Bringing Community Voices to the Table

By Desiree Griffin-Moore, Executive Director, Prince George’s County

Growing up in the DC area, I have seen the city transform from a small sleepy government town to become the principal city of a major metropolitan area comprised of more than 6 million people. As the seat of our nation’s government, this area has grown exponentially and is quickly being recognized as a bastion for economic growth by corporations and private markets.   

Throughout the city and its surrounding areas, new developments and increasing interest from corporations, including Amazon, are stimulating the region’s economic growth and prosperity and creating new jobs and new business endeavors for many. Still, questions arise such as: Who is benefiting from this growth? How do traditionally marginalized communities gain access to these opportunities? Can the field be leveled and if so, how?   

Our Voices of the Community survey of more than 3,400 local residents found that:

• Nearly one in five residents has faced some form of housing or food insecurity in the past 12 months, and that increases to one in three people for our region’s black and Hispanic populations.

• The cost of living, especially renting or owning a home, is one of the most challenging aspects of our region. Nearly a third of people knew someone in the region who had to move in the past two years for a reason other than their own choice, typically due to high housing costs or job loss.

• Nearly a third of Prince George’s County and Montgomery County respondents rated access to education and training as a “major” barrier to finding a job.

The region’s explosive growth is now extending into Prince George’s County as corporations are seeing the County, its people and its land as valuable assets. As a native Washingtonian, and currently a Prince George’s County resident, I am seeing history repeating itself. While I am excited by the growth and celebrate the decisions of companies like MGM, National Harbor, Washington’s professional football team, and others, to relocate here, I also find myself worrying if the displacement of people that took place as a result of the growth in DC will now duplicate itself in Prince George’s County. Will families who have called Prince George’s County home for generations and contributed to its vitality suddenly find themselves fleeing because they can no longer afford to live here? Are there ways to thoughtfully encourage growth and, at the same time, ensure that the fabric of our communities remain intact? 

The racial and economic inequities that continue to plague our entire region could hinder our progress unless our area’s business, community and philanthropic leaders work together to address these challenges and advance racial equity and inclusion. 

The Greater Washington Community Foundation is tackling these issues by prioritizing strategic partnerships across sectors and developing new approaches to address the region’s most pressing challenges. With more than 45 years of community-based philanthropy experience, our knowledge of local needs and the most impactful nonprofits provides our corporate partners with important connections which are essential to their success. For example, you can read about how our partnership with MGM National Harbor expanded its ability to support and enhance the surrounding community in Prince George’s County.

We continue to play an important role by leveraging our relationships with businesses, nonprofits and local communities to help broker new partnerships that will ultimately provide necessary community input, diverse voices and broader perspectives as development continues to take place. In my years of service to this community and region, I have found that the relationships which emerge through these partnerships are essential .

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Desiree Griffin-Moore joined The Community Foundation in September 1998 as executive director of The Community Foundation in Prince George’s County where she has provided leadership in strategic giving, development, and donor engagement activities. A committed advocate of civil rights and social justice, Desiree has extensive experience working with the nonprofit sector to advance low-income and marginalized communities.

Sharing Prince George’s Announces New Investments to Benefit Thousands of County Residents

The Greater Washington Community Foundation’s Sharing Prince George’s Fund is excited to announce $140,000 in new investments in seven local nonprofits serving County residents.

Sharing Prince George’s is a strategic funding effort representing a collection of philanthropic resources, including the Prince George’s Neighbor to Neighbor Fund and the MGM National Harbor Fund. It aims to increase economic security for residents of Prince George’s County by providing support for safety-net programs which help individuals in crisis to lift themselves out of poverty, educational activities that prepare young people for a successful transition to adulthood, and workforce development opportunities that will help residents earn a living wage. Since its inception, Sharing Prince George’s has awarded more than $1 million in grants to some of the best community-based nonprofit organizations serving Prince George’s County residents.

The seven nonprofits selected for funding in 2018 include:

Community Outreach and Development CDC’s Labor of Love Human Services Center will provide families with financial assistance subsidies to help avoid evictions or utility disconnections, and supply food and other gap-filling needs. 

“Thanks to the Sharing Prince George’s Fund, Community Outreach and Development was able to assist 260 families (747 individuals) each with Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday food baskets, provide upgrades to our clothing closet, and also ensure our food pantry stays stocked. We appreciate the opportunity to serve our most vulnerable residents.” – Sandy Washington, Executive Director

Food & Friends will prepare and deliver 258,432 medically-tailored meals to 810 people living in Prince George’s County—individuals who are living with HIV/AIDs, cancer, or another serious chronic illness, as well as their children and caregivers. 

“At Food & Friends, we are committed to bringing the community together to help our neighbors battling serious illnesses. We are proud to partner with the Sharing Prince George’s Fund: this grant will help 800 County residents in 2019, supporting costs associated with preparing and delivering our nutritionally-tailored meals.” – Carrie Stoltzfus, MPH, Executive Director

Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services, Inc.’s Emergency Services program will help 1,500 Laurel residents who face financial crisis to meet basic needs for food, rent, utilities, prescriptions, clothing and furniture.

"Laurel Advocacy & Referral Services, Inc. (LARS) is grateful for the continued support of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. The Sharing Prince George’s grant fuels our daily efforts to not only meet the basic needs of our community, but also to empower people with the skills and habits to maintain financial stability." - Leah Paley, Executive Director

Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area’s workforce development program will provide low-income immigrants who are refugees, asylees or victims of human trafficking with job readiness training, one-on-one job counseling, resume development, job placement and follow-up post placement.

“Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area has a long history of serving our newest neighbors through refugee resettlement. We are grateful for the award from the Sharing Prince George’s County Fund as it increases our ability to help our neighbors become active members of the Prince George's community.” – Christine Connell, CEO

Maryland Community Connection will create stable environments for County residents with developmental disabilities by providing support for basic needs and essential life services, such as hunger relief, eviction and utilities disconnection assistance, uninsured medical expenses, and employment placement and job retention services.

“Crisis isn’t expected. Planning for basic needs isn’t a luxury. Food and a place to call home is a necessity. And being asked for help isn’t an inconvenience. Maryland Community Connection is humbled and appreciative to provide basic needs/safety net services to individuals with disabilities, thanks to Sharing Prince George’s.” – André Coates, Executive Director

Nick’s Place Relapse Prevention Education Program will help homeless young men exiting in-patient drug and alcohol addiction treatment facilities with housing, food, employment services and addiction recovery support for 6 months to a year. 

"It is a real privilege to have our 19 years of work in Prince George's County acknowledged with a grant that will help us continue to provide clean, safe, sober housing and life management programming to young men beginning recovery from the disease of addiction.” – Rhea McVicker, Executive Director

Prince George’s Child Resource Center, Inc. Healthy Families program will provide free, weekly in-home intervention services for 170 at-risk mothers to combat health disparities associated with poverty and promote children’s healthy development.

“It is an honor to be a grantee of Sharing Prince George's! This funding will make a difference for our Healthy Families Prince George's program. When offering home visiting services that provide new moms with much-needed support, this funding ensures that we can meet unique needs encountered by the families we serve.” – Jennifer Iverson, Executive Director

The Community Foundation’s Sharing Prince George's County Fund facilitates education and civic engagement around local issues and encourages more residents and businesses to collectively give where they live. The initiative helps donors strategically leverage their giving to create even greater impact in our communities by pooling resources to support nonprofits responding to the most critical needs. It also brings together donors and other stakeholders to learn first-hand about the challenges facing the area’s most vulnerable residents and engage in a peer-led grant review process, supported by The Community Foundation’s professional staff. 

If you would like to learn more about Sharing Prince George’s, please visit our website or contact Desiree Griffin-Moore at [email protected].

New Investments in Preventing and Ending Homelessness to Impact Hundreds of DC Residents

The Greater Washington Community Foundation’s Sharing DC Fund has announced $160,000 in new investments in eight nonprofits working to address homelessness in DC. Sharing DC will award grants toward two separate funding priorities: offering flexible funding to programs that help people with costs related to obtaining and moving into permanent housing and providing support for youth homelessness prevention and intervention programs.

Sharing DC, established in 2013, is dedicated to improving the quality of life for the District of Columbia’s most vulnerable residents. Stewarded by an Advisory Committee of donors, in collaboration with The Community Foundation’s staff, Sharing DC gives donors the opportunity to learn first-hand about the challenges facing our community and identify nonprofits working to make a difference in the lives of children and families. The focus area is determined annually by the Sharing DC Advisory Committee.

Advisory Committee Chair, Laura Stone, explained the collaborative process that resulted in these grants: "This year, the Committee chose to focus on homelessness prevention and intervention in alignment with The Community Foundation’s broader impact initiative strategy for DC. As part of the planning process for a forthcoming partnership between The Community Foundation and The District of Columbia Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH), these funding priorities were identified as two areas where private philanthropy can augment the District Government's homelessness service delivery. Sharing DC released an RFP focused on these areas and conducted a thorough and collaborative grant review process. We are proud of our list of grantees."

Kristy Greenwalt, Director, DC Interagency Council on Homelessness, Executive Office of the Mayor, shared, “We are so excited to be working in partnership with the Greater Washington Community Foundation. We all have a role to play in ending homelessness — it is not something one agency, or even one sector, can do alone. Our efforts must be strategically aligned to have maximum impact, which is why we are so excited The Community Foundation is piloting this grants program which supports implementation of the District’s Homeward DC and Solid Foundations DC plans.”

Addressing Youth Homelessness in DC

Youth experiencing homelessness are particularly vulnerable to harm and exploitation. The trauma and instability that results from homelessness can impact a young person’s development and have long-lasting effects on their well-being.

Sharing DC’s youth homelessness program grant recipients include: the Latin American Youth Center, Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL), Casa Ruby, and Sasha Bruce Youthwork. Funding will support street outreach, drop-in centers, hotline, prevention and stabilization services, emergency shelter, transitional housing, and permanent housing solutions.

Lupi Quinteros-Grady, President and CEO at Latin American Youth Center, noted, “With support from Sharing DC, LAYC’s bilingual, culturally competent staff will provide 400 runaway and homeless youth in DC with comprehensive services, including emergency care and supplies, crisis intervention, coordinated entry assessment, referrals to housing and other supports, case management, family intervention, and aftercare support.”     

Sasha Bruce staff and clients at its emergency youth shelter, the Sasha Bruce House.

In DC, 17% of homeless youth self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning, while 7% self-identify as transgender. With this in mind, Sharing DC chose to invest in SMYAL and Casa Ruby, two of the District’s premier LGBTQ-led service providers. Ruby Corado, Executive Director at Casa Ruby, shared, “Casa Ruby is really happy and in need of the grant received from The Community Foundation. Our LGBTQ Respite Center and Housing Program will greatly benefit from the ability to purchase the most comfortable bedding we can provide our youth." SMYAL’s Executive Director Sultan Shakir expressed that they are “incredibly grateful to Sharing DC for partnering with us to change the lives of homeless LGBTQ youth. We know our youth face a number of challenges, and we’re working together to ensure young people can overcome whatever gets put in their way.” 

Flexible Funding

District government dollars cover the large, recurring costs of helping residents obtain and maintain housing, however, there are small expenses associated with helping clients return to stable housing that aren’t covered by existing federal and local government housing assistance programs.  

Sharing DC’s flexible funding program grant recipients include: Pathways to Housing, Community of Hope, Friendship Place, and Miriam’s Kitchen. These grants will allow providers to help single adults, families, and youth move to permanent housing by funding key needs which often present barriers to exiting homelessness. Funding will help with small costs related to obtaining and moving into permanent housing that are not otherwise covered by government funding sources — such as security deposits, rental application fees, transportation to see rental units, moving costs and household furnishings.

Catherine Mitchell, Director of Neighbors First Families at Friendship Place, noted that "This grant fills in a gap in DC's funding for our permanent supportive housing program for formerly homeless families. Some of our families are living in unsafe conditions, and now we will be able cover their costs to relocate to safer and more stable housing, where they can move ahead toward goals for recovery, health, wellness, financial stability and educational and career advancement."

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The Community Foundation is excited by these investments and the opportunity to mobilize private funding to help expand services for people experiencing homelessness. If you are a funder or donor interested in learning more about our work to end homelessness in DC, or would like to learn about how to become engaged in Sharing DC, learn more on our website.

Corporate Philanthropy that Unites Communities

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is a New York-based law firm with offices in Washington, DC, Houston, Palo Alto and in the U.K. and Europe. About 15 years ago, Willkie’s DC office was looking for a way to give back to give back to the DC community that would complement the firm’s already-extensive pro bono efforts. Willkie’s goal was to enhance its impact on the community by concentrating its charitable giving on a key area of need in the DC region and harnessing the volunteer spirit of the entire office to serve a common cause, in a way that also would serve as a unifying force for the DC office.

In 2004, Willkie launched the Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP Greater DC Community Foundation as a component fund of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. The Willkie Foundation’s mission is to support educational and enrichment programs for underserved youth in the region.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP attorneys and staff are actively engaged with Principal Grantees.

As the Willkie Foundation was launched, The Community Foundation provided an array of services to assist in the foundation’s organization and management. The Community Foundation’s professional staff helped Willkie develop its grantmaking program, including the strategy and identification of investment opportunities, facilitating meetings, and training on how to review proposals and make grants.

The partnership between Willkie and The Community Foundation led to a highly-customized foundation structure that is unique among law firms, but could provide a blueprint for other law firms and organizations looking to achieve similar goals. The key components of the Willkie Foundation model are:

• Focused Mission: All efforts of the Willkie Foundation are directed toward organizations that provide educational and other enrichment programming for underserved youth in DC and neighboring jurisdictions.

• Partnership Consensus: The Willkie Foundation’s mission statement was developed and endorsed by the Willkie DC partners and counsel, whose voluntary, individual contributions are the primary source of funding for the Foundation.

• Office-Wide Advisory Committee: The Willkie Foundation is managed by a committee that includes partners, counsel, associates and staff across all practice groups.

• Rotating Principal Grantees: Periodically, the Willkie Foundation selects an organization with which it partners, typically for a period of 5-6 years, making it the recipient of the majority of the Foundation’s annual giving, volunteer hours and other support.

• Active Engagement with Grantees: Willkie attorneys and staff are actively engaged with grantees through events organized at Willkie DC for its grantees and through volunteer opportunities provided by grantee organizations.

• Undirected (General Fund) Grants: The Willkie Foundation selects its grantee organizations carefully, but then allows the recipients of its grants to determine how best to use the awarded funds.

The Willkie Foundation awarded its first grants in 2005, and since then has awarded nearly $2.3 million in grants to about two dozen organizations providing educational enrichment and other related services to DC youth. Examples of the work of the Willkie Foundation include:

• The Willkie Foundation’s first Principal Grantees, DC SCORES and Higher Achievement Program (HAP), received significant financial support that was instrumental in their growth and expansion. Along the way, Willkie attorneys and staff members participated in HAP’s mentoring program (a 26-week commitment), volunteered at their events, sat on their boards, organized school supply drives, and coordinated numerous activities for their students, including mock trials, shadow days and tours of Willkie’s offices.

• The Willkie Foundation has provided over $100,000 in “rescue grants” to organizations finding themselves in unexpected or difficult situations, such as a $10,000 grant to Life Pieces to Masterpieces, to replace equipment lost due to vandalism of its facility, and $30,000 to DC Scores to cover an unexpected budget shortfall.

• Willkie provided the lead gift in support of For Love of Children’s 50th Anniversary Capital Campaign, committing to a multi-year lead grant of $350,000. While FLOC was the Willkie Foundation’s Principal Grantee, Willkie lawyers and staff volunteered at FLOC, and Willkie organized events for FLOC’s students and volunteers at the firm, including a mock trial program, Scrabble and Uno tournaments, college fairs, resume reviews and mock interview and shadow days.

• In 2017, a gift of $75,000 in seed funding from the Willkie Foundation enabled the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project to leverage a matching grant to fund its first-ever Social Worker. Having a full-time social worker has led to more collaboration with partner agencies, more children enrolled in early childhood programs, more parents learning skills to support their children, and more children getting their needs met in school and in the community.

• The Willkie Foundation’s current principal grantee is Horton’s Kids. Aside from more than $200,000 in grants to date, Willkie has been an active participant in Horton’s Kids programming, including sending volunteers monthly to Horton Kids’ Homework Help sessions and participating in spring and end-of-year holiday celebrations and gift drives. And Willkie has hosted Horton’s Kids for resume and mock interview workshops, trivia night dinners and office tours.

As part of this continuing partnership, The Community Foundation shares its vast knowledge of and relationships with nonprofits across the region to help foster connections to organizations which share the Willkie Foundation’s charitable focus. This includes facilitating opportunities for Willkie employees to learn about the issues facing our region and the nonprofits who are working to address them.

“The Willkie Foundation has been so successful because it not only offers a vehicle to give back to the community by sharing our treasures, time and talent, but in the process brings together the entire Willkie DC community,” said Willkie partner Joseph G. Davis. “What excites people even more than the grantmaking is the fact that these groups and the youth they serve have become part of our extended Willkie family.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Community News and Updates: June 2018

Welcome to the Board

Please join us in welcoming two new community leaders to our Board of Trustees:

Cathy Sulzberger chairs the Board of Directors for Martha’s Table, and is a partner at a real estate development company in Maryland. She has served on the boards of various philanthropic organizations and educational institutions throughout her professional life.

David Roodberg is the CEO and President of Horning Brothers, a full service real estate company. David has also been appointed by the Mayor to the Housing Production Trust Fund Board for Washington, DC, setting strategies for the City’s investment in affordable housing.

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A Partnership to End Homelessness

Washington, DC, like every major city across America, faces an affordable housing crisis. At any given point in time, approximately 6,900 people are literally homeless - living on the streets or in the City's emergency shelters. In partnership with the District of Columbia Interagency Council on Homelessness, we are preparing to launch a public-private partnership focused on ending homelessness in the District. Spurred in part by the District Government’s own plans, which seem to be working, we believe now is a crucial time to bring together key public and private sector partners as we identify gaps and leverage points in the District’s plan to pinpoint how the private sector can make critical investments to accelerate our community’s response.

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New Investments in Job Training to Benefit District Residents

The Community Foundation’s Greater Washington Workforce Development Collaborative is pleased to announce new investments in five local community-based organizations designed to help DC residents get the skills and training they need to gain employment. The funded programs will offer training in a host of industries including hospitality, IT, healthcare, education, and the construction trades. These investments are part of the 965 Florida Avenue NW Job Training Grant Program, a philanthropic partnership between the Workforce Collaborative and the developers of a new mixed-use property, a joint venture between MRP Realty, JBG Smith, and Ellis Development. 

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A Tribute to Nancy Fax

Our dear friend Nancy Fax passed away last week after a brief illness. Nancy was a dedicated philanthropist and volunteer in her community -- serving as a member and chair of our Montgomery County Advisory Board, co-chair of our Professional Advisors Council, and as a Trustee. We honor and will remember her compassion, leadership, and significant contributions to the growth of The Community Foundation’s charitable assets and giving. Please contact Anna Hargrave if you would like to receive information about Nancy’s memorial service or make a donation in Nancy's honor to one of her favorite charities.