Celebrating Three Leadership Legacies

What does it take to be a great leader? According to Richard Bynum, President of PNC in Greater Washington and Virginia, it’s helping others. “My hope is that I’m taking some small part in making sure [people] get where they want to be,” he says.

This winter, the Washington Business Journal honored his thoughtful leadership by selecting Bynum, who is also a Community Foundation Board Member, as a Minority Business Leader Award Honoree. The Award acknowledges his creativity and entrepreneurial drive, among other attributes.

Bynum’s accomplishment coincides with two other major board member milestones. Dr. Charlene Dukes, Secretary of our Board, is retiring as President of Prince George’s Community College after 13 years of service. And Artis Hampshire-Cowan, Vice Chair of our Board, will be honored by Leadership Greater Washington as the 2020 Leader of the Years. 

Read more about their lives, work and impact below.

A Mission to Help Others

“It’s always such an honor to be recognized for the work that one does, and this award is no different. It means a great deal to me to go to work fully invested in what I do every day and to make a difference.”

Richard Bynum, President of Greater Washington and Virginia’s PNC Financial Services Group, never intended to work in banking.

Before joining PNC through their Executive Leadership Program in 2005, he had a 12-year career with the American Red Cross. Bynum traveled the country working helping with disaster relief efforts, eventually serving as Operations Director for the Kosovo Refugee Operations; and, finally, Assistant Director of Relief following the aftermath of 9/11 in New York City.

He says this work inspires how he thinks about leadership today.

“It’s all about helping people—the people who work for you and with you, and your clients,” Bynum says.

This winter, Bynum was selected by Washington Business Journal as a Minority Business Leader Award Honoree. The award honors entrepreneurial drive, creativity and diversity and inclusion in the workplace—values he says directly connect to his work at PNC.

As CEO of the market at PNC, Bynum values performance and customer service; and, creating a workplace where everyone can find their own success, as well as contribute to the success of the company. “We work hard to value our differences,” he says.

Bynum is a member of The Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees, where he says he is “proud to take some small role in the impact that the Greater Washington Community Foundation makes every day.” He will be honored by the Washington Business Journal at their annual Minority Business Leader Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, July 14.

A Leader of a Renaissance

Dr. Charlene Dukes is known as the “leader of the renaissance of Prince George’s Community College.”

As president of the college for the past 13 years, she helped lead the development of the Academy for Health Sciences, the first middle college in the state of Maryland; a Teacher Academy; two P-Tech Schools; and the 3D Scholars Program with University of Maryland Global Campus. She also helped found the Prince George’s County Promise Scholarship, which provides financial support for college students graduating from Prince George’s County.

“President Dukes is a talented educator and leader who is passionate about Prince George’s Community College, the County, and the region,” said Sidney Gibson, chair of Prince George’s Community College (PGCC) Board of Trustees. “We are pleased that she has served this community as president for 13 years.”  

Dr. Dukes was the college’s very first woman president of PGCC. In 2013, she was inducted into the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame; in 2016, honored with a medal and certificate as a Woman in American History; and, was recognized by Washingtonian magazine as one of the 100 most powerful women in the region in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017.

This fall, Dr. Dukes announced her retirement for this upcoming summer. “It’s been an amazing journey, and I leave with no regrets,” she said. “I hope I’ve been able to impact [the community] as much as it has impacted me.”

Dr. Dukes is Secretary of The Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees. She will retire from Prince George’s Community College on June 30, 2020.

A Leader of the Years

“Receiving this award means a great deal to me, not because I am the honoree, but because I so deeply believe in what Leadership Greater Washington (LGW) members do, every day, year after year.”

Artis Hampshire-Cowan is a self-identified “board doctor.” As a governance professional who works with boards, CEOs, and executive leadership, she is passionate about ensuring effective leadership at organizations.

“The best part of my [profession] is I get to help organizations become high performing,” she says.

Hampshire-Cowan recently completed a 23-year tenure at Howard University, which included serving as senior vice president and secretary, interim CEO and acting president. Prior to her role as senior vice president, she served concurrently as secretary and vice president for human resource management and provided executive oversight for Howard University’s workforce of 6,000+.

Leadership Greater Washington, the region’s premiere leadership incubator, recently announced Hampshire-Cowan as the 2020 Leader of the Years. The award, which celebrates local leaders that are furthering community impact and advancing leadership collaboration in the region, connects directly to her work in the community.

“I focus my work as much as possible on organizations that have a regional agenda,” Hampshire-Cowan says. “I seek to connect and leverage relationships to advance the essential mission of these important organizations.

Currently, she is Founding Principal of Leveraged Leadership Group, a corporate governance consulting firm that works with clients on governance, management consulting, and workforce development.

Artis Hampshire Cowan is Vice Chair of The Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees, where she says, “my hope is to accelerate The Community Foundation’s brand as the community’s guardian for the Greater Washington region.” Hampshire Cowan will be honored with Leadership Greater Washington’s Leader of the Years award at its annual dinner.

$5.2 Million Raised for COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund and $1 Million Granted to Local Nonprofit Partners

The Greater Washington Community Foundation has mobilized more than $5.2 million in community support for its COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund and made new grants totaling $1 million to 14 nonprofits serving residents of Washington, DC, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland. Through this Fund, which launched on March 13 in collaboration with regional partners, The Community Foundation is working to rapidly raise and deploy critical resources to nonprofits responding to the urgent health and economic needs of disproportionately impacted communities in the region.

“During this time of crisis and uncertainty, we are inspired by how our generous donors and community partners are stepping up to help us meet the evolving needs and challenges associated with the impacts of coronavirus on this region,” said Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “The Community Foundation is committed to working with our partners to address both the immediate needs of our neighbors and to plan for the longer term needs of our communities.”

New Grants Announced

Since opening an online request for proposals last week, The Community Foundation has received more than 500 requests for funding across five issue areas: Education and Youth, Employment and Small Business, Medical Care and Access, Housing and Homelessness, and General Operating Support.

The following nonprofit organizations were selected this week to receive a total of $1 million in funding based on their alignment with the Fund’s strategic priorities and their ability to both address urgent needs and reach historically underserved populations.

General Operating Support:

• Network for Victim Recovery to provide staff with living wages, support clients through the Survivor Support Fund, and provide frontline staff at hospitals with hazard pay.  

• Greater Baden Medical Services, Inc. to help stabilize and recover from a sharp drop in revenue due to the COVID crisis, ensuring it continues to provide health care services in Prince George’s County.

• Greater DC Diaper Bank to provide low-income families with a reliable source of diapers, formula, feminine products, and baby gear.

Education and Youth:

• CollegeTracks to provide virtual supports and additional assistance for first-generation-to-college students from low-income, minority, and immigrant families.

• Generation Hope to serve teen parents and their children who may experience or have experienced homelessness, foster care, abuse, and food insecurity.   

• New Futures to serve under-resourced young people pursuing postsecondary degrees while struggling with loss of income, lack of childcare, or adjusting to distance learning and remote work.

Employment and Small Business:

• Community Services Agency of the Metro Washington AFL-CIO to provide financial assistance directly to workers demonstrating need. 

• Martha’s Table to provide a weekly cash stipend to Ward 8 families facing lack of childcare and temporary loss of income for parents and caregivers.

Housing and Homelessness:

• House of Ruth to serve women and survivors of domestic violence and help mitigate the risk of increased homelessness for these populations.

• Miriam's Kitchen to continue providing services and essential frontline support to people experiencing homelessness.

• Calvary Women’s Services to serve women experiencing homelessness in Ward 8.

• Pathways to Housing DC to continue providing outreach and to maintain access to medical and psychiatric care for people living on the streets.

Medical Care and Access:

• CCI Health & Wellness Services to purchase PPE kits, COVID-19 Test Kits, and software to provide critical services to minority, immigrant, low-income, and uninsured or underinsured populations.

• Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC to implement care through a telehealth system, replenish PPE to protect providers and patients, and to create virtual workshops.

To date, the Fund has made nearly $1.8 million in grants. A full list of all nonprofits supported by this Fund is available at www.thecommunityfoundation.org/covid-19-grant-recipients.

“Our funding is targeted toward our nonprofit partners serving the most vulnerable communities in our region, including low wage workers, hourly and gig economy workers, health care providers, people of color, and people experiencing homelessness,” said Tonia Wellons. “These flexible grants will help stabilize our nonprofit partners and allow them to begin addressing the economic shocks brought on by this crisis so they can meet the increase in demand for their services. More importantly, this funding will enable them to expand critical medical care, shelter/housing, financial or other supports and services to provide relief for individuals and families facing hardship across this region.”

Mobilizing Community Support

In addition to The Community Foundation’s initial commitment of $150,000 to launch the Fund, support for this effort has come from The Community Foundation’s donors, local foundations, corporate partners, and online contributions. A full list of donors and partners is available at www.thecommunityfoundation.org/covid-19-our-partners.

Donors include:

Amazon

Aviv Foundation

Diane & Norman Bernstein Foundation

Booz Allen Hamilton

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation

Comcast

The Crimsonbridge Foundation

The Lois and Richard England Family Foundation

Philip L. Graham Fund

Harman Family Foundation

Horizon Therapeutics

International Monetary Fund Giving Together

The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation

Richard E. and Nancy P. Marriott Foundation

Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation

Pivotal Ventures, a Melinda Gates company

PNC

Prince Charitable Trusts

Target

United Solutions

Washington AIDS Partnership

Washington Gas

Weissberg Foundation

Wells Fargo Foundation

The World Bank Group Community Connections Fund

200+ individual online donations from community members with gifts ranging in size from $10 - $5,000

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As the global pandemic continues, we will continue to make grants from our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. We anticipate doing so on a weekly basis.

If you’d like to contribute to the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, you can read more and donate below.

New COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund Grants Announced

The Community Foundation established the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to support emergency preparedness and response efforts that will help mitigate the impact on disproportionately affected communities in our region. Through this fund, we are focused on addressing lost wages, providing relief for small businesses and gig economy workers, expanding access to medical services, and meeting the unique needs of people experiencing homelessness, among other needs.

Read more about our priorities, which include education and youth, workforce and small business, medical care and access, homelessness and housing, and general operating support for nonprofits to help fill critical gaps.

This week, we are pleased to announce new grants to nonprofit organizations focused on the critical health care needs of people experiencing homeless. These grants will support nonprofits that provide essential health care services for the homeless population in Washington, DC, and Montgomery County, Maryland, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of $175,000 in grants was awarded to:

• Unity Health Care, Inc is the largest network of community health centers in Washington, DC. Unity provides comprehensive primary and specialty health care and wrap-around services, regardless of ability to pay, at numerous traditional and non-traditional sites.

  Unity received a $100,000 grant to increase capacity to serve people in shelters and congregate settings, as well as in quarantine locations. The funds will help provide health care to those who are ill, and help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

• Mobile Medical Care (MobileMed) serves low-income, uninsured, and Medicaid-enrolled residents of Montgomery County, Maryland. MobileMed offers a network of primary care clinics, and specialty care clinics located throughout the county to reach areas of greatest unmet medical need. They also provide primary care and nurse case management services at two County homelessness shelters.

  MobileMed received a $75,000 grant to increase capacity to serve people experiencing homelessness at shelters and via telehealth.

These providers are already going above and beyond to serve people who do not have a home where they can isolate or quarantine. Even with the severe shortages of personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies, they continue to provide essential services to some of our most vulnerable neighbors.

As the global pandemic continues, we will continue to make grants from our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. We anticipate doing so on a weekly basis.

If you’d like to apply, please review our Request for Proposals and submit your application.

If you’d like to contribute to the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, you can read more and donate below.

Tonia Wellons Named CEO of Greater Washington Community Foundation

The Board of Trustees of the Greater Washington Community Foundation is delighted to announce the appointment of Tonia Wellons as President and CEO. This selection is the result of a rigorous search process conducted by executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates, in partnership with a committee of six Community Foundation Trustees.

While serving as Interim CEO since early October, Tonia has guided The Community Foundation through this leadership transition by ensuring the organization maintained its donor services, continued its programs, and advanced fundraising efforts in order to deepen community impact work. Over the past month, Tonia has led The Community Foundation as it quickly shifted to respond to the evolving COVID-19 outbreak in Greater Washington, helping raise nearly $4.5 million for local relief and recovery efforts.

“As our community continues to face the crisis and uncertainty brought on by the global coronavirus pandemic, Tonia’s steadfast vision and leadership of The Community Foundation offers us hope and much needed continuity for the critical work of addressing this community’s immediate and long-term needs,” said Katharine Weymouth, chair of the Board of Trustees, Greater Washington Community Foundation. “This is a crucial time of both need and opportunity for The Community Foundation as an anchor institution that is uniquely positioned to help our community weather this crisis and come out stronger and more resilient on the other side. Tonia’s expertise in community development, both globally and locally, and her leadership skills combined with her personal connection to this region, make her ideally suited to accelerate our impact in the community.”

Previously, as our VP of Community Investment, Tonia spearheaded multiple initiatives that have had tremendous impact in the region. She led the launch of VoicesDMV, a community engagement initiative designed to understand the quality of life in the region by surveying residents and hosting community conversations. Based on what we learned from VoicesDMV, Tonia led a refresh of our Community Investment framework to focus on Building Thriving Communities by disrupting poverty, deepening culture and human connection, and preparing for the future of work.

Under this new framework, Tonia has been instrumental to the launch of several community impact initiatives, including the Partnership to End Homelessness, a public-private initiative focused on DC, and re-centering the Children’s Opportunity Fund to address the achievement gap for low-income students in Montgomery County. She also co-led the strategic refresh of our Prince George’s County agenda to include more philanthropic and strategic partners and focus investments on education and workforce development.

Prior to joining The Community Foundation in 2016, Tonia was a political appointee for the Obama Administration as head of global partnerships at the Peace Corps. She previously served as fund manager of a multi-donor initiative focused on financial access and inclusion at the World Bank Group. She also spent a significant part of her career working on USAID-funded capacity development initiatives during the immediate post-apartheid era in South Africa and the broader sub-Sahara region. In 2010, Tonia founded the Prince George’s County Social Innovation Fund (PGCSIF) and its flagship initiative Forty Under 40 Prince George’s, designed to increase social capital in the county where Tonia has lived for nearly 24 years.

“It is an honor to become President and CEO of the region’s largest public foundation, and to lead our team of talented and passionate employees, dedicated to serving this community,” said Tonia Wellons. “I’ve been proud to support The Community Foundation’s mission to Build Thriving Communities and now look forward to working even more closely with Katharine and our board to build on a strong foundation and nearly 50-year history of positively impacting our community.”

Please join us in congratulating Tonia by sharing this announcement on social media or by commenting, liking, or sharing The Community Foundation’s announcement on our Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn channels.

Community Foundation Announces Grants for Prince George’s County Nonprofits Responding to COVID-19

The Greater Washington Community Foundation, working in partnership with County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks’ Administration and Prince George’s County Public Schools, has announced $650,000 in grants to support local nonprofits responding to the immediate impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on Prince George’s County residents. The grants will be administered by The Community Foundation, as part of its COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, with funding provided by a personal contribution from Sam Brin, a former Prince George’s County resident.

The first $550,000 in funds will assist 15 local nonprofit organizations providing direct services and support to address the immediate health and economic needs of individuals, youth, families, and disproportionately impacted communities in Prince George’s County. The funds will help to:

• Reduce food and housing insecurity

• Mitigate the impact of reduced wages and lost work for low-wage workers, especially for people of color who are disproportionately affected

• Expand medical care access to seniors, marginalized communities, and the uninsured

• Enhance educational access and services for out of school children and youth from low-income families

• Address the unique needs of people experiencing homelessness and people at risk of homelessness

An additional $100,000 in funds will support Prince George’s County Public Schools to help defray the cost of internet connectivity and ensure every senior in need has internet access to participate in distance learning for the remainder of the school year.

“We are grateful to our generous donors and strategic partners for stepping up to help us meet the evolving needs and challenges associated with the impacts of coronavirus on Prince George’s County residents,” said Tonia Wellons, Interim President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “The Community Foundation is committed to working with our partners to address both the immediate needs of our neighbors and to plan for the longer term needs of our communities. During this time of crisis and uncertainty, we are inspired by how members of our community, and beyond, have come together to care for one another.”

“Even in the absence of a pandemic, our nonprofits do invaluable work for Prince George’s County families facing difficult times,” said Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. “We are thankful for our partners like The Community Foundation who are truly showing the strength and power of our community while ensuring our residents can make it through these unprecedented times.”

"The ability to work with partners such as the Greater Washington Community Foundation allows us to ensure that all contributions dedicated to Prince George’s County are being monitored and administered directly to the organizations that need it most,” said Diana Léon Brown, Director of Strategic Partnerships in the Office of the Prince George’s County Executive.

"We are grateful for the generous $100,000 donation from former PGCPS student, Sam Brin," said Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Monica Goldson. "His donation, in partnership with the Greater Washington Community Foundation, will help PGCPS defray the cost of internet connectivity and ensure every senior in need has internet access for the remainder of the school year. We look forward to continuing to work with our community partners as we strive to meet the needs of our students."

"Prince George's County welcomed my Soviet refugee family with open arms, and was a nice place to call home,” said Sam Brin. “I consider it my responsibility to help residents meet their basic needs and hope other prospective donors will join me."

Sam Brin was raised in Prince George’s County, attended Prince George’s County Public Schools, and studied Computer Science and Physics at the University of Maryland. Although Mr. Brin no longer resides in the county, he made this personal contribution to give back to the community where he was raised and his family called home.

The nonprofit organizations receiving grants this round include:

Community Crisis Services, Inc.
Community Outreach & Development CDC
Employ Prince George’s
Food & Friends
Hyattsville Aging in Place
Jobs Have Priority
La Clinica del Pueblo
Latin American Youth Center
Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services
Mary’s Center
Mission of Love Charities
Prince George’s Child Resource Center
SHABACH! Ministries
The Arc
United Communities Against Poverty

“During economic hardships, the most vulnerable populations are always those who have less prior to the recession. Most of these residents, and households, are living paycheck to paycheck, always wondering how they will pay the next bill or provide the next meal,” said Walter L. Simmons, President & CEO, Employ Prince George's. “The Greater Washington Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund is allowing Prince George’s County community partners to provide immediate resources to these people. Employ Prince George’s will be able to provide payments to pay a bill and put food on the table!”

For the latest information and resources on the county’s COVID-19 response, go to https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/3397/Coronavirus.

For more information and to make a contribution for Prince George’s County through The Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund, visit www.thecommunityfoundation.org

About the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund
The Greater Washington Community Foundation, in collaboration with regional partners, established the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to rapidly deploy critical resources to nonprofits responding to the urgent health and economic needs of disproportionately impacted communities. Through this fund, we are focused on addressing lost wages for hourly and gig economy workers, supporting out of school children and youth, expanding access to medical services, and meeting the unique needs of people experiencing homelessness. To date, The Community Foundation has raised more than $4.3 million for relief and recovery efforts that will support our most vulnerable neighbors.

Community Foundation Announces Unprecedented Community Support for Emergency COVID-19 Response Fund

Editor’s note: This post was updated on April 6 to reflect additional contributions to the fund.

Region’s Largest Community Foundation has raised and committed $4.7 million to support disproportionately impacted communities

Across the region, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 is rising and the situation is rapidly evolving. The health, social, and economic implications of this pandemic are already being felt and could continue to be staggering to our region.

Last week, The Community Foundation launched the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to support emergency preparedness and response efforts to help mitigate the impact on disproportionately affected communities in our region. Through this fund, we are focused on addressing lost wages, relief for small businesses and gig economy workers, expanding access to medical services, and meeting the unique needs of people experiencing homelessness, among other issues.

Since launching the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, The Community Foundation has raised and committed more than $4.7 million in contributions from both individual donors and institutional funders.

You can join this effort to ensure our region is prepared to meet the evolving needs and challenges associated with this public health emergency and economic crisis. Your contribution will help support and assist our nonprofit partners working on the frontlines to provide supplies and direct services to affected communities, especially low-income communities, hourly wage and gig economy workers, people of color, and people experiencing homelessness who may be disproportionately impacted.

“We know that missing one shift or even one paycheck can mean members of our community, especially the region’s low-wage workers, struggle to pay rent, afford groceries, and otherwise provide for their families,” said Tonia Wellons, Interim President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “The outpouring of support from our community has been nothing short of incredible! We are truly inspired by our community coming together to help each other out during a difficult time. Your support helps us deploy critical resources to our nonprofit partners responding to the urgent health and economic needs of our communities.”

In addition to The Community Foundation’s initial commitment of $150,000 to seed the fund, support for this effort has come from several individual, philanthropic, and corporate partners. Initial partners and contributions to this fund include:

• The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation has approved a $1 million grant, $750,000 outright and $250,000 as a 1:1 match

• Thanks to a generous matching challenge grant from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, starting today all additional contributions to this fund will be matched up to $500,000

• More than $750,000 in individual contributions from The Community Foundation’s donors and donations from community members ranging in size from $10 - $5,000

• $350,000 from Amazon as part of a $1 million total contribution to four local community foundations serving residents of the Greater Washington region

• $250,000 from Diane & Norman Bernstein Foundation and Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation

• $200,000 from Public Welfare Foundation

• $150,000 from Pivotal Ventures, a Melinda Gates company, and Wells Fargo Foundation

• $100,000 from Philip L. Graham Fund, Richard E. and Nancy P. Marriott Foundation, The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, and Target

• $75,000 from Horizon Therapeutics and PNC

• $60,000 from International Monetary Fund Giving Together

• $50,000 from the Lois and Richard England Family Foundation, Prince Charitable Trusts, Washington AIDS Partnership, Weissberg Foundation, and the World Bank Group Community Connections Fund

• $25,000 from Booz Allen Hamilton and Comcast

• $10,000 from The Crimsonbridge Foundation and United Solutions

“During these challenging times, the Foundation is pleased to support the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund,” said Calvin Cafritz, President and CEO, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. “We want to ensure that nonprofits, and the communities they serve, are able to survive this crisis and thrive in the future. We are happy to work with the Greater Washington Community Foundation, and others, to help local organizations in both the short- and long-term.”

"In keeping with Mr. Clark's commitment to the Washington, DC region, the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation believes that this is a time to come together as a community to provide resources to our neighbors,” said Joe Del Guercio, President and CEO of the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation. “The Greater Washington Community Foundation is uniquely positioned to respond to this evolving crisis and address the immediate and long-term needs of the region. We are proud to partner with them on this effort.”

“Right now, our nonprofit partners need flexible resources in order to fill critical gaps and meet increased demand for their services, while they also grapple with their own fundraising and volunteer shortfalls,” said Tonia Wellons, Interim President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “The Community Foundation is committed to addressing both the immediate needs of people in our region and we’re planning for the longer term needs of communities to ensure our region remains strong and resilient.”

“The Wells Fargo Foundation is appreciative of the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s leadership as our region – and the world – faces unprecedented challenge,” said Anna Bard, Senior Vice President and Community Affairs Manager for DMV at Wells Fargo. “We have chosen to provide a $150,000 investment because we trust The Community Foundation to exercise their convening power and work collaboratively to identify the best means of supporting vulnerable members of our community.”

“Thousands of World Bank Group staff and retirees call the Washington, DC region home and they are eager to help their local communities’ response to the COVID-19 virus,” said Lindsey Buss, Senior Officer, Community Outreach at The World Bank. “Through this emergency grant, from staff/retiree donations and World Bank Group matching funds, to The Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, we are happy to be a part of an ongoing and flexible support system for our community and neighbors.”

The Community Foundation will administer grants in cooperation with our local government advisors and philanthropic partners. In order to move resources quickly, funds will be released on a rolling basis throughout the outbreak and recovery phases of this crisis, making it possible to adapt to evolving needs in subsequent funding rounds.

With a mission to Build Thriving Communities, The Community Foundation brings together people and resources to tackle critical community issues and leads community impact initiatives to ensure our region is healthy and thriving. The Community Foundation is best known for establishing and managing the Survivor’s Fund, which from 2001-2008 raised and deployed $25 million in support for emergency services to families and victims of the 9/11 Pentagon attack. In 2008, The Community Foundation also created the Neighbors in Need fund and raised more than $5 million to support local residents hit hardest by the economic crisis. More recently, The Community Foundation’s Resilience Fund helped workers displaced by the partial Federal Government shutdown in January 2019 by funding nonprofits providing emergency cash and food assistance to our neighbors.

More information is available at www.thecommunityfoundation.org/covid-19.

Amazon Donates $1 Million to Washington, DC Region Community Foundations to Kick-Start Emergency COVID-19 Response Funds

Donation will support the four largest local community foundations serving residents of the Greater Washington region: ACT for Alexandria, Arlington Community Foundation, Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, and the Greater Washington Community Foundation – this five-part partnership is strategically positioned to support nonprofits at the frontlines of the region’s Coronavirus response 

Local businesses, community groups, and individuals are encouraged to get involved

Arlington, VA—March 18, 2020 — Amazon has donated $1 million total to kick-start collaborative emergency COVID-19 response funds that will immediately benefit four local community foundations across the Greater Washington region who are working to support vulnerable populations disproportionately impacted amid the coronavirus outbreak. ACT for Alexandria, Arlington Community Foundation, Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, and the Greater Washington Community Foundation will each use these funds for grants to nonprofits addressing food insecurity, housing/shelter, and providing emergency financial assistance. This gift will allow each foundation to lean into their unique strengths and community connections to rapidly disperse resources to nonprofits with deep roots in our community and strong experience serving our most vulnerable neighbors.

The donation from Amazon to the four community foundations is coming at a critical time to bolster frontline services and safety net needs across the District, Maryland, and Virginia. The community foundations recognize that the fast-moving crisis will require both immediate action and long-range planning to best serve those most impacted. Amazon’s donation will be distributed to provide imperative flexible resources to organizations working with communities who are disproportionately impacted by coronavirus and the economic consequences of the outbreak including hourly workers, people experiencing homelessness, and the elderly.

“So many families in our community were already on the financial edge. The need for food, household items and emergency financial assistance is significant,” said Heather Peeler, president and CEO of ACT for Alexandria. “This support enables us to collectively help those who are hardest hit.”

“Our four organizations are working closely together to respond in a nimble way to address the most critical needs facing our neighbors,” said Jennifer Owens, president and CEO of the Arlington Community Foundation. “We know that we are stronger together and hope this gift will inspire others to jump in and do what they can to improve outcomes for our neighbors in need.”

“Amazon’s support allows us to deploy critical resources in response to the urgent health and economic needs of our communities,” said Tonia Wellons, interim president and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “We are specifically targeting resources to low-income communities, hourly wage and gig economy workers, and people of color who will be disproportionately impacted. We also know that people experiencing homelessness and direct service providers face unique health risks that must be addressed.”

“As COVID-19 is a public health issue, our community foundations will seek input from public health officials to understand how philanthropy optimally folds into the greater community response,” said Eileen Ellsworth, president and CEO of Community Foundation for Northern Virginia. “This is also an economic issue, and to the greatest extent possible, we will use this gift to respond to the economic impacts of the virus in our service areas.”

“The Washington, D.C. area is our new home, and we must rally together to support our neighbors during this difficult time for our region and around the world,” said Jay Carney, Amazon SVP, Global Corporate Affairs. “In addition to making sure our Amazon customers can get the essentials they need, we will support our community partners who are doing life-saving work. Amazon’s $1 million donation to these four community groups will provide fast, flexible support to those who need it most and encourage a wave of additional community donations during this unprecedented time.”

“We are just coming to grips with the full scope of the impact of COVID-19 on our community,” said Justin Wilson, Mayor of Alexandria, Virginia. “The human service needs, economic impact and strains on our critical services will be with us long into the future. We have a resilient community and this contribution will help bring our City and our resident back stronger than ever.”

“Arlington welcomes Amazon’s donation to the Arlington Community Foundation,” Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey said. “We hope this is the first of many donations by Amazon and our other corporate citizens who recognize the need to partner with County government, and Arlington nonprofits during this public health crisis.”

The funds will be deployed in the District of Columbia, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland through the Greater Washington Community Foundation; Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William counties and the cities of Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park through the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia; the City of Alexandria through ACT for Alexandria; and Arlington County through the Arlington Community Foundation.

Other businesses, community groups, and individuals interested in the COVID-19 response funds can visit: www.thecommunityfoundation.org/covid-19-our-partners/#nova.

As a global company, Amazon is closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19. In addition to those who are affected by the illness, many more are indirectly dealing with changes in their work, school, and community environments. You can read more about how Amazon is supporting customers, their employees, and communities here.

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Learn more:

• ACT for Alexandria: www.actforalexandria.org

• Arlington Community Foundation: www.arlcf.org

• Community Foundation for Northern Virginia: www.cfnova.org

• Greater Washington Community Foundation: www.thecommunityfoundation.org

About the Greater Washington Community Foundation

The Greater Washington Community Foundation exists to Build Thriving Communities by guiding strategic philanthropy, providing leadership on critical issues, promoting civic engagement, and inspiring local giving. Founded in 1973, The Community Foundation is a public charity made up of hundreds of charitable giving funds established by generous individuals, families, and businesses. We work with donors and partners to enhance the quality of life in the District of Columbia, Montgomery County, Northern Virginia, and Prince George’s County. As the region’s largest local funder, we manage $350 million in assets and have invested nearly $1.3 billion to build more equitable, just, and enriching communities where all residents can thrive.

Community Foundation Announces COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund

The Community Foundation is coordinating with our peers in philanthropy to rapidly raise and deploy critical resources to nonprofits on the frontlines of responding to the urgent health and economic needs of disproportionately impacted communities in Greater Washington.

Cancelled Event Helps Families in Need

Earlier this week, we made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Celebration of Philanthropy. Despite the event cancellation, we took proactive measures to turn a disappointing situation into something that positively benefits our community. The food and florals for the event were donated to United Communities Against Poverty to provide 500 meals to individuals and families in Prince George's County whose quality of life has been negatively impacted by poverty, unemployment, or homelessness. Our story was featured yesterday as part of WJLA’s (the local ABC7 affiliate) coverage of local coronavirus response efforts.

Celebrating Philanthropy and Civic Spirit

“Every day I’m inspired by [those] who chose to give,” Tonia Wellons, Interim President and CEO of The Community Foundation.

While we regret that the Celebration of Philanthropy was cancelled out of concern for the safety and health of our guests, we still want to celebrate our 2020 Civic Spirit Award honoree, the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, and the many contributions of our community to help make this region a more vibrant, equitable, and inclusive place to live.

We want to give a special thanks to our sponsors, especially our lead sponsors from Brown Advisory, Morgan Stanley, and the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation. We are very fortunate to have the support of so many caring individuals and organizations—too many of them for me to name, but you can see the full list on our website. We would also like to recognize the generosity and leadership of our host committee, especially our co-chairs Debbi Jarvis and Neal Simon. Thank you!

“Every day, I’m inspired by the individuals and families in this region who choose to give some of what they have to help those who have less,” said Tonia Wellons, our Interim President and CEO.

One such example of the incredible power of neighbors helping neighbors comes from our 2020 Civic Spirit Award honoree, the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation. Mr. and Mrs. Clark believed in quietly and generously giving back to local organizations serving the community where they lived, worked, and achieved their success.

Now under the leadership of their daughter, Board Chair Courtney Clark Pastrick, and President and CEO Joe Del Guercio, the Foundation continues this philanthropic legacy by investing in building connections between effort and opportunity to help people achieve their greatest ambitions.

Presenting the 2020 Civic Spirit Award to the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation

In prepared introductory remarks, Patty Stonesifer, retired CEO of Martha’s Table, said: “It is not just what the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation is investing in, but [their] values: hard work, integrity, accountability, and humility.”

Watch the video below to learn more about those values, and how they have influenced the Clark Foundation’s investments.

A Thank You from Courtney Clark Pastrick

Courtney Clark Pastrick

“It is with sincere thanks that we accept the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s 2020 Civic Spirit Award. Although we are not celebrating together in person, my gratitude is not dampened. This award is an incredible honor for me, my family, and the entire team at the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation."

“My parents, Alice and Jim always believed in investing in others and connecting effort with opportunity. For 30 years, I was fortunate to work with my father to help to direct his philanthropic investments in the Washington, DC region as well as for engineering scholarships and veterans support programs across the country. Today we continue this work in his honor. Our investments in the Washington, DC region focus on three areas: maternal and child health and early education, strong schools and community anchors, and college persistence for DC students. We are inspired by the work of our grantee partners and are grateful to the Greater Washington Community Foundation for this honor.”

Supporting Our Community

In addition to honoring the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation with the 2020 Civic Spirit Award, the Celebration raised more than $620,000 to support The Community Foundation’s work to foster more vibrant and healthy communities. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will now be dedicated to supporting local emergency response efforts.

We have already started coordinating with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, United Way, and our peers in philanthropy to prepare for our community's response to a potential public health and economic crisis. The Community Foundation has opened and provided seed funding for the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to collect donations that can help with supplies and emergency preparedness activities, and to provide emergency cash or other assistance to nonprofits and community members who may be negatively impacted by major event cancellations, lost wages, decrease in demand for small business services, lack of access to health care, and more. If you would like to make an additional contribution to this effort, please click here.

Delivering food to United Communities Against Poverty

Despite the event cancellation, we have taken proactive measures to turn a disappointing situation into something that positively benefits our community. The food and florals for the event have been donated to United Communities Against Poverty to provide 500 meals to individuals and families in Prince George's County whose quality of life has been negatively impacted by poverty, unemployment, or homelessness. We also compensated all workers, volunteers, and nonprofit performers who were relying on this event as a source of income to ensure that our cancellation did not create negative financial impacts for them. 

With a mission to Build Thriving Communities, The Community Foundation continues to bring together people and resources to tackle critical community issues and leads community impact initiatives to ensure the Greater Washington region is a place where all residents can live, work, and thrive.

As the largest funder of nonprofits in the region, The Community Foundation and our donors have invested nearly $1.3 billion to strengthen our community since 1973. Last year alone, we collectively granted more than $64 million to thousands of nonprofit partners, with 73% directly serving the Greater Washington region. This is a testament to the generosity and commitment of our community of givers who chose to focus their giving locally.

How to Get Involved

To all of our sponsors, Host Committee members, and guests, although we do not get to celebrate with you tonight, your continued support and partnership are crucial to building the kind of community that we are all proud to call our home. And that is something worth celebrating!

If you are not already part of our remarkable community of givers, partners, and doers, we invite you to join with us today. You can visit our website or contact Angela Willingham, AVP of Development.

2020 Celebration of Philanthropy Canceled

On March 9, we made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Celebration of Philanthropy, scheduled for Thursday, March 12.

While local and federal governments continue to view the threat level as low, we have made this decision out of an abundance of caution and concern for your health and safety. As a community foundation whose mission is to ensure a vibrant and healthy community, we cannot in good conscience proceed with a large public gathering that could potentially put you and our valued community members at risk of exposure.

Proactive and Positive Measures
We are taking proactive measures to turn a disappointing situation into something that positively benefits our community. The food and florals for the event will be donated to our grantee partners that help feed and care for vulnerable members of our community. We also plan to pay the workers and volunteers who were relying on our event as a source of income to ensure that our cancellation does not create negative financial impacts for them. And we will honor our agreement to compensate our nonprofit performers in appreciation for their continued partnership, impact in our community, and the time they spent in preparation for this event.

Preparing for our Community’s Response
Shifting our focus away from the event will allow The Community Foundation to begin coordinating and preparing for our community's response to this potential public health crisis, and how we can help community members who may be impacted by lost wages, decrease in demand for small businesses, or lack of access to health services. We have already begun coordinating discussion and efforts with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, WRAG, and other local funders. A portion of the proceeds from the Celebration will now be dedicated to supporting disaster response, something we have strong experience with and have built a reputation for leading in our community.

Questions?
We thank you for your patience and understanding! If you have any questions, please contact Danielle Yates at [email protected] or 202-973-2513.

The Starbucks Memorial Fund: Strengthening DC Communities through Nonprofit Partnerships

By Ryan Hudnall, Starbucks partner resources associate and The Starbucks Foundation grant ambassador

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of posts which provide an introspective look at the partnership between Starbucks and The Community Foundation which resulted in more than two decades of grant support to tackle the various issues that local communities face.

Recognizing the memorial fund and its grants in the Starbucks store on Wisconsin Avenue

In December 1997, the Starbucks Memorial Fund (funded by Starbucks and The Starbucks Foundation) was created at The Community Foundation in response to the tragic killings of three Starbucks partners (employees) during an attempted robbery of their Georgetown store. The fund was created to help support nonprofit organizations who were working to help better communities in order to help mitigate issues of violence. It’s been more than 20 years but the memory of Mary Caitrin Mahoney, Aaron David Goodrich, and Emory Allen Evans continues to burn brightly in our hearts and in the Washington, DC community with the help of the fund created in their honor. Their store on Wisconsin Avenue continues to be a living tribute. Over two decades, the fund supported more than sixty nonprofits based in the Greater Washington region with more than $1.3 million in grant support.

Grants have supported a variety of local organizations, from those providing emergency services to survivors of domestic violence and child abuse, to organizations leading violence prevention programs through peer education and advocacy. In 2016, the focus of the Starbucks Memorial Fund shifted to supporting local organizations that create opportunities for underserved populations and that strengthen communities in Washington, DC, including supporting job training opportunities for Opportunity Youth, veterans, and refugees.

DC partners with Dog Tag Bakery, a memorial fund grantee

“Participating in the process to select beneficiaries of the Starbucks Memorial Fund allows our local store leaders to both learn about philanthropy and the local nonprofit landscape, as well as share their valuable perspectives and experiences from engaging with community both inside and outside our stores.” – Stephanie Jasek, Starbucks district manager and Washington, DC regional community lead

The grantees support causes that many local Starbucks partners are passionate about. Local Starbucks partners participated in the review of grants every year under the guidance of the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s philanthropic advisory services team to select organizations that serve the diverse needs of the city. Starbucks partners were also encouraged to invest in building relationships and volunteering their time to support programs led by the Starbucks Memorial Fund grantees.

Starbucks partners have shared their personal and professional experiences with Opportunity Youth participating in workforce readiness training and have served as mock interviewers and mentors. They have also prepared meals, served coffee at community events led by the grantees, and helped to raise awareness and other financial support for the organizations. Many of these relationships have lasted long beyond the term of the grant and continue to be valuable in strengthening Starbucks partner and customer connections to the Greater Washington community.

DC partners with Public Allies, a memorial fund grantee

“Our partnership with the Greater Washington Community Foundation over the past 20 years has helped us identify and support local organizations that truly share our mission and values. With the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s deep insight into the nonprofit ecosystem and issues affecting the community, combined with our Starbucks partners’ commitment to creating community in our third place, we hope to both honor the memory of our partners and build a strong community in partnership with local DC nonprofits for years to come.” – Virginia Tenpenny, executive director, The Starbucks Foundation and vice president, Global Social Impact, Starbucks Corporation

DC partners with SOME, a memorial fund grantee

Introducing Three New Team Members

“To me, philanthropy is the highest form of advocacy. You’re not only supporting important community issues, but can inspire others around you, too. I hope to elevate this through the stories I share about our community.” –Jamie McCrary, our new Digital Marketing Manager, on what inspired her to join The Community Foundation.

Jamie started her new role this past month, working with Danielle Yates, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, to implement the organization’s marketing strategy across digital platforms.

Jana-Lynn Louis and Jennifer Olney, two new Program Officers who joined our Community Investment team this past November, echo a similar sentiment. They are excited to join an organization that supports issues they’re passionate about, including underserved youth and homelessness.

Below, learn more about each of our new staff members and what inspires them to come to work every day.

Jana-Lynn Louis, Community Investment Officer

Jana-Lynn is a clinical researcher and public health wonk who is passionate about community engagement, support, and capacity building. She describes community investment as something she “is completely drawn to,” which prompted her transition from HCM Strategists, a local health and education policy consulting firm.

She leads the Fund for Children, Youth, and Families portfolio, a grantmaking strategy that invests in organizations working for the betterment of underserved children, youth, and families in the region. Specific issue areas include housing-based service programs, foster care, and academic programming and career training.

While new to social services, she has experience as a grantmaker and community engagement partner at HCM Strategists, with the National Institutes of Health as her primary client. She has also worked at the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and John Hopkin’s Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“I enjoy supporting local nonprofits, which directly impacts the more vulnerable communities in this region,” she says. “Creating that connection between philanthropy and local giving is vital for our success.”

Jamie McCrary, Digital Marketing Manager

Jamie is a marketing manager and a writer who specializes in nonprofits, especially in education and the arts. She’s passionate about helping organizations tell their stories and raising awareness about their work.  

She leads The Community Foundation’s digital strategy and storytelling, translating news about grantees, donors, staff, and events into compelling online narratives. This includes managing social media, the monthly email newsletter, website, and digital advertising. Most of all, Jamie is excited about growing The Community Foundation’s online community by engaging people around our issue areas.

Jamie is also a freelance arts writer and musician. As a professionally trained violist, she loves covering classical concerts for the Washington Classical Review, DCist, and Strathmore News. She is a member of the Premiere String quartet, where she performs at events and weddings throughout the DMV area.

For Jamie, it’s all about communication and connection. “That’s why I work in marketing, write and play music. I love building meaningful connections through stories that matter,” she said.

Jennifer Olney, Community Investment Officer

Jennifer Olney was drawn to The Community Foundation for its work around ending homelessness, an area where she has spent most of her career. “It felt like the perfect opportunity to continue the work I’ve done with philanthropy and with communities working to end homelessness across the country,” she said.

Jennifer leads the Partnership to End Homelessness portfolio, which brings together the public and private sectors to advance solutions that ensure homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring in Washington, DC. She works with local government and with the initiative’s partners to advance their work in the community.

Prior to The Community Foundation, she worked at Funders Together to End Homelessness and the National Alliance to End Homelessness, where she led national and issue-based networks and managed development activities, respectively.

She is excited to help advance The Community Foundation’s mission of Building Thriving Communities.

“To me, this embodies the role of The Community Foundation and the reason I was attracted to the organization,” she said. “We get to work with philanthropists to help them understand big issues, like homelessness, and connect them with organizations that are doing amazing work and solutions that have proven results.”

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Finding Hope in Resilience

By Melen Hagos, Manager, Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships

re·sil·ience

noun

the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.

As a child of immigrant parents, I understand the difficult journey all too well. I have family members who have navigated the complex immigration system and subsequently went on to live the 'American Dream.'

In the mid-1980s, my parents came to the United States as refugees from Eritrea, a country in East Africa. At the time, they had three little girls; my other five siblings were born here in the US. My father, a teacher who always emphasized education, made sure all eight of us went to college.

My family, like many other immigrant families, came here to seek a better life. A life in which they can work, raise their children, and provide a path forward for future generations.

This is why I have been so disheartened to see immigration being used to divide our communities and alienate some of our most marginalized neighbors. This has made it more difficult for people, just like me and my family, to build a solid foundation in an already complex world.

You might be wondering what, if anything, can we do about it? It’s easy to feel helpless in times like these, but I choose to find hope in the resiliency of our community, especially when caring people come together to help each other out.

It was this vision for resiliency and neighbors helping neighbors that led to the launch of the Resilience Fund in 2017. The Resilience Fund was created by The Community Foundation in partnership with the Meyer Foundation and several donors who were concerned about how federal policy changes and the increasing climate of hate and intolerance would impact our local community.

Over the last three years, we’ve supported nonprofits on the front lines of responding to policy shifts that have had detrimental and, in some cases, long-lasting impact on our local community. Thanks to our dedicated Steering Committee of both individual and institutional donors, we have provided 38 organizations with nearly $1 million in emergency grants to respond to shifts in immigration policy, provided training on legal and civil rights, expanded access to citizenship and democracy, and lead efforts to build community cohesion.

To date, the Fund has raised over $1.3 million dollars and leveraged nearly $700,000 to support nonprofits in the region. And, has served as a mechanism to mobilize compassionate community members to get involved by providing support (gifts ranging in size from $10 to $50,000!) to help our neighbors facing hardship due to the 2019 partial government shutdown.

It wasn’t easy when my family arrived 33 years ago. My parents had to learn a new language and culture, and leave their old lives behind. I haven’t heard them talk about the kind of difficulties I see immigrants facing today, though. We weren’t turned away from communities in the same spirit I see happening today.

For me, this is one of the greatest goods the Resilience Fund offers. I do feel a culture of intolerance and hate directed towards immigrants and people of color, that has reached new depths. We are living in a time that has become so divisive, where dinnertime conversations or friendships can go awry due to differing political views, and where people choose not to vote because they feel like it won’t matter. The Fund can be an opportunity to educate ourselves, and others, on these challenges, and the work that needs to be done to overcome them.

To be most effective, though, we need to hear from you.

What are the most derisive issues impacting our community? Are there ways we can ease policy shifts that are adversely impacting immigrants? As a local nonprofit, you can help inform the conversation by posing ways to address these challenges.

If you have an idea or solution to help our neighbors build resilience or how we can affect change through the Resilience Fund, submit a proposal through our Call for Ideas, by 4 p.m. on March 9. Proposals will be reviewed by the Steering Committee in March and April 2020.

Going forward, we will continue to host open funding rounds, to empower our nonprofit partners to help us identify the most critical issues facing our community. We want to change the narrative by offering resources to affect real change.

Today, my family is settled in Arlington, Virginia. The journey of an immigrant isn’t an easy one—but, with dedication and community support, it doesn’t have to be so difficult. I hope you’ll join me in helping support other’s journeys.

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The Resilience Fund welcomes new donors who are interested in serving on the Steering Committee which advises on grant decisions and future fund priorities. If you are interested in joining, please reach out to Melen Hagos at [email protected].

Quarterly Community Update

Dear friends,

Happy new year! I want to take a moment to share how thankful I am for the generosity and continued partnership throughout 2019 and beyond. I am so proud of what we have accomplished together — here are just a few highlights from last year:

• The Community Foundation joined with Mayor Bowser’s Interagency Council on Homelessness to launch the District’s first-of-its-kind public-private Partnership to End Homelessness.

• The Children’s Opportunity Fund doubled its impact for a total of $1.2 million invested towards closing the opportunity gap for children and families in Montgomery County.

• The Workforce Development Collaborative celebrated its 10th anniversary by updating its strategy to focus on eliminating inequities based on race, ethnicity, or gender and providing new career pathways and wealth-building opportunities for local workers.

• The Resilience Fund mobilized community support for nonprofits providing emergency cash and food assistance to our neighbors during the partial Federal Government shutdown.

Last quarter (October-December 2019), our community of givers collectively awarded nearly $20.4 million in grants to organizations serving the most critical needs of our communities. With your support, The Community Foundation continued its critical work to Build Thriving Communities in the Greater Washington region by awarding new grants from:

• The Resilience Fund to increase civic engagement, support advocacy on behalf of immigrants and asylum seekers, and expand outreach and services to marginalized communities;

• The 2020 Count DMV In Census Project to ensure an equitable future for our region through a fair and accurate Census count by supporting education, outreach, and assistance focused on hard-to-count communities; and

• The Partnership to End Homelessness in the form of “flex funding” to help nonprofits expedite housing placement and increase stabilization for single adults experiencing homelessness.

I hope to see you at our 2020 Celebration of Philanthropy on March 12, where we will recognize the collective effort of our region’s nonprofits, donors, and community leaders who work to make our communities stronger. We are excited to present the 2020 Civic Spirit Award to the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation at the Celebration. Sponsorship packages are available for individuals and businesses — please contact Emily Davis at [email protected].

It is our generous donors who make this all possible! Together, we are building a more vibrant, equitable, and enriching community for all who call the Greater Washington region their home.

Sincerely,

Tonia Wellons
Interim President and CEO

Save the Date for VoicesDMV Community Conversations

Save the Date

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Our region is shifting, neighborhoods are changing, and many residents are experiencing those changes in dramatically different ways that can disrupt families and communities. As we seek to build the kind of vibrant community we can all be proud to call home, it is critical to understand the diverse experiences of the people who live and work in the Greater Washington region.

Your Voice Matters! On May 20, help us explore and shape the priorities for our community!

Please save the date and plan to join your friends, neighbors, colleagues, and fellow community members in small-group conversations to discuss critical issues impacting our region, and consider ways we can all work together to make our communities stronger. On the Table is part of a region-wide civic engagement initiative, called VoicesDMV, launched by The Community Foundation in 2017 to explore the region’s challenges and opportunities related to housing, transportation, safety, economic security, race relations, community well-being, and more.

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#VoicesDMV | VoicesDMV.org

Inspiring Emerging Leaders In Prince George's County

Davion Percy (on the far left) poses with other emerging leaders from The Community Foundation’s Advisory Board in Prince George’s County.

Meet Davion Percy, the dynamic leader of The Community Foundation’s new effort to harness the energy of emerging leaders in Prince George’s County to grow and leverage local philanthropy for positive community impact. Members of the Emerging Leaders Impact Fund (ELIF) contribute to a pooled fund, learn about local needs and solutions, and collaborate to determine where to direct funding to high-impact nonprofits.

As Chair, Davion personifies the kind of young leader for whom ELIF was created. A 34-year-old resident of Suitland, Maryland, Davion currently serves as the Vice President of Government Relations at Alexander & Cleaver, PA, one of Maryland’s most highly regarded law firms. He first learned of The Community Foundation when working as Chief of Staff to former Council Member Karen R. Toles, and became more involved in 2019 when he served on the Planning Committee for the 2019 Civic Leadership Awards in Prince George’s County.

Davion’s vision for ELIF is clear.

“Often, residents grow up in Prince George’s County, go off to school, start careers, become successful, and invest their money in communities elsewhere. My hope is that ELIF will position young philanthropists to support community impact initiatives in Prince George’s County. The primary focus for this coming year is to recruit early and substantial investors. I plan to continue to raise awareness about ELIF, encourage emerging leaders to join, and position ELIF to be significantly impactful on our community. Most important, I am looking forward to not only having the conversation about significant needs in our community, but investing in, and implementing actual solutions to the challenges that our communities face.”

“Let’s put our money—and our brains—where our mouths are!”

Most exciting is the opportunity for inaugural members to build the framework of ELIF and help set its course. For a gift of $500, you receive charter member designation, and in partnership with the Executive Committee you can help shape the philanthropic direction of the ELIF. The contributions, financial and otherwise, of this year’s class of emerging leaders will lay the foundation for ELIF’s impact for generations to come.

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Inspired to find out more?

To join ELIF, members contribute an annual membership fee — $500 for charter members, $240 for annual members, or students can join for $120 (just $10 a month!). All contributions are tax-deductible and 90% of every gift supports grants to be distributed by ELIF, while 10% of contributions go to the permanently endowed Fund for Prince George’s County to support a broad range of community needs, projects, and programs. As an ELIF member you will not only join an exclusive network of givers finding solutions to community problems, you will also be connected to organizations doing meaningful work in the County through site visits, member roundtables, nonprofit showcases, special events, and more.

Learn more and join now at https://www.thecommunityfoundation.org/elif.

New Leadership for Advisory Boards in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties

We are excited to introduce Veronica Jeon and Karen Leder as the chairs of our Advisory Boards in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties respectively. They join The Community Foundation’s new leadership team including Katharine Weymouth, Chair of the Board of Trustees, and Tonia Wellons, our Interim President and CEO.

Advisory Board members demonstrate their passion for strengthening our community through the gift of their time, energy, and experience. They share knowledge of the challenges and opportunities specific to our local jurisdictions, advise on potential solutions to address community issues, and help grow the spirit of giving in our region.

Please join us in welcoming these dynamic leaders!

Veronica Jeon

Chair, Prince George’s County Advisory Board

Veronica Jeon credits her entrepreneurial parents with shaping her career path: She is president and CEO at V.SJ, Inc., a full-service consultancy specializing in strategic communications, public affairs, and crisis management. Branded as the “Executive Fixer”, Veronica intentionally helps businesses and organizations re-invent, re-emerge and re-position themselves to be more strategic and influential in the marketplace and in their respective industries.

Veronica says, “Community begins at home and what better place to start than where I live, work, and play? I am committed to advocate, lead initiatives and partner to elevate and engage in philanthropy on all levels in Prince George’s County.”

Committed to “paying it forward”, Veronica is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders. She served as co-chair of the 2018 and 2019 Civic Leadership Awards to recognize, honor, and promote outstanding community leadership in Prince George’s County. She has also been involved in helping to develop and launch the Emerging Leaders Impact Fund to encourage collective giving and civic engagement among County residents under the age of 45. She sees great potential in Prince George’s County to expand the culture of philanthropy and connect nonprofits to more growth opportunities.

In addition to her new role as chair of the Advisory Board, Veronica is a member of the Prince George's Healthcare Alliance board, a former board member of the Northern Virginia Urban League, After School All Stars, and Hope Connection, and a former mentor for Ladies America and the After School All Stars.

Karen Leder

Chair, Montgomery County Advisory Board

For two decades, Karen Leder has partnered with The Community Foundation to positively impact the community where she was raised and in turn raised her family. Karen and her husband created a family fund to address their areas of concern including workforce development, healthcare, and education through the Whatever We Imagine scholarship fund. Karen founded Power of Pink to honor her sister, a two-time breast cancer survivor, which raises funds to help women in the Greater Washington region to receive breast cancer education, screenings, and treatment regardless of their ability to pay. This fund has raised over $800,000 for the cause.

“As a philanthropist,” says Karen, “I am impressed with how The Community Foundation listens to the community, specifically through VoicesDMV, to learn about the needs and supports organizations that address those specific needs to create thriving communities. The Community Foundation has helped shine a light on what our region needs to create equity and justice for all.”

As a lifelong resident of the Greater Washington region, Karen has witnessed changes in Montgomery County including an increase in poverty. Through her leadership of the Montgomery County Advisory Board she aims to educate, motivate, and inspire others about the needs in the county and encourage giving that can help level the playing field for all.

Sponsor the 2020 Celebration of Philanthropy

We are pleased to share the sponsorship opportunities for the 2020 Celebration of Philanthropy on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium! Join us for the largest annual celebration of local philanthropy in our region as we pay tribute to the individuals and organizations that dedicate their time and resources to make our region a more vibrant, equitable, and inclusive place to live.

This year, we are proud to present the 2020 Civic Spirit Award to the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation for its commitment to expanding opportunities for our neighbors and communities to thrive. Mr. and Mrs. Clark believed in quietly and generously giving back to local organizations serving the community where they lived, worked, and achieved their success. Now under the leadership of their daughter, Courtney Clark Pastrick, the Foundation continues this philanthropic legacy by investing in building connections between effort and opportunity to help people achieve their greatest ambitions.

Your purchase of a ticket or sponsorship will support The Community Foundation’s ongoing work in the region. Your support is a critical investment in strengthening our region and creating a brighter future for our most marginalized neighbors.

With your contribution, we can Build Thriving Communities that are rife with opportunity for everyone! Please contact Angela Willingham, Associate Vice President of Development, at [email protected], if you have any questions.

Investments on a mission

By Shannon Scott, CFO, Greater Washington Community Foundation

The end of the year is a great time to take stock of our financial choices throughout the year and make changes that may set us up for success in the year ahead. Achieving your philanthropic goals requires informed, strategic, and thoughtful investment options. At the Community Foundation, we have expanded those options to provide you with more opportunities to sustain your fund and increase your capacity to invest in nonprofits now and in the future.

To optimize your philanthropic investment, you can choose from the following to allocate all or part of your fund’s investment.

Community Foundation Investment Options

Combined Investment Fund – This global balanced fund is the most common investment choice for our donors. We manage and minimize risk, diversify the portfolio with quality investments, monitor investments versus benchmarks, and provide diligent committee oversight to put you in position to support current and future programmatic work and grant making. Since inception (in 1998), the fund has earned an annualized return 5.58%, net of investment management fees.

Vanguard Index Funds – In response to our donors’ request for a low-cost indexed funds, The Community Foundation added four new index funds. An index fund is a passively managed fund, meaning that the intent is to match the risk and return of the broad market indexes. These mutual funds attempt to mimic the performance of an index, such as the S&P 500, by owning the same stocks as those in the S&P 500. Its best qualities are limited protections from market anomalies and lower costs due to lower trading volume and less hands-on research. Our existing index funds include an equity fund (Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Shares) and a fixed income (bond) fund (Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Institutional Shares); two Treasury funds (Treasury Money Market and Short-Term Treasury) became available October 1, 2019.

Impact Investment – Working with Enterprise Community Loan Fund, Inc., we offer a place-based mission investing opportunity for donors. You may allocate a portion of your fund at The Community Foundation to invest in the development of deeply affordable and supportive housing in the region. As part of our Partnership to End Homelessness impact initiative with Enterprise, allocating dollars to this initiative supports our efforts to respond to the homelessness crisis by developing deeply affordable housing for our most marginalized neighbors.

Cash – Keeping your fund 100% liquid in cash is also an option for donors. The average money market rate over the past 13 months is 2.24%, ranging from a high of 2.47% to a current low of 1.62%. This option offers the least amount of risk and the corresponding yield reflects that.

Separately Managed Fund – Finally, if you have over $500,000 in your fund, you may name an external investment advisor to manage your investments.

When making decisions about which of these options is right for you, we encourage you to consider your risk tolerance, grantmaking time horizon, and philanthropic intentions for your fund.

If you would like to learn more about any of these investment options or talk to us about reallocating all or part of your fund’s investment, please contact Shannon Scott or Juliana Mitrojorgji.

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This is distributed for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal, tax, accounting or investment advice. The information, opinions and views contained herein have not been tailored to the investment objectives of any one individual. Nothing contained herein should be construed as investment advice. Any reference to an investment’s past or potential performance is not and should not be construed as a recommendation or as a guarantee of any specific outcome or profit. Any ideas or strategies discussed herein should not be undertaken by any individual without prior consultation with a financial professional for the purpose of assessing whether the ideas or strategies that are discussed are suitable to you based on your own personal financial objectives, needs, and risk tolerance.