In a new op-ed for the Washington Business Journal, our President and CEO Bruce McNamer discusses what we learned from a conversation with Mayor Bowser and corporate executives at Salesforce, Zillow, Cisco, and Kaiser Permanente about what it will take to address homelessness and the affordable housing crisis. He shares key takeaways about how the local business community can step up its investments of resources, voice, and leadership to help ensure more of our neighbors have a place to call home.
2020 Count DMV In Census Project Offers Grant Opportunity
Please note these two updates to our grant opportunity as previously posted:
The review committee will now consider (on a case by case basis) larger grants for comprehensive coordinated proposals from applicants that seek to work in multiple jurisdictions.
Additionally, organizations may apply to the 2020 Census opportunity AND the Resilience Fund if they fit the eligibility criteria for both RFPs.
Currently we are less than one year from the commencement of the 2020 Census. Increased understanding of the importance of the census, how it is used, and the potential impact of a complete and accurate count, messaged for relevance, can inform regional awareness and inspire local action.
The 2020 Count DMV In Census Project will entertain applications from nonprofit organizations who will undertake activities that will focus on hard to count communities in the Washington, DC region. For information about the hard to count communities in our region, click here.
Funding will be provided for activities, including, but not limited to:
Public education and information activities
Outreach and mobilization
Indirect assistance to individuals and families completing the 2020 Census Form
Communications and media work
Partnerships with community and nonprofit organizations, small businesses, and local governments to conduct public education and outreach
Grants Available
Grant awards will range between $5,000-$20,000 for program requests only. General operating requests will not be accepted. The Review Committee will consider (on a case by case basis) larger grants for comprehensive coordinated proposals for applicants that seek to work in multiple jurisdictions.
Eligibility Criteria
Organizations must be 501(c)3 nonprofits or have partnerships that appoint a 501(c)3 nonprofit institution as their fiduciary agent.
Organizations are required to operate in Washington, DC or the following counties: Montgomery and Prince George’s, MD; Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, and the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, and Manassas Park in Virginia.
Organizations that are valued by the community as a “trusted messenger” and resource as evidenced by extensive experience or a mission that includes providing direct services, outreach, and engagement of hard to count communities.
Application Process
Proposals must be submitted through our online grant application system, Gifts Online. No hard copy, email or faxed proposals will be accepted. Applications are due by 4:00 p.m. on Monday, July 29. Proposals will be reviewed in August 2019 and applicants will be notified if they have been selected for funding by September 2019.
Please note: Applicants must have a functioning Internet connection and one of the following browsers, with cookies enabled: Internet Explorer v7 or higher Firefox v3 or higher.
Questions
For any questions regarding this funding opportunity or technical assistance with the online application system, please reach out to Melen Hagos. No calls, please.
Let’s End Homelessness Together: The Daniel and Karen Mayers’ Challenge
Daniel and Karen Mayers
There was a time when ending homelessness in the District of Columbia seemed impossible. Today, many people, including Daniel and Karen Mayers, believe that goal is within reach. That is why they have donated $100,000 to begin the Dan and Karen Mayers’ Challenge. The Challenge aims to raise $1 million for the Partnership to End Homelessness. It is with a sense of both urgency and optimism that Dan and Karen challenge others to join them in ensuring that homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring in DC.
“In the past, homelessness was seen as an intractable problem,” says Dan, a leader in charitable giving in DC for nearly six decades. “Today, we have the leadership, tools, plan, and political will to end homelessness. The only thing missing is critical resources.”
“It’s easy to feel overwhelmed trying to address the many important issues facing our city,” adds Karen. “Here is a concrete problem with a concrete solution.”
In partnership with the District government’s Interagency Council on Homelessness, The Community Foundation has identified an effective way for the local philanthropic community to play a significant role in ending homelessness. The core elements of the Partnership include coordination and engagement of the local business and philanthropic communities, a grant fund to support expenses that transition individuals and families from shelters into homes, and an impact investment that aims to increase the supply of deeply affordable and supportive housing for the District’s most marginalized residents.
A Long History of Philanthropy
Dan and Karen credit The Community Foundation with informing their philanthropy and introducing them to the region’s most effective nonprofits going back many years. Dan is The Community Foundation’s longest serving board member, having previously served as chair of the Board of Directors and of the Governance Board of The Community Foundation’s September 11 Survivors’ Fund. A retired senior partner at the Washington, DC, law firm WilmerHale, he was board chair of the Harvard Law School Visiting Committee, Legal Action Center, National Child Research Center, National Symphony Orchestra, Sidwell Friends School and WETA.
A retired social worker, Karen also has seen the District’s challenges up close while serving as board chair of House of Ruth, vice chair of Iona Senior Services, board member of Home Care Partners and the Higher Achievement Program and, most recently, as a member of The Community Foundation’s Sharing DC Advisory Committee.
More and more, Dan and Karen have focused their philanthropy on groups serving low-income individuals and families. Dan helped to guide The Community Foundation’s Neighbors in Need Fund, established during the recession to strengthen the region’s safety-net providers and services, and the couple were major donors to the fund.
A Lasting Impact
In making the inaugural gift to launch the Dan and Karen Mayers’ Challenge, they hope to inspire others who share their concern for the District’s marginalized residents. They also are motivated by a desire to have a lasting impact in the city they have called home for 60 years.
Dan and Karen recognize that their gift—a substantial percentage of their philanthropic dollars—is just a beginning. But, says Karen, “we have no doubt that the community is up to this challenge.” So far, the Challenge has raised $600,000 from the Mayers’ family, friends and The Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
“This is what community foundations do—they respond to community need,” adds Dan. “Time and again, I’ve witnessed The Community Foundation galvanize the generosity of concerned residents. I’ve seen compassionate people rally around urgent community needs, from natural disasters to 9/11 to the recession.”
Bruce McNamer, The Community Foundation’s President and CEO, echoed Dan and Karen’s optimism: “It’s hard to fathom living in such a wealthy society and not coming together to solve this problem. Together, let’s ensure that every one of our neighbors has a safe and stable place to call home.”
Learn More
To learn more about the Partnership to End Homelessness, visit EndHomelessnessDC.org. If you would like to contribute to the Mayers’ Challenge, please contact Angela Willingham, Associate Vice President of Development or give online.
How Do We End Youth Homelessness in DC?
Guest Post by Ramina Davidson, Director of Housing Stability & Youth Initiatives, DC Alliance of Youth Advocates (DCAYA)
The Greater Washington Community Foundation and our community of donors have funded DCAYA since 2005, when The Community Foundation served as DCAYA’s fiscal sponsor during the organization’s development. Funding has been awarded for general operating support, program support and organizational capacity building, as well as youth civic engagement, youth homelessness/housing and youth workforce-related initiatives.
Washington, DC has one of the highest rates of homelessness in the nation. The 2018 Youth Count DC estimated that more than 1,300 unaccompanied youth, youth separated from family, and youth heads of household were experiencing homelessness or housing instability (e.g. couch surfing or doubled up) in September 2018. Data from DC’s education agencies also revealed almost 6,000 students enrolled in school are homeless or housing unstable. How do we end youth homelessness in the District of Columbia?
Homelessness or housing instability, generally, is the denial of the right to stable, safe housing. For youth, this denial often manifests through multiple, recurring inequities in the systems that support families and youth (e.g. educational agencies, child and family services agencies) and societal inequities generally (e.g. racism, homophobia, generational poverty). In order to correct systems inequities, power over those systems must be ceded to those individuals the systems have failed to serve.
Over the last decade, DCAYA has steadily been working to shift power to the youth who are experiencing homelessness and housing instability themselves. This led to the creation of DC’s Interagency Council on Homelessness’ Youth Committee, a committee where dozens of organizations, agencies, advocates, and individuals work together to end youth homelessness—including youth who are directly affected by these issues.
In Spring 2017, in partnership with the DC Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH), The Community Foundation hosted a special event to release Solid Foundations DC, the District’s first-ever strategic plan to prevent and end youth homelessness. Solid Foundations DC is the first data-driven youth homelessness plan in the country.
Last year, through persistent advocacy, DC’s youth homelessness system saw several advancements inching us closer to shifting the balance of power. The most notable advancement was the establishment of “Through the Eyes of Youth,” a workgroup of the Youth Committee and DC’s first advisory group of youth with lived experience of homelessness or housing instability. Tasked with guiding the Youth Committee’s implementation of Solid Foundations DC, DC’s first comprehensive plan to end youth homelessness, these youth are paid advisors who share their expertise regarding failures and successes of the systems meant to serve them. These advisory group members guide all aspects of the plan, from bettering the annual homeless youth census to improving resource allocation to developing new and innovative programs.
For example, inspired by feedback from the youth advisory group, the system improved the implementation of its annual homeless youth census, Youth Count DC, to reveal a clearer picture of how young people experience homelessness. For the first time, the census captured where youth have stayed in the past, as well as where they think they may stay in the future. As a result, the total number of youth experiencing homelessness and housing instability rose by hundreds, reflecting more accurate counting that gives policymakers a better understanding of the causes of youth homelessness, and thus better ability to implement successful interventions.
In addition, system improvements included development of three new youth homelessness initiatives: Rapid Rehousing for Youth, Extended Transitional Housing (a new longer-term housing program), and a Drop-In Center that provides 24-hour care. Because DCAYA was able to secure full funding for all new projects in 2018, these new initiatives are currently being implemented and will ensure that hundreds more youth in DC have access to tailored resources than in years prior.
DC’s youth homelessness services system continues to gain momentum in its effort to end youth homelessness. Through collaborative education and advocacy, more partners join in the fight to end youth homelessness every day, and we couldn’t do this work without the support of funders like the Greater Washington Community Foundation. Driving major system change requires stable, multi-year investments. Realizing the change we seek is not a one- or even two-year endeavor. The multi-year funding support and thought partnership of the Greater Washington Community Foundation has been integral to the progress our community has made.
As we continue work to transfer power over systems that serve youth experiencing homelessness and housing instability into the hands of those youth themselves, we know we must not rest on our laurels. A seat at the table is a start, but our work is not done until youth are calling the meeting.
Let’s Address the “Hidden” Issues Undermining our Kids’ Futures
By Agnes Leshner, Steering Committee member of the Children’s Opportunity Fund and Board member of 4Montgomery’s Kids
“The child may not remember, but the body does.”
This quote stuck with me after watching the documentary, Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope. How does one truly overcome trauma? How can we break cycles of poverty and toxic stress from perpetuating across generations?
Still from the film Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope.
These questions have been at the heart of my 25-year career in Child Welfare Services of Montgomery County, MD. That is why I was so pleased to join the most recent Funders’ Roundtable gathering, which featured a rich discussion with local foundation leaders and Community Foundation donors after watching Resilience.
Resilience centers on a seminal study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Kaiser Permanente which demonstrates how high exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can wreak havoc on children’s brains and bodies. In addition to hindering academic achievement, exposure to multiple traumatic childhood events (such as abuse, neglect, persistent hunger, parental conflict, mental illness, and substance abuse, etc.) can result in long-term negative effects on learning, behavior, and health.
Many attendees were shocked to learn…
ACEs are common. In fact, one in four people have had at least one adverse childhood experience.
Individuals with three ACEs were found to be twice as likely to develop heart disease.
Individuals with four ACEs were found to be four times as likely to suffer from depression.
Individuals with six ACEs have a 20 years lower life expectancy.
For many low-income children ACEs are even more damaging. Experiencing a high number of ACES alongside additional challenges, such as racism and community violence, without the buffer of supportive adult relationships, can cause toxic stress. While we all need a certain amount of stress to promote positive growth, children whose stress responses are constantly active due to ACEs actually experience physiological changes to the brain that can disrupt learning, change behavior, and even modify their DNA. Because of this linkage, the American Academy of Pediatrics asserts that ACES are the single greatest unaddressed public health threat for children in the United States.
But history is not destiny. The studies around ACEs have led schools, healthcare providers, nonprofits, and social service agencies to try bold new interventions. Here are some examples:
The Center for Youth Wellness in the Bayview-Hunter’s Point neighborhood of San Francisco, CA – a traditionally underserved community - has established a protocol to screen all its pediatric patients for ACEs. Center staff work with local social service providers to pilot treatments for toxic stress and share their findings nationally.
In New Haven, CT, Strong Elementary School partnered with the Center for Post Traumatic Stress to bring Miss Kendra’s List to students beginning in kindergarten. This program teaches children the norms of child safety and gives them an outlet to express their worries to guardian figure named Miss Kendra, a fictional character who has overcome adversity and demonstrated resiliency. ALIVE Counselors write back to every child to help build their inner strength.
In the early 2000s, over 30 counties in Washington state brought together educators, social workers, parents, police officers, and healthcare professionals to spur education, dialogue, and community building around ACEs. By implementing specific strategies, the counties were able to significantly lower suicide rates, incidents of domestic violence, and youth arrests, which has saved the state $1.4 billion over 10 years.
If you are passionate about this issue, please join us! Contact Kimberly Rusnak, Project Director of the Children’s Opportunity Fund to learn more about innovative strategies at work right here in our local community and help us bring together more people who will want to use these findings to improve the lives of children throughout our Montgomery County community.
After the screening of Resilience, the Community Foundation hosted a post-film discussion with Anna Hargrave, Executive Director in Montgomery County, Mindi Jacobson, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Future Link, Diego Uriburu, Executive Director of Identity, Dr. Carrie Zilcoski, Executive Director of Aspire Counseling, and Terrill North, Executive Director of Montgomery County Collaboration Council.
New Grant Opportunities from The Sharing Montgomery Fund
The Sharing Montgomery Fund provides grants to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations with programs or services which directly serve low-income children, youth, adults, families, and/or seniors living in Montgomery County. Specifically, Sharing Montgomery has three priority focus-areas:
Safety-net. Emergency services which address the basic needs of low-income children, single adults, families, and seniors in crisis, and also prevention programs in health and human services which help residents as they work to lift themselves out of poverty.
Education. Academic and enrichment opportunities which empower youth from low-income families to make smart choices, discover their talents, succeed in school, and gain skills necessary for adulthood.
Workforce Development. Skill-building, professional accreditations, literacy, income generation, and other programs which enable unemployed and low-income individuals to achieve financial self-sufficiency.
Grants may support special projects, programs, or continuation funding, including general operating support. Grant awards may range from $5,000-$10,000. The Community Foundation is now accepting Letters of Inquiry for the Sharing Montgomery Fund’s FY 2020 Grant Cycle by 4:00 p.m. on Monday, July 29, 2019. To apply, and to learn more about eligibility criteria, please follow the link below.
Please note: Applicants must have a functioning Internet connection and one of the following browsers, with cookies enabled: Internet Explorer v7 or higher Firefox v3 or higher.
Please contact Kevin Donnelly with questions: [email protected]
Resilience Fund Offers New Grant Opportunity Addressing Federal Policy Impacts
The Resilience Fund was created in early 2017 as a collaborative partnership of philanthropies and individual donors led by the Greater Washington Community Foundation. It seeks to address the critical needs of nonprofits responding to changes in federal policy and budget priorities, as well as the climate of intolerance and hate, both of which are disproportionately impacting people of color, immigrant, and refugee communities.
Since the Fund’s inception, it has raised and leveraged more than $1 million and made grants to organizations supporting our neighbors affected by changes to immigration and deportation policies, as well as efforts to build community cohesion and combat “anti-other” sentiment. Grants have supported immigrant-serving organizations providing advocacy, legal, or medical services; training on legal and civil rights; and, assistance with family reunification.
Grantmaking Opportunities
For our 2019 giving round, The Resilience Fund is accepting proposals from organizations who are responding to changes in federal policy and budget priorities impacting the Greater Washington region. Grant awards may range from $10,000-$30,000.
Eligibility Criteria
Organizations must be 501(c)3 nonprofits OR have partnerships that appoint a 501(c)3 nonprofit institution as their fiduciary agent.
Organizations are required to operate in Washington, DC or the following counties: Montgomery and Prince George’s, MD; Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, and the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, and Manassas Park in Virginia.
Organizations must demonstrate that the proposed work is directly responding to changes in the federal policy landscape over the past two years.
Application Process
Proposals must be submitted through our online grant application system, Gifts Online. No hard copy, email or faxed proposals will be accepted. Applications are due by 4:00 p.m. on Monday, July 29. Proposals will be reviewed in July/August 2019 and applicants will be notified if they have been selected for funding by September 2019.
Please note: Applicants must have a functioning Internet connection and one of the following browsers, with cookies enabled: Internet Explorer v7 or higher Firefox v3 or higher.
Questions
For any questions regarding either funding opportunity or technical assistance with the online application system, please reach out to Melen Hagos. No calls, please.
Mayor Bowser and Greater Washington Community Foundation Launch Public-Private Partnership to End Homelessness in DC
WATCH OUR LAUNCH ANNOUNCEMENT AT A CORPORATE SYMPOSIUM FEATURING MAYOR BOWSER AND SENIOR EXECUTIVES FROM MAJOR CORPORATIONS WORKING TO END HOMELESSNESS IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser along with her Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) and the Greater Washington Community Foundation announced the launch of the Partnership to End Homelessness. This first-of-its-kind initiative in the District aims to galvanize private sector engagement and unite the public and private sectors around a shared strategy to address homelessness and housing insecurity in the nation’s capital.
The Partnership will advance effective and innovative solutions to help our most marginalized and economically disadvantaged neighbors (0-60% Area Median Income) and ensure that homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring in DC.
On any given night, more than 6,500 individuals, youth and families experience homelessness, including more than 1,500 children. This is due in large part to rising housing costs that outpace local incomes and a shortage of affordable housing, which are preventing many people from participating in the region’s economic growth. In DC, a person earning minimum wage would have to work nearly three full-time jobs to afford an apartment suitable for a family, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
The Partnership aims to increase the availability of philanthropic and private capital to expand the capacity of nonprofit housing developers and supportive service providers to help more of our neighbors transition from the streets or emergency shelters into permanent homes. It will also offer an impact investment option to reduce housing insecurity by financing the development of deeply affordable and supportive housing.
“We know that ending homelessness is possible, but that it is going to take all of us from the public and private sectors working together across all eight wards,” said Mayor Bowser. “Through our Homeward DC plan, we are implementing evidence-based solutions and transforming our homeless services system. And while there is more work to do, we are on the right track—family homelessness has decreased by nearly 45 percent and the number of people experiencing chronic homelessness in the District is lower today than it has been in the last 15 years. The time to double-down on and accelerate our progress is now, and that is why we are so grateful to be partnering with the Greater Washington Community Foundation on these critical efforts to end homelessness in Washington, DC.”
“Homelessness and housing insecurity have not always existed the way they do today. We believe that homelessness is solvable, and we also believe that our community is stronger when we bring everyone along,” said Bruce McNamer, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “Over the last four years, we have witnessed that our community has the political will, leadership and expertise to move the needle on homelessness. The Bowser Administration has established a strong foundation, but private sector engagement will be critical to long-term success. We cannot afford to waste this moment—we must act now and capitalize on the city’s momentum. Together, we can ensure that every one of our neighbors has a safe, stable and affordable place to call home.”
The Partnership will work to:
Increase the supply of deeply affordable and supportive housing;
Expand nonprofit capacity to help our neighbors exit homelessness;
Shift public perceptions of homelessness through education, community mobilization and advocacy efforts; and
Coordinate cross-sector participation to complement government funding and programming.
The Partnership’s Investment Vehicles
The first phase of the Partnership will utilize two different funding vehicles.
Impact Investing
The Community Foundation will seed $5 million from its combined investment fund to launch an impact investment option available to its donors and others who join the Partnership.
The Partnership strives to raise $10 million in investments to help Enterprise Community Loan Fund build and preserve housing units for hundreds of people across the region. While fund investments earn a fixed return, they will aid in bringing financial resources to bear in the fight to end homelessness and housing insecurity by increasing the production of deeply affordable and supportive housing.
Impact Note investments provide financing to organizations building and preserving deeply affordable and supportive housing units. Housing providers leverage this investment capital to create more homes for our most marginalized neighbors.
Grantmaking Fund
The Partnership’s Grantmaking Fund will:
Enhance the capacity and expand the network of affordable housing developers and supportive service providers in the community;
Provide flexible funding to help nonprofits pay for small expenses not covered by federal and local housing programs—such as rental application fees, security deposits and moving expenses—which can create big barriers to stable housing; and
Support innovative approaches and advocacy efforts focused on strengthening policies that impact housing and homelessness.
The Partnership’s first competitive grant cycle will open in August 2019. The first round of grants will provide support for nonprofit providers in DC to help people obtain and maintain permanent housing and reduce the amount of time spent in the homeless services system.
Funding the Partnership
The Partnership has raised and committed $6.6 million to date, including $1.6 million for the grantmaking fund.
The A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation has made the lead investment of $1 million to help launch the Partnership’s Grantmaking Fund. The Clark Foundation’s mission is to expand opportunities for those who demonstrate the drive and determination to better themselves and their communities.
“The Clark Foundation is committed to partnering with regional leaders like The Community Foundation to provide members of the DC community with the best opportunity to thrive,” said Ryan Palmer, Director, DC Community Initiatives for the Foundation. “Stable housing is a critical factor in a person’s path to reaching their full potential. And while homelessness is a significant challenge in our city, it is through collaborating together in partnerships like these that we can make an impact.”
Additionally, The Community Foundation’s longest-serving Trustee, and former Chair of its September 11 Survivors’ Fund, and his wife have donated $100,000 as the inaugural gift to launch the Dan and Karen Mayers’ Challenge. The Mayers issued this challenge to inspire others to help raise $1 million for the Partnership. So far, the Challenge has raised $600,000 from the Mayers’ family, friends and The Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
More information about the Partnership can be found at EndHomelessnessDC.org. The Partnership’s website offers resources and a variety of ways for individuals and organizations to get involved in our community’s effort to end homelessness in DC.
A (Fiscal) Year of Impact in Our Community
By Bruce McNamer, President and CEO
As we reflect on our 2019 fiscal year (April 1, 2018 – March 31, 2019), the generosity and community spirit of our donors, partners, and community members gives us so many reasons to celebrate.
This year, the launch of our new Building Thriving Communities framework refocused our strategic grantmaking approach on addressing poverty, deepening culture and human connection, and preparing for the future of work. This refresh deepens and expands The Community Foundation’s existing work by leveraging new tools, prioritizing strategic partnerships, and developing innovative approaches to address the region’s most pressing challenges. Inspired by this framework, we are excited to lead a public-private partnership with the DC Interagency Council on Homelessness to build off District Government’s strategies and momentum by making critical investments to ensure homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring in DC.
In January 2019, volunteers sorted produce the Capital Area Food Bank provided to furloughed federal workers and contractors at popup markets around the region during the government shutdown. Photo provided by the Capital Area Food Bank.
Our Resilience Fund continued to provide emergency grants to nonprofits responding to the local impact of federal policy changes, including assisting with reuniting families separated at the border and detained in MD or VA, and providing legal or medical services and advocacy for immigrants, refugees, Muslims and other vulnerable communities in our region. The Fund also responded to the recent partial Federal Government shutdown by mobilizing community support for nonprofits providing vital relief, such as emergency cash and food assistance, to our neighbors experiencing hardship.
In November 2018, members of our Sharing Montgomery Committee visited the nonprofit Identity to learn about its trauma-informed, positive youth development approach to serving 3,000 Latino youth and families.
Our Sharing Funds brought together donors for nearly 50 nonprofit site visits to learn about work to improve outcomes for low-income children and families. Donors participated in a review process and selected 77 local nonprofits to receive $685,000 in grants. Sharing DC addressed homelessness with flexible funding to help our neighbors obtain and move into permanent housing and provided support for youth homelessness prevention and intervention programs, including services for LGBTQ youth. Sharing Montgomery and Sharing Prince George’s focused on the economic security needs of county residents by supporting nonprofits providing educational, workforce development, safety-net, or capacity-building services.
Our community celebrated the spirit of local giving at our annual receptions in DC in March, and in Montgomery County and Prince George’s County last fall. These events brought together a thousand community leaders and raised nearly $1 million for the Fund for Greater Washington, which enables The Community Foundation to provide vital resources to civic and community organizations, incubate new solutions, and conduct programmatic initiatives and advocacy.
Despite a volatile stock market and uncertainty around the implications of the new tax law, our donors continued to give to the causes that matter most to our community. During the last fiscal year, our community of givers contributed more than $66 million to charitable giving funds at The Community Foundation. Together, we continued to invest in enhancing our communities with more than $64 million in grants to a diverse range of issues from human services to education, workforce development, health care, the arts, economic development, and so much more. Our donors’ actions inspire us and demonstrate that in communities throughout the Greater Washington region, we take care of each other.
Our impact is immeasurable in terms of the hope and opportunity it provides. Together, we have helped more youth prepare for college or career, more families to access critical supports and services, and more workers to launch family-sustaining careers. Together, we are making the Greater Washington region a more thriving, just and enriching place to live for all.
Thank you for continuing to be our partner in strengthening our communities every day.
Resilience Fund Announces New Grants to Nonprofits Supporting Immigrants and Sexual Assault Survivors
The Resilience Fund has announced $90,000 in grants to three local organizations conducting advocacy on behalf of immigrants and victims of sexual assault and providing direct support for immigrants facing deportation or applying for benefits. These grants fit within the Fund’s overall focus on responding to federal policy shifts affecting our neighbors and communities in the Greater Washington region.
The Resilience Fund’s latest grants will support:
$35,000 grant to Civic Nation’s It’s On Us program to conduct advocacy with local and national partners to combat harmful proposed rule changes to Title IX that will infringe on the civil rights of sexual assault survivors on college campuses.
$30,000 grant to support Northern Virginia Family Services’ immigration legal services program to provide consultations and representation to more than 1,700 individuals annually in deportation defenses and applications for immigration benefits.
$25,000 grant to support Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy to engage at least 20 immigrant congregations in advocacy on policies to make Virginia more welcoming to immigrants and to build relationships between 50 ally congregations and immigrant leaders.
According to Tracey Vitchers, the executive director of It’s On Us, “The grant received by Civic Nation for It's On Us will empower our staff and students in the Washington, DC area to fight back against the Federal Department of Education's harmful proposed rule changes to Title IX that will make college campuses less safe and leave survivors more vulnerable to ongoing harm. We are grateful to the Resilience Fund for supporting our work to combat sexual violence.”
“NVFS Immigration Legal Services strives to respond to the needs of vulnerable immigrant communities in Northern Virginia by ensuring access to competent, trauma-informed, affordable legal advice and representation,” said Tori Andrea Babington, NVFS Director of Legal Services. “This has been challenging in recent years given the rapid and continuing changes to immigration policy and the fear that our immigrant neighbors are experiencing in response. We are so grateful to the Resilience Fund for supporting these critical legal services, giving us the flexibility to go where the need is greatest.”
Kim Bobo, Co-Executive Director of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, said, “Thanks to the timely grant from the Resilience Fund, we’re reaching out to immigrant congregations around the state to engage them in advocating for a Driver’s Privilege Card for immigrants and in-state tuition for immigrants students. ‘Welcome the immigrant,”’ a core tenant of faith communities, is especially poignant for immigrant congregations and we need their engagement on these critical fights.”
These three grants show the range of the Resilience Fund’s investments in both policy interventions through Civic Nation and Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy and nonprofits providing direct service work through Northern Virginia Family Services.
About the Resilience Fund
The Resilience Fund was created in early 2017 as a collaborative partnership of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, and other foundation and individual contributors. It seeks to address the critical needs of nonprofits responding to changes in federal policy and budget priorities, as well as the climate of intolerance and hate, both of which are disproportionately impacting local people of color, and immigrant and refugee communities.
Forward With Hope: Remembering 2nd LT. Richard W. Collins III
Guest Post by Richard Collins II
On May 20, 2017, a local tragedy occurred when 2nd Lieutenant Richard W. Collins III was fatally stabbed in an apparent hate crime three days before he was set to graduate from Bowie State University. We are honored to share this post from his parents, Richard and Dawn Collins, who have decided to pay tribute to their son’s legacy through a memorial fund at The Community Foundation.
Richard Collins II
We first learned of the Greater Washington Community Foundation through a long-time family friend who happens to be an attorney. Following the tragic death of our son, my wife and I contacted the foundation to discuss establishing a foundation to continue his legacy and build a lasting tribute to honor our son’s memory.
Our vision for creating our foundation was two-fold. First, we believe that it is important for us to make sure that our son’s life is given purpose even though he can no longer be present with us physically. While the pain of no longer being able to speak with him or hear his voice is at times overwhelming, the work involved in continuing his legacy through our foundation provides us with some measure of comfort.
Secondly, we intend to use our foundation as a vehicle of change through which private citizens are educated of their civic empowerment under the law in the communities where they live. It is intended to raise individual awareness of the civic duty of all of us to acquire and act upon the knowledge of the law regarding individual rights and protections. In addition, we must hold our elected officials and civic institutions accountable to ensure that the law protect, respect, and value the right to life of all citizens.
We partnered with The Community Foundation when we realized we did not know anything about starting a foundation on our own. We concluded we’d be able to get up and running faster if we used the experience of an established organization.
2nd Lieutenant Richard W. Collins III
We officially launched our foundation four days prior to our son’s 25th birthday on December 12, 2018. Although taking this step provided us with a sense of accomplishment, it was also a bittersweet reminder of the reason that we found ourselves on this path in life.
As the date marking the second anniversary of our son’s murder approaches, we still struggle to understand why God chose our family to experience this horrific ordeal. It is a date that for us marks the month of May with dread rather than the anticipation that normally accompanies the spring season. It is our hope and prayer that at some point, our heartbreak will transform itself into a state of consciousness that provides us with a sense of peace. We feel it is our purpose to stay connected with our son by turning sorrow into an opportunity to bless the lives of others. Our goal is to use the platform we have been placed on to bring attention to the need for confronting the challenge represented by hate and bias violence and to help provide education opportunities through our foundation. We believe our foundation provides us the best avenue to have a positive impact in the lives of people and in their communities.
Help Victims of the Landover Hills Fire
On Tuesday morning, our community was shocked to learn a fire has severely damaged an apartment complex in the Landover Hills neighborhood of Prince George’s County, Maryland. Thankfully, all residents escaped the fire. Three firefighters and one resident sought treatment for injuries suffered during the fire. The former residents will need assistance relocating and other support after the loss of their homes.
If you would like to support the Landover Hills residents in this time of need, you can make a gift (or grant from your fund) to the Prince George’s County Neighbors in Need Fund. The Community Foundation will work in partnership with the Department of Social Services to support the immediate needs of those impacted including temporary housing, clothing and food.
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How Tax Laws May Be Shaping Your Giving
By Rebecca Rothey, Vice President, Development and Senior Philanthropic Advisor
Well, you’ve made it! You have filed your 2018 income tax returns. You may have even received a modest or larger than expected return and might be considering ways to expand your charitable giving this year.
At The Community Foundation, we always consider how tax law impacts our community’s giving spirit. While many had feared that the Tax Cut and Jobs Act would result in a decrease in giving in 2018, a report prepared by the Blackbaud Institute indicates that overall giving was up by 1.5%. However, this increase was not evenly distributed across the nonprofit sector. Fundraising by large organizations (those raising $10 million or more) was up by 2.3%, while giving to smaller organizations (those with budgets of less than $1 million) was down 2.3%.
There are advantages to giving to larger organizations. Many of our donors have funded breakthroughs in health and education and provided essential support for the arts. At The Community Foundation, we are honored to assist donors who choose to fund these goals as their area of impact.
Yet, we can’t forget that smaller nonprofit organizations are pioneering new ideas and implementing change-making strategies. They are organizations working on challenging social issues with extremely limited resources. They are focused on the local communities they serve, and they can make change based on direct community feedback. They are innovative, idealistic, and hopeful about our society’s future. And they need the funding to realize these dreams.
Our professional staff work locally with thousands of community-based organizations and would be happy to assist you with identifying organizations that match your interests. I also encourage you to visit The Catalogue For Philanthropy, which is supported by The Community Foundation, to learn about such organizations in the region.
As you reflect on what you have learned this tax season, I encourage you to think about how the new law impacted your philanthropy. Many of our donors chose to bundle their giving, either in 2017 to take advantage of the higher charitable income tax deduction, or in 2018 to bundle giving to get above the standard deduction. This consolidated giving provides an opportunity to ask:
What impact do I want my philanthropy to make?
How will I know I’ve made it?
Do I wish to keep supporting the same organizations or find new ones?
Is it time to narrow the focus of my giving?
Should I support large, established organizations or scrappy startups?
When is the right time to involve my children/grandchildren in giving?
As you think through these questions, please consider The Community Foundation staff as a resource to help you identify the best strategies to achieve your charitable goals. Contact a member of our donor services team, or email [email protected], to discuss your goals for impacting our community and beyond.
Highlights from the 2019 Celebration of Philanthropy
On March 25, a standing-room only crowd at Arena Stage celebrated the civic leadership of former DC Mayor Anthony A. Williams, and the incredible giving spirit of the national capital region at the 2019 Celebration of Philanthropy.
In addition to honoring Anthony Williams, CEO of the Federal City Council, with the 2019 Civic Spirit Award, the evening raised more than $670,000 to support local causes, and showcased performers and artists who make up the region’s vibrant local art scene and have benefited from The Community Foundation’s support.
Proceeds will help The Community Foundation expand charitable resources to ensure that our communities are equitable, just and thriving all who call the region home. The Community Foundation is the largest funder of nonprofits in Greater Washington – having invested more than $1.2 billion in thousands of nonprofit organizations since 1973.
At the event, Community Foundation President and CEO Bruce McNamer said:
“Tonight we gather to celebrate community philanthropy and civic spirit, including the individuals and organizations who dedicate their time and resources to help make our region a more vibrant, equitable and inclusive place to live. Their actions inspire so many of us and demonstrate that in communities throughout the Greater Washington region, we take care of each other. This generous spirit of neighbors helping neighbors is central to our work at The Community Foundation, where we focus on Building Thriving Communities that are ripe with opportunity for all who call our region home.”
Last year, The Community Foundation granted more than $96 million to about 2,600 nonprofit organizations, 68% of which directly serve the Greater Washington region. In addition, it received more than $80 million in contributions during the year — a testament to the generosity and commitment of our community of givers.
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton was on hand to congratulate Anthony Williams, and she thanked The Community Foundation for its “wise philanthropy to improve the lives of our citizens and to strengthen the many aspects of our City which make the District of Columbia unique.”
Civic Spirit Award Honoree Anthony Williams remarked on the significance of the evening:
“In these tough times, we’ve got to hang in there, we’ve got to believe, we’ve got to reach, we've got to dream, and then figure out a practical way to do it."
David Bradt and Katharine Weymouth served as co-chairs of the Celebration. Major sponsors included Brown Advisory, Morgan Stanley, Nancy and Jorge Kfoury Foundation, 2030 Group, Capitol One, CareFirst, Kaiser Permanente, PNC Bank, Washington Gas, Pepco, FiscalNote and other businesses, philanthropists, and local civic leaders.
The evening featured performances and exhibits from:
CityDance Dream
Foundation for the Advancement of Music and Education – FAME
Halau Nohona Hawaii
The Keegan Theater’s production of From Gumbo to Mumbo
Strathmore Artist in Residence Josanne Francis
The PB Eclectic Steppers
B-Roll Media and Arts Inc.
Luis Peralta Del Valle
Photo credit: Platinum Photography by Kevin Fennell
Feeling at Home: Going on a Sharing Montgomery Site Visit
Guest Post By Bobbi Shulman
Editor’s Note: Sharing Montgomery is a strategic, donor-led funding effort for community members who want to give where they live. This year the Sharing Montgomery Fund granted out $385,000 to 62 nonprofits that provide educational, workforce development, safety-net or capacity-building services in Montgomery County. Sharing Montgomery Committee members not only review grant applications – they go out into the community to visit the nonprofits making a difference for low-income children, youth and families. In our latest grant round, the Sharing Montgomery Committee went on 33 site visits from October 2018 to March 2019. Bobbi Shulman contributed this post to share her personal experience serving on the committee.
I’ve been on the Sharing Montgomery Committee since 2015. My family has been connected to The Community Foundation for more than five years, beginning when we started our foundation. I particularly enjoy going on site visits because I am constantly amazed by the depth, scope, and professionalism with which organizations do their jobs.
Last January, I visited Rebuilding Together Montgomery County with fellow Sharing Montgomery Committee members. Rebuilding Together offers low-income homeowners (50% of area median income) safe and healthy home repairs at no cost to the recipient. In 2018, they completed 240 projects in 113 homes.
I was under the impression that Rebuilding Together was all about construction and repair of homes. I had no idea of the aggressive wrap-around services they provide by becoming actively involved with the homeowner and engaging a variety of other non-profits to provide them needed services, including facility maintenance. It wasn’t until we conducted a site visit to Jill’s home that I fully understood the depth of their work. Due to unfortunate circumstances, Jill’s house had deteriorated to the point where the house was condemned, and she was forced to move in with friends. Rebuilding Montgomery learned of her difficult situation and pitched in to repair drywall, electrical, plumbing, flooring, and more. The ultimate success of the project allowed Jill to avoid permanent homelessness and return to live in her own home in safe and healthy conditions.
This deeper connection to the community continues to give back, as evidenced by Jill telling Rebuilding Together she hopes to give back by volunteering and paying it forward.
What I learned by visiting Rebuilding Together is just one example of the surprises uncovered in site visits! For the past 40 or so years, my work has been on the policy level, particularly in workforce development. Sharing Montgomery has given me the opportunity to observe organizations doing the work on a grassroots level. I appreciate the opportunity to provide input into improving the grantmaking process. I have seen many positive changes in the quality of the grant applications and in the process of evaluating them.
I’m so glad that Sharing Montgomery has brought me in contact with a group of people who care about improving the lives of residents of the county.
Bobbi Shulman (the fifth person on the right side of this photo) and other members of the Sharing Montgomery Committee visit Interfaith Works, another nonprofit in Montgomery County.
Fighting Hunger, Feeding Hope
Anna Hargrave, The Community Foundation Executive Director, Montgomery County, and Jackie DeCarlo, Chief Executive Officer of Manna Food Center.
On Thursday, March 28th, the Manna Food Center saluted The Community Foundation as its Community Partner of the Year. We were proud to accept this award on behalf of all our fundholders who have generously supported Manna over the years as well as the many contributors to our Neighbors in Need Montgomery Fund. Collectively, all those gifts over the last 20 years have tallied up to nearly $1 million.
Our partnership with the Manna Food Center has evolved significantly in recent years. A key turning point was in Fall 2008, when the economic downturn was heating up. We were disturbed to hear that Manna was experiencing a 40% increase in demand. In fact, people who used to donate during the holidays had to turn to Manna for help.
Cliff White, a newcomer to our Grants Committee at that time, challenged The Community Foundation to do more.
“Many of us have a financial cushion and are able to weather an economic storm of this magnitude,” he said. “And for those of us who are, we need to give more than ever.”
Believing that people would step up if they were made aware of the growing needs, Cliff helped lead the creation of our Neighbors in Need Montgomery Fund to bolster support for the county’s safety-net providers. This effort galvanized donors of all levels (from $5 to $50,000) by providing them with an easy mechanism to support our key safety-net nonprofits providing food, shelter, clothing, and emergency assistance to prevent evictions. For Manna in particular, our support enabled them to quickly replenish their supply of food while the need rose exponentially.
After the 2008 economic downturn, the Neighbors in Need Montgomery steering committee decided to take stock of its investments and explore what would be the most strategic use of our dollars going forward. After listening sessions with community partners, the group challenged itself to pursue giving opportunities which both respond to the immediate needs of our neighbors in crisis while also transforming our safety-net systems to serve more people effectively.
Photo courtesy of Manna Food Center.
Again, the Manna Food Center stepped up. While impressively serving 30,000 people between their headquarters, 6 satellite locations, and 11 partner drop-off sites, they understood those efforts only met about half the need in Montgomery County. To reach even more deeply into our underserved communities, they requested start-up funds to convert a retired school bus into an innovative new kitchen-classroom and mobile food pantry on wheels. During its inaugural year, this first-of-its-kind bus (nicknamed “Manny”) brought fresh produce to 300 County residents, including many isolated low-income seniors. It also hosted 1,238 class participants in hands-on cooking classes, helping kids learn to enjoy healthy and delicious veggies.
Photos of programs, staff and volunteers inside Manna Food Center’s bus that serves as a kitchen-classroom and mobile food pantry on wheels. Photos courtesy of Manna Food Center.
The most rewarding aspect of our work at The Community Foundation is helping people connect with high-impact local nonprofits and discover the joy of making an impact in our home region. We are grateful to the Manna Food Center for being a great partner for everyone who wants to fight hunger and foster hope throughout our community.
Thank You for Supporting the 2019 Celebration of Philanthropy
By Bruce McNamer, President and CEO
CityDance Dream students perform at the 2019 Celebration of Philanthropy.
Thank you for supporting the 2019 Celebration of Philanthropy! It was a wonderful time to enjoy networking, food, and entertainment with our entire community of donors, nonprofits, businesses, local government, other partners, and special guests of all ages. We were proud to recognize former Mayor Anthony Williams with the 2019 Civic Spirit Award for his contributions over so many years in government and now as CEO of the Federal City Council; and to showcase the incredible talent of local artists and nonprofits supported by The Community Foundation and our donors.
I want to extend a special thank you to the Sponsors, Host Committee, and everyone who contributed to making this Celebration possible. Thanks to your generosity, the Celebration raised a record-breaking $673,000! Your support facilitates critical investments which strengthen our communities. Proceeds from the Celebration of Philanthropy go to the Fund for Greater Washington, which underwrites our work to Build Thriving Communities by making grants, incubating new ideas, convening partners to address community needs, and conducting programmatic initiatives and advocacy work. Your support makes it possible for us to help our marginalized neighbors find pathways out of poverty, deepen culture and human connection, and prepare workers to succeed in our region’s changing economy.
Accepting the 2019 Civic Spirit Award, Anthony Williams said,
“In these tough times, we’ve got to hang in there, we’ve got to believe, we’ve got to reach, we've got to dream, and then figure out a practical way to do it."
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, our President and CEO Bruce McNamer, and former Mayor Anthony Williams.
By being part of the Celebration of Philanthropy, you’ve already started. We are so grateful to you for supporting and advancing our work to make the Greater Washington region a more vibrant, just and equitable place to live.
There’s still more work to be done. We hope you will help us continue the important and urgent work to address systemic challenges with renewed focus and determination. To join us in this effort, I encourage you to contact me or anyone from our staff to discuss your priorities for making change in our community.
Victories in Advocacy
What do paid sick leave in Maryland, limiting drinking water contamination in Virginia, and protecting housing for Chinese Americans in DC’s Chinatown all have in common? These are victories that were made possible by advocacy, led by our nonprofit partners.
Advocacy—activities that can influence public policy, including work connecting community members to other decision-makers—is a key tool we use to build thriving communities.
“Investing in advocacy is a critical part of creating real and lasting social change,” says Silvana Straw, Senior Community Investment Officer and Philanthropic Advisor at The Community Foundation. “Advocacy efforts increase public awareness and public will, increase public and private funding, and strengthen public policy.”
One example of a recent victory is the work of Washington Interfaith Network (WIN), which we have helped fund. WIN’s campaign in DC’s Northwest One neighborhood engaging community residents and leaders in housing advocacy, led to a plan to build 518 units of affordable housing at 33 K Street NW, formerly Temple Courts. WIN and former tenants have been working with the developer to secure jobs commitments for former and current tenants.
Building on 30 years of experience, including advocacy which preserved $80 million of public funding for safety net services in the region, Straw’s current work focuses on housing and ending homelessness.
DCFPI is a key partner of the Way Home: the campaign to end chronic homelessness in Washington DC and helps organize major advocacy events led by the campaign.
Straw also works with the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (DCFPI), a key partner in the fight for affordable housing and ending homelessness in DC. Their research revealed that in the past decade DC lost more than half of its affordable housing. Last year DCFPI laid out a blueprint for the investments needed to fully address DC’s housing needs. DCFPI’s research shows that extremely low-income families face the greatest need and supports advocacy for DC’s Local Rent Supplement Program, including a 2019 increase which was the largest in years.
Another victory is thanks to Housing Counseling Services (HCS). Their advocacy has helped tenants at Wah Luck House, mostly Chinese American seniors, keep their housing in DC’s Chinatown. They helped tenants exercise their Purchase Rights when their building went up for sale. Ultimately, tenants successfully negotiated a contract with the purchaser that preserves the HUD subsidy for 20 years and guaranteed an entire building upgrade.
Workforce development remains another key advocacy area for The Community Foundation. Benton Murphy, Senior Director, Community Investment, says,
“Over my years at The Community Foundation, my grants portfolio has included a large number of advocacy projects focused on things like encouraging transparency in our local and state government funding and budgets, advocating for better working conditions and rights for undocumented workers and day laborers, and helping more adults with literacy challenges receive better, more targeted education and job training supports.”
Last March, members of Job Opportunities Task Force spent the day in Annapolis, marching, advocating, and meeting with legislators to advance key issues, including colleges and universities removing the arrest/conviction question from applications.
Some recent workforce victories include the passage of the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act. This act will require employers with 15 or more employees to earn up to seven days of paid sick days in one year thanks to work alongside Job Opportunities Task Force and Maryland Center on Economic Policy. Another victory with these groups was the passage of the Maryland Fair Access to Education Act that requires colleges and universities who do not use a third-party admissions application to remove the arrest/conviction question from the initial admissions application, ensuring more equitable access to education.
In DC, the DC Adult and Family Literacy Coalition led by a Steering Committee (Academy of Hope Public Charter School, Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School, DC Public Library, Literacy Volunteers & Advocates, So Others Might Eat, Southeast Ministry and YWCA National Capital Area) convened at the Community Foundation’s offices, successfully advocated for the District to provide free public transportation to adult learners. This is important because many students miss class and fail to complete their programs if they don't have bus or subway fare. The 2018 DC budget included $2 million so that adult learners can travel for free using public transportation to and from class
Advocacy remains a key practice for community foundations and nonprofits to make the region more equitable for all our neighbors, including our most vulnerable populations.
To read about advocacy in action, check out this blog post from the Potomac Riverkeeper Network about how they worked to ensure passage of a bill to properly dispose of more than 27 million cubic yards of toxic coal ash currently sitting in holding ponds, safeguarding Virginia residents at risk of toxic contamination from pond leakage.
Protecting Our Community from Unsafe Drinking Water
Guest Post by Emily Franc, Vice President of Development/Philanthropy, Potomac Riverkeeper Network (PRKN)
The Greater Washington Community Foundation manages The Spring Creek Environmental and Preservation Fund, of which the Potomac Riverkeeper Network was a grantee in 2019, 2018 and 2016. The Spring Creek fund was created to support local nonprofit organizations with a demonstrated track record in successfully preserving, protecting or encouraging sustainable use of exceptional natural or built environments in the Greater Washington region, particularly those environments affecting low-income populations.
Possum Point is a sleepy rural community of families and military veterans who live a simple life along Quantico Creek and the Potomac River. Dan and Patty Marrow chose to raise their three children on Possum Point Road because they believed it was a safe, wholesome community. Little did they know that carcinogens had been leaching from toxic coal ash ponds owned by the nearby Dominion Power Plant through ground water, slowly poisoning their drinking wells. Residents of Possum Point and other communities across Virginia were unaware of the dangers of living next to coal ash ponds.
That is until newly hired Potomac Riverkeeper, Dean Naujoks, came on the scene in 2015, fresh from battling Duke Energy and its leaking ash ponds in North Carolina. Those lessons learned proved invaluable in the fight to bring polluters to justice and uphold regulations that protect human health and our drinking water supply.
We assume when we turn on our tap, clean water will come out. The Clean Water Act legitimizes our right to clean water, but right here in the Washington, DC, region, our Riverkeepers uncover illegal pollution regularly. Ensuring enforcement of Clean Water laws, Riverkeepers become the last line of defense, protecting our waterways on the public’s behalf.
Photos from Possum Point, showing ash piles being bulldozed into Pond D. Photos by Alan Lehman, Potomac Riverkeeper Network.
What Dean uncovered at Possum Point was alarming – water containing heavy metals called seeps had been leaking from unlined ash ponds for decades into the creek. Independent lab test results of private drinking wells around Possum Point, commissioned and paid for by Potomac Riverkeeper Network (PRKN), proved “untreated water from the wells at the properties addressed [on] Possum Point Road should not be used for potable purposes.” The wells were contaminated by a cocktail of carcinogenic metals linked to coal ash proving ground water contamination had moved off-site into residential drinking wells.
“It is not easy to tell someone you believe their drinking wells are contaminated and unknowingly poisoning them,” said Naujoks, “but at the same time they have a right to know if their water is safe to drink!”
With growing momentum, PRKN hosted public forums attended by hundreds of people, engaged elected officials, and mobilized coalition partners and the public to join our “Move Your Ash” coal ash campaign. Property owners on Possum Point Road became outspoken after learning that their children had been exposed to unsafe well water for decades. Our coalition’s outreach committee generated over 1,000 calls, emails, and letters to elected officials in support of coal ash legislation.
In January of this year, the Virginia legislature passed a bill requiring at least 7 million of the 30 million tons of coal ash in the state to be recycled and the rest safely landfilled within 15 years! Without a Riverkeeper conducting investigations, informing the public, and pressuring state agencies to take action, these decades of unimpeded pollution would have continued.
This story is just one of dozens of toxic threats we investigate annually. Taking the time to deeply investigate and understand the nature of threats to water quality, while locating the actual individual sources of pollution is critical to our approach, credibility, and success.
We are grateful for the support of the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s family of donors and the Spring Creek Environmental Fund for their stalwart support of our efforts. Together, we took on Dominion and took back our right to clean water.
Potomac Riverkeeper Network works to protect the public’s right to clean water in our rivers and streams by stopping pollution to promote safe drinking water, protecting healthy river habitats, and enhancing public use and enjoyment. Learn more.
Farewell to Desiree Griffin-Moore
By Bruce McNamer, President and CEO
This week, we bid a sad farewell to Desiree Griffin-Moore, Executive Director of our local Prince George’s County office. Desiree has been tireless in her efforts, her outreach and her leadership at The Community Foundation for more than 20 years. As Executive Director in Prince George’s County, she has played a vital role in building community, strengthening the capacity of non-profits, engaging with the government and private sectors and raising money to support our work. Underlying all of her work as been her passionate commitment to social justice—a passion that has driven her entire career.
Desiree arrived at The Community Foundation in 1998 with extensive experience working in the nonprofit sector to advance low-income and marginalized communities through roles with the Freddie Mac Foundation, the United Way of the National Capital Region, and the District of Columbia Department of Human Services. As Executive Director of The Community Foundation in Prince George’s County, she led the way in creating corporate relationships with, among others, the Peterson Companies, Walton Group, and MGM National Harbor.
In times of crisis, Desiree crafted solutions that worked to bring stability and security to our community. During the 2008 housing crisis, she worked with United Communities Against Poverty on foreclosure prevention efforts. And around the same time she helped launch the Neighbors in Need Fund. During her tenure she also initiated Sharing Prince George’s, a communal grant making program; the PGC Coalition for the Enrichment of After School Programs; the PGC Education Initiative Socratic Forum; and the Partnership for Prince George’s County, which raised over a million dollars to support capacity building for non-profits in the County.
Photo of President and CEO Bruce McNamer, guest Terese Taylor, former Executive Director of The Community Foundation in Prince George's County Desiree Griffin-Moore, and Chair of The Community Foundation's Prince George’s Advisory Board, Bill Shipp, at the Civic Leadership Awards in Prince George's County.
On a day-to-day basis, she was the face of the Foundation in the County, continually engaged with Foundation donors, and acted as our touchstone with literally hundreds of dedicated non-profits. In 2006, she and the Board of Advisors launched the Civic Leadership Awards, which to this day powerfully lift up the civic contributions made in different spheres by so many in building a thriving County.
And there was more. As important and imaginative as her work has been, we who know her also respect and love her for how she has worked. She is a natural leader and a wonderful human being. Seemingly so comfortable as a speaker, listener, counselor, cheerleader, or friend, Desiree is able to inspire with her passion and her eloquence, to connect with her warmth and great sense of humor, and to lead with purpose, intellect and heart. She is special. We will miss her.