in 2017. This year, The Community Foundation has partnered with Gallup to conduct a regional survey to uncover how residents are doing, what challenges they are facing, what their hopes and dreams for the future are, and how they view important issues.

“Effective community work starts with hearing the voices within our community,” Graham explained as he shared some exclusive findings from the report. “That’s why we are excited to share this critical resource with all of you. Together, we can use these findings to not only drive future dialogue, but also future investments.”

To learn more, be sure to register for VoicesDMV’s official release event on Tuesday, May 21 at 10 a.m. More information about the event is available on our website.

Following the presentation, Anna Hargrave, Executive Director for Montgomery County, moderated a conversation with Alan Berube, Interim Vice President and Director of Brookings Metro and co-author of the book Confronting Suburban Poverty in America.

“We are at a point in this country where poverty is more pervasive in the suburbs than it is in big cities,” Berube shared when asked to respond to insights from the VoicesDMV report. “When we talk about how we address poverty in suburbs – like Montgomery County – we have to talk about the systemic barriers that are contributing to it.”

Berube explained that most suburban communities in America were not originally designed with the infrastructure necessary to serve families living below the federal poverty line.

As more families from diverse racial and socio-economic backgrounds have migrated to the suburbs in recent decades, many jurisdictions have been struggled to develop systems such as public transportation systems, scalable wrap-around services, and other basic aspects of anti-poverty infrastructure that are often more readily accessible in larger cities.

“The pandemic magnified these needs all around the country but especially in the suburbs,” Berube outlined. “The number of people living below the Federal Poverty Line in the suburbs is now three times higher than those living in larger cities.”

“Fortunately, many community foundations have played a huge role at stepping in and mobilizing to meet those needs.”

Berube applauded the Greater Washington Community Foundation for collaborating with local leadership to establish community partnerships that have allowed nonprofits to expand into Montgomery County, begin to address some of these infrastructure gaps, and push for systemic change that will help the entire community. He encouraged donors and community leaders to continue to seek out and fund organizations – especially smaller community-led nonprofits -- that see and treat the “whole family”, as opposed to solving for isolated issues.

Attendees left the event feeling energized to continue the conversation and work together to address our community’s most pressing needs.

If you’d like to learn more about future convenings, please contact Anna Hargrave at [email protected].

Community Foundation's Sharing Community Funds Announce $910,000 in Funding for Regional Nonprofits

The Greater Washington Community Foundation is excited to announce $910,000 in grants awarded through its Sharing Community Funds this past cycle.

The Sharing Community Funds bring together donors who share our passion for building more equitable, just, and thriving communities.  With expert facilitation by Community Foundation staff, donors join together to learn first-hand about the challenges facing our community. Thanks to the generosity of this growing community of givers, together we discover and invest in visionary nonprofits working on the frontlines of our region’s most pressing needs.   

In alignment with our Strategic Vision, the Sharing Community Funds focused on the three intervention areas of the racial wealth gap — Basic Needs, Economic Mobility, and Community Wealth Building.

This year, The Community Foundation also celebrated the launch of a new Sharing Community initiative in Northern Virginia! Click here to Learn more!

See Below for a complete list of our nonprofit partners for 2024, sorted by category.

2024 Sharing Community Fund
Nonprofit Partners- Basic Needs

• Sharing DC

  •DC Jobs with Justice engages in systems change advocacy campaigns to meet basic needs like housing stability, minimum wages, cash assistance, and health access.

  •Wendt Center for Loss and Healing provides access to high quality mental healthcare services for low-income and marginalized children, adults, and families.

• Sharing Montgomery

  •The UpCounty Hub (2024 Multi-Year) was founded with the philosophy of providing low-income individuals and families with food and other essential social services without barriers, allowing them to maintain their privacy and dignity. Since its founding in 2020, the UpCounty Hub has grown every year, currently feeding approximately 1,100 families a week via drive-thru distributions, home deliveries, and its choice-pantry walk-in services. More recently, its services expanded to include social services, connecting residents to vital resources such as SNAP.

  •AfriThrive empowers African immigrants to grow and share healthy, culturally appropriate produce with residents facing food insecurity. Its training programs help families achieve self-reliance and economic stability.

  •Care for Your Health provides culturally sensitive in-home health care to elders. Patients are served by trained staff from their own community in touch with their circumstances and needs.

  •Community Bridges, Inc empowers girls in elementary, middle, and high schools to discover their unique identity, voice, and potential through leadership development, college and career readiness, and family support and mentoring.

  •Community Farmshare strives to create a local sustainable food system. It supports small scale farmers by purchasing fresh produce for low-income children and residents struggling with diet-related chronic diseases.

  •Crittenton Services of Greater Washington helps teenage girls achieve academic success, make healthy choices, and chart their own bright futures. Its virtual and school-based programs teach teenage girls to value their education, build healthy relationships, speak up for their own needs, and explore paths toward college and careers.

  •Horizons Greater Washington supports students from low-income families for nine years, from kindergarten through eighth grade. The organization works to foster a joyful environment full of academic, artistic, and athletic activities that inspire young minds and build a love of learning.

  •Housing Unlimited provides affordable, independent housing for adults in mental health recovery in Montgomery County. The organization promotes independence and recovery by providing a stable and comfortable home, allowing tenants to focus on becoming valued and integrated members of the community.

  •Kingdom Global Community Development Corporation operates the East County Hub which distributes food, diapers, and COVID-19 support. The organization also has other public-private partnerships that address food security, health and wellness, education, employment, and housing.

  •Manna Food Center works to eliminate hunger through food distribution, healthy eating education, and advocacy. Its extensive network includes supported more than 50,000 participants over the past year, distributing 4.6 million pounds of food.

  •Mary's Center provides health care, education, and social services to build healthier and stronger communities. In response to COVID-19, Mary’s Center worked to prevent the spread of the virus by offering testing and vaccinations to community members through the Greater Washington region.

  •National Alliance on Mental Illness of Montgomery County (NAMI MC) provides comprehensive support, education, advocacy, and public awareness to promote recovery so that individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.

  •Rainbow Community Development Corporation provides food security relief paired with other safety net services including PPE distribution, eviction and utility cutoff prevention, temporary short-term shelter, and job search and resume assistance.

  •Rainbow Place Shelter provides emergency overnight shelter to women during the hypothermia season and assists them as they transition to a better quality of life. Additionally, the organization is working to open a new year-round, LGBTQ-inclusive shelter to provide a safe haven for youth and young adults.

  •Red Wiggler Community Farm provides comprehensive on-farm training and education programs for adults with developmental disabilities. Half of its organic produce is donated to low-income households throughout Montgomery County.

  •Stepping Stones Shelter leverages partnerships to provide food and integrated essential services to low-income community members. Since inception, it has provided emergency shelter to over 1,035 Montgomery County families.

• Sharing Northern Virginia

  Joyful Hands is deeply rooted in the conviction that education, literacy, and access to community resources are foundational pillars of thriving societies. They provide access to essential school supplies and nutritious food for community members.

  Culmore Clinic advances health by bringing community together to provide primary care, health education and disease prevention services at no cost to uninsured neighbors in Fairfax County.

  Loving Hands Touch Ministry addresses immediate community needs while empowering individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency, ensuring access to necessities like food, shelter, healthcare, and education.

  The Growth and Healing HUB grows and nurtures the mental health and well-being of children, youth, young adults, and families. They provide services to anyone residing in the state of Virginia and strive to help all feel safe & supported and receive the help they deserve.

  New Hope Housing provides case management, permanent housing and shelter to support the needs of homeless individuals in Northern Virginia.

  Arm & Arm, Inc provides peer-to-peer mentoring and trauma recovery services to communities across Northern Virginia.

2024 Sharing Community Fund
Nonprofit Partners - Economic Mobility

• Sharing DC

  •Byte Back creates opportunities for upward economic mobility by providing computer foundations, certification training and wraparound support to help marginalized adults develop essential digital skills.

  •TRIGGER Project (2024 Multi-Year) partners with the DC Department of Employment Services to provide paid summer jobs and advocacy training for youth who have experienced or are at-risk of experiencing gun violence.

• Sharing Montgomery

  •Identity, Inc. (2024 Multi-Year) empowers youth and their families with the social-emotional, academic, workforce, and life skills they need to succeed in the modern world. It operates at schools, in the community, and on playing fields, working to reach Latino and other historically underserved residents. Like family, Identity celebrates victories and offers extra help when something more is needed. Last year alone, Identity reached more than 45,000 Montgomery County residents.

  •Future Link (2024 Multi-Year) seeks to close the opportunity divide for first-generation-to-college, high-potential young adults (ages 18-25) by providing them with the resources, knowledge, skills, and personalized support needed to achieve their education and career goals. Annually, Future Link serves 300 students with transformative services including paid internships, career coaching, mentoring, tutoring, scholarships, and more.

  •Crossroads Community Food Network provides training and support for startup food businesses and healthy eating education to local students and shoppers at Crossroads Farmers Market. Its farmers market nutrition incentives allow federal nutrition benefits recipients to double the value of these benefits spent at the market.

  •Generation Hope provides cohort and one-on-one mentoring support plus scholarships for low-income teen parents pursuing college degrees. It recently added early childhood programming to equip families with the resources necessary for their children to start kindergarten with a strong academic foundation.

  •Housing Initiative Partnership develops innovative affordable housing. In addition, it seeks to revitalizes neighborhoods and equip people to achieve their housing and financial goals through financial coaching and bilingual housing counseling.

  •Interfaith Works provides emergency assistance and counseling, vocational services, food distributions, clothing, and shelter for those experiencing homelessness. With volunteers from 165 faith communities, its integrated prevention, stabilization, and empowerment programs support homeless low-income county residents.

  •Montgomery College Foundation, co-leads the Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success (ACES) program in partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools and The Universities at Shady Grove. ACES provides individualized academic coaching, scholarship opportunities, and career readiness to underrepresented high school students, for a seamless and supportive pathway to a bachelor’s degree.

• Sharing Northern Virginia

  Future Kings uses education, mentoring, training, practical experiences, and mastery of 21st century technology in order to create a pipeline of young men from underserved communities who excel in STEM related careers and positively influence their communities.

  Hardemon Dynasty, Inc provides affordable housing for young adults aging out of foster care and offer sufficient support during their transition to independence.

• Sharing Prince George's

  •Life After Release (LAR) is a women-led organization focused on building a post-conviction movement, identifying challenges and creating solutions for formerly incarcerated federal/state prisoners, bailed-out moms, and mothers of youth offenders and juvenile lifers. The organization work is grounded in a vision of self-determination for directly impacted communities and partners with Howard Law and other legal services to advocate for their legal empowerment.

  •Hillside Childrens Foundation provides essential mentoring programs for middle school and high school students. The programs are designed to provide students a path to economic mobility through college preparation and job readiness programs.

  •HomeFreeUSA (2024 Multi-Year) is a fast track to homeownership program that helps renters prepare for mortgage approval and homeownership. The program provides one-on-one guidance, housing counseling, and financial planning to help low-income individuals on the path to homeownership.

  •Leep to College Foundation helps at-risk youth by providing academic support, financial education and year-round formal and informal learning experiences to students in Prince Geoge’s County public schools. The program works with students starting in the 7th/8th grade and works with them until they graduate high school and beyond.

2024 Sharing Community Fund Nonprofit Partners - Individual & Community Wealth Building

• Sharing DC

  •Women Palante (2024 Multi-Year) empowers Latina women through a holistic approach to entrepreneurship that supports business creation, mental health, legal and financial orientation.

  •Gatebridge Community (2024 Multi-Year) is on a mission to transform low-wealth communities by fostering a culture of cooperative ownership to build wealth and create sustainable neighborhoods. The organization is partnering with the Coalition for Racial Equity (CREDE) and the National Coop Grocery to launch a network of five worker and consumer owned co-op grocery stores in the DMV – including two serving communities in Ward 7 & 8.

• Sharing Montgomery

  •Capital Area Asset Building Corporation provides financial literacy and matched savings programs, enabling low-income residents to become financially stable and pursue their dreams.

  •Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland provides home preservation and homeownership programs that help low-income families live a more stable, self-reliant life. Its staff, homeowners, and volunteers have completed nearly 850 projects since its inception.

  •Montgomery Moving Forward is a collective impact initiative which convenes leaders from government, business, philanthropy, education, and nonprofits to solve complex problems facing the county. As a capacity building partner, Sharing Montgomery’s grant empowers MMF’s nonprofit leaders to advocate around pressing issues that affect their clients, especially around challenges related to economic opportunity and early childhood education.

  •Nonprofit Montgomery supports local organizations around government relations, advocacy, strategic communications, financial management, metrics tracking, and cross-sector problem solving. As a capacity building partner, Sharing Montgomery’s support will enable our direct-service grantees to receive the personalized support and connections that will help them deepen their impact.

• Sharing Prince George's

  •Gatebridge Community is on a mission to transform low-wealth communities by fostering a culture of cooperative ownership to build wealth and create sustainable neighborhoods. The organization is partnering with the Coalition for Racial Equity (CREDE) and the National Coop Grocery to launch a network of five worker and consumer owned co-op grocery stores in the DMV – including one in Prince George’s County.

  •Seed Spot (2024 Multi-Year) is on a mission to educate, accelerate, and invest in diverse entrepreneurs who are creating solutions to social problems. The program provides entrepreneurs with mentors and an intensive 10-week impact accelerator designed to help them raise capital to start their business.

  •Washington Area Community Investment Fund (WACIF) promotes equity and economic opportunity in underserved neighborhoods in the DMV by providing access to capital products, services ,and capacity-building technical assistance for low- and moderate-income entrepreneurs.

Leaders of the Future: Nonprofit Partners with the Sharing Community Funds

In 2024, The Community Foundation is highlighting 'Leaders of the Future' - individuals and organizations who inspire us to look towards a brighter future for Greater Washington.

This month, we are highlighting incredible leaders that strengthen and empower our community through our Sharing Community initiatives. The Sharing Community Initiative facilitates connections between donors and nonprofits to build more equitable, just, and thriving communities.

Part of that initiative includes awarding intentional, multi-year grants designed to empower our nonprofit partners and the communities they serve. Below are just a few responses from some of our multi-year nonprofit partners about the critical work they are doing in our communities!

• DC Kincare Alliance

  Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  DC KinCare Alliance serves all of the neighborhoods in DC, but primarily Wards 5, 7, and 8.

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly describe the mission of your organization

  Founded in 2017, DC KinCare Alliance is a legal services organization whose mission is to support the legal, financial, and related service needs of relative caregivers (primarily Black women) who step up to raise at-risk DC children in times of crisis when the children’s parents are unable to care for them due to mental health and substance use disorders, incarceration, death, abuse and neglect, and/or deportation.

  How has funding from a Sharing Community Initiative impacted the work you do? Feel free to share any brief examples of projects or outcomes you've seen over the past year.

  The Sharing DC Community Initiative helped DC KinCare Alliance (DCKC) serve 182 relative caregiver clients, raising 240 DC children in 319 legal matters in 2023—surpassing our goals by 21% for relative caregivers served and 42% for legal matters provided. The Initiative also made it possible for DCKC to hire a DC relative caregiver (who is a former client and current member of our Community Board) as our first Paralegal and Client Intake Manager. Finally, the Initiative helped DCKC to commence an adoption pilot (PROJECT ADOPT), to help grandparents and caregivers adopt the children they care for.

  For those receiving Sharing Community funding for the first-time, what excites you the most about receiving support through the Sharing Community initiative?

  As a small and relatively new organization, we were especially excited to receive support from the Sharing DC Community Initiative. It is a testament to the reach of our organization in the broader DC community for the Initiative to identify us as a potential partner and then determine us worthy of multi-year funding.

  As a nonprofit leader in our community, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  I dream of a future where all DC children can live in safe and stable homes free from abuse, neglect, poverty, racism, violence, and fear. I dream of a future where government systems are set up to help families achieve success and where all families, including kinship families, are recognized and treated with dignity and respect.

• The T.R.I.G.G.E.R. Project

  Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  We serve youth citywide, in the District of Columbia.

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly describe the mission of your organization

  The True Reasons I Grabbed the Gun Evolved from Risks Project prevents the spread of the gun violence disease in Washington, D.C. through the intersectionality of Public Health and Positive Youth Development. We are prevention - the absence and proactive state of the gun violence.

  How has funding from a Sharing Community Initiative impacted the work you do? Feel free to share any brief examples of projects or outcomes you've seen over the past year.

  We look forward to joining the Sharing Community Initiative and the safe space it will provide to grow and strategically connect to like-hearted organizations for the economic mobility and health equity of our youth and families that we serve. We also look forward to educating the community on our Public Health approach as gun violence prevention can be used as a catalyst for to shape proactive policy, practice, and structures to eliminate many, if not all, of our deepest disparities.

  For those receiving Sharing Community funding for the first-time, what excites you the most about receiving support through the Sharing Community initiative?

  In terms of funding, The T.R.I.G.G.E.R. Project has operated inadequately since being founded. It is hard for people to believe our financial struggles because of our widespread impact yet, up until receiving Sharing Community funding, we have only been able to secure funding for events or programs. We are most excited to receive our FIRST multiyear investment in providing flexible general operating support for our organization!

  As a nonprofit leader in our community, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  We envision a world free from the disease of gun violence! This vision with the support of Sharing Community equates to the social change I know is possible. With my experiencing an epidemic of youth violence and gun violence, many programs and initiatives are reactionary and lack efforts and funding structures that address root causes and chronic disparities. I aim to trail blaze a sense of value and funding structure for primary prevention programming and policy that will prevent future gun violence.

• GateBridge Community

  Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  Primarily, Wards 7 & 8 in Washington DC, Prince George’s County, along the Blue Line Corridor, and East Montgomery County.

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly describe the mission of your organization

  At GateBridge, we're on a mission to transform low-wealth communities by fostering a culture of cooperative ownership to build wealth and create sustainable neighborhoods where everyone has an opportunity to thrive. GateBridge serves as an accelerator of community wealth building ventures, raising patient capital and providing a range of technical supports for cooperative initiatives that feature ownership and control by workers, consumers, producers, and residents of local communities.

  How has funding from a Sharing Community Initiative impacted the work you do? Feel free to share any brief examples of projects or outcomes you've seen over the past year.

  The first community wealth building project supported by the GateBridge Community Accelerator is the launch of five worker and resident owned grocery stores, the first two of which will be in Wards 7 and 8 of the District. Sharing Community funding will 1) bolster the community education and engagement essential to recruiting the consumers needed to sustain the store 2) secure the market feasibility studies needed to determine the best trade areas to locate the stores and 3) retain the legal, accounting, and technical support needed to assure project stability and sustainability

  For those receiving Sharing Community funding for the first-time, what excites you the most about receiving support through the Sharing Community initiative?

  Greater Washington Community Foundation is an established and well respected institution known for its commitment to community wellbeing in the Washington DC area. Community Wealth Building is a long and arduous journey, and success substantially depends on anchor institution partnerships like the Community Foundation. My hope is that the Foundation will increasingly see GateBridge Community as a trusted partner in this important work over the coming years. I see this funding opportunity as the beginning of that journey toward trust and committed partnership.

  As a nonprofit leader in our community, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  A community where race and place no longer predict wealth and wellbeing and where every neighborhood has the physical, social, and civic infrastructure to promote human flourishing. White household median wealth in the DMV is 81 times that of Black household median wealth. GateBridge Community will work to close this racial wealth gap by scaling business enterprises that generate and maintain wealth in divested communities rather extracting it to build the wealth of other communities. Rosie’s Grocery is our first initiative. It will not be our last.

• CareerCatchers

  Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  In 2023, we worked with 960 clients, the highest number the organization has served in a given year. Currently, almost 70% of our clientele resides in the most underserved Montgomery County zip codes. Additionally, we also serve clients in Prince George’s County and DC Wards 7 & 8.

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly describe the mission of your organization

  Our mission is to provide personalized job-skills counseling, promote participation in work skills and training programs, foster self-esteem, and empower individuals. We aim to help clients transition out of poverty by utilizing counseling, individualized training, community and employer partnerships, helping find alternatives to minimum-wage, dead-end jobs. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the core of our vision, programs, and mission.

  How has funding from a Sharing Community Initiative impacted the work you do? Feel free to share any brief examples of projects or outcomes you've seen over the past year.

  In 2023, the funding we received from Sharing Montgomery allowed us to expand our basic skills classes in several ways. We have been able to offer more classes to our clients on topics such as social media networking and small business promotion, greatly increasing the opportunities available to our clients. Additionally, we were able to increase the number of partners presenting at our weekly virtual workshops, allowing our clients to learn about new career paths and resources. These feats culminated in CareerCatchers first ever in-person Empowerment event in October of 2023: Family Fun Day. Our Family Fun Day allowed our clients the opportunity to engage with our staff and partners, promote their small businesses, and learn more about food security. We hope to continue expanding our training offerings with the continued support of the GWCF.

  As a nonprofit leader in our community, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  As the needs of our community grow, we intend to grow to meet them. In 2023, we were able to serve over 950 clients, and hope to serve over 1,000 in the years to come. Additionally, we plan to extend our job retention services. We approach our clients with a respect for not only their immediate goals, but also their long term goals of career success and financial sustainability. We have seen great success for clients who have received job retention services for one year, and would like to continue expanding those services to clients for two years post-employment. Finally, engaging our partners and volunteers to continue expanding our training offerings allows our clients to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of professional development. Continuing our outreach to new partners provides our clients with new avenues to pursue their goals.

• IMPACT Silver Spring

  Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  The Montgomery County residents supported by IMPACT are mostly low-income and BIPOC, with many programs and activities in Spanish- and Amharic-speaking immigrant communities. Many IMPACT offerings, including virtual events, are publicized countywide, and we have participants from all areas of the county, but most of our in-person community work is currently done in the neighborhoods of Long Branch, Wheaton, Glenmont, Fairland, and most recently, Gaithersburg.

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly describe the mission of your organization

  Our mission is to advance racial equity and justice in Montgomery County by working for change at 3 levels: changing hearts and minds at the individual level; building grassroots power and community connections at the neighborhood level; and changing the greater systems, structures, and policies that continue to generate inequitable outcomes for communities of color.

  How has funding from a Sharing Community Initiative impacted the work you do? Feel free to share any brief examples of projects or outcomes you've seen over the past year.

  Sharing Montgomery funding continues to support Impact’s work of promoting economic mobility and wealth building within BIPOC, immigrant, and low-income communities. Most of this work is done via our Community Trade Academy (CTA). The CTA takes a three-pronged approach to economic empowerment by: 1. offering vocational training to adult students (mostly immigrant women) in skills such as piñata or jewelry making; 2. teaching the basic skills of running a small business; and 3. providing markets where students gain real world experience as microentrepreneurs. Most recently, we worked with partners to host outdoor Holiday Markets (December 16 and 23, 2023) and Valentine’s Day Markets (February 10 and 11, 2024). Depending on the day, between 3 and 18 microentrepreneurs participated, selling between $50 and $700 worth of merchandise. We never charge vendor fees for participating in markets because those fees are often cost prohibitive. While we know classroom learning is important, we also know it is not enough. The experience of setting up, running, and breaking down these markets provides budding entrepreneurs with the crucial know-how and confidence that can only be gained experientially. Sharing Montgomery funding has been critical to paying for supplies and technical assistance needed for CTA events like these markets.

  As a nonprofit leader in our community, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  An important element of the Community Trade Academy is that it is neighborhood-based. We launched our pilot academy in the Silver Spring community of Wheaton. We want to launch future academies in Gaithersburg and East County, tailored to the interests and cultures in those neighborhoods. Additionally, classes in the pilot academy were all taught in Spanish. We would like to replicate the model in other communities and offer it to English-speaking immigrants. Additionally, in the near future, we hope to introduce solidarity economy (an economy that prioritizes people and the planet) concepts such as sustainability and worker cooperation as part of our CTA curriculum.

• Montgomery county food council

  Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  All communities in Montgomery County, MD

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly describe the mission of your organization

  The mission of the Montgomery County Food Council (MCFC) is to bring together a diverse representation of stakeholders in a public-private partnership to improve the environmental, economic, social and nutritional health of Montgomery County, Maryland through the creation of a robust and sustainable local food system.

  How has funding from a Sharing Community Initiative impacted the work you do? Feel free to share any brief examples of projects or outcomes you've seen over the past year.

  The grant supported MCFC’s food security program in increasing outreach and collaboration among food assistance providers who are serving the County’s food insecure residents. MCFC co-implemented a Farm to Food Bank Program, which provided technical assistance and collaboration between 37 local farms in 2022 and 2023 to support a sustained and resilient local food supply and provide more nutritious and culturally diverse produce to residents who experience hunger. In FY 2023, over 191,212 lbs of fresh, locally grown produce was purchased or donated to over 54 food assistance providers.

  As a nonprofit leader in our community, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  As the only non-profit organization convening all sectors of the food system within Montgomery County, and connecting various initiatives to partners throughout the region, MCFC hopes to build the capacity of our partners implement the County’s Strategic Plan to End Childhood Hunger. In addition, we hope to be more instrumental in transforming our public schools by supporting MCPS to embed wellness plans (or policies) that nurture the development of “food curious” children through the farm to school initiative.

• Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity & Excellence

  Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  The BBC serves Black, Brown, and low-income communities in Montgomery County, MD.

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly describe the mission of your organization

  The Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence unites these traditionally marginalized communities to demand an education system that serves all students equitably. The BBC takes aim at dismantling systemic barriers that have underserved and limited the success of Black, Brown, and students from low-income families and fights for equitable access to the resources needed to thrive.

  How has funding from a Sharing Community Initiative impacted the work you do? Feel free to share any brief examples of projects or outcomes you've seen over the past year.

  "Having a multiyear grant allows the Coalition to take on issues that require sustained advocacy” explained Byron Johns, co-founder. In 2023, the BBC galvanized the Black and Brown communities around literacy inequity. Nearly 60% of Black and over 70% of Latino fifth-grade students are not reading at grade level. And their parents are often unaware. In November, the BBC brought together over 800 Black, Brown and low-income caregivers to demand that schools "Get Reading Right, Now!". Building on our 2022 advocacy for greater investment in literacy and math, the BBC is now leading the charge for an “early alert system” -- an easy-to-understand communication to parents when their students miss milestones –and for the development of individualized success plans to ensure that these students catch up and keep up. “We need the voices of our entire community to make literacy a priority” said Diego Uriburu, co-founder.

  As a nonprofit leader in our community, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  The BBC envisions a future where Black, Brown, and low-income students who attend Montgomery County Public Schools have equitable access to resources and supports that will ensure the greatest opportunities for success in their educations, careers, and lives.

• CollegeTracks

  Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  5 MCPS High Schools in Montgomery County, based in Gaithersburg, Wheaton, Silver Spring, Burtonsville, and Bethesda.

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly describe the mission of your organization

  The mission of CollegeTracks is to empower first-generation-to-college students and students from low-income and immigrant households in Montgomery County, Maryland by helping them bridge systemic opportunity gaps with enough support to get to and through postsecondary education and on a career pathway. We envision a future in which every student who graduates from high school in Montgomery County, Maryland has equitable access to their chosen career pathway.

  How has funding from a Sharing Community Initiative impacted the work you do? Feel free to share any brief examples of projects or outcomes you've seen over the past year.

  Sharing Montgomery funding has helped open doors to new partnerships and funding relationships, has helped validate our approach in our community, and has brought us new donors, volunteers, and partners. This has been critical as we have expanded to meet rising demand, and prepared to grow across Montgomery County. For example, CollegeTracks' program enrollment rose by 22% last year, exceeding our pre-pandemic high by 9%, which put a great deal of stress on our program and infrastructure. Thanks to stable, yet flexible funding like Sharing Montgomery, we were able to stregmthen our program and meet our high programmatic goals, even while serving these expanded numbers.

  For those receiving Sharing Community funding for the first-time, what excites you the most about receiving support through the Sharing Community initiative?

  The most exciting part of receiving our first multi-year Sharing Montgomery award has been the realization that the people in our community who are paying the closest attention to work like ours thought of our program as highly effective, and worthy of this investment and recognition. We have worked hard to build a program model that gets results, and the fact that the people who know our work and community best agree is a tremendous boost to our team.

  As a nonprofit leader in our community, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  At CollegeTracks, we dream of a future for Montgomery County where every student truly has the opportunity and support that they need to thrive. We are a highly educated and wealthy County, and we have access to proven solutions to the problems that we face. We just need to decide not to accept the status quo, and make these solutions happen.

• Beloved Community Incubator

  Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  Beloved Community Incubator is a regional solidarity economy movement organization and lender. We engage in worker justice campaigns, mostly in Washington, DC, and offer a unique combination of cooperative incubation, lending, technical assistance, and mutual aid to create just and equitable democratic workplaces across our entire region.

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly describe the mission of your organization

  Beloved Community Incubator is a solidarity economy movement organization, incubator, lender, and worker self-directed non-profit in Washington, DC. BCI focuses on building a regional solidarity economy that centers people, especially poor and working-class workers and people of color, over profit. We provide incubation for worker-owned cooperatives, as well as back end support for cooperatives through the BCI Network. We offer non-extractive lending to local cooperatives through the DC Solidarity Economy Loan Fund, and organize for worker power and collective control of resources in DC through community organizing, broad-based campaigns, and mutual aid.

  How has funding from a Sharing Community Initiative impacted the work you do? Feel free to share any brief examples of projects or outcomes you've seen over the past year.

  We secured the passage of the Street Vendor Advancement Act of 2023 which: decriminalized street vending without a license and removed criminal background checks, reduced fees for obtaining a vending license, created a micro-enterprise home kitchen license, which allows food entrepreneurs across the city to create home based catering businesses , and created a vending zone in Mount Pleasant/Columbia Heights, allowing a higher concentration of vendors per block. In February of this year, we launched the BCI Street Vendor License Fund. This $125,000 fund will cover eligible costs and fees associated with accessing licenses and inspections for almost 100 vendors. Our vision for growing the regional solidarity economy is coming to fruition! The DC Solidarity Economy Loan Fund held its official launch event and has received approval for 3 additional loans – totaling $922,500 dollars. Two of the loans were to a small tech cooperative for equipment and a line of credit. The most significant loan is to Community Purchasing Alliance (CPA). CPA organizes institutions to engage in collective purchasing of contracts. Purchasing programs include janitorial, HVAC, trash removal, security, and solar. Our partnership positions BCI to proposition current vendors to use worker-ownership as a succession plan, incubate cooperatives in the sectors of their current purchasing programs, and connect cooperatives that already exist (in cleaning, food service, and landscaping) to larger contracts.

  For those receiving Sharing Community funding for the first-time, what excites you the most about receiving support through the Sharing Community initiative?

  What is most exciting to me is knowing that the Sharing DC Committee really understands and believes in our vision. We realize that our organizing model as a solidarity economy organization is unique. Our power building strategy is through institution building (through cooperatives) and membership, but also includes a programmatic and technical assistance component. Our work with “high touch” cooperatives is essentially base building with poor and working class BIPOC workers in order to build a coop from the ground up. There is more and more research that traditional workforce development and job training programs don't guarantee jobs or increased income. By developing and supporting worker-owned cooperatives, creating market access for local BIPOC-owned cooperatives, and using DC SELF to invest an additional 1 million dollars in local cooperatives over the next 2 years, we are working to close the racial wealth gap. The funding from Sharing DC committee means they believe in our vision too.

  As a nonprofit leader in our community, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  Last summer, the local coop ecosystem came together to vision what's possible and shape our work for the future. Their collective vision included affordable care cooperatives (childcare, home health care, elder care), bookkeeping and legal cooperatives, coop grocery stores, and collectively owned spaces for artists and food businesses. BCI is always dreaming about more community control over resources in our community -- think grocery stores, workplaces, land, banks, housing, and more!

Pursuing Pathways from Poverty to Prosperity in East County

Members of The Community Foundation’s Montgomery County Advisory Board, staff, and donors recently visited with local leaders in Montgomery County’s East-County region to discuss how philanthropy can help communities forge pathways to prosperity.

“Effective philanthropy requires us to step outside and really connect,” Anna Hargrave, Executive Director for The Community Foundation in Montgomery County, shared. “That is why we are excited to be here in East-County to spend time with some of our incredible nonprofit and school leaders.”

The group met in the library of Jackson Road Elementary School, located in the White Oak neighborhood of Silver Spring, Maryland. Visitors first heard from the Principal, Rosario Velasquez.

“At Jackson Road, we recognize the need to address the whole child – in and out of the classroom,” Principal Velasquez shared. “The only way we can do that is by taking a community-centered approach and wrapping our arms around this community.”

Situated in a highly diverse area, Jackson Road’s student body is predominantly Black (47%) and Latino (39%)– including a sizeable immigrant population. At the same time, more than 75 percent of students qualify for Free and Reduced Priced Meals– a humbling statistic that underlines how poverty often becomes highly concentrated in neighborhoods throughout our region.

Jackson Road’s Community School Liaison, Chris Callisto, explained how federal Title I funding supports additional reading and math focus teachers, reduced class sizes (18:1 student teacher ratio), summer enrichment, and other academic resources.  Coupled with Community School dollars from the State of Maryland, the school also offers health, mental health, and social supports for children and their families, including a food pantry sustained by Capital Area Food Bank and the Manna Food Center.

To gain a deeper understanding of the work outside of the school’s walls, guests then heard from a panel of nonprofit leaders working to help people meet their basic needs, pursue opportunities for economic mobility, and build the assets needed to thrive: Identity, Inc, Career Catchers, IMPACT Silver Spring, and Achieving College Excellence & Success (ACES), a collaboration led by Montgomery College, MCPS, and the Universities at Shady Grove.

As the panelists introduced themselves and their organizations, they illuminated the myriad ways they had to reinvent their work in response to the influx of people seeking help in recent years.  Panelists also reflected—in some cases on their own lived experience—on the challenges which can hinder people from achieving stability, such as rising rent, food insecurity, barriers to mental health support, and hurdles in finding affordable childcare. 

“We must protect those who might otherwise have fallen through the cracks,” Andres Maldonado, Deputy Director at ACES shared. “This is not a one-organization job. It requires us to collaborate – to really think outside the box and our organizations to find the innovative solutions that this community deserves.”

While the four organizations’ missions are quite different, guests were impressed by how they all share a commitment to fostering collaborations anchored in the community -- creating spaces where residents are empowered to not to merely benefit from, but also to participate in and lead efforts to address their community’s needs.

“No one knows better what it is this community needs then the community members themselves,” shared Carolyn Camacho, Program Director at Identity. “The more we can work to empower community members and strengthen our framework of community relationships, the more successful our work will be in the long run.”

Anna Hargrave concluded the program with words of thanks, “to our Board and Sharing Montgomery donors whose generosity enables us to strategically invest in our community.  And to our incredible school and nonprofit partners for the work you do every day!  We are grateful for your inspiring vision, leadership, and steadfast commitment which convert our donations into relief, helping people create greater stability and shared prosperity.” 

This event was part of The Community Foundation’s Sharing Montgomery initiative – connecting philanthropically-minded individuals with visionary nonprofits working on the frontlines of our community’s most pressing needs.

For more information on how to get involved with Sharing Montgomery, contact Anna Hargrave at [email protected]

Leaders of the Future: Female Leaders Inspiring Inclusion

In 2024, The Community Foundation is highlighting 'Leaders of the Future' - individuals and organizations who inspire us to look towards a brighter future for Greater Washington.

This month, in honor of International Women’s Day, we are highlighting incredible female leaders in our community that understand, advocate for, and inspire inclusion by promoting a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment.

Our theme for March, ‘Inspire Inclusion’, coincides with the Annual theme of International Women’s Day 2024 and reflects The Community Foundation’s aspirations, as outlined in our most recent 2023 Annual Meeting.

• Audrey Lyon, Executive Director, Yachad DC

  1) What is your relationship to The Community Foundation?

  Yachad is a nonprofit partner with The Community Foudation’s Health Equity Fund

  2) “When we inspire others to understand and value inclusion, we forge a better world” – How does inspiring inclusion impact your community and the work that you do? Please include 1-2 brief examples of how you or your organization promote and inspire inclusion.

  Having a place to call home is the foundation for a good life and, for that matter, a better world. Inclusive communities are places that have achieved economic and racial equity. Owning a decent and safe home helps to ensure long-term well-being and financial security. Yachad’s home remediation work guarantees that lower-income Black and Brown homeowners, many of them female-headed households, have the ability to remain in their homes and their neighborhoods for years to come. We work to see that these families are not displaced as a result of gentrification but can benefit from new investments into their communities. After all, they deserve the same opportunity to strengthen their own and their families’ financial footing that so many other Americans enjoy.

  3) What does it mean to you to be a female leader? Why do you feel it’s important to understand, advocate for, and inspire inclusion – especially for future female leaders?

  As the Executive Director of Yachad, I engage in our work through my lived experience of a working mother with three children who understands the need for a functional home. I understand that if the roof leaks, the toilets don’t flush and I can’t make dinner for my family, I also can’t do my work that helps to pay the bills. We need more female leaders who understand the many roles we must play. That means it is important to include women with varied life experiences to share their concerns and their life stories so they can advocate for truly inclusive policies and ways to be in the world.

  4) In your opinion, what are the best ways to promote a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment?

  As the “Golden Rule” states, if we truly (with my emphasis added) treat others in a manner that we want to be treated, then we are beginning to empower and create a sense of belonging for others. For example, everyone deserves a decent place to live – let’s start with that. If we equitably provide opportunities for everyone to live in good housing in welcoming communities, we provide a sense of relevance and belonging. With that sense of belonging, people feel empowered to take on greater challenges – to make the world a better place.

  5) When you imagine ‘a better world’ inspired by inclusion, what does that look like?

  A better world looks like some of Yachad’s homeowners who are proud of their homes, who are friendly with their neighbors and looking forward to inviting friends and family over for Sunday dinners. And who have a home that can nurture their own personal growth and that of their children.

• Mercedes Lamp, Executive Director, My Sister's Place

  1) What is your relationship to The Community Foundation?

  My Sister’s Place is a nonprofit partner through The Community Foundation’s Health Equity Fund.

  2) “When we inspire others to understand and value inclusion, we forge a better world” – How does inspiring inclusion impact your community and the work that you do? Please include 1-2 brief examples of how you or your organization promote and inspire inclusion.

  We deliver services in a manner that recognizes the structural barriers discourage full inclusion in our community. Our Cash Transfer program and our transitional housing programs allow the clients we serve to have a stable foundation from where they can better address other needs that can lead them to self-sufficiency and full inclusion in our community.

  3) What does it mean to you to be a female leader? Why do you feel it’s important to understand, advocate for, and inspire inclusion – especially for future female leaders?

  There are barriers and advantages to being a female leader. While female leaders need to work harder to be heard, we also are often nurturers and empathetic and have characteristics that allow us to excel in advocating and inspire inclusion. Inclusion often equates with success, financial and otherwise.

  4) In your opinion, what are the best ways to promote a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment?

  The best way to promote belonging, relevance and empowerment is to see others who look like us in the place we want to belong, in places of empowerment and relevance.

  5) When you imagine ‘a better world’ inspired by inclusion, what does that look like?

  Inclusion would mean better representation of a diverse population in all areas, particularly in places of power and wealth.

• LaTara Harris, CEO, Crittenton Services of Greater Washington

  1) What is your relationship to The Community Foundation?

  The Community Foundation has been a wonderful partner to Crittenton Services of Greater Washington, and has funded some of our programs.

  2) ”When we inspire others to understand and value inclusion, we forge a better world” – How does inspiring inclusion impact your community and the work that you do? Please include 1-2 brief examples of how you or your organization promote and inspire inclusion.

  So often, we think “inclusion” means that everyone has a voice. But that’s not enough. We need to not only have a seat at the table while decisions are made, but we also need to hear from one another.

  Years ago, we asked our Crittenton girls what they wanted from their community. The overwhelming answer was that they wanted to be heard. In response, we established our annual Talk With a Teen Girl High Tea to connect girls with community leaders so they could share their stories, concerns, and hopes with others. Over the years our girls have talked about a range of issues, including the problem with being judged by their appearance, the importance of supporting other girls, the need to address mental health challenges, and their frustration when they see the inequitable distribution of resources in our region. At the Tea, our girls literally have a seat at the table and have the opportunity to be heard.

  Another way to foster inclusion is to tear down the real and imagined barriers that separate us. My mission in life through my work with girls and women is to ensure that we leave the door open for generations to follow which we've obtained via mentoring, shadowing, and a host of other ways.

  3) What does it mean to you to be a female leader? Why do you feel it’s important to understand, advocate for, and inspire inclusion – especially for future female leaders?

  Being a female leader means that we have the ability and responsibility to set the standard for other aspiring women, while encouraging them to reach their full potential. Rising to the ranks of CEO is no small feat. I found that my journey led to many pathways that I didn’t need to take, yet made me stronger, nonetheless. As a leader, it is my responsibility to share my experiences to help others along the way, and to be an example of a woman of integrity who advocates fiercely for others.

  4) In your opinion, what are the best ways to promote a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment?

  The best way to promote a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment is to celebrate the different things that communities bring to the table. We all have different perspectives, and talents. We all have something to give, and it’s up to leaders to show that we value everyone’s contribution.

  5) When you imagine ‘a better world’ inspired by inclusion, what does that look like?

  As a mother, and an advocate for women and girls, a better world is a world with less worry. Of course, we’ll always worry! But in an ideal world, all mothers—all parents—will worry about the everyday challenges that every child faces as they grow into the young men and women they’re meant to be. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream that “…the whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.” Inclusion is absolutely necessary to keep that dream alive.

• Ashley Sharp, Marlboro Pike Partnership

  1) What is your relationship to The Community Foundation?

  I serve on the Executive Board of the Prince George’s County Emerging Leaders Impact Fund (ELIF)

  2) “When we inspire others to understand and value inclusion, we forge a better world” – How does inspiring inclusion impact your community and the work that you do? Please include 1-2 brief examples of how you or your organization promote and inspire inclusion.

  The very nature of the work that we do at the Marlboro Pike Partnership requires intentional coordination and inclusivity in order to achieve what we believe to be success. Our mission and strategic plan to revitalize the Marlboro Pike corridor requires vision that rooted in data but inspired by community. We are a collective of leaders committed to service at the grassroots level by empowering the community through education, outreach and engagement while simultaneously working with government agencies and private organizations to truly bring about change to the Marlboro Pike corridor. We view success as revitalization with community flavor and buy-in.

  3) What does it mean to you to be a female leader? Why do you feel it’s important to understand, advocate for, and inspire inclusion – especially for future female leaders?

  Through my experience, I’ve learned about many women pioneers throughout our history (some of which I’ve had the pleasure to work with), who often not only break through glass ceilings, but set a standard. As a minority woman in public service, we are often the backbone to a finished product left unseen.

  However, in the current international and political climate, the human race cannot afford to let women continue to blend into the background as hidden figures. Women have been and will continue to be not only innovators, entrepreneurs, scientists, doctors, lawmakers, negotiators and executives, but we are also mothers, sisters, daughters and mentors.

  To future female leaders, I offer two of my favorite quotes. The first is from Bessie Coleman, “Tell them that as soon as I can walk, I’m going to fly.” The second is an old Latin proverb, “They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.”

  4) In your opinion, what are the best ways to promote a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment?

  Creating a space where respectful and open interactions can occur with consideration to small yet meaningful details to reduce barriers and increase understanding without judgement or misinformation.

  5) When you imagine ‘a better world’ inspired by inclusion, what does that look like?

  Every person having consideration for their neighbor and as a result strengthening the interconnectedness and overall safety of “the village”

• Anna Maria Izquierdo-Porrera, MD, PhD, Executive Director, Care for Your Health, Inc.

  1) What is your relationship to The Community Foundation?

  Care for Your Health, Inc is a nonprofit partner with The Community Foundation through the Sharing Montgomery Initiative.

  2) “When we inspire others to understand and value inclusion, we forge a better world” – How does inspiring inclusion impact your community and the work that you do? Please include 1-2 brief examples of how you or your organization promote and inspire inclusion.

  Inspiring others to understand and value inclusion is indeed a powerful catalyst for positive change in the world. When we recognize and respect the diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences that each person brings to the table. When people feel included, they are more likely to contribute their unique talents and perspectives, leading to more effective problem-solving and decision-making processes. We have designed Care for Your Health, inc to allow its staff to thrive and bring the best they have to offer forward. Ultimately, by inspiring others to embrace inclusion, we not only create a more equitable and just society but also pave the way for a better world where diversity is celebrated and everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

  3) What does it mean to you to be a female leader? Why do you feel it’s important to understand, advocate for, and inspire inclusion – especially for future female leaders?

  Being a female leader allows me to leverage my strengths, experiences, and perspectives to inspire and drive positive change within organizations and communities, through my work at Care for Your Health. However, my role as a female leader goes beyond the impact my organization had in the community but it is also a source of inspiration to the women that see themselves reflected in my work.

  My role as a female leader provides a role model for aspiring leaders, particularly for other women and girls and brings a diverse perspective, viewpoints, experiences, and approaches to the leadership role. It also promotes a more fair and equitable world where people can lead if they have the talent to do so, regardless of gender. I hope that my striving for excellence also addresses stereotype regarding female leaders that will ultimately bring down systemic barriers and promote a more just and equitable society for all. Overall, my I envision my role as a female leader beyond the mere gender representation, but as a tool to harness the full potential of talent and diversity to create stronger, more resilient organizations and communities.

  4) In your opinion, what are the best ways to promote a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment?

  Fostering belonging, relevance and empowerment is not a one time project but a way to understand, organizations, the community and the world as a whole. This requires building an environment where people's voices are heard and people are encouraged to express themselves, where people are provided opportunities to engage and thrive, where each individual contribution is acknowledged and appreciated, where everyone can grow and develop their full potential and ultimately where people are happy.

  5) When you imagine ‘a better world’ inspired by inclusion, what does that look like?

  A better world is a world where everyone has access to their human rights. This is a world where everyone can enjoy their inherent rights, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. This is a world where everyone has the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, the right to health, food and a roof over their head and their right to self-determination. We have plenty to do to get there, but this vision of a better world inspires me to get up every morning and put my best foot forward

Leaders of the Future Spotlight: AfriThrive CEO, Dr. Truphena Choti-Empowering Communities of the African Diaspora

AfriThrive Founder & CEO, Dr. Truphena Choti

When Dr. Truphena Choti moved to Montgomery County with her family, she could not have imagined that 20 years later she would be leading an organization feeding 20,000 people a year.

“I had a career in international development, helping communities around the globe – but I felt strongly that my community – here in Maryland -- needed my help, just as much.”

Born in rural Southeastern Kenya to a large family, Dr. Choti was raised by a single mother who inspired her to work hard and pursue her dreams. After marrying her husband, Charles Choti – a future professor of Kenyan History and Politics – the couple moved to the United States to raise their three children and continue their educations and future careers – Prof. Choti’s in academia and Dr. Choti’s in International Education & Development.

“International Development work is very demanding, rewarding work,” Dr. Choti shared. “It can be quite heavy, but it can impact thousands of lives for the better.”

Strengthening Africa – At Home & Abroad

After getting her PhD in International Education Policy at the University of Maryland, Dr. Choti spent more than a decade with organizations like the National Education Association and Nascent Solutions, designing programs to improve the quality of life for millions living in poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa including a school meals program, a community gardening program, and various initiatives to promote women’s education.  

While Dr. Choti worked tirelessly for international communities abroad, she also carved out time for the growing international community in her backyard – particularly the African immigrant community.

The Greater Washington Region is home to more than 260,000 Black and African migrants – the third largest concentration of Black migrants in the country – a community which is growing rapidly. In Maryland, alone, the number of African immigrants has increased more than 42% over the past decade – with large populations coming from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, and Sierra Leone.

While many migrants (like Dr. Choti’s family), are able to adjust to life in a new country, the vast majority face severe economic, social, and cultural barriers.

“Many migrants come to this country with credentials – they were lawyers and teachers in their home country,” Dr. Choti shared. “But because their credentials aren’t recognized in this country, they are unable to enter a job at a level they deserve. They’re forced to work 2-3 low-entry jobs just to make rent – placing undue burden on themselves and their families.

Other migrants come from rural farming communities, similar to where Dr. Choti grew up – but lack the resources and land access to put their skills to work due to economic and educational barriers.

Dr. Choti with her husband Prof. Charles Choti (left)

Dr. Choti became an early advocate for the local African community while serving on the PTA at her children’s school, witnessing firsthand the challenges that migrant parents face. She started her work in a place near and dear to her heart – in the garden.

“I started gardening as a way to reconnect with my roots,” Dr. Choti shared. “My family didn’t like processed or canned food. We missed fresh produce from my home in Kenya -- Okra, Sweet Potatoes, Kale. It was easier to grow it myself, than to try and find it in the store.”

As the garden grew, Dr. Choti sought out opportunities to share the fruits of her labors with her community. She shared with her neighbors and made produce deliveries to newly arrived refugee families. As word spread and interest grew alongside the vegetables, Dr. Choti began researching how she could more sustainably bring culturally appropriate food to her community.

“I felt that this is where my calling is,” Dr. Choti shared. “Responding to the call of my community.”

In 2019, she founded AfriThrive and began broader efforts to support a growing refugee community in nearby Riverdale Park (Prince George’s County) – all this, while still working a fulltime job in International Development. That would soon change, though -- as within a year the region (and the globe) were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Growing Through the Pandemic

Like many communities, the pandemic had severe economic and health impacts for the Black immigrant community – most notably, food insecurity. Dr. Choti says that cultural barriers in the food system presented a particular challenge. She shared one anecdote of a migrant mother who spent a night in the Emergency Room after accidently cutting herself while trying to open a can of ravioli received from a food pantry. The underlying cause was simple but striking -- the woman had never prepared canned food before – she didn’t own a can opener.

An AfriThrive food distribution in Prince George's County

As food insecurity increased, demand for AfriThrive’s services grew exponentially. Dr. Choti and a team of volunteers quickly mobilized to increase access to culturally appropriate foods and fresh produce. They partnered with DC Central Kitchen to organize weekly food distributions at a local church in Aspen Hill. Within months, the distributions expanded to locations in Gaithersburg and Baltimore, with additional partnerships with 4P Foods and Manna Food Center. By 2022, the organization had distributed more than 1 million pounds of food.

At the same time, AfriThrive sought ways to connect more migrants with the resources to grow their own food. They worked with Montgomery Parks through the Community Gardens program to connect and rent garden plots to migrant families to grow cultural vegetables and herbs.

Dr. Choti and members of the AfriThrive team at the Cultural Farm in Poolesville, MD

In 2022, AfriThrive partnered with Montgomery Countryside Alliance’s Landlink program to help connect more migrants with farming opportunities. Through this program, they were able to secure a 2-acre Cultural Farm in Poolesville, MD to grow more culturally appropriate fresh produce – thanks to a grant through The Community Foundation’s Food for Montgomery partnership.

Continued funding through Sharing Montgomery has allowed AfriThrive to continue to expand its operations and productivity. To date, the Farm has produced more than 30,000 pounds of indigenous African vegetables that have been distributed to the community.

“We are so grateful to Sharing Montgomery,” Dr. Choti shared. “Not only for the funding that has allowed us to continue our work, but also for the partnerships that it has allowed us to build within our community.”

Participants in AfriThrive’s Balozi Advocacy Program

Becoming ‘Balozi’

While Dr. Choti loves the work being done in the garden, she also recognizes the need for outside work –particularly in the advocacy space.

“Policy matters,” Dr. Choti exclaimed. “Unless we address the root causes of food insecurity, the cycle of struggle will continue to spin.”

AfriThrive recently launched an initiative called the Balozi Advocacy Program. Taken from the Swahili word for ‘Ambassador’, the Balozi program is a nine-month course designed to train youth and adults to become policy advocates for their communities.

“We give them space to write their own stories of experiences with the system,” Dr. Choti explained. “From settling in the US to dealing with food insecurity. Then we give them a knowledge of how to navigate the system so they can advocate for their needs.”

Dr. Choti says she hopes the program will empower communities of the African Diaspora to access the information and resources they need to thrive.

“If you have a dream, act on it,” Dr. Choti encouraged future Black leaders. “Don’t wait!”

“There’s no better time to get started than right now. Your community needs you!”

The Community Foundation is proud to partner with AfriThrive through our Food for Montgomery and Sharing Montgomery initiatives to empower communities of the African diaspora in our region. For more information about these initiatives, visit our website. For more information about AfriThrive, visit www.afrithrive.org  

Leaders of the Future: Black Leaders in the Push for Economic Justice

In 2024, The Community Foundation is highlighting 'Leaders of the Future' - individuals and organizations who inspire us to look towards a brighter future for Greater Washington.

To kick off our "Leaders of the Future" campaign , we invited incredible Black leaders from across the region to share their experiences, including their insights into the movement for socio-economic justice.

• Michael Echols, Founder/CEO, MAX Cybersecurity

  What is your relationship to The Community Foundation?

  I am the incoming Chair of the Prince George's County Community Foundation.

  Why do you think economic justice is important?

  Economic justice stands as the lynchpin of an equitable society, providing the necessary foundation upon which all other facets of social justice can thrive. It serves as the cornerstone of hope, instilling in individuals the belief that their efforts and contributions will be met with fair and just outcomes. Whether one is laboring through two jobs or pursuing an entrepreneurial endeavor, it is in the pursuit of alignment with a system that recognizes and rewards diligence and innovation. Without economic justice, the promise of opportunity and upward mobility remains elusive, perpetuating cycles of inequality and disenfranchisement. Therefore, ensuring economic justice is not merely a matter of fairness, but a fundamental prerequisite for fostering a society where every individual can fulfill their potential and contribute meaningfully to the collective well-being.

  What does economic justice look like? Please describe how you or your organization promote or cultivate economic justice?

  Economic justice encompasses a multifaceted approach aimed at ensuring fair and equitable distribution of resources, opportunities, and benefits within society. It involves addressing systemic inequalities and barriers to economic participation, as well as promoting policies and practices that empower marginalized communities and promote economic well-being for all.

  I consider myself a pioneering figure in attempting to assure equal opportunities field of cybersecurity, I seek economic justice for the community and the nation through advocacy and actions. I understand that economic disparities can significantly impact communities, particularly those historically marginalized or underrepresented in the technology sector. Access to the Internet, to training and employment opportunities are critical for fair representation. This is important as everything will be digitized in our near future. Therefore, my efforts center on actively working to dismantle barriers to entry in the cybersecurity field, advocating for increased access to education, training, and job opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds.

  My efforts extend beyond individual empowerment to systemic change. I collaborate with government agencies, educational institutions, and industry partners to develop initiatives that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the cybersecurity workforce. By advocating for policies that prioritize economic justice, such as equitable hiring practices and investment in underserved communities, I aim to create a more inclusive and resilient economy that benefits everyone.

  Furthermore, I recognize the interconnectedness of economic justice with other forms of social justice. So, I actively support initiatives that address systemic issues such as racial inequality, gender discrimination, and socioeconomic disparities, recognizing that these factors intersect and compound to perpetuate economic injustice.

  What does it mean to be a Black leader or to promote and cultivate Black leadership?

  Fostering Black leadership involves actively addressing systemic barriers and structural inequalities that impede the advancement of Black individuals into leadership roles. The next "team" should not run into the same barriers and wall. This is done by This advocating for policies and practices that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, while also challenging systemic racism. By making my back available to carry others who will move far beyond where my years will take the community we are carrying on a tradition started during the days of slavery.

  By advocating for social justice reforms and creating more equitable opportunities for leadership and success within the Black community and society at large, we can do more than just cultivate leaders. rather, we can thrust them forward and allow the choice of paths. My conditions now will not be the ones faced by the tip of the spear five years from now. Empowering the next generation to be impactful means providing the tools and letting them use what is in the tool bag in a manner appropriate to the positive change and progress.

  When you reflect on Black History in the Greater Washington region, what does the next chapter of Black History look like to you?

  The forthcoming chapter of Black history in the Greater Washington region embodies a narrative of hope, progress, and collective action towards a more inclusive and equitable society. It envisions a future where the legacy of resilience and triumph among Black communities continues to inspire generations, fostering increased representation, equity, and justice across all facets of life.

  The question is how do we empower the next generation to roll forward with minimal speedbumps in their path? And, what tools do we need to provide them enabling an ability to smoothly overcome challenges we are sure they will face?

  The next chapter of Black history will involve the dismantling of systemic racism and the implementation of policies that promote social justice and equity for all. Success will be measured by the achievement of objectives. One of them is that Black individuals are not only recognized for their contributions to the region's history, but also for their ongoing leadership in shaping its future.

• Courtney Stewart, founder/CEO, The National Re-entry Network for Returning Citizens

  What is your relationship to The Community Foundation?

  The Community Foundation was one of the first organizations to fund us - we have had a successful partnership with them for over 5 years.

  Why do you think economic justice is important?

  The main reason is because when you look at the inequality around society, most of the problems are within the top 1%. The scales are so unbalanced that greed, dysfunction, and power imbalances in society become cyclical, fueling one another. We've forgotten about the "my brother's keeper" mentality.

  What does economic justice look like? Please describe how you or your organization promote or cultivate economic justice?

  Economic justice looks like a fairer justice system for returning citizens by meeting all of their needs and giving them the opportunity to succeed so that we might help them see a path for themselves outside of the criminal legal space on their own, without the shackles of supervision or monitoring. It looks like pouring resources into people and removing barriers to their success and wellbeing.

  What does it mean to be a Black leader or to promote and cultivate Black leadership?

  Black Leadership is about owning up to past wrongs, enduring a slow ground-up approach, being a sacrificial lamb, practicing the principles of integrity, truth, and love. Leading by example without the celebrity and understanding that we have to be the change we want to see, with patience and tolerance.

  When you reflect on Black History in the Greater Washington region, what does the next chapter of Black History look like to you?

  Enduring strength, youth leadership, supporting and encouraging our black men. Building community and promoting a restorative justice model.

• Patrice Sulton, Executive Director, DC Justice Lab

  What is your relationship to The Community Foundation?

  DC Justice Lab is lucky to have been included in two important grant-making programs from the foundation. When we were first getting up and running, we received funds to help with our operational costs and capacity building. Last year, we were selected as part of its groundbreaking deep investment into local policy advocacy and systems change, under the Health Equity Fund.

  Why do you think economic justice is important?

  People who live in Georgetown live an average of 27 years longer than people who live in Anacostia. Many of the social determinants of health are impacted by seismic income and wealth disparities in our city.

  What does economic justice look like? Please describe how you or your organization promote or cultivate economic justice?

  DC Justice Lab is promoting economic justice by combatting the criminalization of poverty and fighting for reparations for Black Washingtonians.

  What does it mean to be a Black leader or to promote and cultivate Black leadership?

  Finding new strategies for civic participation and political education has been the most rewarding part of our recent work. We are investing in Black-led organizations through our Policy Training Academy, preparing future movement lawyers through our DC Justice Fellow program and Policy Advocacy Competition, and teaching community members how to change systems through our DC Justice Library. We know that positioning people to step into and fully express their own power is more transformative than anything we could do alone.

  When you reflect on Black History in the Greater Washington region, what does the next chapter of Black History look like to you?

  The next chapter of Black History looks like Black Unity. After two generations of dividing our communities based on poverty and subjugating people who have been system-involved, it is time for a unified pro-Black movement for changing and dismantling institutions that harm us.

• Courtney Hall, CEO, Interfaith Works

  What is your relationship to The Community Foundation?

  Interfaith Works (IW) and the Greater Washington Community Foundation serve as strategic partners. Primarily, the Community Foundation supports our emergency financial assistance program, Connections. Additionally, IW and The Community Foundation are co-hosting a Faith and Philanthropy forum on February 27, with a specific focus on economic justice in Montgomery County.

  Why do you think economic justice is important?

  Economic equity ensures that our neighbors in Montgomery County have an opportunity to earn a livable wage sufficient to live without public assistance like rental subsidies, SNAP, or other government cash assistance.

  What does economic justice look like? Please describe how you or your organization promote or cultivate economic justice?

  Interfaith Works has been serving people who experience poverty for 52 years. Last year, we served 35,000 Montgomery County residents. Our programs are centered around removing systemic and economic barriers that prevent residents from achieving stability and thriving. Sadly, there are deeper systemic challenges that must also be addressed. In Montgomery County, one must earn $35/hr to afford an average two-bedroom apartment. This is out of reach for many in Montgomery County, where the minimum hourly wage is $16.70. This disparity explains the surge in demand that Interfaith Works has seen for our shelter, supportive housing, food and clothing distribution, emergency financial assistance, and job placement services.

  While our programs have been expanded significantly to meet the demand, the need continues to grow. At the macro level, IW hosts forums on critical issues like homelessness, affordable housing, and food insecurity. We also routinely engage with elected officials and business leaders to ensure they remain aware of the difficulties faced by our clients. Through these efforts, we help ensure that the community remains engaged with solutions to the challenges affecting our neighbors.

  Recently, Interfaith Works launched a collaboration with a data analysis firm to understand better the conditions in our community that cause the continued need for our services. While we do not yet have firm answers, we are certain that solutions will center around economic justice.

  What does it mean to be a Black leader or to promote and cultivate Black leadership?

  I have the privilege of leading Interfaith Works, a 190-person nonprofit organization that serves 35,000 people each year who experience poverty. In Montgomery County, Black people disproportionately experience poverty, relative to the population size. As CEO, I work with our dedicated team to ensure that these services reach the people with the greatest need and that clients are treated in an equitable and dignified manner. I also support Black leaders in the County as Board Treasurer for The Montgomery County Black Collective. The Collective creates space for underrepresented businesses to access resources that have long been unavailable to the Black community – a barrier that has prevented many from achieving economic security.

  When you reflect on Black History in the Greater Washington region, what does the next chapter of Black History look like to you?

  In the wake of recent stories about workplace racism, I am concerned that some Black professionals may avoid leadership opportunities for fear of being mistreated. This trepidation is legitimate. Unfortunately, when Black leaders are missing from the table, they cannot influence decisions and their unique viewpoints are not represented. This has a direct effect on the broader Black community and can affect how information and resources are distributed.

  For the next chapter of Black History to be bright, businesses in the Greater Washington community must double down on efforts to create nurturing work environments. It is also crucial that we lead the way in addressing workplace maltreatment, which is experienced by too many Black employees. Taking these steps will help ensure that our community is enhanced for everyone.

• Byron Johns, Co-Founder, Black & Brown Coalition for Educational Equity & Excellence

  What is your relationship to The Community Foundation?

  The BBC is a recipient of funding from the Community Foundation to support our mission of addressing systemic barriers in public education.

  Why do you think economic justice is important?

  Economic Justice empowers marginalized people and communities to be self reliant and productive participants that creates social mobility, independence and prosperity across generations.

  What does economic justice look like? Please describe how you or your organization promote or cultivate economic justice?

  Education is proven enabler of social mobility and economic prosperity, so our focus has been on dismantling systemic barriers in public education that limit access to resources and opportunities for Black, Brown, and students from low income families.

  What does it mean to be a Black leader or to promote and cultivate Black leadership?

  Effective Black leadership is fully cognizant of the diverse historical, cultural, and social fabric that makes up Black communities, and the many racially motivated challenges we’re still facing. However, building relationships to forge new pathways and create mutually beneficial solutions with other communities is critical to making progress.

  When you reflect on Black History in the Greater Washington region, what does the next chapter of Black History look like to you?

  I believe we are at a critical inflection point. Our traditional Black institutions have been weakened, and the community values that protected and helped us make progress together for generations are waning. The trajectory of next chapters of Black History will depend on how effectively we collaborate with like-minded people, especially in ensuring our children have access to a high-quality education that prepares them to compete globally and build economic justice and prosperity for our communities.

birdSEED Foundation: Planting Seeds of Hope for Black First-Time Homeowners

birdSEED recipient Tiffany (Coco) Brown, at her new home in Prince George’s County.

For years, Tiffany (Coco) Brown had dreamed of accomplishing something that no one else in her family had ever done before – purchasing a house that she could call home.

“I wanted someplace where my family could gather and be together,” Coco shared. “Someplace safe that we could call ‘ours’.”

Like many Black families in the Greater Washington region, as a child Coco’s parents could only afford to rent their home in Washington, DC. As economic conditions in the housing market turned, Coco remembers moving several times over the course of her childhood, leaving behind friends and childhood memories as the family sought out a new place to live.

“Growing up, I knew I wanted to live in my own house,” Coco shared. “I just wasn’t sure where to start.”

In 2021, Coco decided to pursue her dream of becoming a homeowner. But while navigating the world of real estate can be complicated for just about anybody, studies show that it has been historically – even deliberately – complex for people of color.

According to a recent study by the National Association of Realtors, only 44% of Black Americans are homeowners – compared to 73% of White Americans. The disparity, which is built on a foundation of decades of redlining and discriminatory lending practices, represents the largest racial homeownership gap in the past decade.

“There’s not very many things out there for people who look like me,” she added. “When it comes to buying a house, we don’t have the resources or the information to get the help we need.”

Over the course of her housing search, Coco went through four different realtors, mountains of paperwork, and dozens of house tours. She also enrolled in several programs designed to help first-time homebuyers – which she soon discovered involved even more paperwork and strict eligibility requirements.

“Pack your patience,” she recalled of her experience. “It’s a lot.”

That was when she heard about the Housing Justice & Down Payment Assistance Program at the birdSEED Foundation – a non-profit organization born from a collaboration between Flock DC – which provided the initial funding to seed the program - and the Greater Washington Community Foundation. The program provides grants of $5,000 - $15,000 to Black & Brown first-time homebuyers with no strings attached.

“This is our work to do – helping those who have been historically disadvantaged to purchase homes,” shared lisa wise, CEO of Flock DC and founder of birdSEED.

birdSEED is boldly branded as a ‘housing justice’ initiative – a starting point for reparations from an industry that has played a major role in the creation of the racial wealth gap.

“Homeownership is one of the most effective ways that Americans build intergenerational wealth,” Darius Graham, Managing Director of Community Investment at The Community Foundation stated. “And even though equal access to housing is a civil right enshrined in our nation’s laws, systemic racism within housing institutions have kept communities of color from accessing it for far too long.”­

“[birdSEED] isn’t about philanthropy,” wise added. “It’s about wealth creation; it’s about transferring and building wealth – and creating a model for the rest of the business community that we hope others will follow.”

birdSEED was designed to take away as many barriers for Black and Brown homebuyers to receive support, as possible. The application process is kept intentionally simple and is open year-round, with grants awarded twice a year by a panel of volunteer advisory board members. Once awarded, grant recipients have 120 days to close on a home and release the funds, which are managed by The Community Foundation.

“We are laser focused on making no strings attached down payment grants,” Leslie Case, Executive Director of birdSEED added. “If we can focus more on the giving and less on the accountability, we believe we can give more and have a bigger impact.”

Since its launch in September 2020, birdSEED has awarded 41 provisional grants to help Black and Brown first-time homebuyers – including Coco -- get one step closer to their dream of home ownership.

“birdSEED was a lifesaver,” Coco said. “Without them, I don’t think I would have gone to closing.”

Coco submitted her birdSEED application in September 2022—and within a month was awarded a $10,000 provisional grant. Five months later, Coco closed on her dream home in Hillcrest Heights in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

“The fact that [the homebuying search] is over, is such a stress reliever,” Coco shared, as she approaches her one-year anniversary of homeownership. “To be able to spend holidays, birthdays, and game nights in my own space with the ones I love is a wonderful experience.”

While wise, Case, and The Community Foundation celebrate the success of birdSEED, we also acknowledge how much work remains to be done to close the racial homeownership gap. Of the 41 provisional grants awarded to Black and Brown first-time homebuyers through birdSEED, some of them have still been unable to close on a house – a humbling testament to the many challenges that first-time homebuyers of color must overcome on the road to homeownership.

Despite the challenges, wise and Coco say that birdSEED provides a beacon of hope that they hope will continue to spread to more members of the Greater Washington community.  

“A lot of people ask what they can do – especially when confronted with big issues like the racial wealth gap,” wise said. “You can start with this –a down payment towards building a more equitable community. It may seem like a small step – but it’s a huge step in the right direction.”

One evidence of that hope came from Coco, who when asked what advice she had for fellow aspiring homeowners, simply stated the following:

“If I can do it, you can do it”

The Community Foundation is proud to award the birdSEED Foundation with a $100,000 grant to support homeownership for residents of Prince George’s County and Montgomery County. The investment is part of our Together, We Prosper campaign investment strategy to close the racial wealth gap in the Greater Washington region. For more information, visit our website or contact [email protected]

2024 Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year Award Nominations Now Open!

Left to Right: Mary Pat Alcus (2023 Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year) and Tonia Wellons (President/CEO) at the Celebration of Giving.

The Community Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2024 Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year Award!

The Philanthropist of the Year will be recognized at the 2024 Celebration of Giving later this fall. Read on for more information!

Nomination guidelines

Purpose: To honor an individual who has made a positive impact in our community through giving, and whose philanthropic leadership sets an inspiring example for us all. 

Nomination Process

Complete the official nomination form and submit a letter (2 pages max) explaining why your nominee should be selected as the Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year. 

Please note: the cover form must be completed in its entirety.  The 2-page letter must convey that the nominee meets all the eligibility criteria. Nominators are welcome to submit attachments that will help convey the impact of the nominee’s giving and philanthropic leadership.  However, the Awards Committee will not accept nominations which rely solely on resumes, newspaper articles, annual reports, or the like in substitution for concise responses to the criteria outlined above. 

When feasible, nominators are welcome to team up with other organizations to submit a joint nomination that will more fully articulate the nominee’s philanthropic leadership and impact.

Pending review by the Philanthropist of the Year Selection Committee, The Community Foundation staff may contact you for additional information. 

For inspiration, look no further than our past Philanthropist of the Year honorees.

Eligibility Criteria: 

All nominees must:

• Be a resident of Montgomery County

• Have a demonstrated track record of charitable giving to one or more nonprofit organizations based in and working in Montgomery County*

• Have made a positive impact in the lives of county residents through their giving*

• Encourage/motivate others to become philanthropic

Please Note: We encourage nominators to give special emphasis to any extraordinary giving and/or leadership over the past few years which helped your organization adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic and/or advance work related to racial equity and inclusion.  Please know, the level of charitable dollars given is secondary to its impact and potential to inspire others to follow suit. Creative approaches to philanthropy are welcome!  Nominees may be of any age.

In exceptional circumstances, the Selection Committee may consider a former resident, a family unit, or a philanthropist who is deceased. 

DEADLINE: THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2024

The nomination form, letter, and any additional attachments must be submitted via email with subject line “Philanthropist of the Year 2024 – Name of Nominee” by close of business on Thursday, March 7, 2024 to:

Olivia Hsu

Development Associate, Montgomery County

[email protected]

All nominators will receive confirmation that the nomination has been submitted within 24 hours of receipt. The Community Foundation in Montgomery County will contact the selected awardee(s) and their nominator by June. All other nominations will remain confidential.

Questions: Contact Olivia Hsu at [email protected].

Investing in Community-Driven Solutions 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 to learn how our grantmaking is helping them to advance meaningful change.

“Over the past several years, The Community Foundation and our donors have made large and multiyear contributions to support community-driven solutions in Montgomery County,” shared Anna Hargrave, Executive Director for The Community Foundation in Montgomery County. “Today we’re excited to meet with some of our partners to hear about the impact of their work to date, what they have learned in the process, and the top priorities guiding them now. 

The first stop was at Watkins Mill High School, where the group heard from students and administrators about how nonprofit partners are stepping up to address learning delays exacerbated by pandemic and the lingering mental health challenges many continue to face today.

“We have close to 1,600 students here at Watkins Mill,” shared Principal Vilma Najera. “Almost two-thirds of them come from economically disadvantaged households.”

“There’s a lot of care that our students need – and as educators, we are sometimes stuck with trying to find challenging solutions to systemic problems – that’s where our nonprofit partners and philanthropy step in to fill the gaps.”

“We need an environment where we can feel safe to dream bigger,” shared Rosaline, a Senior at Watkins Mill. She and her classmate Sam shared their experiences, as students who entered High School when schools were operating virtually during the COVID era.

“Having a community is a huge part of our success,” Sam added. “We need that foundation of people that we can trust and rely on to inspire us.”

Sam and Rosaline were followed by a panel of nonprofit leaders from The Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence and CollegeTracks – two nonprofit organizations that have become an integral advocates for improved access to education and opportunity for students across Montgomery County. (Both organizations are recent recipients of $100,000 multiyear grants through Sharing Montgomery.)

“The situation for Black, Brown, and low-income students in Montgomery County was already extremely challenging,” Diego Uriburu, co-founder of the Black and Brown Coalition and Identity, Inc shared. “The pandemic made things a lot worse.”

Uriburu shared how Black, Brown, and low-income students and their families often lack key resources such as early childhood education and other supports equip kids with the academic foundation needed for success.  Ultimately, barriers to those resources contribute to the ‘achievement gap’ between Black, Brown, and low-income students and their more affluent peers.   One alarming example shared was data from recent state assessments shows that only a third of Black and Brown students in MCPS are proficient in reading and English language by third grade.   Most people do not realize that after third grade, strong reading skills become increasing essential for all classes, including math and science.  Therefore, without strategic interventions, students who are not reading on grade level can find themselves falling further and further behind their peers.

“Our mission is empower more students and their families to advocate for their educational needs,” shared Byron Johns, Co-Founder of the Black and Brown Coalition and Chair of the NAACP Montgomery County Education Committee. One of the Black & Brown Coalition’s top recommendations is for the creation of an early warning system to help parents understand when their students are at-risk of not hitting key educational milestones.

“The only force capable of breaking the achievement gap is for all of us to work together with Black and Brown parents to step up,” Wylea Chase, Director of Operations and Community Engagement at the Black and Brown Coalition added. “There’s a cost to doing the work that we do; but there’s an even larger cost to NOT doing it.”

The Black and Brown Coalition has also advocated to support teachers and administrators to ensure that they get the resources and support they need.

“We need to provide care and support before we can provide instructions and learning,” shared Mecha Inman, President and CEO of CollegeTracks. “If we’re not creating the environment for students to succeed, they won’t.”

“That’s why organizations like CollegeTracks and the Black and Brown Coalition are advocating and implementing much-needed changes in our education system so we can create that climate where all students – especially Black and Brown students – can succeed and thrive.”

Like the Black and Brown Coalition, CollegeTracks has worked hard to create an environment where students can succeed and pursue their dreams. The organization partners with five high schools across Montgomery County (including Watkins Mill) to provide career and higher education coaching to more than 9,000 students – of which, 99% have been admitted to at least one college or technical school.

“Last year we served 22 percent more students than the year before,” Inman shared. “The desire and interest for this program is growing rapidly – but the resources are finite.”

“If college and career readiness is the goal, the system needs to acknowledge the changes that need to happen to make that dream a reality. We need more advocacy and we need more investment.”

After the classroom, donors and partners headed to the Middlebrook Trailer Park – a trailer community of more than 200 families, where they heard from Grace Rivera-Oven, member of the Montgomery County School Board and Founder & CEO of the Upcounty Hub.

Rivera-Oven and the Upcounty Hub’s staff and volunteers have been advocating for the needs of low-income, immigrant communities for years. At the height of the pandemic, they leveraged grants from The Community Foundation’s Food for Montgomery Fund and other partners to provide food for 2,000 families a week. They also partnered with clinics to provide much-needed vaccines and other medical services to residents. Residents credit the sustained community involvement for a wave of positive changes to the community, including a 70% drop in crime.

However, even in a ‘post-pandemic’ world, Rivera-Oven says the need for continued advocacy for this community has never been greater.

“People were suffering before the pandemic because we chose not to see them,” Rivera-Oven shared. “While we’ve made a lot of progress, there’s still many needs that need to be met.”

Many of these needs are being raised by the residents themselves, who have banded together to advocate and push for solutions. Together, they’ve advocated for issues including pedestrian safety for children and fair billing practices from utility companies.

“Sometimes you have to try new things and have faith in your community,” one resident shared. “Thank you for enabling us to come together and strengthen ours.”

Sharing Montgomery and The Community Foundation in Montgomery County are dedicated to investing in community-driven solutions for positive change. For more information on how to get involved, contact Anna Hargrave, Executive Director for Montgomery County, at [email protected]

2023 Celebration of Giving - Celebrating Mary Pat Alcus, 2023 Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year

On November 16th, donors and community partners across Montgomery County gathered for the annual Celebration of Giving.  This year’s event kicked off with a moving memorial tribute to the Founding Executive Director of The Community Foundation in Montgomery County, Sally Rudney, and reflections on how her incredible legacy continues to inspire our work.  Anna Hargrave, Executive Director, then reported that The Community Foundation’s network of donors gave over $9.5 million to organizations in Montgomery County last year.  She also shared the early progress of The Community Foundation’s Together, We Prosper campaign which seeks to grow opportunity and build a community where everyone has what they need to thrive.

“For inspiration on how to set and achieve big goals, we can look to our 2023 Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year, Mary Pat Alcus,” Hargrave said. “Time and time again, her generosity and leadership have been game-changing for vital organizations across the county.”

Friends, family, and community partners joined in saluting Mary Pat as a catalytic leader who combines her financial acumen, strategic thinking, and generous support to help vital organizations achieve major breakthroughs for our community.

Through a fireside chat with President & CEO, Tonia Wellons, Mary Pat shared how her parents instilled the importance of education early on.  She then reflect on how her local philanthropic journey began shortly after she and her husband, Darren, moved to Potomac, MD with their two children, Claire and Colin.  Wanting to get more involved in their new home, the entire family became active leaders in kid-led giving circles through The Community Foundation. Mary Pat joined The Community Foundation’s Montgomery County Advisory Board and its Grants Committee for Sharing Montgomery, the flagship grantmaking initiative which supports high-impact nonprofits working on the frontlines of the county’s most pressing challenges.  Between the giving circles and her leadership with The Community Foundation, Mary Pat quickly learned about the needs across our community and supported visionary organizations helping low-income residents pursue pathways out of poverty.

After reflecting on where the community’s needs matched their deepest passions, Mary Pat and Darren decided to focus on helping children and youth to pursue their dreams.  She was drawn to join the Board of Horizons Greater Washington which provides academic enrichment to empower low-income children to succeed in school and beyond.  She also joined the Montgomery College Foundation Board shortly after she and Darren created scholarships to help promising students pursue higher education.  All the while, she continued to take on more leadership roles with The Community Foundation including joining the Board of Trustees and chairing its Investment Committee. 

Professionally, Mary Pat is an institutional investment advisor and a Chartered Financial Analyst with over 30 years of experience advising foundations, endowments, corporate, and public pensions in the areas of investment strategy, investment policy development, manager selection, and performance monitoring.  She explained how, as a philanthropist, she loves leveraging her professional expertise to help her favorite nonprofits grow so they can make a deeper impact.

“Time, talent treasure—that combination for me, that nexus of all three is what has helped fuel what I do,” Mary Pat explained. 

Inspired by Mary Pat’s philanthropic leadership, Craig & Pat Ruppert and Cliff & Debbie White teamed up to offer a $50,000 challenge match for the Sharing Montgomery Endowment —an initiative that Mary Pat has long championed. Contributions to the Endowment enable The Community to “keep giving” to the community in perpetuity by offering a stream of more stable, game-changing investments to nonprofit organizations. Thanks to the Ruppert and White families, the impact of endowment gifts will be doubled (up to $50,000). (To help us make the match, you can make a gift online today or contact us for other giving options!)

On behalf of the thousands of lives touched by her leadership and generosity, we congratulate Mary Pat on being named the 2023 Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year. We know her example will continue to inspire others to discover the powerful difference we each can make when we commit to making our community stronger for all.

Additional information about our 2023 Philanthropist of the Year is available the Bethesda Magazine Article and in our Celebration program booklet linked below.

A Champion of Philanthropy in Montgomery County: Remembering the Legacy of Sally Rudney

Our extended Community Foundation family is grieving the loss of Sally Rudney, our founding Executive Director for Montgomery County, who passed away on September 19, 2023.

Sally joined The Community Foundation in 1995 to launch our first affiliate focused on building philanthropy by Montgomery County residents and businesses.  Over her 17-year tenure, she helped hundreds of people and businesses establish their own funds and gain a deep sense of satisfaction by giving to the causes close to their hearts.

Sally was a connector.  Her approach always started by simply listening, hearing what inspired donors to take action and learning about their hopes for how they could make a difference.  She also listened to and engaged the community, spending countless hours with nonprofit, community and government leaders, strategizing about how philanthropy could have the greatest impact. 

Sally with former Board Chair Alexine Clement Jackson, who passed away earlier this year.

A cornerstone of Sally’s legacy is the donor-led giving process of our Sharing Montgomery grantmaking initiative.  She knew that if caring neighbors visited all corners of our vast County and learned about the needs and opportunities, they would be inspired to give.  Sally shaped the process so that philanthropists could work with peers who also want to give strategically, learning together how to evaluate a nonprofit’s strength, leadership, finances, and potential.  Over time, Sharing Montgomery grants were leveraged further by donors who discovered these great nonprofits and felt inspired to ramp up their giving to address the achievement gap, improve the safety-net, foster greater cultural and civic participation, and create new college and workforce pathways. 

We were delighted to have so many friends join us in saluting Sally Rudney with the Inspired Leadership Award at the 20th Anniversary Celebration of The Community Foundation in Montgomery County.

We will be forever grateful to Sally Rudney for her exceptional leadership, strategic thinking, and deep commitment to our community. 

In honor of her legacy, we are supporting Sally’s family in creating the Sally Rudney Memorial Fund - a component fund at The Community Foundation.  Contributions to this fund will be used to continue Sally’s passion for supporting critical research to defeat EGFR-positive lung cancer, and to support other patient-centered initiatives for those living with EGFR-positive lung cancer. 

Friends interested in contributing can give online at https://bit.ly/sallyrudneymemorialfund or contact [email protected].

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 4, 2023 at 2pm at Sidwell Friends School, located at 3825 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016

Let's Talk Endowments - Helping Nonprofits Invest for the Future

Earlier this month, The Community Foundation hosted a group of nonprofit leaders to talk about how to help nonprofit organizations prepare for their financial future through an endowment.

“For years, we at The Community Foundation have talked about what it would look to design a product that would allow nonprofits to coinvest in their future,” President and CEO Tonia Wellons shared with the group.

“Through this nonprofit endowment product, we’re excited to provide our partners with the infrastructure and investment support to sustain their mission and organization for years to come.”

An endowed fund is invested for long-term capital growth – rather than going directly towards a specific program. This allows the fund to accrue value over time, while a predetermined portion is set aside each year for distribution. Depending on market performance, these distributions have the potential to exceed the original value of the gift – providing the organization with a steady, reliable stream of income, as well as a nest egg that can be accessed in case of emergencies.

“At The Community Foundation, we want to make it easier for our nonprofit partners to provide for their long-term financial stability,” Tiffanie Purvis, General Counsel and Senior Philanthropic Advisor said.

The Community Foundation’s nonprofit endowment fund is designed to eliminate many of the traditional barriers that can prevent nonprofits from setting up an endowment - including limited investment expertise or capacity. Endowments set up through The Community Foundation are managed by our professional investment team – allowing nonprofits the freedom to focus on their mission rather than their long-term financial investments. Endowments have a $25,000 minimum and can be set up as a permanent long-term endowment or a quasi-endowment with an option to withdraw under limited circumstances).

The Community Foundation also provides services including planned giving expertise to help donors understand the value of an endowment over a short-term gift.

“Donors love creating endowments,” Rebecca Rothey, Senior Advisor explained. “However, sometimes they need a little more help before they grasp the concept.”

Participants heard from Mike DiMarco, Executive Director of Horizons Greater Washington, which recently set up an endowment fund with The Community Foundation in preparation for its 25th Anniversary coming up in 2025.

“For us, at Horizons, we make a long-term commitment to our students. We need sustainable long-term funding that’s there in perpetuity,” DiMarco shared. “Being able to budget the steady income from an endowment not only puts us in a stronger position in the long-term but also in the short-term as we’re able to get annual returns on that endowment.”

“Throughout the process, the Greater Washington Community Foundation was really helpful and patiently answering our questions and helping us understand the benefits and implications of starting this endowment account.”

“As we enter 2025, celebrating our 25th Anniversary, we look forward to taking this opportunity to grow the endowment and solidify Horizons’ future going forward.”

The discussion about endowments comes at a time when large bequests from donors to nonprofit organizations is on the rise. According to the latest Giving USA Report, the number of bequests from wills and living trusts increased by 2.3% in 2022 for a total of $45.6 billion dollars.

“There’s a temptation with surprise bequests to put it directly into the operating budget – put it straight into the community all at once,” Mary Pat Alcus, a financial planner and experienced nonprofit board member shared. “But if you and your board have the discipline to put that money in an endowment, you not only provide for the longevity of your organization – you also provide an easy answer to what can sometimes be a contentious question - ‘what do we do with this money?’”

“It’s about planning for the future,” Wellons concluded. “It’s about having the foresight to let your money work for you, while you continue to work for the community.”

The Community Foundation’s team stands ready and eager to help our nonprofit partners achieve their long-term investment goals. For more information about our nonprofit endowment services, visit our website for details or contact Tiffanie Purvis at [email protected].

Welcoming New Faces to The Community Foundation Family

We’re excited to welcome a new group of changemakers to The Community Foundation family – including new Trustees, Advisory Board members, and staff.

New Members of the Board of Trustees

Quanda M. Allen, CAP®
Senior Vice President
Senior Director of Integrated Relationship Management

Quanda M. Allen leads the corporate strategy that drives cross line of business referrals for wealth and insurance at Truist Bank, a top 10 U.S. institution with nearly 60,000 teammates and $548 billion in assets as of September 2022.

Prior to this role, Quanda was the Client and Advisor Experience Leader for the Specialty Wealth team which includes the Foundations and Endowments, Sports and Entertainment, Medical, Legal, Corporate Trust and Escrow and International divisions. As a key business partner, she drove revenue growth and brand awareness through integrated marketing and communications strategy, insightful thought leadership and differentiated client experiences.

Quanda is the founder and creative force behind the content marketing and thought leadership strategy for the Foundations and Endowments Specialty Practice. Under her executive leadership and oversight, the Practice refined its value proposition, rebranded all its marketing material, deployed an innovative online platform and developed more than 100 unique pieces of proprietary thought leadership content – several of which she authored. Her philosophy to wealth management marketing is rooted in delivering content-driven value in an efficient and effective manner while equipping advisors to build trust through deep personal relationships.

Quanda is an active Washington, DC community leader who serves on the board of Sitar Arts Center’s Executive, Investment and Capital Campaign committees. As a former board member, she was a founding co-chair of National Capital Area Boy Scouts of America’s ScoutReach program which is designed to bring scouting to inner city youth. Quanda’s community engagement has been recognized by Outstanding Atlanta (2009) and SunTrust Bank’s Presidential Volunteer Award program (2015-2018). She is a member of the 2020 class of Leadership Greater Washington and a 2024 Executive MBA candidate at the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business.

Michelle L. Bender, CFP®
President and Senior Advisor

Michelle grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and moved to the Washington, DC area shortly after college. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM and brings over 25 years of solid financial and asset management experience to Potomac Financial Consultants, LLC. During Michelle’s career she has held positions at Arthur Andersen, Private Wealth Advisors, and several other financial and asset management firms, including Potomac Financial Consultants, LLC.

She is a graduate of Seton Hill University with dual degrees in Accounting and Human Resource Management. Michelle achieved the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM designation through the College of Financial Planning. She is actively involved in the financial services industry, is a member of the Financial Planning Association, and is actively involved in the Million Dollar Round Table.  She volunteers her time with the MDRT Foundation in various roles each year.  Michelle is a Registered Representative of Kestra Advisory Services. She is currently a member of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce and Poolesville Chamber of Commerce, as well as a past president of Women Business Owners of Montgomery County.

In Michelle’s spare time, she spends time with her husband and twin children shuffling them between sporting events, as well as she enjoys time on her peloton or running in road races.

The Community Foundation would like to thank John Devine and Dr. Rayshawn Ray for their service on the Board of Trustees. John Devine joined the Board of Trustees in 2017, serving on the Board’s Executive Committee as Treasurer of the Board. Dr. Rayshawn Ray joined the Board of Trustees in 2020, and was a featured panelist at the 2022 Celebration of Philanthropy.

New Advisory Board Members-Montgomery County Advisory Board

Ron Franks
Bailey Wealth Advisors 

As Director of Operations at Bailey Wealth Advisors, Ron Franks is responsible for achieving maximum operational efficiency throughout the firm contributing to an exceptional client experience. Ron’s responsibilities include the review and assessment of current and future organizational structure, business succession planning, estate planning, portfolio advisory support as well as ensuring operational systems support current and future firm growth.

With over 10 years of experience in the legal and securities industry, Ron brings a depth of knowledge in areas of estate planning, securities, and regulatory compliance.  Ron holds a law degree from the University of Miami and bachelor’s from the University of Kansas.

In addition to his responsibilities, Ron maintains active presence in the local community. Ron has served as the vice chairman of the Mid-County Citizen’s Advisory Board (MCCAB) and as a member of the Wheaton Urban District Advisory Board (WUDAC).  Ron was also a member of County Executive Marc Erich’s Transition Team and is active with the Montgomery County Democratic party.

Mimi Brodsky Kress
Sandy Spring Builders 

Mimi Brodsky Kress got her start in the building industry after graduating from Colby College.  Her dad, builder Albert Brodsky, encouraged her to pursue an apprenticeship program which helped Mimi discover her love for the field, as she quickly rose in the ranks to become assistant superintendent.  After working for several companies, Mimi teamed up with her friend, Phil Leibovitz, to launch her own company, Sandy Spring Builders, which creates custom homes throughout the region.  One of the few women in the industry, Mimi often credits her mother for being her role model and demonstrating what a strong, independent woman can accomplish.  With her signature “take-charge” attitude, Mimi is the heart of the company’s philanthropic leadership, ensuring the team leverages its resources to strengthen the local community which has fostered its success.

A third generation Washingtonian, Mimi and her husband Michael instill the importance of giving back to their two children, Jenna and Max. Mimi is involved with several local charities, including the National Alliance on Mental Illness – Montgomery County (NAMI-MC) and Habitat for Humanity Metro Washington. She was honored as the Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year in 2022.

Craig Pernick
Chevy Chase Trust

As Senior Managing Director and Head of Fixed Income, Craig Pernick manages the fixed income investment strategies for Chevy Chase Trust and provides wealth management advice. Additionally, Craig oversees the trading of tax exempt and taxable fixed income assets. Craig has special knowledge of municipal and corporate bond trading and analysis with more than three decades in investment management.

Prior to joining Chevy Chase Trust in 2008, Craig managed fixed income portfolios at Asset Management Inc., an independent investment management company where he worked for six years. Craig also worked for sixteen years in institutional fixed income sales and trading with R.W. Corby and Co. and Artemis Capital.

Craig earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and a Masters in Business Administration from Wayne State University. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Montgomery County, Maryland Public Schools Retirement System Trust and Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) Trust and is on the Investment Committees of the Greater Washington Community Foundation and The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad. Craig has also been an emergency medical technician volunteer with the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad for 19 years. A 33-year resident of Montgomery County, Craig has been married to his wife Denise for 38 years, and they have two adult children who attended Montgomery County Public Schools.

Gail Wasserman

Gail Wasserman is recently retired from AstraZeneca/MedImmune, where she was Senior Vice President of Biopharmaceutical Development leading the global organization responsible for biologics product development.  Prior to joining AstraZeneca/MedImmune, Gail was engaged in natural products isolation and biopharmaceutical process development at GlaxoSmithKline.  Gail holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from Montclair State University and received a MS in biochemistry and a PhD in chemistry from The Pennsylvania State University.

She is the incoming chair of the board of the Pinkney Innovation Complex for Science and Technology at Montgomery College. Gail previously served as a member of the Visiting Committee for Advanced Technology for the National Institute for Standards and Technology, and the Biopharmaceutical Innovation Board of the University of Delaware.  She received the Outstanding Science Alumni Award and the Alumni Fellow Award from The Pennsylvania State University and was named as a PharmaVOICE 100 most inspiring leader in the life-sciences industry.

New Advisory Board Members-Prince George’s County Advisory Board

Michael A. Echols CISSP, MBA
Board Member University of Maryland Smith School
Board Member Hispanic Heritage Foundation
Board Member IACI – Kennedy Space Center
Community Foundation – Prince Georges County Advisory

Michael A. Echols (Mike), is CEO of Max Cybersecurity LLC, located in Washington DC. He previously spent 10 years in critical infrastructure protection and cybersecurity leadership at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mike led several White House national security and stakeholder engagement risk initiatives. In 2015, Mike was the point-person for the rollout of President Obama’s Executive Order 13691 on Cyber Threat Information Sharing. While at DHS he also Chaired interagency committees related to GPS, convergence, risk management, cyber risk in government contracting, and assessed the cybersecurity of the nation’s small businesses.

Mike was Chairman of the Communications Sector where he led national risk assessment efforts across wireline, wireless, cable, broadcast and satellite. Mike was also the Designated Federal Official for the President’s NSTAC – 30 CEO level members from Defense, IT and Comm Sector companies making recommendations to the President. Mike Chaired the Network Security Information Exchange consisting of cybersecurity experts from Canada, UK, Australia, Canada and the U.S. He also served as the U.S. Representative to the NATO CCPC in Brussels. Mike led classified and unclassified information sharing programs with corporate member’s revenues accounting for 10-15% of U.S. GDP.

Mike is now an international speaker on national resilience and has authored four Forbes online articles on Smart technology. He was featured on a PBS cybersecurity special called “Roadtrip Nation.” Mike is a magazine columnist and 2020 book Author.

His company, Max Cybersecurity, is focused on building a national culture of cybersecurity and national resilience. His clients include the US Army Corps of Engineers, DHS, critical infrastructure entities, and the Walmart.

Mike is a graduate of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative – Harvard Kennedy School of Public Health and cohort of the Federal Executive Institute. He holds a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Science in Biotechnology, a Graduate Certificate in Technology Management from University of Maryland University College. His Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice is from the University of Maryland. Mike was the UMUC Distinguished Alumni in 2018.

Diana Leon-Brown
President, Artem Ventures, LLC

Diana Leon Brown has delivered exceptional and measurable public-private partnership results for over 25 years. She previously served as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Prince George’s County Executive’s Office and currently serves as Principal for Artem Ventures, LLC. 

Diana’s seasoned knowledge and relationships in the Federal, Maryland State and Local governments allow her to navigate economic development by identifying public and private strategic benefits and outcomes. Known as a compelling communicator and storyteller she is highly sought after for keynote speaking engagements and panel discussions.

Dedicated to her mantra. “Do Good, While Doing Well,” Diana cultivates national and global leadership opportunities, exploring ways for businesses, nonprofits and rising leaders to build generational legacy. Over the last 20 years, Diana has been committed to cultivating the next generation of leaders. She has served on numerous boards and chaired several executive, business and governance committees.

Diana’s national track record is juxtaposed by her extensive global cross-sector leadership roles. As Executive Director of the Artem Leadership Institute, she developed high-level international programs and events with the United Nations, Organization of American States, and the Women’s Global Initiative in Africa and Dubai.

Ms. Brown also had the honor of serving as the appointed political liaison on behalf of the Haitian Diaspora Federation for the Obama Administration’s Office of Public Engagement created to develop partnerships in response to the Haitian Earthquake of 2010. Her efforts raised over 40 million dollars in aid and investments.

Dannielle Glaros
Assistant VP & Chief of Staff of Administration, University of Maryland

Bio Coming Soon!

Julian C. Curry (Bio & Headshot Coming Soon)

New Staff Members

Michelle Castillo, Staff Accountant

Michelle joined the Greater Washington Community Foundation in May 2023 as the Staff Accountant. In her role, Michelle provides support to accounting, grants, accounts payable and financial reporting, working closely with the Controller and Director of Finance.

Michelle joins us from the Carlyle Group where she worked for five and a half years. She is originally from Suriname, a small country in South America. Her native language is Dutch.

Benton Murphy, Director of Fund Administration & Special Projects

Benton currently serves as Director of Fund Administration and Special Projects at The Greater Washington Community Foundation. In this role, provides overall fund administration and impact measurement functions, enhances the organization’s fundholder engagement work through effective data segmentation, and supports the overall business operations of the organization. Benton has nearly 20 years of experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, originally coming to the Community Foundation in January 2004. Prior to his current role, Benton served as Senior Program Officer as well as Interim Vice President for Community Investment where he focused on projects addressing racial and social justice, workforce development, and education. Benton holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from The George Washington University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington, Seattle.

Eliza Tolbert-Howard, Development Officer, Prince George’s County

Eliza is a California native who joined the Greater Washington Community Foundation in May 2023 as a Development Officer. Her current role on the Prince George's County team includes Development, Donor Services, Marketing, Communications, and Event Planning. Before joining the Community Foundation, Eliza spent four years working in nonprofit spaces. She holds an undergraduate degree in Communications from California State University, Fullerton. Eliza is passionate about access and equality for women, minorities, and low-income individuals. In her free time, she enjoys the arts and personal development.

Yasmin Barakat, Executive Assistant

Yasmine joined The Community Foundation in June 2023. As the Executive Assistant, she provides high-level administrative support to the Executive Office. Yasmine has six years of experience in the administrative and legal field bringing a diverse skillset. Throughout her career, she’s worked on various projects, including high-risk immigration cases to help clients obtain their citizenship. A lover of animals, nature, and spending time with her family, Yasmine is thrilled to be joining The Community Foundation team and to leverage its individual strengths to make a significant impact.

Oh, What a Night! The Community Foundation Hosts 50th Anniversary Celebration of Philanthropy

Terri Lee Freeman is presented with the 2023 Spirit of Philanthropy Award. The award was presented by Charito Kruvant and Kenny Emson, who served as 50th Anniversary Co-Chairs for the event.

On May 3rd, The Community Foundation hosted the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Philanthropy — celebrating 50 Years of History, Hope, and Healing in the Greater Washington region.

The evening began with a special VIP reception, where representatives from the Prince George’s County Government and Montgomery County Government presented The Community Foundation with proclamations, honoring the organization’s legacy and commitment to the region. The Community Foundation was also honored by the recognition of elected officials from DC, Virginia and Maryland — including a special video message from MD-Rep. Jamie Raskin.

After the VIP reception, guests were lead down into the theater by the Eastern Senior High School Blue & White Marching Machine, where they were greeted by the evening’s emcee, NBC4’s Shawn Yancy.

Richard Bynum, Chair of The Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees kicked off the program and introduced Tonia Wellons, President & CEO of The Community Foundation, who delivered some brief remarks.

“Some say the racial wealth gap is too big to be solved, but we believe it’s too urgent to be ignored.”

— Tonia Wellons

In her remarks, Tonia paid homage to the incredible men and women over The Community Foundation’s 50 year legacy — including the late Bob Linowes and the Honorable Wayne Curry. She also expressed her gratitude for how far The Community Foundation has come — and the future it is working towards — closing the racial wealth gap in the Greater Washington region.

Following Tonia’s remarks, the 50th Anniversary Host Committee Co-Chairs, Charito Kruvant and Kenny Emson presented the 2023 Spirit of Philanthropy Award to Terri Lee Freeman.

Terri was the longest-serving and first Black female President and CEO of The Community Foundation from 1996-2014. During her tenure, Terri was recognized by the Washington Business Journal as one of its “Women Who Mean Business” and by Washingtonian Magazine as a “Washingtonian of the Year” and “100 Most Powerful Women of Washington”.

Since leaving The Community Foundation, she has pursued her passion for civil rights and social justice as the former President of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, and now as the Executive Director of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture in Baltimore.

Following a special tribute video, Terri sat down with Shawn Yancy for a brief fireside chat, where they discussed aspects of Terri’s legacy and her aspirations for the future.

Following the fireside chat, guests enjoyed an evening of food, fun, dance and entertainment provided by artists and nonprofit partners from across the region.

A special thank you to Eastern Senior High School, Levine Music, Baila4Life, Sole Defined, Metrostage, Christylez Bacon, and DJ Face for sharing their time and talents with us. It was truly an unforgettable evening!

Click here for a complete recording of the Evening Program. Additional photos from the evening can also be found on our SmugMug Album.

Elected Officials Congratulate The Community Foundation on 50th Anniversary

The Prince George’s County Council represented by Council Member Krystal Oriadha (District 7), presented The Community Foundation with a proclamation in honor of its 50th Anniversary

The Montgomery County Council represented by Council President Evan Glass (At-Large), Council Member Will Jawando (At-Large), and County Executive Marc Elrich, presented The Community Foundation with a proclamation in honor of its 50th Anniversary.

The Community Foundation is proud to collaborate with local elected leaders to promote positive change and build stronger communities in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

As we celebrate our 50th Anniversary, here are just a few of the leaders who send their well wishes to The Community Foundation and it’s supporters:

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser congratulated The Community Foundation on its 50 years of exemplary service to our communities.

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) commends The Community Foundation for it’s contributions to a vast array of important causes in the Washington Metropolitan area.

Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) thanks The Community Foundation and its donors for unleashing the power of philanthropy to help “people of all races, places, and identities reach their full potential”

Governor Glen Youngkin (R-VA) commends The Community Foundation for being a beacon of hope for countless members of the community.

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) issued this US Senate Citation in The Community Foundation’s honor, “with gratitude for its outstanding community investment and civic leadership….as the Washington DC region’s largest local funder”.

Congressional Recognition
Presented by the Honorable Donald S. Beyer Jr. of Virginia in the House of Representatives on the House Floor on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.

Mr. Speaker, I, alongside my colleagues, Representative IVEY, Representative HOYER, Representative RASKIN, and Delegate HOLMES NORTON, wish to honor The Greater Washington Community Foundation for 50 years of service in the region. The Greater Washington Community Foundation will commemorate this momentous milestone on May 3, 2023, with philanthropists, nonprofits, businesses, and community members at the Smithsonian’s National Museum for African American History and Culture.

In 1973, a group of prominent business and civic leaders—including Henry ‘‘Hank’’ Strong, Polly Shackleton, Davidson Sommers, Bishop John Walker, and Joseph Whyte—came together to establish a local community foundation to ‘‘promote a permanent source of philanthropic capital for the Washington Metropolitan region.’’

Over time, the Greater Washington Community Foundation has grown to become the largest local funder serving this region, with more than $1.5 billion invested to build equitable, just, and thriving communities in D.C., Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Northern Virginia. Under the leadership of CEO Tonia Wellons, the Greater Washington Community Foundation continues to galvanize philanthropic resources and strategically invest in solutions to a wide range of issues impacting our communities—from education to housing stability, food security, workforce development, and crisis response.

The Greater Washington Community Foundation is now committed to leading our community in a movement that will help increase economic mobility and close our region’s racial wealth gap to create a better future for our region where everyone prospers.

Please join the regional delegation and I in honoring the 50th anniversary of the Greater Washington Community Foundation on May 3, 2023. We urge all the citizens of the greater Washington area to join in celebrating this very special occasion.

Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD 8th District) recorded this message for The Community Foundation's Celebration of Philanthropy, in honor of the organization's 50th Anniversary.

Faces of Sharing - Getting to Know Sharing Montgomery Member, Gene Sachs

Gene Sachs is no stranger to The Community Foundation. A lifetime Montgomery County resident, successful corporate real estate advisor and alumni of the Leadership Greater Washington program, Gene joined The Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees in 2008. During his time on the Board, Gene would serve as Vice Chair, helping to expand The Community Foundation’s footprint in the Greater Washington region.

“My wife and I are firm believers in The Community Foundation,” Gene shared. “The impact that they make – and continue to make in the region, is truly phenomenal.”

However, it wasn’t until Gene stepped down from Board of Trustees and joined the Montgomery County advisory board that Gene was able to experience Sharing Montgomery.

“I wanted to understand more about what was going on at the grassroots level, here in Montgomery County,” Gene explained. “I wanted to know what was happening in on the grass roots level in places like Takoma Park and Wheaton – to really understand what was happening in the fabric of my outside of my bubble in Bethesda.”

On his first Sharing Montgomery site visit, Gene went to Wheaton HS, where he was introduced to a nonprofit working to help high school students from low-income neighborhoods prepare for college.

“I was just blown away by the work they were doing,” Gene remembered. “I immediately realized that I wanted to get more involved, however I could help them grow their mission and expand their reach.” Within a few years, Gene would join their Board of Directors.

Now in his third stint on the Sharing Montgomery Committee, Gene says he still enjoys every minute of it.

“I love hearing the passion from each of the presenters during our site visits – learning about the evolution of how they got to where they are now. I come away so inspired and humbled by the amount of work they are doing to change lives.”

Gene also shared how much he enjoyed seeing how Sharing Montgomery gave donors and partners a chance to network and collaborate at in-person site visits.

“A lot of times – after our in-person site visits – we’d get a lot of feedback from partners about how much they appreciated getting to see what other organizations are doing. Even though they sometimes work in the same field, just being able to hear what others are doing was enough to start a dialogue for potential partnerships.”

“Whether you’re a partner or a donor, Sharing Montgomery is a springboard for changemakers – convening outstanding leaders in the community and providing a better understanding of the transformative work being done in Montgomery County.”

Community Foundation's Sharing Community Funds Announce $810,000 in Funding for Regional Nonprofits

The Greater Washington Community Foundation is excited to announce $810,000 in grants awarded through its Sharing Community Funds this past cycle.

The Sharing Community Funds bring together donors who share our passion for building more equitable, just, and thriving communities.  With expert facilitation by Community Foundation staff, donors join together to learn first-hand about the challenges facing our community. Thanks to the generosity of this growing community of givers, together we discover and invest in visionary nonprofits working on the frontlines of our region’s most pressing needs.   

In alignment with our Strategic Vision, the Sharing Community Funds focused on the three intervention areas of the racial wealth gap — Basic Needs, Economic Mobility, and Community Wealth Building.

See Below for a complete list of our nonprofit partners for 2023, sorted by category.

Photo Courtesy of Montgomery County Food Council

2023 Sharing Community Fund
Nonprofit Partners - Basic Needs

• Sharing DC Grant Recipients

  Dreaming Out Loud (2022 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to create economic opportunity for DC’s marginalized communities through creating a healthy, equitable food system by driving a new framework for sustainable economic development for Black and Brown DC residents, food entrepreneurs, and farmers in our region.

  DC Greens to advance health equity and systemic change through advocacy and direct service programs, including Food is Medicine and urban farming.

  DC Kincare Alliance (2023 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to provide legal, financial, and related services to relative caregivers who step up to at-risk DC children in times of crisis when their parents are not able to care for them.

  Safe Sister Circle to provide holistic, trauma-informed services to Black women and girls from DC Ward’s 7 and 8 who are survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence.

• Sharing Montgomery Grant Recipients

  AfriThrive to empower African immigrants to grow and share healthy, culturally appropriate produce with residents facing food insecurity.

  Black and Brown Coalition (2022 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to engage underserved families to advocate for federal, state, and local supports of intensive and research-based academic interventions targeted toward students with the greatest need.

  Care for Your Health for culturally sensitive in-home health care for seniors.

  Community Bridges, Inc to empower girls in elementary, middle and high schools through leadership development, college and career readiness, and family support and mentoring.

  Crittenton Services of Greater Washington to help teenage girls achieve academic and personal success through virtual and school-based cohort programs.

  Crossroads Community Food Network to provide training and support for startup food businesses, healthy eating education, and farmers’ market nutrition incentives at the popular Crossroads Farmers Market.

  Horizons Greater Washington to support students from low-income families with academic, artistic, and athletic activities for nine years, from kindergarten through eighth grade.

  Manna Food Center to work to eliminate hunger through food distribution, healthy eating education, and advocacy.

  Mary's Center for health care, education, social services, and ongoing COVID-19 response that builds a healthier and stronger community.

  Montgomery County Food Council (2022 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to build a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable local food system. Its leadership helps the many county food providers strategically work together to better serve the 100,000+ residents who do not know where their next meal will come from.

  Montgomery Housing Partnership, Inc (MHP) to develop affordable rental housing and offer Community Life programs that support young children and their families at home, ultimately strengthening neighborhoods.

  National Alliance on Mental Illness of Montgomery County (NAMI MC) to provide comprehensive support, education, advocacy and public awareness to promote recovery for those affected by mental illness.

  Rainbow Community Development Corporation to fund food security relief and other services including eviction and utility cutoff prevention, and temporary shelter, job search and resume assistance.

• Sharing Prince George's Grant Recipients

  Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Prince George’s County (2022 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to partner with the juvenile court to improve the lives of children living in foster care who have suffered from abuse and neglect. With a strong commitment to diversity, CASA/ Prince George’s County trains and supervises volunteers from the community who advocate for the best interest of children, recognizing and respecting each child’s individual needs. By providing a voice to children in the foster care system, it’s goal is to help children and promote the timely placement of those they serve in safe, permanent homes.

  Community Crisis Services Inc. (2022 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to provide compassionate crisis support through its hotline, safe-shelter programs and information and referral services.

  Community and Family Youth Services (CAFY) (2022 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to guide child crime victims in Prince George’s County through the process of testifying in court. CAFY empowers victims and their families to gain the confidence to help hold offenders accountable, restore families and educate the community. They are the designated victim services provider for the four largest law enforcement departments in Prince George’s County. Their mission is “to embrace, educate, and empower those impacted, affected or harmed by crime or trauma on their journey to justice and healing”. All victims are embraced – irrespective of age, gender, religion, ethnic background or sexual orientation.

  Hillside Work Scholarship Connection (2022 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to provide compassionate crisis support through its hotline, safe-shelter programs and information and referral services.

  Sowing Empowerment & Economic Development (SEED) to provide food, education, and training while promoting self-sufficiency and empowerment directly to low-to-moderate-income families.

Photo Courtesy of CollegeTracks

2023 Sharing Community Fund
Nonprofit Partners - Economic Mobility

• Sharing DC Grant Recipients

  Beloved Community Incubator (2023 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to help workers create and maintain their own businesses through worker owned cooperatives, collective projects, and business ownership.

  Young Doctors DC to provide mentoring, educational programming, and service-learning opportunities to encourage high school boys in Southeast DC to pursue healthcare careers.

• Sharing Montgomery Grant Recipients

  Career Catchers (2023 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to provide personalized employment and job skills counseling for low-income and chronically under-employed residents.

  CollegeTracks (2023 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to improve college access and retention rates for students at risk of not attending college, primarily first-generation, low-income, minority, and immigrant youth.

  Future Link to provide career counseling, mentoring, tutoring, academic advising, scholarships, and internships to help connect disadvantaged youth to post-secondary educational opportunities.

  Generation Hope to mentor and provide scholarships for teen parents pursuing college degrees. It also delivers early childhood resources so scholars’ children begin kindergarten with a strong academic foundation.

  Identity, Inc to serve Latino and other historically underserved youths and their families. Identity helps youths develop social and emotional skills, excel in school, and get ready to enter the workforce.

  Interfaith Works to provide emergency assistance and counseling, vocational services, food distributions, clothing, and shelter for those experiencing homelessness.

  Kingdom Global Community Development Corporation to distribute food, diapers, and COVID-19 support at the East County Services Consolidation Hub, along with other public-private partnerships that address food security, health and wellness, education, employment, and housing.

  Montgomery College Foundation to support the Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success (ACES) program that provides underrepresented students with a seamless and supportive pathway to a bachelor’s degree.

  Per Scholas National Capital Region (NCR) to run an intensive technology training course that empowers individuals – especially people of color, women, and young adults – to pursue high-growth tech careers.

  Red Wiggler Community Farm to support on-farm training and education for adults with developmental disabilities. Half of its organic produce is donated to low-income households throughout the county.

  Sheppard Pratt (formerly Family Services) for clinical health services, rehabilitation services, services to children youth and families, and community and family services, such as Linkages to Learning and domestic violence supports.

  The Upcounty Hub to supply families with food, healthcare assistance, and connections to other essential resources, while maintaining their privacy and dignity.

• Sharing Prince George's Grant Recipients

  CASA de Maryland, Inc. (2022 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to create a more just society by building power and improving the quality of life in working class and immigrant communities. Their vision is for a future in which immigrants stand in their own power, their families live free from discrimination and fear, and diverse communities thrive as they work with partners to achieve full human rights for all.

  Community Outreach & Development CDC to provide resources that meet the varying needs of households in a compassionate center approach, that focuses on the needs of individual households. Particular focuses of this grant will be to expand partnership with Oxon Hill Elementary School, increase healthy food options and emergency financial support.

  Ivy Community Charities to provide community outreach through education, health, leadership development, cultural arts and economic empowerment. Economic self-sufficiency programs cover financial literacy, budgeting, banking, investing, scholarships, career planning and work transition skills

  Joe's Movement Emporium to offer creative cultural experiences supporting arts education, job training, and building a creative community. Recently, the nonprofit’s work has included establishment of a Suitland location and expansion of their presence in the area.

  The Training Source to provide education, training, and services that promote positive economic mobility for residents. A priority of this grant would be to better meet the demand for services by expanding to serve additional clients.

Photo Courtesy of IMPACT Silver Spring

2023 Sharing Community Fund
Nonprofit Partners -
Individual & Community Wealth Building

• Sharing DC Grant Recipients

  Empower DC (2022 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to enhance, improve and promote the self-advocacy of low- and moderate-income DC residents through grassroots organizing, popular education style training, leadership development, and member-led campaigns strategically designed to influence pressing social issues impacting our constituency.

  Marshall Heights Community Development Organization to increase economic equity through advancements in homeownership, employment, entrepreneurship, healthcare, and public safety.

• Sharing Montgomery Grant Recipients

  Capital Area Asset Building Corporation to provide financial literacy and matched savings programs, enabling low-income residents to become financially stable and pursue their dreams.

  IMPACT Silver Spring (2023 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to fund community-building work for a racially and economically equitable community in which people can take collaborative action to enact lasting change.

  Montgomery Moving Forward to convene leaders from government, business, philanthropy, education, and nonprofits to solve complex problems facing the county. Through capacity building programs, MMF’s leaders advocate around pressing issues of economic opportunity and early childhood education.

  Nonprofit Montgomery to support local organizations with government relations, advocacy, strategic communications, financial management, metrics tracking, and cross-sector problem solving. With this support, grantees of Sharing Montgomery can access personalized support and connections to help deepen their impact.

• Sharing Prince George's Grant Recipients

  Central Kenilworth Avenue Revitalization (CKAR) to implement projects in the Greater Riverdale community, including community and economic development, workforce training, environmental sustainability, business retention, and advocacy efforts. In part, this grant will support a café training program focused on financial stability for participants.

  Housing Initiative Partnership to provide neighborhood revitalization through innovative, green housing development and counseling – including bilingual housing counseling and financial coaching.

Listening to the Community: Sharing Montgomery Meets With Leaders in East-County

Members of The Community Foundation’s Montgomery County Advisory Board, staff, and Sharing Montgomery donors recently visited with community partners in Montgomery County’s East-County region – one of the “Priority Neighborhoods” identified by The Community Foundation as part of its new 10-year strategic plan. The event follows a similar visit with Up-County partners that took place last November.

The day began at Manna Food Center’s headquarters in Silver Spring, where the group met with a panel of nonprofit leaders who have been at the forefront of the battle against food insecurity in Montgomery County. A battle that they say has continued, even as COVID cases have declined.

“Let’s not have amnesia about what we experienced during the pandemic,” Jackie DeCarlo, CEO of Manna Food Center shared. “As one our volunteers shared ‘I hope we never go back to normal; the pandemic made me realize that -- for a lot of people -- normal just wasn’t working”.

Despite the challenges, these partners have only continued to innovate. Rev. Kendra Smith, of East County Hub led by Kingdom Fellowship, and Pat Drumming, Executive Director of Rainbow Community Development Center, outlined how they work collaboratively with local businesses, grocery stores, and farmers to rescue thousands of pounds food.  DeCarlo explained how Manna Food Center now partners with local ethnic food markets to establish a voucher system that allows families to obtain culturally appropriate foods to make homecooked meals while also supporting critical local businesses.

“Essentially, we’re working with what already exists to recreate a new food system,” Rev. Kendra Smith of East County Hub of Kingdom Fellowship explained. “One that has the flexibility to respond to our community’s needs.”

The panel expressed gratitude to the donors of Sharing Montgomery and Food for Montgomery for their extraordinary support in recent years. They further highlighted how major investments over the last few years enabled them to secure shared cold storage – increasing their capacity to collect, store, and distribute perishable food items like meat and fresh produce.

“We can’t continue to look at food insecurity in isolation,” Rev. Smith explained. “Many of the families we’re serving are multi-generational. We need to examine all the social determinants of health and start having conversations about how we can work together and collaborate to address the root causes behind the needs that these families have.”

After a quick tour of the Manna Food Center’s choice pantry, the group then moved on to Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville, MD, where they met with representatives from local nonprofits working to promote economic mobility and higher education: IMPACT Silver Spring, College Tracks and the Achieving College Excellence & Success (ACES) partnership of Montgomery College, the Universities at Shady Grove, and Montgomery County Public Schools.

Much like the safety-net partners, these nonprofit leaders had to continuously pivot and innovate since the outbreak of COVID.   For IMPACT Silver Spring, that meant finding ways to provide direct cash transfers so families in crisis could meet their needs more efficiently (an effort supported by The Community Foundation’s Neighbors in Need Montgomery Fund).  Meanwhile, CollegeTracks and ACES initially struggled to connect with students virtually while schools were operating remotely but ultimately found their efforts made them even more accessible.

“We were able to engage with their families in ways that we’d never done before,” explained Mecha Inman, CEO of College Tracks. “We were able to directly answer their questions about the college application process and help them become better informed about how to support and advocate for their students.”

Andres Maldonado, Assistant Director of ACES, further shared how ACES expanded their outreach to better serve students and their families – ensuring that students not only had access to academic support, but also important resources like food, employment opportunities, and mental health services. 

In response to how residents are helping their families and neighborhoods recover, Michael Rubin, Interim Director of IMPACT Silver Spring, shared how they are advancing worker collaboratives, empowering people with the resources and capital they need to start new enterprises that will ultimately help them on the pathway out of poverty and keep wealth in our local economy.

“We are not going to safety net ourselves out of the racial wealth gap. We are not going to safety net ourselves out of poverty,” Rubin shared. “We have to do things differently.”

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

• While the nonprofit partners we heard from have different missions, there is a common practice that has fueled their many accomplishments; they authentically listen to the community, making sure residents’ voices are driving change.

• Knowing the federal pandemic relief dollars are dwindling, we must empower our local nonprofits with flexible support they will need to further meet the urgent needs plus advocate for policy changes that will help our lowest-income neighbors who were hit hardest by the pandemic and are still struggling to recover.

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