The Resilience Fund: A Year in Review

It has been one year since the Greater Washington Community Foundation and the Meyer Foundation launched the Resilience Fund as a rapid response vehicle to address changes in federal policy and budget priorities and the increasing climate of intolerance, hate, and anti-other, which disproportionately impact people of color, and immigrant and refugee communities. In that time, we have raised more than $630,000 from institutional and individual donors across the region. We are incredibly proud to share that we have also leveraged as much as $450,000 through parallel commitments from donors to organizations funded through the Resilience Fund. That is more than $1 million to support local nonprofits serving the urgent and emerging needs of our region's most vulnerable residents. This is a true testament to the commitment of incredibly generous people in our region who care deeply about their neighbors and communities. 

Reflecting on the past year, we wanted to share some of the important work this Fund has contributed to.

Helping Immigrant Communities

Initially, the Resilience Fund focused last fall on supporting residents and families affected by the new Administration’s changes to international travel, immigration, and deportation policies. The Resilience Fund’s first round of grants supported work to ensure community members understand their legal and civil rights, take precautions to stabilize their families in the event they are detained, and receive legal representation.

• Know Your Rights education: As ICE changed its enforcement priorities and stepped up detentions, CAIR Coalition responded by delivering 12 presentations across the region educating 326 immigrant youth and adults about their constitutional rights. It also intervened in the bond cases of 18 detained individuals, securing the release of 12 on bond and with three more are awaiting hearings.

• Legal defense training: Noncriminal arrests of immigrants have increased by nearly 300%. Legal Aid Justice Center is combating ICE abuses by training 64 lawyers to defend immigrants in deportation proceedings by challenging constitutional violations. Without the Resilience Fund’s support, LAJC would not have had the funding to provide this training to nonprofit providers and private attorneys.

• Legal services: CASA sought to address threats facing immigrants due to increased enforcement and changes to DACA and TPS. It held 46 know your rights workshops attended by 6,740 people, screened 415 people at risk of deportation to identify potential forms of relief, provided DACA application assistance to 320 youth, held bystander trainings for 300 people and mobilized a national day of action.

• DACA application support: The President’s decision to rescind DACA provided only one month for eligible recipients to renew their status – affecting an estimated 20,000 people in the region. Ayuda received an emergency grant to conduct outreach and organize two free DACA clinics – helping 45 clients prepare renewal applications, receive in-depth legal consultations, and open long-term representation cases. The future of DACA remains uncertain but, with the Resilience Fund’s support, Ayuda continues to assist DACA recipients with legal advice and representation.

Countering Hate and Intolerance 

Recent increases in incidents of hate, intolerance and incivility in the Greater Washington region led the Resilience Fund to refocus its second round of grantmaking on building community cohesion and combating anti-other sentiment. In late December, the Fund made grants to local organizations focused on grassroots community engagement and national organizations combating bullying, bigotry, and fake news through education. While much of the work funded this round is still in process, some early notable achievements include:

• Anti-bias education: The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has tracked a disturbing trend of increasing bias incidents in schools, where it’s estimated that 1 in 4 students are bullied. With support from the Resilience Fund, ADL doubled the size of its No Place for Hate program to reach more than 25,000 students in 25 K-12 schools throughout the region. The program is helping local schools foster an accepting and safe climate using ADL’s framework to teach respect and inclusion.

• Digital literacy tools: More educators are seeking tools to teach students how to sort fact from falsehood in the digital age so they can be informed and engaged citizens. A grant from the Resilience Fund enabled the News Literacy Project to expand its program into Arlington County, Virginia, where it will host a NewsLitCamp for teachers in August and make 2,500 subscriptions to its virtual classroom available.

• Community engagement: Prince George’s County residents care deeply about the well-being of their communities but lack a space to discuss relevant issues. With support from the Resilience Fund, the Prince George’s County Social Innovation Fund partnered with the Transforming Neighborhoods Initiative and will host a town hall style gathering on April 23, for discussions of economic, health, public safety and educational challenges in the County.

• Training future leaders: Disenfranchised communities have long been left out of conversations about economic improvement and systems change. Progressive Maryland offered 5 trainings to empower 50 members to become agents of change and advocates for social and economic justice. These members have since taken on leadership positions within their local chapters to help strengthen their community’s grassroots capacity to advocate for their needs.

While many similar rapid response funds launched in other parts of the country are winding down, the Resilience Fund is gearing up for its second year. The Steering Committee is in the process of building out its agenda. We invite you to join us in our efforts. For more information contact Tonia Wellons, Vice President - Community Investment at [email protected]. 

Sincerely,

Bruce McNamer

President and CEO

Greater Washington Community Foundation

Nicky Goren

President and CEO

Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation

Resilience Fund Steering Committee

Greater Washington Community Foundation

Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

Harman Family Foundation

June Linowitz

Elaine Reuben

Rob and Sheri Rosenfeld

Mauri Ziff and Jeff Hamond

How the Resilience Fund Reshaped One Couple’s Philanthropy

Rob and Sheri Rosenfeld opened a donor-advised fund at The Community Foundation in December 2007. A native Washingtonian, Rob is a real estate developer and investor who was previously a Managing Partner of JBG Rosenfeld Retail. Sheri is a native of Chicago who has lived in the Washington area for nearly 30 years. She is a psychotherapist and was in private practice. Over the years, the Rosenfelds have donated their time serving on nonprofit boards and contributing to causes near and dear to their family, such as the arts and cancer research. However, they decided to expand their approach to philanthropy when they heard about The Community Foundation’s Resilience Fund. The Fund was created in March 2017 to support the critical needs of nonprofits working on behalf of vulnerable communities affected by changes in federal policies. Rob and Sheri recently spoke about their experience serving on the Fund’s steering committee. 

What drew you to the Resilience Fund? 

When we learned about the Fund, it felt like an “aha” moment. We both had been searching for what one person or what one couple could do to speak to the troubling direction that this new administration was taking. Rather than moaning and groaning about changing policies, we wanted to take action. The Resilience Fund spoke to us.

What inspired you to join the steering committee? 

We took great comfort in knowing that both The Community Foundation and Meyer Foundation were involved in creating the Fund. We recognized the value of the two foundations, along with other foundations and individuals, joining forces to have a greater impact. While we were prepared to make a significant financial contribution, we wanted to do more than just write a check. We saw this as a significant time in our country, in terms of the political and social climate. If we were going to make a material commitment of our time and resources during our lifetime, it felt like this was one of those times.

How do you feel about the committee’s decision to focus on immigration, deportation policies, the rise of intolerance and the adverse impact of the federal budget on our region? 

Some may see these issues – especially immigration – through a partisan lens. We see them through a humanitarian and economic lens. In fact there are people on both sides of the aisle who see the merits of a robust immigration system. Having friends and colleagues from many different backgrounds, we feel that ALL people deserve the same rights and freedoms, including due process. We feel this in our bones and in our hearts. It’s heartbreaking to watch so much social and economic progress be rolled back. The Resilience Fund is ensuring that our neighborhoods “remain resilient, thriving, and more equitable and inclusive places to live despite policy shifts and ‘anti-other’ sentiments.” 

How does the steering committee make its decisions?  

The committee has conference calls or meetings at least once a month. We ask critical questions about potential grantees: Is the organization strong enough? Will this funding make a difference? Is this an urgent need? There are so many groups doing good work. It’s our job to determine which organizations will have the greatest impact. For instance, in September, we made an emergency rapid response grant of $25,000 to support Ayuda. That is exactly what this fund is intended for. At the time, Ayuda was addressing the urgent need for emergency clinics to prepare and file Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewal applications in DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland before the filing deadline. Our rapid response funding also provided legal services and consultations to advise DACA recipients about avenues of relief available to them. 

Would you recommend this Fund to friends? 

Absolutely. For the past year, we’ve been raising money from our friends and colleagues – and we aren’t done yet. Our goal is to raise support from friends toward the Fund’s ultimate goal of $1 million. In every administration there’s going to be a rollback of something. But this time, things are happening so fast and with such a large sweeping hand.  Together, we hope to soften the blow from these shifting policies. 

Learn more about the Resilience Fund's focus areas and recent grants.

Improving the lives of our youth

The Greater Washington Community Foundation is committed to addressing challenges faced by our region’s young people. Our goal is to achieve economic security for all residents of the greater Washington region. That's why education is one of our community leadership initiatives. Find out what we’re doing to connect young people to opportunities to grow and thrive.

Achieving economic security by strengthening the safety net

The Greater Washington Community Foundation is committed to leading on critical community issues, including strengthening the safety net.

Why is this important? The quality of life in our region depends on increasing individuals' and families' access to high quality food, shelter, and services.

The greater Washington region has one of the strongest economies in the nation. Unfortunately, poverty continues to grow. In addition, the demand for safety net services continues to increase as available resources drastically decrease.

According to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government’s 2012 Count of Homeless Persons, there are 11,830 homeless people in our region with children and youth representing 29% of the homeless population. Homelessness among the region’s families has increased nearly 23 percent since 2008 in our region, compared to 1.2 percent for the nation since 2009.

The region’s overall increase in family homelessness is attributed to the impact of the economic crisis and the lack of affordable housing. Service providers are unable to meet the increased and steady demand for shelter, housing, emergency financial assistance.

Bridging Differences: Youth/Police Dialogue in Montgomery County

We were ushered into a small classroom near the side entrance to Gaithersburg High School where a group of 10 students were already gathered in a circle. About half of them were African American; the others were Latina. Included in the circle was a burly African American Montgomery County police officer, and two young African American women police officers.

On the floor was a colorful rectangular cloth surrounded by handwritten papers. Vanessa, the group’s facilitator, told me that these were depictions of the students’ values – “honesty, love, hope, faith…” — the people for whom they want to make the world a better place – “my little brother, my grandma, my friends, myself…” — and their safe places – a church sanctuary, a bedroom, a beach.

Not content simply to have us observe this program, Vanessa invited me, my colleague Anna, and our Grant Committee member to take the remaining open seats and to participate fully in the intense, raw, honest conversation that followed.

For the next hour and a half, we talked about our frustrations with those who had authority over us as adolescents – for some of us, a distant memory, for others, very much of the moment. “There are too many rules.” “They don’t trust me.” “They assume I’m screwing up before I even have a chance.” The students shared their questions and concerns about interactions they and their friends have had with police. “Why do police always stop my friend’s dad – a Muslim with a license plate that says ‘EGYPT’ when he’s driving around the County — and never my white friend’s dad?” “Why do you always assume the worst?” “Why did that SWAT team barge into my house, break all of our stuff, handcuff me to my bed, and terrify my grandma, when the guy you were looking for wasn’t even there?!”

The police officers told why they are called to this work, how it feels when they have to confront their neighbors, and how they perceive their duty to protect and serve. “I’m putting my life on the line for you and your family.” “Your parents work hard to pay for your car and your insurance. Do you want other people to get away with not paying for their registration and insurance? Your parents are gonna be stuck with the bill if an uninsured motorist causes an accident.” “I feel terrible when I have to bust into someone’s home, but I have to put on my emotional armor to protect myself and everyone there from the danger that might be lurking just around the corner.”  “I’m sorry that you had that experience; it must have been scary.”

This conversation, the fifth in a series of six sessions with this particular group of female students, is part of a Youth/Police Dialogue program funded by an anonymous donor through her fund at The Community Foundation. 

About two years ago, this donor and her family felt heartsick every time they saw another police-related shooting in the news. They were especially troubled by the pattern: shooting, protests, community meetings, lip-service responses, and then…nothing. No meaningful change. They wanted to make an investment in the deep relationship-building necessary to heal the distrust between police and communities, particularly communities of color in their own county. They turned to us.

Our Philanthropic Engagement staff in Montgomery County did some research, and found that one of our long-time trusted grantees, Identity, already had a program in partnership with Montgomery County Police and Public Schools, offering one-time youth/police summits.  The donor was impressed, but wanted to invest in a longer series that would enable the students and police to make real connections with each other. She wanted to remain anonymous, so our staff served as the intermediary to solicit a proposal and get all of the donor’s questions answered.

Together, we agreed on a program design involving six facilitated sessions (three with youth only, three with police joining the young people), focusing on youth who have interacted with law enforcement after participating in or witnessing violence or being involved with a gang, are crime victims, have served in-school suspensions, and/or have low conflict-resolution skills. Our staff invited other donors to join in supporting the project, raising sufficient funds to launch the program last fall in three public high schools, two community-based centers, and a Germantown library.

The school staff, Identity’s facilitators, and the police officers told us that the group of Latina and African American girls we met at Gaithersburg High School that day were chosen because they are leaders within their peer groups, but their voices are often drowned out by boys who join them for larger summits. With skilled help from Identity’s staff, these young women and the police who join them are opening up, bravely sharing their values, stories, and fears with each other, cultivating respect and empathy. They are engaging “power with” – the power of people and communities to connect and nurture trusting, healthy relationships.

At the end of the session, Vanessa asked everyone in the circle to answer one question: “Is there hope?” Coming from our very different perspectives – across race, ethnicity, gender, class, professional status – each of us answered, simply, “yes.” This is what philanthropy can make possible!  

If you are troubled by discord among our neighbors in Greater Washington and aren’t sure how your philanthropy can make a difference, please reach out and we would be honored to facilitate a connection between you and community organizations that are healing the divides among us. Together, we can bridge differences, cultivate empathy, and make our region stronger and more resilient.

Workforce development is critical to achieving economic security

Helping workers acquire the skills and credentials they need to launce successful, family-sustaining careers, and helping businesses attract, retain, and advance the skilled workforce they need to remain globally competitive.

Along with education and strengthening the safety net, workforce development is one of the Community Foundation’s three strategic investment priorities. Our investments in these three areas work together towards one overarching goal – achieving economic security for all residents of the greater Washington region. 

Our region’s economy increasingly demands high levels of skills and knowledge from its workers.  Thousands in our region are unemployed, under-employed, or stuck in low-wage employment, lacking the necessary tools to find and keep a job that can lead to economic security. Employers value credentials, so we are working to link adult education and training to the on-the-ground needs of employers.

Our workforce development investments have helped thousands of workers across the greater Washington region earn credentials and launch family-sustaining careers. 

Three strategies for improving education

The Greater Washington Community Foundation is improving the quality of life in our region through community leadership initiatives.

Our education initiatives are geared to preventing youth from falling off track (which means 2 or more years behind graduation requirements), intervening with at-risk students before they fall off track, reengaging students and accelerating completion of graduation requirements, and targeting drop out populations for re-enrollment toward an educational and career trajectory. 

Our team pursues this work in in three key ways: Defining needs, best practices approaches, and collective impact.

Defining Needs

Our commitment to defining needs helps to inform the creation of multiple education options matched to students’ needs by investing in research and other products that define the needs of “disconnected youth.” 

Best Practice Approaches

Define and invest in best practice approaches to re-connecting disconnected youth to education and training opportunities that lead to a post-secondary credential and ultimately a career. 

Collective Impact

Support communities to work together on a common agenda that will improve the lives of young people by investing in collective impact. 

The role of education in achieving economic security

Along with workforce development and strengthening the safety net, education is one of The Community Foundation’s three strategic investment priorities. Our investments in these three areas work together towards one overarching goal: To achieve economic security for all residents of the greater Washington region.

Disconnected youth represent an enormous potential for our region’s economy. If these young people do not reconnect with school and earn a high school diploma, their earning potential substantially decreases. A high school dropout will earn $40,000 per year at age 59, where an individual at age 24 will earn the same with a bachelor’s degree. To maximize the potential for the prosperity of region’s economy, investing in these young people is a social imperative. 

Our education investments are focused on producing tools to pinpoint problems and opportunities to reconnect disconnected youth, scaling effective practices and programs and alignment among important actors across and in the same sectors, which in turn ultimately ensures that our region provides youth multiple pathways to adult success. 

Housing security and food security: Why does it matter?

The Greater Washington Community Foundation is committed to improving the quality of life in our region by leading on critical community issues.

Stable and affordable housing for people at all income levels is a goal that our region should be able to achieve. Without stable housing, it is difficult for people to obtain economic security, a quality education, good health, and employment. 

In July 2014, The Community Foundation released a study, Housing Security in the Washington Region. This study was the first of its kind to show critical gaps in affordable housing across a range of income levels. It is also the first study to comprehensively examine housing needs and how housing policies and programs are funded by public and philanthropic sectors in multiple jurisdictions. 

The Community Foundation commissioned the study, which includes an Executive Summary, with generous support from The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, and the study was researched and prepared by the Urban Institute and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. We commissioned this study in order to quantify the needs for affordable housing and inform strategic investments by the philanthropic sector, as well as the public and private sectors, because all people in our region deserve the chance to prosper as our region prospers.

Food security matters, too. The Community Foundation is a key partner in the Washington Regional Convergence, a group of funders focused on better understanding the food system in the region in order to increase access to healthy and affordable food for all residents and create an equitable food system.