Investing in Community-Driven Solutions in Montgomery County

Members of The Community Foundation’s Montgomery County Advisory Board, staff, and Sharing Montgomery donors recently visited with key community partners in Germantown to learn how our grantmaking is helping them to advance meaningful change.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prince George’s County Launches its First-Ever Guaranteed Income Program

Today, The Community Foundation is excited to announce the launch of Thrive Prince George’s, a two-year, $4 million guaranteed-income pilot that seeks to provide greater economic stability and mobility for families in the region. The program, which is spearheaded by the Greater Washington Community Foundation, Prince George’s County Executive and Council, and the Meyer Foundation, will provide monthly payments of $800 to 50 youth (age 18-24) who have aged out of foster care and 125+ seniors (age 60+) for a 24-month period with no strings attached and no requirements tied to employment.

“Studies have shown that modest guaranteed basic income pilots can decrease poverty by as much as 40%,” said Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “We strongly believe that this program will improve the lives of many in Prince George’s County and will reduce the racial wealth gap in a way that makes it viable for the county to consider providing guaranteed basic income for years to come.” 

While several pilots are currently operating around the region – including in Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, DC, and Montgomery County – this is the first guaranteed income program to exclusively serve residents of Prince George’s County. The $4 million pilot is funded using both public and private philanthropic resources, with participating partners each contributing $1 million to the program.

"This initiative is an innovative example of how we find solutions through public-private partnerships," said Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. "Thanks to this collaborative pilot program, we're weaving a stronger social fabric and empowering people to pursue their aspirations with dignity and resilience."

Guaranteed income programs have proven to be one of the most promising approaches to increasing financial stability. The positive impact of guaranteed income has been studied for decades, with evidence indicating that monthly cash payments can reduce income volatility and support recipients in attaining full-time employment, greater housing stability, improved health outcomes, and more

“I’ve championed the guaranteed basic income program for years because I know it provides an opportunity to tackle poverty and create better quality of life for our residents,” said County Council Member Krystal Oriadha. “My hope is with more jurisdictions moving to implement programs like this, we will see an investment at the state and federal level that will allow these pilots to become permanent. I am excited about partnering with organizations like the Greater Washington Community Foundation to make this dream a reality.”

The Community Foundation will administer the pilot program as part of its Together, We Prosper Campaign for Economic Justice, which is focused on investing in economic strategies that will increase economic mobility to help close the region’s racial wealth gap.

It has also partnered with Court Appointed Special Advocate Prince George’s County (CASA) and United Communities Against Poverty (UCAP), two community-based organizations in Prince George’s County that will lead the recruitment, selection, and onboarding of participants, distribute cash payments, and provide optional benefits counseling to ensure existing safety net services are not compromised by participation in this income-boosting pilot. Other partners include Prince George’s County Department of Social Services, which provides stable environments for at-risk children and adults, Prince George’s ChangeMakers, who has long advocated for the adoption of a guaranteed income program in Prince George’s County, and Capital Area Asset Builders, who works to create opportunities for low- and moderate-income individuals in the region.

“The Meyer Foundation has enthusiastically supported a growing number of guaranteed basic income pilots in our region,” said George L. Askew, MD, President and CEO of the Meyer Foundation. “Pilot programs like this one are consistent with our mission to pursue and invest in solutions that build an equitable Greater Washington community. We’re proud to be supporting this work in Prince George’s County – an area that has experienced continued growth, but where support for residents facing the most significant social, economic, and health challenges remains critical. These public-private partnerships help bring economic justice closer to reality.” 

The Community Foundation will measure how the economic status of participants improves over time and plans to design and implement an evaluation program that balances quantitative and qualitative measures that have historically demonstrated client progress and program viability. For more information about Thrive Prince George’s, visit www.thecommunityfoundation.org/thrive-prince-georges

For those interested in supporting Thrive Prince George’s and other Guaranteed Income Initiatives in our region, click here!

Tackling Hunger and Homelessness in the Greater Washington Region

November 11-18 is National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week — a time to raise awareness of those in our community who lack the basic needs of food and shelter heading into the holiday months.

In recognition of those in our community who struggle with chronic homelessness and food insecurity, during the month of November, The Community Foundation is highlighting experiences from some of our partners working to increase access to affordable housing and nutritious food for our community.

• DC Central Kitchen

  1) Briefly describe the mission of your organization and the services you provide to help those struggling with chronic homelessness or food insecurity in the Greater Washington region.

  As the nation's first and leading community kitchen, DC Central Kitchen uses food as a tool to strengthen bodies, empower minds, and build communities. We prepare 11,000 nutritious meals a day for our community while creating living-wage jobs and enduring careers for our neighbors who have experienced food insecurity, homelessness, and incarceration via our acclaimed Culinary Job Training program.

  2) What do you find most meaningful about the work that you do for those struggling with chronic homelessness or food insecurity in the Greater Washington region? What are you most proud of?

  We bring healthy, dignified food where it is most needed while employing 130 graduates of our Culinary Job Training program to lead and guide this work -- with industry leading benefits and living wages. Our graduates have overcome systemic barriers to employment and now are responsible for serving award-winning healthy school meals, empowering corner stores to become reliable sources of fresh, affordable produce, supporting local farmers, and training the next generation of culinary talent. We are most proud of this "leadership cycle" that takes on the root cause of hunger: poverty.

  3) As a nonprofit partner, tell us about how funding that you’ve received that has helped you achieve this?

  As a social enterprise, we earn half of our budget by serving scratch-cooked school meals, wholesaling affordable produce to small corner stores, and operating three cafes city-wide, but philanthropy makes our innovative solutions to hunger and poverty possible. Grants through the GWCF have allowed us to increase our trauma-informed, comprehensive social services for culinary students, invest more resources in local farmers, open the nation's most ambitious community kitchen and urban food hub in Southwest DC, and provide millions of emergency meals in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  4) What do you wish that more people understood about those struggling with chronic homelessness or food insecurity in the Greater Washington region?

  Food alone will never end hunger. Hunger-fighting organizations cannot measure our progress in fighting food insecurity through the pounds of charitable food we distribute. Answers to hunger must also reflect our success in unleashing the power of food to improve health, create jobs, and build a more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive food system.

• Sasha Bruce Youthwork

  1) Briefly describe the mission of your organization and the services you provide to help those struggling with chronic homelessness or food insecurity in the Greater Washington region.

  For nearly 50 years, Sasha Bruce Youthwork has been providing services to an often-overlooked population experiencing homelessness in the Greater Washington region - young people who are on their own. Our goal is to prevent chronic homelessness by addressing the factors that lead to homelessness before they become entrenched. Our 25 programs provide direct and preventive services for more than 5,000 young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Washington, DC, and Prince George's County.

  2) What do you find most meaningful about the work that you do for those struggling with chronic homelessness or food insecurity in the Greater Washington region? What are you most proud of?

  The most meaningful aspect of our work in the Greater Washington region is the historic and ongoing impact Sasha Bruce Youthwork has on calling attention to the plight of young people experiencing homelessness. We are incredibly proud of our services tailored to the needs of young people ages 18 to 24. While legally adults, these young people are still very much in transition.

  3) As a nonprofit partner, tell us about how funding that you’ve received that has helped you achieve this?

  The Community Foundation of Greater Washington has been an invaluable partner throughout history, helping achieve our mission. The Foundation administers giving for some of our top individual donors and foundation funds. Ongoing grants through The Community Foundation’s fundholders provide critical support for our Barracks Row Drop-In Center. Regular visits to a Drop-In Center are frequently the first step for a homeless or unstably housed young person to move toward family reunification or stable and supportive housing. This support ensures that we can fully staff our Center and provide all the resources needed to help vulnerable youth. The Community Foundation’s Fund for Children, Youth, and Families has also been instrumental over the last few years at Promise Place, our emergency youth shelter in Prince George’s County allowing us to hire a case manager, an essential position for helping homeless youth achieve self-sufficiency.

  4) What do you wish that more people understood about those struggling with chronic homelessness or food insecurity in the Greater Washington region?

  We wish for greater awareness of youth experiencing homelessness in our region. Homeless young people often manage to stay below the radar for a long time. They move between friends’ and relatives’ homes and sometimes stay in abandoned buildings. It can be difficult for them to admit they need help and to seek assistance. They are often homeless because the adults in their lives have mistreated them. Greater awareness of these youth and an understanding that they may need a lot of support to even admit they are homeless is critical. The more visibility organizations like Sasha Bruce Youthwork have, the more people will know about the needs of youth experiencing homelessness and the services available to them.

• Miriam's Kitchen

  1) Briefly describe the mission of your organization and the services you provide to help those struggling with chronic homelessness or food insecurity in the Greater Washington region.

  Miriam's Kitchen is dedicated to helping DC reach its goal of ending all chronic homelessness. We are thrilled with the impact of collective advocacy we help lead through The Way Home Campaign. Together 110+ agencies and 7,000 individual supporters have helped bring about important systems changes and increased city investment in proven best practices like Housing First/Permanent Supportive Housing.

  Aside from system level work, Miriam's Kitchen operates four programs that together provide a variety of direct services. Every weekday morning and evening our chefs serve a made-from-scratch meal--about 83,000 meals over the last year. Our Street Outreach program covers half of DC's geographic area to connect people living on the street or in shelters to essential services they. Our Permanent Supportive Housing program supports 320 people who used to live without the security of a home, but now have apartments. Our Social Services team staffs a drop-in center open every weekday morning and afternoon to connect clients (we call them guests) to medical care, mental health support, housing assistance and the income help they need to reach their goals.

  At the core of our work is our guests who have a seat at the decision-making table. They are equal partners in our strategic planning, serve in important advisory roles, fill paid positions as an Advocacy Fellow, speak alongside staff members at local, regional and national conferences, and help guide The Way Home Campaign from seats on the Steering Committee.

  2) What do you find most meaningful about the work that you do for those struggling with chronic homelessness or food insecurity in the Greater Washington region? What are you most proud of?

  We are proud of the high-quality services we provide AND that we were open every weekday during the pandemic except one (Inauguration Day) during which we had to close to protect our guests from threats posted on the Internet.

  3) As a nonprofit partner, tell us about how funding that you’ve received that has helped you achieve this?

  Funding from the Partnership to End Homelessness has helped us make great strides in advocacy and systems change. Together we have 1) pushed forward unprecedented investments in Permanent Supportive Housing, 2) taken initial steps on changing the narrative around homelessness 3) increased local investment and help expand Medicaid funding which will reduce the cost of Permanent Supportive Housing by about 20%, 4) achieved system improvements to address some of the hurdles in implementing the voucher investments and 5) helped win approval for a much-needed non-congregate shelter in Ward 2 against strong opposition.

  With support from the Community Foundation (and from other important private investors) we have been able to field a four-person Advocacy team (building to five this year) to lead collective advocacy through The Way Home Campaign. We will broaden our work in 2023 to address some of the root causes of homelessness and continue the important narrative change.

  4) What do you wish that more people understood about those struggling with chronic homelessness or food insecurity in the Greater Washington region?

  Homelessness is not caused by addiction, mental illness, or lack of family support. Those are risk factors that make it harder for some people to work their way out of homelessness, but they are not causes. Housing is too expensive and even people working full time jobs often can't afford to live here because of rapidly rising rents and increased cost of living. Structural reasons like systemic inequality and discrimination are some of the root causes of homelessness.

• Hope and a Home

  1) Briefly describe the mission of your organization and the services you provide to help those struggling with chronic homelessness or food insecurity in the Greater Washington region.

  Hope and a Home’s mission is to empower low-income families with children in D.C. to create stable homes of their own and to make lasting changes in their lives. Our mandate is to break the cycle of poverty for qualified families through the programs and services we offer.

  Recognizing the extremely negative impact on the wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities that result from homelessness, Hope and a Home’s programs implement the best practices of a housing-first model coupled with proven, multi-generational programs to confront the root causes of homelessness. Hope and a Home’s 19 transitional housing units in Washington, DC are rented to homeless and extremely low-income families with children at subsidized rates while families participate in Hope and a Home’s robust, multi-phased program, consisting of Phase I: Transitional Housing, Phase II: Independent Housing, the Grace Dickerson Higher Education Program (GDHE), and the Mary Jo Schumacher Nutrition Security Program.

  2) What do you find most meaningful about the work that you do for those struggling with chronic homelessness or food insecurity in the Greater Washington region? What are you most proud of?

  The most meaningful part of the work Hope and Home provides is seeing the growth of the parents and families Hope and Home works with. Our two-generation approach focuses on meeting the needs of both children and parents, providing parents access to quality education and financial literacy opportunities while also supporting children's development and educational needs. Families that come to Hope and a Home with little hope, leave the housing program after three years of intensive support thriving mentally, physically, and economically – not only because of the support Hope and Home provides but also through the hard and diligent work that parents and children engage in to build strong foundations for success. They also have the confidence that, when hard times inevitably come, they remain connected to the education, nutrition, and other supportive programming that Hope and a Home provides for as long as necessary. Hope and a Home is proud of its dedicated staff, who remain a constant source of support for each adult and child throughout their academic journey and is proud of the work that these families do to build new pathways to a permanent exit from homelessness.

  3) As a nonprofit partner, tell us about how funding that you’ve received that has helped you achieve this?

  Hope and a Home is grateful for the funding partners who make possible our work supporting low-income families with children in Washington, DC to create stable homes of their own and to make lasting changes in their lives. Support from Hope and Home’s partners ensures that Hope and Home can remain committed to operating the two-generation model that works to address the systemic causes of poverty and homelessness for families living in Washington DC. Becuase Hope and a Home provides services to families even after they have transitioned out of Hope and Home’s transitional housing, funds from our partners have been critical in ensuring that Hope and a Home can support families if they return for additional supportive services.

  Importantly, support from Hope and a Home’s partners has afforded Hope and a Home the ability to remain responsive to the needs of families experiencing homelessness which continues to be a critical element in Hope and a Home’s ability to support families as they build the foundation to transition from transitional to market-rate housing. In FY2023, Hope and a Home focused efforts on supporting families as they continued to be disproportionately impacted by post-pandemic pressures and increasing inflation. Even as emergency pandemic support has abated, Hope and a Home has been able to increase support for the Mary Jo Schumacher Nutrition Security Program to ensure families continue to receive nutritional, fresh foods.

  Hope and a Home has also been able to continue working to support our students who are recovering academically from the pandemic-mandated school closures and subsequent changes in school routines.

  4) What do you wish that more people understood about those struggling with chronic homelessness or food insecurity in the Greater Washington region?

  We wish more people, organizations, and stakeholders understood the multi-dimensional, multi-layered, and multi-generational challenges that families experiencing homelessness in the greater Washington area are met with. We also wish more people understood the opportunity that we have to strengthen our community, as we invest in the long-term well-being and success of these families.

  Research shows that getting people housed saves tax-payer dollars; improves education outcomes for young people, increases the likelihood that they will not experience homelessness in adulthood to mitigate further costs of homelessness; and reduces the cost and pressures on healthcare systems, among others.

  Investment is more than getting people housed. Investment means supporting individuals and families to develop the skills and foundation necessary to maintain economic stability and improved well-being. By investing in families and individuals experiencing homelessness, we can ensure that all people can experience the stability necessary for overall well-being and contribute to developing stronger communities.

• People for Fairness Coalition

  1) Briefly describe the mission of your organization and the services you provide to help those struggling with chronic homelessness or food insecurity in the Greater Washington region.

  Our Mission is to end housing instability with outreach Peer Mentoring and Advocacy by advocating on behalf of those who haven't found their voice yet. Speaking before Dc Council. Leading a women's initiative of women with lived experience although challenging it has been rewarding

  2) What do you find most meaningful about the work that you do for those struggling with chronic homelessness or food insecurity in the Greater Washington region? What are you most proud of?

  Being their voice and doing what we can to change the stigma around mental health and homelessness so society at large will see the unhoused population as human beings with a back story and helping those who engage with documents and resources to get housing.

  3) As a nonprofit partner, tell us about how funding that you’ve received that has helped you achieve this?

  The Rhonda Whitaker Streets to life DC Women's Initiative was birthed through the Waldons Adams Justice Grant bringing about racial equity and allowing unhoused women to have a seat at the table with real time info to become their own best advocates

  4) What do you wish that more people understood about those struggling with chronic homelessness or food insecurity in the Greater Washington region?

  That people who struggle with chronic homelessness are human and have a back story and just need someone to believe in them and treat them with dignity and respect so.they can see themselves in a different light thanks to the support of consistent people in their lives.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Partnership to End Homelessness Continues to Invest in Systemic Change for Service Providers

In 2022, DC launched a new Medicaid benefit that can pay for permanent supportive housing (PSH) services for people experiencing homelessness – a major shift that allowed the city to leverage an estimated $20+ million in new, annual federal resources through Medicaid.

Since the launch, the Partnership has been working to help nonprofit providers take advantage of the opportunity and make the transition to billing the new Medicaid Benefit for permanent supportive housing (PSH) services for people experiencing homelessness.

Shortly after the change was announced, the Partnership provided an initial grant to provide technical assistance for twenty-six PSH providers through The Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), a national leader in supportive housing. Providers were enrolled in CSH’s Supportive Housing Medicaid Academy, a six-week training series where they learned how to enroll clients, how to supervise, budget, and bill under the Medicaid model and how to comply with Medicaid regulations – filling a critical knowledge gap for many providers.

However, as the Medicaid Academy came to a close, it became clear that some providers needed more human resources, accounting, evaluation, and compliance capacity to meet Medicaid requirements.

The Partnership responded quickly to meet the needs of these providers. The Partnership provided $200,000 in additional Readiness Grants, administered by CSH, to seventeen of the PSH providers. Each readiness grant included a technology stipend of $5,000 for PSH providers who were implementing electronic medical record software to comply with Medicaid requirements. It also included support for increased overhead costs associated with the Medicaid transition, such as staff training, additional back office administrative support, and hiring and retention incentives.

The investments are already paying off. Since the launch of the new Medicaid Benefit in DC, providers have been reimbursed a total of $22 million for delivering housing supportive services to over 4,500 Medicaid beneficiaries.

“Partnership funding helped us get our infrastructure and initial staffing in place so we could hit the ground running and start serving people experiencing homelessness as soon as the city assigned them to our caseload,” Chapman Todd, Principal at Jaydot shared. Jaydot is one of DC’s newest PSH providers, and a Readiness Grant recipient.

“Thanks to their support, we are now serving 70 households.” 

“By reducing some of this financial burden, the Partnership has allowed us to focus on supporting and stabilizing our most vulnerable clients in housing,” added Brendan Haley, Director of Single Adult Programs at Everyone Home DC. “They helped to supplement the difference between our income and expenses while we transitioned our clients into housing – which helped us to grow and take on more clients.”

New PSH providers weren’t the only ones who benefited from the additional support. Long-time PSH providers also shared how the Partnership funding proved transformational to the way they operate.

“This grant has been critical to our ability to ramp up,” shared Corey Mendez, Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Housing Up. “In addition to incurring hard costs for things like new billing software, we’ve incurred new costs given the need for increased staff time to manage the complex Medicaid billing process. Funding from the Partnership was essential to helping us make the transition to Medicaid.”

Cornelia Kent, Friendship Place’s Vice President of Administration and CFO, agreed. “The Partnership grant helped offset costs for our new Credible billing software system – a tool that allows us to bill both Medicaid and DC’s Department of Human Services accurately and efficiently, for around 400 participants each month.”

The Partnership is continuing to engage PSH providers and monitor the progress of the Medicaid implementation to identify additional systems investment opportunities. Ultimately, the Partnership hopes that these investments will not only continue to leverage millions of dollars in new federal resources but, most importantly, position providers to provide high-quality services and support to people experiencing homelessness in DC.

To learn more about earlier stages of this project, check out our previous blog posts Investing In the Future of Homeless Services: How Medicaid Is Driving Systemic Change In DC’s Fight to End Homelessness and  Investing in Nonprofit Capacity to Leverage Federal Funds to End Homelessness.

Food Justice DMV: Lifting the Immigrant Community One Delivery at a Time

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

For Food Justice DMV, a growing movement to feed 9,000 families across three jurisdictions, began with a young father from Central America.

Denise Woods met Oscar in 2019, while volunteering with Sanctuary DMV – a mutual aid organization that operates a hotline for migrants who need help getting to ICE court hearings.

For thousands of migrants and asylum seekers across the DMV, these regular check-ins with ICE officials determine whether or not they can continue to live in the United States. In these situations, something as trivial as missing a bus can be life-altering.

On one such occasion, Oscar shared with Woods how he struggled to find transportation to his ICE appointment in Baltimore – more than a two-hour drive from his home in Northern Virginia. Fearing that he would be deported if he missed his check-in, Oscar paid $150 to take a taxi to his appointment. Later that night, when his 8-year daughter asked why they had no food, Oscar explained that he had made a choice between feeding his family and staying in the country.

A year later, as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the country, Woods recognized the impact this would have on Oscar and dozens of other Sanctuary DMV families who were already living on the edge.

“My fellow volunteers and I realized how devastating this would be for the families we served,” Woods shared. “So overnight, we decided – with no training or background experience in food distribution – to change our accompaniment hotline to a food hotline.”

A young volunteer helps his mother at a distribution in Hyattsville, Maryland

The group called themselves Food Justice DMV and quickly transitioned to provide deliveries of food, diapers, and other essentials for anyone who called the hotline – initially about 200 migrant families.

As the economic impact of the pandemic worsened, word about the hotline spread quickly. Within weeks, Food Justice DMV had tripled its reach to serve more than 600 families.

Three years later, the group currently serves more than 9,000 families with weekly deliveries and distributions in Virginia on Tuesdays, Hyattsville, Maryland on Thursdays, and DC on Saturdays. They are one of the only programs in our region that continues to deliver food to families, despite their massive service area.

When asked why the need has continued to grow, Woods pointed to a number of factors – including the ongoing migrant bus crisis that has brought more than 10,000 asylum seekers to our region over the past year and a half – in addition to those who continue to struggle due to the economic impact of the pandemic.

“For decades, our asylum system has left thousands of families living on the edge,” Woods shared. “It can take up to seven years for an asylum seeker just to get a work permit. During that time frame, those that may qualify for assistance or resources often can’t access the help they need due to economic or language barriers.”

“People who are asylum seekers or migrants without documentation have always had to live in the shadows,” she added. “Doing whatever they can just to get by. Food Justice DMV is one of the few organizations stepping up to fill that gap.”

Recognizing the need to empower and uplift these communities, Food Justice DMV sought to meet people where they are at. They partnered with community leaders to conduct a needs assessment survey to identify what specific needs were. They established a Spanish Facebook page to facilitate information-sharing around community resources including free legal, medical, dental, and vaccination clinics and expanded their distribution services to include formula, diapers, and wipes.

Food Justice DMV also recognized early on, the importance and power of centering community voices in the work.

“Currently, we have 22 Black and Brown – Haitian, Nigerian, and Latino – community leaders who are partnering with us in this work,” Woods shared. “These are phenomenal leaders who are the backbone and the North star for the work that we do.”

“We recognize that our community will only get stronger when we as a society open the doors and let them lead – providing the resources, the support, and the empowerment they need to thrive.”

Food Justice DMV also established partnerships with organizations such as local churches, Capital Area Food Bank, DC Central Kitchen, Ayuda, and others to provide more resources to community leaders and the families they serve.

One of those partnerships was with The Community Foundation, who became the Fiscal Sponsor for Food Justice DMV in 2022. As a component fund at The Community Foundation, Food Justice DMV was able to receive funding from both individual and institutional donors resulting in over $200,000 raised during FY2022. The Community Foundation also provides critical financial and administrative infrastructure that allows Food Justice DMV’s staff and volunteers to devote more time and energy to serving their community.

“We are blown away by the level of support we receive from The Community Foundation,” Woods shared. “The service and expertise they provide is truly a life-saver for our organization.”

The partnership also reflects The Community Foundation’s commitment to invest in community-led organizations that empower Black and Brown communities. Community leaders of color make up half of Food Justice DMV’s leadership circle and play a key role in planning and orchestrating food distributions – ensuring that distributions are both equitable and culturally sensitive to community needs. They also play a key role in facilitating advocacy and activism to empower their fellow community members to push for systems change.

“There are so many incredible people we serve who can’t contribute their talents and full potential because our current system restricts them to focusing on their most basic needs,” Woods shared. “By enabling our communities to advocate for systems-change, we hope to one day achieve true Food Justice here in the DMV.”

The Community Foundation is proud to serve as a Fiscal Sponsor for Food Justice DMV. For more information, visit www.foodjusticedmv.org.

Now Is the Time! Your Holiday Charitable Giving Checklist

The holidays are quickly approaching, which means so is December 31st. Now is the time to familiarize yourself with several essential year-end charitable giving techniques and deadlines as you prepare for year-end giving with your attorney, accountant, financial advisor, and The Community Foundation team.

Standard deduction reminders. Remember that the 2023 standard deduction for single taxpayers ($13,850) and married filing jointly ($27,700) is up nearly 7% over 2022. While this increase allows for more relief from income tax for most filers, it also sets a higher bar to exceed for those who itemize deductions. Keep your household's standard deduction amount in mind when you tally your deductible expenditures, including your gifts to charity.

Itemization and bunching. If your total deductions are at or under the standard deduction amount for 2023, but you and your advisors determine that your particularly high income this year means you could benefit from increased deductions, a "bunching" strategy may be a good fit for you. "Bunching" means you are "front-loading" charitable donations into the current year, knowing that you plan to make these donations in future years.

By structuring a sizeable year-end gift to your donor-advised fund at The Community Foundation, you could surpass the standard deduction threshold to further reduce your taxes in 2023. Then, your favorite organizations can receive support from your donor-advised fund this year and in subsequent years.

Stock, not cash! Don't automatically reach for the checkbook as you prepare for year-end giving! Gifts of long-term appreciated stock to your donor-advised or other type of fund at the community foundation is always one of the most tax-savvy ways to support your favorite charitable causes because capital gains tax can be avoided.

Not only will transfers be eligible for a charitable deduction during the year of transfer (and at fair market value if you held the shares for more than one year), but these gifts could potentially reduce income tax burdens triggered upon a future sale of the business. 

QCDs from IRAs. Remember that the Qualified Charitable Distribution ("QCD") is an ingenious way to support charitable causes. If you are over 70 ½, you can direct up to $100,000 from your IRA to specific charities, including a field-of-interest or designated fund at the community foundation. If you're subject to the Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) rules, QCDs count toward those RMDs. That means you avoid income tax on the funds distributed to charity.

Don't miss year-end deadlines. Remember it takes time to process your charitable giving! Donor Advised Fundholders who wish to submit grant recommendations must do so by December 15th.

Checks to your fund at The Community Foundation must be postmarked or hand-delivered no later than December 29th to be eligible for a 2023 tax deduction. Gifts of marketable securities also need to be fully transferred by December 29th, so please work with your advisors to contact us in plenty of time for our team to process and receive the transfer. Click here for more information about year-end deadlines!

If you have questions or would like additional information to help meet your year-end giving goals, The Community Foundation stands ready to help! Contact our Donor Services team at [email protected]

Building Community, Fostering Belonging, and Sharing Prosperity at the 2023 Annual Meeting

On Wednesday, October 25, the Greater Washington Community Foundation hosted its 2023 Annual Meeting at the MLK Library. The event celebrated what has been an extremely busy year for The Community Foundation, so far, including the launch of the Together, We Prosper Campaign, the announcement of several groundbreaking community investments, and surpassing $1.7 billion in grantmaking (with $95 million awarded in FY23, alone).

“Today, we gather to celebrate and reflect on all we’ve accomplished together,” President & CEO Tonia Wellons shared. “But we also come together so we can be reenergized for the work ahead of us – the work of building community, fostering belonging, and sharing prosperity.”

Wellons began the program by acknowledging the outstanding contributions of our Community Champions and other fundholders who continue to partner with The Community Foundation to impact our community, as well as the efforts of the more than 2,700 nonprofit and community partners who are doing the work on the ground to make our region a stronger, more vibrant, and inclusive place to live, work, and thrive.

“It takes all of us working together to ensure that our community is operating at its best,” Wellons shared. “At The Community Foundation, we look forward to bringing people together to create meaningful impact in our region.”

Wellons then welcomed Alex Orfinger and Diane Tipton to present the 2023 David Bradt Nonprofit Leadership Awards. Named for a long-time fundholder and former Trustee of The Community Foundation, the David Bradt Nonprofit Education Fund is a charitable fund that supports the development of senior-level nonprofit leaders in advancing their careers and leadership skills. Click here to learn more about the David Bradt Nonprofit Leadership Awardees.

“We are so grateful for the leadership of our incredible nonprofit partners,” Wellons shared. “We truly could not do this work without them.”

The David Bradt Nonprofit Leadership Award is just one of more 700 charitable funds that The Community Foundation manages on behalf of generous individuals, families, businesses, and local government partners. Over the past year, The Community Foundation has welcomed 28 new charitable giving funds to our community of givers, including the Developing Families Maternal Health Fund – a $5 million investment that will support life-saving efforts focused on women of color in DC’s Wards 5, 7, & 8.

In addition to partnering with donors and partners to make direct investments in the community, this year, The Community Foundation also continued its role as a key convener and facilitator by convening faith and philanthropy leaders for interfaith conversations around addressing antisemitism, anti-Black racism, islamophobia, and other forms of hate and bigotry. It also celebrated four years steering the Partnership to End Homelessness, which is working towards investing in housing justice for our region.

“As the region’s largest local funder, we have both the opportunity and the responsibility to mobilize our community to address pressing needs,” Wellons acknowledged.

At this point, Wellons provided an important update on one of The Community Foundation’s most active mobilizations – the Together, We Prosper campaign for economic justice.

Publicly launched in May, the Together, We Prosper campaign for economic justice seeks to mobilize philanthropy to close the racial wealth gap in our region and to grow endowments to ensure The Community Foundation can continue to respond to future community needs. The campaign will also sustain the launch of innovative economic pilot programs such as the first guaranteed income program in Prince George’s County and Brilliant Futures – a children’s saving program in partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools and Prince George’s County Public Schools.

“I have been completely blown away by the resounding response from our community,” Bill Taylor, member of the Board of Trustees and Co-Chair of the Together, We Prosper campaign shared. “It is gratifying to know that our community is responding to the call to eliminate the disparities which prevent all of us from living in a just society.”

“We know it will take all of us to ensure that our community is operating at its best,” Wellons shared. “This is the role of philanthropy – to connect all of us to our shared values, our shared stewardship, and to inclusion.”

“When we begin with the core, unifying values that many people share, we realize that it’s in everyone’s best interest to build a system where no one is left behind.””

— Bobby Milstein

Wellons was then joined by Cat Goughnour, Racial Wealth Equity Fellow at Prosperity Now, and Bobby Milstein, Director of System Strategy for the Rippel Foundation, for a panel discussion around race, belonging, and how we can create an inclusive and diverse community for all. Click here to watch the full discussion.

“Polls show that vast majorities of people have strong unifying values,” Milstein shared. “But many are unable to convert those values into actions in the moment. We hyper-focus on our differences or we get disillusioned by the myth of scarcity.”

“But when we begin with those core, unifying values that many people still share, we can overcome these obstacles and come to the realization that it’s in everyone’s best interest to build a system where no one is left behind.”

“Exclusion – particularly exclusion caused by the racial wealth gap- is costing all of us,” Goughnour shared, citing a recent CitiBank study that estimated the cost of racial inequality to the US economy over the past two decades to be roughly $16 trillion in lost GDP.

“The racial wealth gap is not just a problem for those on the lower end of the gap,” Milstein concurred.

Milstein then shared a model for inclusion called “Bridge, Block, Build”. The model is to put forth bridges and solutions to help bring people together, block the negative forces that are preventing growth, and continue to build and reinforce the relationships that strengthen community.

“What is most important for a sense of belonging is the table design for the people who’ve been excluded,” Goughnour added. She explained the need to exercise and prioritize efforts to build a more inclusive economy –going out of the way to include those who have been historically excluded or marginalized.

“How do we value the power of the community so that actions are not done ‘to’ them, but ‘with’ them? How do we help people to recognize their lived experience as power, as expertise – where we pay them for their participation as consultants, and not just with gift cards?”

“A lot of the innovation and creativity we yearn for is genius that has been left on the table for decades,” Goughnour said. “It’s time we were more intentional in valuing those voices. It’s time we recognized that we can go further, together, faster.”

“Belonging is one of the most powerful and fragile things that exist in social movements,” Milstein added. “We have to be able to see the future, see ourselves in it, and believe that we can navigate there.”

“Once it becomes visible and valued, we need to make it investable – we need to back it up with capital.”

“I’ve been heartened by philanthropy’s role around closing the racial wealth gap,” Goughnour added. Quoting Arundhati Roy, Goughnour shared that “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”

“May we continue to put our resources where our values are.”

Click here for photos from the Annual Meeting event or to watch a recording of the panel discussion. For more information about the Together, We Prosper Campaign or how you can get involved in creating a community of belonging, contact Mary Robinson, Interim Managing Director of Development at [email protected]

Ceding Power and Seeding Community Wealth Building in DC Ward 7 and 8

Earlier this month, The Community Foundation and JP Morgan Chase convened funders and nonprofit partners at the Marshall Heights Community Development Organization to hear directly from community partners about the best ways to promote community wealth building and equitable development in DC Wards 7 & 8.

“We want to bridge the gap between funders and communities,” Dr. Marla Dean, Senior Director of the Health Equity Fund shared. “We are here to discuss how philanthropy can aid community goals by supporting community controlled grantmaking and community led decision-making.”

The event was made possible by the East of the Anacostia River Equitable Development Fund – an investment of JP Morgan Chase dedicated to bridging the economic and racial wealth divide in DC.  

In a city where White wealth is 81 times that of Black wealth, 92 percent of residents living in Wards 7 & 8 are Black. For years, many of these have residents struggled to gain access to healthy food, medical care, employment and homeownership opportunities.

While traditional investments have been made from both public and private partners to help meet these needs, The Community Foundation and JP Morgan Chase wanted to explore if ceding more power and resources to the community could be the key to seeding greater community wealth.

“Philanthropists and residents sometimes have a tendency to talk past each other when it comes to impact,” Tonia Wellons, President & CEO of The Community Foundation shared. “The more we can empower and cede power to those within these communities, the better we can understand what it will take to really make a difference.”

The event kicked off with a conversation with Mary Bogle, Principal Research Associate at the Urban Institute. Bogle, who was commissioned by JP Morgan Chase and The Community Foundation to conduct research on philanthropic efforts East of the River, talked about the need to prioritize community voice in ongoing efforts.

“The challenges that residents in Wards 7 & 8 face are different than those faced in other parts of DC,” Bogle shared. “Unique challenges, call for unique solutions – specifically, community-controlled grantmaking models.”

Bogle was followed by a panel of organizations from Ward 8 including Mustafa Abdul- Salaam who facilitated the Ward 8 Community Economic Development Report and Tiffany Williams, President & CEO of Martha’s Table.

“We’re at a moment when we have the opportunity to transform the relationship between philanthropy and community,” Abdul-Salaam shared. “If you want to make a change in the communities we live in, you will not do it unless you talk to me or my neighbors about the changes that need to be made.”

Abudul-Salaam recently released “A Dream Deserved: Realizing Our Collective Emergence” a detailed community-driven report that highlights the qualitative and quantitative needs of Ward 8 residents. The report was made possible by the Bainum Family Foundation, in addition to contributions from JP Morgan Chase, The Community Foundation, and others.

“Putting cash into people’s hands is one of the most effective ways to help them out of poverty,” Williams shared when asked about some of the most innovative ways to meet the needs highlighted in the report. Since the pandemic, Martha’s Table has been an advocate for innovative funding initiatives in Wards 7 & 8 including cash transfer programs and Community Impact grants.

“Until we have capital tied into a community like Ward 8, then nothing changes.” Abdul-Salaam added. “We have a poverty-building economy right now – we want to move towards a wealth building economy.” 

Among the ideas that Abdul-Salaam and Williams championed included a Black Think Tank that would leverage intellectual capital in Wards 7 & 8 to design and implement community-based innovations like guaranteed incomes, child saving accounts, broad based ownership models and strategic economic participation.

From Ward 8, the conversation then turned towards Ward 7 and a panel discussion with Mae Best, Executive Director of the East River Family Strengthening Collaborative and Babatunde Oloyede, President & CEO of Marshall Heights Community Development Organization who hosted the event.

“We have a unique opportunity to chart our own course,” Oloyede shared. “For communities to lead the effort and the change.”

“Rather than talk about what’s good and bad in our community, right now, let’s talk about the art of the possible.”

The Marshall Heights Community Development Organization is one of Ward 7’s oldest community development organizations that supports housing and economic development opportunities for residents.

“What many organizations in Ward 7 are doing right now is putting an emergency band-aid on families,” Oloyede described. “What we need to do is provide them with meaningful, generational wealth building opportunities.”

“We need the resources to help families and communities reach their highest potential,” Best added. “Right now, we’re really lacking in a number of things that could help make a family - and a community – whole.”

Best and Oloyede said they would love to see the same level of investment in Ward 7 as has been put into other sections of DC, including U St and H St.

“We want to see redevelopment in our commerce corridors like Minnesota and Pennsylvania Avenue,” Oloyede explained. “We want to see the same amenities that we see in other parts of the city – but we want it to be done in a way that ensures that the current residents are included; that they are able to participate in that development and enjoy those amenities.”

“The time is now! We need to be as intentional and proactive as we possibly can be; let’s work together so we can marshal the positive change to make this dream a reality for this community.”

The final panel discussion featured Dana Hall and Dan Tangherini of the Emerson Collective.

The Emerson Collective is a social impact collective with the goal of reducing barriers for people to reach their full potential by investing in ideas and social entrepreneurs. In June, they partnered with local organizations to help launch Sycamore & Oak, a new retail center for Black entrepreneurs living East of the Anacostia.

“We want a future where there’s more opportunities,” Tangherini shared. “Where people have more opportunities for expression, for growth, and for wealth.”

“That means creating a place where there is opportunity for Black-led organizations to collaborate and draw strength from each other.”

“We need to start thinking about the power dynamics in funding and how we can be intentional about tapping into those dynamics to promote positive change,” Hall added. “How do I make sure I have a diverse pool of thought when I’m engaging in this work? How do I create an environment where everyone feels like they have a place at the table?”

“Most importantly, we need to trust that the best way to get a better understanding of what the community is interested, is to start with the community itself.”

“We want to seed (with an ‘S’) growth; not just cede funding,” Tangherini said, referencing the title of the event. “That means this can’t just be a ‘grant-by-grant process. It needs to be a systematic examination of our systems to learn the lessons from what has been done -- and work together with the community to find ways to make them even better.

Click here for more photos of the event! For more information about how you can get involved in investing in Wards 7 & 8, contact Dr. Marla Dean at [email protected]

Celebrating 25 Years of Philanthropy in Prince George's County at the Civic Leadership Awards

On October 19th, friends and supporters of The Community Foundation in Prince George’s County gathered at MGM National Harbor to honor outstanding Civic Leadership and celebrate 25 Years of The Community Foundation in Prince George’s County.

“The theme for tonight is ‘Imagine’,” President & CEO Tonia Wellons shared. “As we celebrate 25 years in Prince George’s County, may we look forward to the next 25 years with a vision for what is truly possible.”

The Community Foundation in Prince George’s County has been extremely busy over the past year, from exciting collaborations between Faith & Philanthropy to supporting innovative investments in affordable housing and pioneering plans to launch the first Guaranteed Income program in Prince George’s County.

“Since 1998, The Community Foundation has invested more than $65 million in Prince George’s County,” Darcelle Wilson, Senior Director of The Community Foundation’s Prince George’s County Office shared. “Tonight, we not only celebrate that legacy, but also the lives of the many incredible leaders who are helping us to build a more prosperous community for everyone who calls Prince George’s home.”

The first leader to be recognized was Dr. Darryll Pines, President of the University Maryland and this year’s 2023 Civic Leadership Award Recipient. Dr. Pines has been a champion for education in Prince George’s County. Click here for Dr. Pines Award Tribute Video

As a new President during the pandemic, Dr. Pines developed a partnership between the University and Prince George’s County Public Schools to help provide continuing math education for high school students during the pandemic. His efforts to develop partnerships and collaborations not only helped students acquire valuable life skills, but also helped them imagine what is possible. This past fall, the University of Maryland enrolled more Prince Georgians in their incoming class than at any point in the history of the university, including more than half of the salutatorians or valedictorians in PGCPS – all graduates of UMD’s math partnership.

“All institutions have a responsibility to reach out beyond their walls and build up the communities in which they live,” Dr. Pines shared. “At the University of Maryland, we are invested in making higher education accessible for everyone – especially in Prince George’s County.”

Dr. Pines was followed by William M. (Bill) Shipp, Esq, Partner of O’Malley, Miles, Nyland & Gilmore who received the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award. A longtime resident of Prince George’s County, Shipp has spent much of his career facilitating the development and growth of Prince George’s County including projects such as National Harbor, IKEA, Bowie Town Center, and others. Click here for Bill Shipp’s Tribute Video.

In addition to serving as former chair of the Board of the Prince George’s County affiliate of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, Shipp served extensively with the late Prince George’s County Executive Wayne Curry, who recruited him to serve on the Prince George’s County Housing Authority, among other important county projects. He also supported a number of causes locally, including support for cancer survivors and swim instruction and camp scholarships for minority youth.

“It’s always been important to me to give back to the community where I live and where I raise my family,” Shipp shared.

Shipp was followed by Prince George’s County Advisory Board Member, Dave Ianucchi, who presented the Corporate Philanthropist of the Year Award to Melonie Ducre Johnson, on behalf of MGM National Harbor. Click here for the MGM National Harbor Tribute Video

MGM National Harbor is one of the largest employers in Prince George’s County, with more than 3,200 employees – nearly half of whom are Prince George’s County residents. Since coming to the Prince George’s County in 2016, MGM has invested heavily in workforce development, including partnering with Prince George’s Community College for their Hospitality, Tourism, Culinary Arts and Dealer School – helping residents acquire the skills to obtain better paying jobs.

“Our mission is to be a great neighbor, not just a good neighbor,” Johnson shared. “At MGM National Harbor, we believe in investing in our people and investing in this community.”

At this point, Tiffany Turner, Executive Director of Nonprofit Prince George’s County came forward to announce the winner of the Nonprofit Leader of the Year Award – Cheryl Petty Garnette, Executive Director of Ivy Community Charities of Prince Geroge’s County.

Ivy Community Charities of Prince George’s County supports youth and families residing in Prince George’s County, Maryland, with educational, cultural, and health-related resources to enhance the economic condition of citizens. One of their most exciting programs is the Ivy VINE or Village Incubator for Nonprofit Excellence, which provides training, networking, and facility support for emerging nonprofits.

As Executive Director, Garnette has been instrumental in the creation and implementation of the Ivy VINE. In addition to her leadership at Ivy Community Charities, Garnette also serves on the Board of Nonprofit Prince George’s County.

Garnette was one of four nonprofit leaders nominated for this year’s award, including Lisa Butler McDougal, Executive Director of Sowing Empowerment & Economic Development (SEED), Sandy Washington, Executive Director of Community Outreach & Development Corp (CDC), and Maryann Dillon, Executive Director of Housing Initiative Partnership (HIP). Click here to meet all the nominees. The winner was selected via text-to-vote by members of the Prince George’s County community.

The final award of the evening, the 2023 Emerging Leader of the Year Award went to Charnell Ferguson, Director of Constituent Services for the Office of At-Large Councilmember Mel Franklin.

Ferguson is a powerful activist and voice for change in her community. A member of the Prince George’s County Social Innovation Fund Forty Under 40 cohort for 2019, Ferguson helped re-establish the NAACP at Bowie State University and been actively involved in local government for several years. She also is the founder of the Diamond Foundation Inc, a nonprofit geared to help the community and build self-esteem in youth while raising awareness of mental health.

Ferguson was one of four emerging leaders nominated for this year’s award, including Jonathan Harris, Founder of Million Paths Foundation, Inc, Vince Harrington, Executive Director of the Maryland Democratic Party, and Albert T. Lewis, Principal of Largo High School. Click here to meet all the nominees!

“Thanks to all of you for your contributions to our county,” shared Darcelle Wilson, Senior Director of The Community Foundation’s Prince George’s County office. “As we close out this celebration, may we continue to work together to create a community where everyone thrives.”

Click here for more photos from the 2023 Civic Leadership Awards. We also express special thanks to our Sponsors for making this event possible!

For more information on how to get involved in Prince George’s County, contact Darcelle Wilson at [email protected]

Health Equity Fund Celebrates One Year of Transformative Grantmaking

In October, The Community Foundation’s Health Equity Fund celebrated an exciting milestone. In just 12 months, the record-breaking fund has awarded more than $21 million in grants to 46 organizations. The fund also recently announced a new grant round which aims to award at least twice that amount over the next 3 years – making it one of the most transformative impact funds in The Community Foundation’s history.

“Health and wealth are inextricably linked,” shared Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of The Community Foundation. “We are confident and excited that the investments that we have made – and will continue to make -- through the Health Equity Fund will be instrumental in improving health outcomes for DC residents.

Announced in March 2022, The $95 Million Health Equity Fund is the largest fund in The Community Foundation’s 50-year history and is dedicated to closing gaps in healthcare as well as addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) that impact health outcomes including education, employment, income, housing, transportation, nutrition, environmental safety, medical care, culture and recreation, and more.

The Health Equity Fund and nonprofit partners celebrate the 2nd cohort in June 2023.

The inaugural grant round in September 2022 awarded $9.2 million to 32 DC nonprofit organizations with a focus on economic mobility and wealth building in DC’s historically underinvested communities including cash transfer initiatives, housing rehabilitation projects, wealth creation programs, and other innovative projects. Click here to learn more about the inaugural grant round.

The second grant round announced in June 2023 awarded $12.5 million – the largest single grant round in The Community Foundation’s history - to 14 DC based nonprofits working on health advocacy, policy, and systems change initiatives. Click here to learn more about the second grant round.

Convening A Community of Changemakers

However, the impact of the Health Equity Fund goes far beyond the funding provided.

“The more we take time to listen to each other - as partners in this work – the better we can understand from each one what success looks like and how we, as a philanthropic partner, can provide support that goes beyond the dollar figures,” shared Dr. Marla Dean, Senior Director of the Health Equity Fund.

HEF Nonprofit Partners share experiences at the first Idea Summit in March 2023.

This principal has been established from Day 1, thanks in part to The Community Foundation’s partnership with the American Institutes for Research (AIR), who serves as the evaluation partner for the Health Equity Fund. AIR and The Community Foundation have hosted several Idea Summits, where nonprofit partners had the chance to network and work together collaboratively to identify the outcomes and actions they hoped to see over the next few years. These factors provide a more equitable framework for future evaluation and reporting.

“What we do is co-designing success,” Dr. Brandy Farrar, a Managing Director for American Institutes for Research (AIR) explained. “Instead of establishing an arbitrary checklist of universal benchmarks, we want to work with each of you to identify what success looks like and how can we measure it.”

From the outset, nonprofit partners have expressed excitement about being part of a “cohort” for change in the District of Columbia. Even though many nonprofit partners often compete for the same limited resources, bringing them together in this space has created opportunities for collaboration and discussion that many say is invaluable to the work that they do.

“The fact that we can come together and collaborate as one is so inspiring,” one nonprofit partner shared. “It helps build power and confidence in the knowledge that we are not alone in this work to enact change.”

Driven by this enthusiasm, The Community Foundation helped organized a Partner Learning Series to convene nonprofit partners around the issues that are most impactful to the work and mission of the Health Equity Fund. Events have been organized based on partner interest and have covered topics ranging from Guaranteed Income pilots to navigating the DC Budget process.

“It’s so important to leverage the power in this room,” Misty Thomas, Executive Director of the Center for Court Excellence shared at one event. “Even though we may advocate on different issues, we need to work together to make the budget more effective, more equitable, and more participatory.”

Investing in Disruptive Partnerships - The Health Equity Fund’s Largest Grant Round Yet

In that spirit of collaboration and partnership, The Community Foundation recently announced its third and largest ongoing grant round to date to invest in innovative partnerships that promote economic mobility and build community wealth in DC. The grant round is open through March of 2026 to proposals with two or more partner organizations.

“We recognize that the most innovative work occurs through partnerships between organizations,” shared Dr. Marla Dean, Senior Director of the Health Equity Fund.

“We hope that this grant round will provide a catalyst for transformative partnerships that will reshape some of the most pressing obstacles to health and wealth for DC residents.”

Additional information on the latest HEF grant round can be found on our website. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through March 2026 or until funds have been exhausted.

Announcing the 2023 David Bradt Nonprofit Leadership Award Winners

As nonprofit leaders in Greater Washington, Erica Beal, Jared D. Cohen, and Matt Gayer are invested in improving and advancing their organizations—and themselves. This year, we’re excited to announce them as our fifth annual David Bradt Nonprofit Leadership Awardees. Beal, Executive Director of School Leader Lab (SLL), Cohen, President & CEO of the Parkinson Foundation of the National Capital Area(PFNCA), and Gayer, Executive Director of Spur Local (formerly the Catalogue for Philanthropy), will each receive up to $15,000 to attend an intensive executive training program of their choice.

Launched in 2017 as a salute to former trustee David Bradt and his many years of service to our community, the David Bradt Nonprofit Education Fund supports senior level nonprofit leaders in advancing their careers and leadership skills. Local business leader Alex Orfinger and Diane Tipton, David’s wife, established the Fund to surprise and honor David. 

Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, extends her congratulations to this year’s class:

“Congratulations to the 2023 awardees!  We are thankful for all you have done and will continue to do to strengthen our community. The Community Foundation is so pleased to support investments in exceptional nonprofit leaders and support the Fund’s impact in our region.  Our thanks to David for the inspiration, and to Diane and Alex for creating such a wonderful way in which to honor him.”  

Read on to meet these inspiring local leaders. 

MEET OUR AWARDEES

Erica Beal is the Executive Director of School Leader Lab (SLL). SLL collaborates with educators to dismantle racism, inspire staff, and champion rigorous learning. SLL develops school leaders at all levels through cohorts, 1:1 coaching, and tailored support projects. Under Erica’s leadership, SLL has established new partnerships with DCPS, TFA, TNTP, and GreenhouseE3. SLL will launch a new Executive Leader Cohort in Fall 2024. Erica was named Teacher of the Year at KIPP DC and was selected as a finalist for TFA’s Sue Lehmann Excellence in Teaching Award. She led at a Tier 1, Bold Improvement School in Ward 7. SLL has supported nearly 75% of the school networks in Washington DC and 400+ educators in the DMV. Erica has a BA from Georgetown and a ME in Educational Leadership from Columbia. Erica plans to use the award to attend Harvard Business School's Executive Education Program on Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management.

Jared D. Cohen, President & CEO of the Parkinson Foundation of the National Capital Area (PFNCA) since 2013, oversees management, strategic-planning and implementation of comprehensive programs and services for people impacted by Parkinson’s Disease. During his tenure, PFNCA has received honors and recognition for excellence and innovation from the Center for Non-Profit Advancement, the Public Interest Registry and software provider CVENT.   PFNCA has also been honored as one of the Best Small Non-Profits in the Greater Washington Region by the Catalogue for Philanthropy since 2013. Under his leadership, PFNCA has grown services and strengthened its financial position. He previously served as Executive Director of Multicultural Community Service, a Washington, D.C. non-profit fostering community engagement.  He earned his MBA from Johns Hopkins University and his MA and BA from American University. He hopes to use his award to attend Harvard Business School’s Executive Education program on digital excellence.

Matt Gayer, Executive Director of Spur Local, formerly the Catalogue for Philanthropy, joined the organization in 2017. Matt leads Spur Local’s dedicated team of staff in supporting local nonprofits and driving community engagement. He grew Spur Local’s capacity building program to have about 5,000 annual nonprofit participants and has personally led training opportunities for over 20,000 nonprofit participants. Spur Local has also raised over $57M for DMV nonprofits since its founding, with about $5M now raised annually. Prior to Spur Local, Matt worked in healthcare consulting and public health. Matt received his BA in Public Policy and Political Science from Southern Methodist University, where he also studied economics and human rights, as well as a Masters of Public Administration from Syracuse University. Matt is a Truman Scholar, and a 2022 recipient of the Washington Business Journal’s “40 under 40” leadership award. He hopes to use his award to participate in Leadership Greater Washington.

A Monument for Peace and a Beacon for the Future

Tonia Wellons with Carrie Hessler-Radelet, former Director of the Peace Corps (2014-2017) and Glenn Blumhorst, Chief Advancement Officer of the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation

Earlier this month, our President & CEO Tonia Wellons convened a small gathering of friends and supporters to discuss plans for Peace Corps Park – a National Monument dedicated to the Peace Corps and its legacy of international service. The project will also include a digital platform and community outreach project to engage past, present, and future Peace Corps Volunteers.

Established in 1961, the Peace Corps has been instrumental at promoting world peace and friendship for more than 60 years by providing international service opportunities for US Citizens in more than 60 countries.

“The Peace Corps has provided so many invaluable global experiences for members of our community,” Tonia Wellons shared. Prior to joining The Community Foundation, Wellons served as the Head of Global Partnerships for the Peace Corps during the Obama Administration. Many of our colleagues serving local philanthropy and fundholders are either returned peace corps volunteers or have backgrounds in international development service. “We’re especially excited for what this project will mean for our local community – and our international community. With so many memorials dedicated to war, it will be a breath of fresh air to have one dedicated to peace.”

“We want to create a space that not only honors the Peace Corps, but also builds the community,” Glenn Blumhorst, Chief Advancement Officer with the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation shared. “There are so many inspiring stories of service within the Peace Corps, and the Greater Washington Region is a large part of that.”

Part of creating that space involves creating a digital platform where past and current Peace Corps Volunteers can experience Peace Corps Park in virtual reality, as well as share their stories.

The design and location of Peace Corps Park were approved by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts in November 2021. The Community Foundation is proud to support this project through our Fund for Greater Washington.

For more information, visit https://www.peacecorpscommemorative.org/

Welcoming New Faces at The Community Foundation!

The Community Foundation is excited to welcome a number of new Board and Team members to The Community Foundation family.

The Community Foundation Board of Trustees

S. Decker Anstrom, Vice Chair Arena Stage

Decker Anstrom serves on the Board of Directors of Discovery, Inc., as well as on the boards of national nonprofit groups (Island Press; Climate Central; and Planet Forward).

Anstrom, who lives in Washington, D.C., served as U.S. Ambassador and Head of the U.S. Delegation to the 2011 and 2015 World Radiocommunication Conferences (WRC 12 and 15), held under the auspices of the International Telecommunications Union. WRC’s, which convene every three to four years, are treaty level conferences involving more than 150 countries that consider international and regional spectrum allocation and regulatory issues that support satellite, mobile, aviation, and other wireless services.

He retired as President of Landmark Communications and Chairman of The Weather Channel Companies in late 2008, following Landmark’s sale of The Weather Channel to NBC. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Comcast Corporation from 2001-2011.

Prior to his positions at Landmark (headquartered in Norfolk, VA), Anstrom had a long career in public service and in the communications industry. During the Carter Administration, he was a senior staff member in the White House Office of Management and Budget, working on the creation of the U.S. Department of Education, and then served in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel. He subsequently joined and later became President of Public Strategies, a Washington-based public policy consulting firm.

In 1987 he joined the National Cable Television Association (NCTA) as Executive Vice President; he became President and CEO in 1994. During his tenure he led the cable industry’s efforts that helped result in the Telecommunications Act of 1996. In 1999, Anstrom joined The Weather Channel Companies (TWCC — which included The Weather Channel cable network, weather.com, and WSI, the leading business-to-business weather provider) in Atlanta, GA as President and CEO. In 2002, he became President of Landmark Communications, a privately held, diversified media company that owned newspapers, local television stations, database centers and print and classified advertising businesses, as well as The Weather Channel Companies. In that position he also served as Chairman of TWCC.

In addition, Anstrom has served on numerous cable industry boards (including NCTA, which he chaired for two years), two nonprofit boards in the Hampton Roads area (the Chrysler Museum and public television and radio broadcaster WHRO), and on the Boards of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Institute for Educational Leadership, and the National Environmental Education Foundation.

Anstrom received a BA degree from Macalester College (St. Paul, MN) and attended the Woodrow Wilson Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University for one year.

Matthew Edwards, Partner, Ain & Bank Law

Matthew W. Edwards focuses on high-stakes matrimonial cases involving complex financial arrangements, family-owned or closely held businesses, and complex custody matters. Matt also helps clients negotiate and enforce prenuptial agreements. In addition to legal analysis, Matt routinely works with forensic accountants, valuation experts, certified financial planners, and professional therapists to provide a clear path to a quick and favorable resolution of his clients’ divorce and custody matters. Matt also advises as general and civil litigation counsel to high-net-worth clients and their businesses. When necessary, Matt is a tenacious courtroom advocate at the trial court and appellate levels.

Matt volunteers as a family law mentor for the D.C. Bar Advice & Referral Clinic, where he advises pro se litigants on family law and domestic violence matters. Over the course of his career, Matt has devoted thousands of hours to pro bono work, including on behalf of the Greater Washington Community Foundation.

Matt was recognized by Best Lawyers in 2020. He currently serves as Chair of the Litigation Community of the D.C. Bar, and as a member of the D.C. Bar Rules of Professional Conduct Review Committee. He is also a member of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association.

Prior to joining Ain & Bank, Matt was a commercial litigator in the Washington, D.C. offices of Willkie, Farr & Gallagher LLP. While there, he focused on complex commercial and securities litigation on behalf of clients such as the General Electric Company, Facebook, Inc., and Big 4 accounting firms.

The Community Foundation would like to thank Tim Hwang and Katharine Weymouth for their service on the Board of Trustees. Tim Hwang joined the Board of Trustees in 2017. Katharine Weymouth joined the Board in 2016 and served as Chair of the Board of Trustees from 2019 to 2022. We are grateful for their tireless service and many contributions to our organization and the region.

The Community Foundation Staff

Darius Graham, Managing Director of Community Investment

Darius Graham joined the foundation in October 2023 as the Managing Director of Community Investment. In this role, he oversees the foundation’s grantmaking programs, strategic initiatives, and collaboratives. He leads the Community Investment team and serves on the foundation’s executive leadership team.

Previously as the Program Director for Baltimore at The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Darius guided the distribution of over $30 million in grants annually to nonprofits working across the areas of housing, health, workforce development, and education in Baltimore and beyond. In this role, he also developed and led strategic initiatives such as the Greenmount Life, Opportunity, and Wellness (GLOW) Initiative — an award-winning, multi-year, place-based strategy that unites residents and a network of over 30 nonprofits to ensure all residents of four central Baltimore neighborhoods can access and utilize comprehensive healthcare services, nutritious food, and enriching opportunities for youth. Other initiatives included the $25 million economic mobility initiative (Mobility LABs) in partnership with the Robin Hood Foundation and a $3.7 million initiative in Stockton, California to improve academic and civic outcomes.

Prior to that, Darius was the founding executive director of two university-wide innovation and entrepreneurship programs at Johns Hopkins University (Social Innovation Lab and FastForwardU) where he helped students, faculty, and local residents transform novel ideas and new technologies into viable ventures. Darius was the founder and executive director of DC Social Innovation Project, which supported the launch and growth of innovative community-based ventures tackling pressing social issues in Washington, DC. He began his career as an attorney in the Financial Restructuring practice group at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.

Darius is a Civil Society Fellow with The Aspen Institute and ADL and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. As an adjunct professor at the University of Denver and Goucher College, Darius has taught graduate courses on social entrepreneurship, public sector innovation, and nonprofit leadership. At the Baltimore Museum of Art, he serves as vice-chair of the board of trustees and chair of the governance committee. He previously served as co-chair of the board of directors of Community Law In Action, a mayor-appointed commissioner at Serve DC, and a Social Entrepreneur-In-Residence at University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Darius' work and insights are highlighted in two books, Becoming a Changemaker: An Actionable, Inclusive Guide to Leading Positive Change at Any Level and In the Business of Change: How Social Entrepreneurs Are Disrupting Business as Usual. He has been a speaker at SXSW, SOCAP, Mission Investors Exchange, and Startup Champions; published in The Baltimore Sun, Inside Philanthropy, and more; and received honors from Ebony magazine, Baltimore Business Journal, and was recently named a GameChanger by Baltimore magazine. Darius is the author of Being the Difference: True Stories of Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things to Change the World. He received a B.A. summa cum laude from Florida A&M University and a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley – School of Law.

Turning Empathy Into Action

Reflections from Tonia Wellons, President & CEO, Greater Washington Community Foundation

All week I’ve been wrestling with what we might do or say to offer comfort to people who are impacted directly or indirectly by the crisis in the Middle East – Israeli people, Palestinian people, and all who suffer violence, terror or threats of terror, and crimes against their humanity.  At the Greater Washington Community Foundation, we strongly condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hate and bigotry and we unequivocally stand against acts of hate, violence, and the loss of innocent lives. We offer our deep empathy and compassion to the innocent civilians, their families, and all who are impacted by this crisis. Safety is a basic human right that we all deserve, and we pray for peace, both here and abroad..

I have discussed this crisis with staff and members of our Board and Advisory Boards to share our collective grief and concern. These conversations have resurfaced the hurt, trauma, fear, discomfort, and polarization that people are experiencing. I know that thoughts and prayers have become symbolic given the number of crises we’ve experienced, especially over the last several years. 

I am also struck by the strength and resolve our community has shown, both now and historically, to quickly channel pain into philanthropy (an expression of love and compassion) and contribute to organizations providing aid to the victims. As I’ve shared before, I firmly believe that the antidote to respond to catastrophe is to choose community.

In the coming weeks and months, our Community Foundation intends to expand upon the interfaith series of dialogues we’ve hosted over the last year with even more faith leaders around the table. Additionally, we intend to make matching grants aligned with Montgomery County’s Nonprofit Security Grants program, administered by the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, to help protect “nonprofit and religious organizations with additional funding to enhance the security of their facilities and promote safety within the communities they serve,” due to the uptick in threats of violence specifically in Montgomery County.

For our donors and partners who are looking for a way to move from empathy to action, please contact us for guidance on how to contribute to humanitarian efforts.

Partnership to End Homelessness Celebrates Four Years of Impact

On October 11th, friends and supporters of the Partnership to End Homelessness gathered at the Festival Center in Northwest DC to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the Partnership to End Homelessness and discuss the progress in the city’s fight to end homelessness.

“We believe that ending homelessness in DC is possible. And it will take all of us working together to accomplish it,” Jennifer Olney, Senior Community Investment Officer with the Partnership to End Homelessness shared. “We have made progress, but we know we have more work to do.”

Since its launch, the Partnership has leveraged and aligned over $18 million in private sector resources. At the same time, advocacy efforts have resulted in over 4,000 permanent supportive housing vouchers to end homelessness for 3,106 individuals and 1,217 families.

The event focused on the Partnership and our community’s collective progress in the work to end homelessness and featured remarks from Theresa Silla, Executive Director of the DC Interagency Council on Homelessness, key philanthropic partners such as Allison McWilliams, Executive Director of the Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation, and a panel of nonprofit leaders and advocates with lived experience of chronic homelessness.

Christy Respress, President of Pathways to Housing DC, has worked with individuals experiencing chronic homelessness since the ‘90s and has long been a champion of the “Housing First” approach adopted by the DC Government – a model that prioritizes permanent housing for individuals and families, which creates a platform for pursuing other goals.

“Housing First is a proven model,” Respress explained. “We know it works. Now we just need to get the resources and hold ourselves accountable to get things done.”

“We know we can end homelessness because we have made so much progress reaching families experiencing homelessness,” Silla shared. “What we need now is to apply that same thinking to our single adult population – and our unaccompanied youth – and invest in new resources to meet their specific needs.”

Attendees also heard from Rachelle Ellison, Assistant Director, and Robert Warren, Director, at the People for Fairness Coalition.

Rachelle Ellison (Assistant Director) and Robert Warren (Director) at the People for Fairness Coalition

 “I was homeless for 17 years before the Housing First initiative model helped me,” Ellison shared.

“Once you have that housing, you have the foundation – you can do anything you want to do.”

Ellison and Warren pointed out that while housing is by far the most critical (and costly) need, there are a host of other supports needed that help people stay in housing, such as access to healthcare and addiction recovery treatment, and access to case workers and service providers. Strengthening case management and service provider capacity has been a key focus for the Partnership for the past two years. Part of this work included helping permanent supportive housing (PSH) providers access new Medicaid funding that increases our community’s resources to invest in critical supportive services.

They also shared the importance in leading with lived experience and giving advocates who have previously or are currently experiencing homelessness a seat at the table with funders and government partners so they can better advocate for themselves and the needs of their community.

“We are so grateful for private sector funding that has given Rachelle and I a chance to advocate for change,” Warren shared. “Now we need your continued support so more can join us.”

“I know you see Rachelle and I sitting here; my hope is that you can see every unhoused member of the Washington DC community as well.”

DSC_0348.jpg

Partners then heard from Jim Knight, CEO of Jubilee Housing, a partner in the Partnership to End Homelessness’ impact investment efforts to build and preserve affordable housing for extremely low-income households.

“A vast percentage of people in our city are paying more in rent than they can afford,” Knight shared. “Investing in affordable housing allows us to alleviate that pressure so they can better provide for their future and their children’s future.”

“The impact of these investments can live on for generations.”

Thanks to partnerships with Jubilee Housing and Enterprise Community Loan Fund, the Partnership has helped create and maintain over 500 new homes affordable to extremely low-income households. Many of those are reserved for populations with specific needs such as seniors or returning citizens.

Martin Mellett, VP of External Affairs at Jubilee Housing leads a walking tour of Columbia Heights, including several service providers and affordable housing projects under development.

Following the panel discussion, attendees joined a walking tour around the neighborhood, which included stops at several affordable housing projects under development. Along the way, participants visited sites of multiple service providers including Mary’s Center, Columbia Road Health Services, Christ House, and the Sitar Arts Center – all within short walking distance of the homes. The hope is that the proximity, combined with new partnerships, will help residents gain access to all the resources they need to succeed.

“This Partnership is truly a partnership,” Olney shared at the event. “Nothing that we do would be possible without all of you working together with us. We thank you for your contributing your time, your expertise, and continued investment towards our shared vision to end homelessness in our city. Together we can build a community where everyone thrives.”

To learn more or to make a contribution to the Partnership to End Homelessness, visit our website where you can also learn more about Impact Investing and see our 2023 Impact Report!

For more information about how you can be involved in the Partnership to End Homelessness, contact Jennifer Olney at [email protected]

2023 Year End Gifts and Grantmaking

As we near the end of the year, we would like to recognize our donors and their generosity throughout 2023. Thank you for standing with us as we worked to support and strengthen our community. You’ve continued to demonstrate the strong philanthropic spirit that empowers our region. 

In an effort to assist you with carrying out your philanthropic goals, please see below for The Community Foundation’s deadlines regarding year-end giving and grantmaking activities.

RECOMMENDING GRANTS FROM YOUR FUND

Grant recommendations submitted by December 15 will be processed by December 31, provided the grantee organization meets The Community Foundation’s due diligence requirements. Due to increased volume, we cannot guarantee that grant recommendations submitted after December 15 will be processed in 2023.

PLEASE NOTE: Grants submitted prior to December 15, 2023 must also meet The Community Foundation’s due diligence requirements to be processed by December 31, 2023.

Grant recommendations should be submitted through your Donor Central account. Questions regarding Donor Central can be forwarded to our Donor Services team.

MAKING GIFTS TO THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

All gifts submitted to The Community Foundation by December 29 will be credited as a 2023 contribution. Please note: The gift must be in The Community Foundation’s account by this day to be eligible for a 2023 tax deduction. 

GIFTS MADE ONLINE:

Gifts can be made online at www.thecommunityfoundation.org/donate.  

GIFTS MADE VIA CHECK: 

Greater Washington Community Foundation 
P.O. Box 49010
Baltimore, MD 21297-4910 (include 4-digit code 4910, or processing may be delayed)

Please note: checks sent by US Postal Service mail must be postmarked no later than December 31, 2023.

GIFTS OF CASH OR SECURITIES MADE VIA WIRE TRANSFER:

Please see the instructions for making gifts via ACH or wire transfer. Make sure to include your or the donor’s name/fund name in the reference section of the transfer. You can contact the Finance Department at 202-955-5890 if there are any questions. Monies must be in The Community Foundation’s account by December 29, to be earmarked as a 2023 contribution.

GIFTS MADE VIA TRANSFER FROM MUTUAL FUNDS:

In order for gifts made from mutual funds gifted to The Community Foundation to be received by December 29 and earmarked as a 2023 contribution, the transfer must be initiated early enough — typically at least two weeks or more — to be posted into our account. Please check with your broker on their internal timelines.

QuALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTIONS (IRA CHARITABLE ROLLOVER)

As a reminder, qualified charitable distributions from your IRA (if you are at least 70.5 years of age) cannot be used for donor-advised funds. They may be used for designated, field of interest, and other types of funds. Notify your plan administrator as soon as possible if you intend to make a gift from your IRA. Please contact us for help with these types of gifts.

ILLIQUID ASSETS AND REAL ESTATE

The Community Foundation accepts gifts of illiquid assets such as closely held stock, partnership interests, and real estate, among others. Gifts must be reviewed and approved by The Community Foundation’s Gift Acceptance Committee. Please allow plenty of time for review and approval.

PLEASE NOTE: THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION WILL BE CLOSED FOR THE FOLLOWING FEDERAL HOLIDAYS: THANKSGIVING (NOVEMBER 23 AND 24), CHRISTMAS (DECEMBER 25), AND NEW YEAR’S DAY (JANUARY 1).

WE WILL ALSO CLOSE AT 1 P.M. ON November 22, DECEMBER 22 AND december 29.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

¡Fuerza, Mi Gente! Celebrating Diversity & Ethnic Pride During Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15 - Oct 15) is a month-long celebration of the many diverse cultures and nationalities within the Latino community that call our region home.

As part of that, we're excited to share experiences from some of our partners working to serve this vibrant community.

• Identity, Inc.

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

  In pursuit of a just, equitable and inclusive society, Identity creates opportunities for Latino and other historically underserved youth to realize their highest potential and thrive. Like an extended family, Identity teaches and models for thousands of young people and families across Montgomery County the social-emotional, academic, workforce and life skills they need to thrive in the modern world. Our programs are provided at two dozen schools, in the community and on playing fields and are complemented by life-saving family case management, mental health and substance abuse counseling, non-clinical emotional support groups, and recreation. Through a two-generation approach, we also work to empower parents to engage in their child’s education and be a champion for their success and the success of the community. Like family, we celebrate their victories and offer help when something extra is needed.

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

  Identity is so proud of the growth and resilience of our client community. Identity youth report real improvements in their ability to manage difficult emotions; resolve conflict; speak up for themselves; connect to school, the workforce and the community; and avoid substance abuse and other harmful behavior. Identity youth show improved school attendance and achievement, and their families report improved communication and more involvement in their children’s lives after participating in our programs. Lifesaving safety-net support and caring human connections stave off hunger, homelessness and despair in families during times of extreme crisis. This is especially meaningful because of Identity's deep commitment to ensuring community members are full and authentic partners in our work. More than 85% of staff are bi-lingual and bi-cultural and immigrants or children of immigrants.

  3) As a nonprofit partner, tell us about how funding that you’ve received that has helped you achieve this?

  The Greater Washington Community Foundation has been with Identity at every critical juncture, providing funding when and where it is most needed. Most recently, through Neighbors in Need, we were able to provide lifesaving safety net support during the pandemic and stayed with us in order to help those whose recovery has been slower and more difficult. The Foundation also provided early support for our innovation Encuentros emotional support groups which have helped more than 2000 community members develop the skills to manage difficult emotions and help friends and family cope with stress and anxiety.

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

  Our region’s Latino community is growing! In Montgomery County it has increased 27% between 2010 and 2021; 35% of MCPS students and almost 40% of kindergarteners are Latino. We hope others appreciate that "the Latino community" is made up of many communities and cultures, from North, Central and South America. And despite many obstacles including language and geographic isolation, deep poverty and disproportionate traumatic experiences, with the right support at the right time, this is a tremendously resilient community that is strives and thrives in school, in business and in community.

• Tzedek DC

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

  Tzedek DC’s mission is to safeguard the legal rights and financial health of DC residents with low incomes dealing with the often-devastating consequences of abusive debt collection practices and other consumer related issues. We offer DC residents free legal and financial counseling services (regardless of immigration status). In addition, through our Sin Deudas, Sin Dudas outreach project (“No Debts, No Doubts”), we provide bilingual community educational programs on issues like knowing your rights when dealing with debt collectors; avoiding (or recovering from) scams and fraud; overcoming shame for getting in debt or scammed; understanding, managing and building credit; and why it’s so important to get legal help when facing debt-related problems.

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

  We engage with the community at the very grassroots via our work with CBO partners that have long been anchors in the DC Latino community, as well as via Iglesia Sagrado Corazón / Sacred Heart Church; Following Francis on the Hill; two branches of the DC Public Library; and the Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs. From the very beginning, our most meaningful work has been connecting with community members who are experiencing food insecurity at food distribution lines. We roll up our sleeves tirelessly and consistently on this front, reaching out and contributing to those who are among our most vulnerable.

  3) As a nonprofit partner, tell us about how funding that you’ve received that has helped you achieve this?

  Funding that we have received from foundations and individual donors has enabled us to hire Spanish-speaking staff – a Senior Attorney, a Financial Counselor and our Community Outreach and Communications Consultant; to produce a bilingual “tool kit” with individual flyers on credit, debt and scams that we distribute widely at community events and presentations; and to hire INK, a strategic communications firm, to help us with our media outreach to the Latino community.

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

  First, the wealth of its diversity. Although Salvadorans make up DC’s largest Latino group, there are also Dominican, Mexican, and Puerto Rican communities in the District. And the DMV as a whole counts with a large Bolivian and Guatemalan population. Second, that language access must not only be about making available translated information, but also about making available culturally-appropriate communications—that is, those that reflect a nuanced understanding of the culture of the target population.

• La Clinica Del Pueblo

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

  La Clinica Del Pueblo's mission is to build a healthy Latino community through culturally appropriate health services, focusing on those most in need. Since 1983, La Clínica del Pueblo has been addressing the distinct health needs of our community through comprehensive primary medical care with wrap-around services across the life spectrum; mental health and substance use treatment; medical interpretation and language access advocacy; community health including health education and safe spaces; and advocacy strategies to increase inclusion and health equity for Latino immigrants.

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

  Recognizing health is a human right, not something that should be determined by our citizenship or type of employment.

  3) As a nonprofit partner, tell us about how funding that you’ve received that has helped you achieve this?

  We are looking to expand healthcare access to the Latino Immigrant community by eliminating barriers and creating policies that are culturally and linguistically appropriate. The design of our actions will engage the community at various levels from capturing needs to designing advocacy strategies through political engagement.

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

  The diversity that exists within the community and the stories of migration have shaped the DC area. A great place to witness the diversity and richness of our community is at our La Fiesta Del Barrio (Free Neighborhood Block Party) on Oct 14th which will celebrate 40 years.

• DC Affordable Law Firm

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

  DC Affordable Law Firm (DCALF) is an innovative nonprofit legal services organization striving to close the civil justice gap in DC. At DCALF, we believe everyone deserves justice and that income should not be a barrier to a family’s receipt of high-quality legal representation. DCALF provides low-cost and free immigration, family, and probate legal support to modest income clients who do not qualify for traditional forms of free legal aid, and others for whom access to justice is out of reach. DCALF understands the significant access to justice gap within our city’s Latinx and immigrant communities and fosters development of DC's Latinx population by often providing free, grant-funded representation to Latinx community members from low and modest means households. Additionally, DCALF partner with the Mayor's Office on Latin American Affairs (MOLA), regularly engage in community outreach, and conduct workshops to inform the broader Latinx and immigrant community living in DC about their family law, immigration, and probate and estate planning rights.

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

  At DC Affordable Law Firm (DCALF), we share the belief that lawyers have a special obligation to the administration of justice; therefore, our attorneys represent clients in immigration, family law, and probate matters at low-to-no cost to the client. Thanks to grant funding and generous donors, we proudly serve more than 90% of our clients for free and the services we offer are available to Latinx DC residents living in households across all 8 Wards. Additionally, we engage in deliberate and intentional outreach efforts to ensure a broad reach and visibility of our services to Latinos regardless of where they live within the city.

  3) As a nonprofit partner, tell us about how funding that you’ve received that has helped you achieve this?

  At DC Affordable Law Firm (DCALF), we are committed to accessible justice and understand the importance of expanding access to legal services for modest-income Latinx DC residents. The funding we received from the Greater Washington Community Foundation and our partnership with GWCF has been transformative for DCALF. We now serve more than 90% of our clients, primarily Latinx and Black DC residents, for free through grant- and donor-funded representation, delivering the same high-quality services, but in a way that acknowledges, respects, and safeguards our clients’ economic realities and fixed household budgets.

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

  End-of-life planning is key to preserving intergenerational wealth and helping families plan for their futures with dignity, yet these conversations occur far too infrequently, particularly within Latinx and BIPOC communities. In the United States, only 31% of adults have a will, and wills and estate planning documents are far more prevalent in higher-income households. DCALF believes all individuals deserve to plan for their futures, and estate planning should not be something only accessible to those with wealth. By educating Latinx community members and staff from community-based organizations, we are able to break down barriers and help Latinx families avail themselves of services that are often out of reach for modest-income individuals.

• Upcounty Hub

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

  The Upcounty Hub was founded with the philosophy of providing individuals and families with food and other essentials, without requiring documentation to prove necessity, allowing them to maintain their privacy and dignity.

  The idea that “we rise by lifting others” has been a central principle of our organization because helping others is nutrition for the soul. Our work for the community by the community unites us in the fight against food insecurity because people, especially children, should not have to worry about one of their most basic needs. The residual impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has created a greater demand for food and healthcare assistance, and our goal is to connect the most vulnerable and impoverished populations to fundamental, culturally-competent resources.

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

  Prior to the pandemic, the Latino community and much of the upcounty areas of Montgomery County did not have access to the resources they need. At Upcounty Hub, we are proud to serve as a bridge to various resources and to continue to be a voice for all the clients that we serve.

  3) As a nonprofit partner, tell us about how funding that you’ve received that has helped you achieve this?

  The funding that we receive goes towards food and essential items as well as staffing which has allowed us to expand our services to help clients beyond just food.

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

  The Latino community was one of the most drastically impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and is still struggling. Montgomery County has a very fast-growing population of Latinos. We are very proud of that growth, and we are very proud to help them continue to grow and pursue their dreams in Montgomery County.

• Latin American Youth Center (LAYC)

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

  Since our founding in the late 1960s, Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) has grown from a small grassroots recreation center into a nationally recognized agency serving all low-income youth. Each year LAYC serves over 4,000 youth and families through youth centers, school-based sites, and public charter schools in the District of Columbia and Maryland’s Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties as the Maryland Multicultural Youth Centers (MMYC). Our mission is to empower a diverse population of youth to achieve a successful transition to adulthood through multi-cultural, comprehensive, and innovative programs that address youths’ social, academic, and career needs. We believe in a future where all youth pursue their dreams, reach their goals, and acquire the skills and self-confidence to live a life of purpose, connection, contribution, and joy. Our bilingual programs and services are designed to address the multiple needs of the young people and families in the communities we serve. Through opportunities in academics, arts and recreation, job readiness, safe places to live, and health and wellness, LAYC strives to address many of the barriers to success low-income youth face. fundamental, culturally-competent resources.

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

  •We want to highlight the resiliency, determination, courage and perseverance in the face of adversity – qualities we see every day in the youth and families who walk through our doors.

  •We are very proud of the high percentage of staff who are members of the very communities we serve, with many cases being former youth participants of our programs, including our CEO.

  •While the pandemic disrupted so much, we never closed our doors despite the challenges.

  •LAYC’s close connection with the community developed over decades, founded on trust.

  •LAYC’s Promotor Pathway®, our signature youth development model, removes barriers facing youth, proactively encourages participation in a broad set of LAYC services, and connects them to resources within the community. Through rigorous long-term evaluation, participants in the Promotor Pathway have shown marked improvements in education, employment, job stability and earnings compared to their peers.

  3) As a nonprofit partner, tell us about how funding that you’ve received that has helped you achieve this?

  As a nonprofit partner of GWCF, we have continued and expanded our Promotor Pathway® model in the DC community, providing critical support to young people who may be disconnected from school or employment, in need of more caring adults in their lives. The support allows us to work alongside youth who face the most extreme challenges—from raising children to homelessness, from gang activity to substance use and mental health disorders. Our promotores, or youth advocates, provide intensive, long-term, one-on-one mentoring and case management. They work intentionally and deliberately to build relationships designed to transform a young person’s life and are committed to the relentless pursuit of the youth’s success.

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

  The Latino community has overcome challenges and continues to do so. They recognize the importance of education as a pathway out of poverty. The Latino community is very family oriented, and those familial relationships are key to dealing with the challenges they face.

• Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)

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

  CARECEN’s mission is to foster the comprehensive development of the Latino population in the Washington metropolitan region by providing direct legal services, housing counseling, citizenship education, and community economic development. Just as fundamentally, the organization aims to promote grassroots empowerment, civic engagement, and civil rights advocacy.

  CARECEN programs include: (a) Immigration Legal Services: provides direct legal services and counseling at low or no cost for immigration matters, including work authorization, permanent residence, family reunification, and citizenship; (b) Civic Participation: conducts citizenship classes to prepare participants for the U.S. naturalization examination, and promotes informed community participation in local civic and democratic processes through education and training; (c) Housing Counseling: helps to maintain safe and affordable housing by informing tenants of their rights, providing financial literacy training, and counseling participants to prevent displacement.

  In addition to offering direct services to more than 3,000 community residents every year, CARECEN provides education and outreach on vital issues to thousands more Latinos in the greater Washington area through local and regional campaigns both in the field and across multiple media platforms.

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

  CARECEN's close ties to the Latino community, allow us to respond effectively to the comprehensive needs of immigrants in the D.C. metropolitan area and provide timely and appropriate services through our Legal- Citizenship, and Housing while also taking up initiatives to advocate for the rights of the immigrant community. Our approach focuses in understanding the "push and pull" factors of the community's migration to the U.S. and their needs for services to help stabilize families, provide economic security, and facilitate integration; allowing CARECEN to provide a mix of direct services and advocacy.

  3) As a nonprofit partner, tell us about how funding that you’ve received that has helped you achieve this?

  Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, our community has seen an increased demand for rental counseling. While the Latino community in DC has been one of the most adversely affected by the Coronavirus economically, CARECEN’s is only one of a handful of housing programs in the DC area with bilingual staff in English and Spanish.

  In addition to the increased caseload, the COVID-19 crisis also required our housing team to play a more active role in relief efforts and advocacy. CARECEN participated in an advocacy effort to ensure $5 million of local funds were allocated and dispensed to undocumented residents of the District of Columbia - many who were excluded from other pandemic related emergency funds.

  Thanks to the Community Foundation, the Housing Program was able to secure more than $770,136 in COVID-19 rental relief through Stay DC and Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) for more than 157 tenants. The program was also able to preserve six affordable housing buildings help 50 homeowners avoid foreclosure on their homes.

  Additionally, thanks to the Community Foundation, CARECEN distributed $1.1 million of DC Care funds to 1,100 residents in the community, helping those most affected by the pandemic meet some of their most urgent financial needs. We also secured an additional $9 million for excluded workers that were not able to access unemployment or did not receive the federal stimulus funding. Last year the city council approved $41 million which we helped distribute to DC residents that qualified.

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

  We are a diverse community made up of 19 Spanish countries and one U.S. Territory. This high number of countries with the official language of Spanish puts the language in fourth place in the topmost spoken languages in the world following English, Mandarin Chinese and Hindi. However, when it comes to the languages with the most native speakers, Spanish occupies an incredible second spot (following Mandarin Chinese). The country with the largest representation in the U.S. is Mexico and, in most states, Mexican nationals make up the largest foreign-born population. There are exceptions such as Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC, where Salvadorans make up the largest foreign-born population.

  The Latino population includes immigrants both legal and undocumented, and native born. As previous immigrant waves, Latinos by the third generation born in the U.S. are like the nonimmigrant population. Although we are newer in this region, (approximately 40 years) we contribute to the development of the region, with our labor, culture, food, that make the region better for everyone.

Changing Lives, One Student at a Time

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

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

Advanced Coursework

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

Remedial Programs

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

Nurturing Creativity

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

Social Support

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

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OST Scholarship Award Statistics

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Student Success Stories

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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