Burness and Business Leaders Fighting Hunger Launch $100,000 Food for Montgomery Challenge Match

With 1 in 10 Montgomery County residents at risk of going to bed hungry, it’s not just governments and individuals who are stepping up to help feed our neighbors in need due to the pandemic. With a $100,000 challenge match grant focused on corporations, Burness and Business Leaders Fighting Hunger aim to inspire businesses to help meet the challenge of providing food to 114,000 food insecure residents in Montgomery County.

Andy Burness, a longtime Community Foundation donor said

“This innovative coalition of businesses is taking on hunger in the time of Covid to help raise $5 million, but we were dedicated to fighting hunger before the pandemic. Everyone has to step up – nonprofits do the work on ground, and government certainly has a large role to play, but businesses need to step up and make a real, significant contribution to help alleviate this unprecedented level of hunger.”

Volunteers prepare boxes of food to distribute in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Each contribution will be matched, dollar for dollar, for Food for Montgomery, a coordinated public-private partnership between the Greater Washington Community Foundation, Montgomery County government, and more than 125 nonprofits, faith communities, small businesses, and farmers working to address the rise in food insecurity.  The Food for Montgomery Fund is raising $5 million to meet the staggering increase in food insecure Montgomery County residents today and ensure the county’s food relief system is ready for the future. 

Already the Food for Montgomery fund has raised more than $1 million to meet the urgent need for food now, support our small businesses and farmers, and strengthen our hunger relief system to meet today’s challenges and tomorrow’s crises. Since the start of the pandemic, Food for Montgomery has:

• Supported local restaurants which prepared thousands of culturally-appropriate meals to deliver to home-bound seniors 

• Purchased produce from local farmers that food providers distributed 

• Stocked food providers’ shelves with nutritious food

• Built capacity with grants to food providers for refrigerators, trucks, and other essential items

• Helped more people sign up for food benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 

• Leveraged technology to efficiently scale services, intake, and food delivery 

• Expanded the number of food distribution sites and hubs to reach every part of the county

Yet because of COVID-19, the number of people wondering where their next meal will come from continues to grow; only with the support of the community will every Montgomery County resident have the nutritious food they need to work, learn, and live.

If you’d like to learn more about the Burness Challenge Match or Food for Montgomery, contact Anna Hargrave at [email protected].

about burness

Burness is a mission-driven communications firm based in Montgomery County, Maryland. For the past 35 years, Burness has helped promote ideas that inspire and drive social change worldwide.

about BUSINESS LEADERS FIGHTING HUNGER

Co-founded by Sodexo and Burness, Business Leaders Fighting Hunger is a coalition of Montgomery County employers committed to doing their part to reduce hunger. Its strategic giving and leadership have been essential to strengthening Montgomery County’s food security system in recent years. To learn more, check out the Business Leaders Fighting Hunger 2020 Progress Report to read about the businesses behind this effort and how their philanthropic investments enabled partners to respond quickly when the pandemic struck Montgomery County.

Fund for Children, Youth And Families Awards $1.99 Million to Greater Washington Region Nonprofits

The Fund for Children, Youth, and Families (FFCYF) at the Greater Washington Community Foundation is pleased to announce $1.99 million in grants to 49 nonprofit organizations serving disadvantaged children, youth, and families across the Greater Washington region. The organizations will receive grants of up to $50,000 for project/program support or general operating support.

These grants support organizations that are:

• Helping families experiencing homelessness, and those participating in housing-based service programs

• Closing the achievement gap for students from various racial and ethnic backgrounds

• Closing the achievement gap between low-income and high-income families by investing in early childhood education, academic achievement for school-aged children, and college preparation and career training

• Supporting children in the foster care system by promoting permanency and helping youth leaving the system achieve self-sufficiency

Watch coverage of our FFCYF grants in this Local WDVM segment

Take the Wesley Housing Development Corporation, for instance, awarded funding to help low-income households avoid eviction. The grant will help 139 households in DC to maintain their housing. Of these households, nearly 50 residents will participate in one-on-one career coaching to attain unemployment benefits or re-enter the workforce. And, they will receive material assistance, such as grocery store gift cards, hygiene items, and youth “Study & Snack Packs,” at no additional cost.

Or, CollegeTracks, a Montgomery County nonprofit that that helps prepare high school students for higher education. Our grant will help fund their College Access Program, focusing on college admissions and counseling. Of the 784 students who were enrolled in the program in Spring 2020, nearly 630 will enroll in college within a year of their high school graduation.

Our grant to Prince George’s Child Resource Center will provide child development and parent/child learning activities for 95 participants, with the goal of improved language and cognitive abilities. Within one year, we also anticipate participating parents to demonstrate an improved understanding of nurturing parenting techniques.

These are just a couple organizations and projects that we’re proud to support. Below, read on for a full list of our FFCYF grantees and their projects.

• Adoption Together
  To host informational meetings on foster care and adoption with 250 prospective families

• AHC, Inc.
  To support the development of literacy and social engagement skills for 112 students in its afterschool program

• Aspire Afterschool Learning
  To support 80 children in its LearningROCKS! afterschool program

• Center for Adoption Support and Education
  To provide therapy sessions for 33 children who are moving from the foster care system into permanent, loving families

• Central American Resource Center
  To provide housing counseling services to help 50 participants maintain stable housing

• Children’s Law Center
  To provide legal support and other service to help children grow up in permanent, stable, loving families

• Collaborative Solutions for Communities
  To help 12 families transition to permanent housing

• CollegeTracks
  To help almost 800 high school seniors enroll in college or vocational programs

• Community of Hope
  To help 14 families in remain stably housed or transition to another positive housing situation

• Cornerstones
  To help 25 families move into stable, permanent housing

• Court Appointed Special Advocate - Montgomery County, MD
  To recruit and train 100 additional CASA volunteers

• Court Appointed Special Advocate - Prince George's County, MD
  To increase capacity for its Transitioning Youth program

• Court Appointed Special Advocates – Fairfax County, VA
  To provide the services of a CASA volunteer to 292 children

• DC Bilingual Public Charter School
  To enroll 34 children in PK-3

• DC Volunteer Lawyers Project
  To train 38 volunteer lawyers to offer 140 victims legal and/or advocacy assistance

• District Alliance for Safe Housing
  To assist families through its Cornerstone Program, Empowerment Project and Survivor Resilience Fund

• District of Columbia Appleseed Center for Law and Justice
  To improve the capacity of the District's 2,300 early childhood educators to identify children at risk for developmental disabilities

• Doorways for Women & Families
  To provide safe housing, life skills and employment services to 30 households experiencing homelessness

• Edgewood Brookland Family Support Collaborative
  To help 80 families and individuals obtain or retain stable housing

• Family and Youth Initiative
  To match four teens with an adoptive family

• Friends of the National Arboretum
  To provide career awareness workshops to youth from low-income communities

• Generation Hope
  To offer college readiness workshops, application and enrollment services, and ongoing support throughout college for 170 teen parents

• Good Shepherd Housing & Family Services, Inc.
  To place 90 vulnerable and homeless participant families in affordable housing

• Healthy Babies Project
  To help pregnant/parenting youth find stable housing and create educational or job readiness plans

• Homeless Children's Playtime Project
  To increase the number of advocacy coalition partners and expand support services for children in families experiencing homelessness

• Homestretch
  To provide debt and financial services and help four homeless adults transition to stable housing

• Hope House
  To provide college preparation services to high school students and ongoing support to students while in college

• Housing Up
  To help 686 families obtain and/or maintain stable housing

• Identity, Inc.
  To help 50 students demonstrate improvement or achieve their grade-level target in key literacy skills

• International Rescue Committee
  To help 70 refugees increase their incomes through public benefits and securing entry-level jobs

• Legal Aid Justice Center
  To provide housing-related legal services to more than 300 households

• Main Street Child Development Center
  To help children achieve or make progress toward school readiness goals

• Mental Health Association of Frederick County
  To close 15 cases and place foster children in permanent homes

• Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless
  To help 126 families maintain stable, permanent housing through its Partnership for Permanent Housing (PPH) program

• Neighborhood Legal Services Program of The District of Columbia
  To provide low-income DC residents and homeless families with legal and housing services

• Northern Virginia Family Service
  To help 130 households transition from homelessness into temporary housing or from temporary into permanent housing

• Prince George's Child Resource Center
  To provide child development and parent/child learning activities that improve language and cognitive abilities for 95 participants

• Reach Education
  To help high school and elementary students develop and grow their literacy skills

• Rising for Justice
  To help 1,500 tenants and their families avoid eviction

• Sasha Bruce Youthwork
  To support homeless youth and runaways with housing and family strengthening services

• Stop Child Abuse Now of Northern Virginia
  To help 75 children served by the CASA program achieve permanency in their family placements

• Shelter House
  To help 19 families achieve housing, public benefits and income stability through its RISE program

• Stepping Stones Shelter
  To help 30 families move into stable housing and increase their income

• Survivors and Advocates for Empowerment (DC SAFE)
  To assist 300 participants in successfully moving to safe transitional or permanent housing

• The Arc Prince George's County
  To support more than 40 participants with training and employment services through its Project SEARCH and Ready@21 programs

• The Barker Adoption Foundation
  To provide clients with lifelong services and advocate for ethical, respectful and child-centered adoption practices

• The Platform of Hope
  To help 60 low-income families develop life goals, increase their resource networks and participate in programs that help achieve their goals

• Voices for Virginia's Children
  To collect and distribute data-driven information to policy makers and support 1,000 children in the foster care system

• Wesley Housing Development Corporation
  To help 139 low-income households avoid eviction and maintain housing

About the Fund for Children, Youth And Families

The Fund for Children, Youth and Families (FFCYF) was established to invest in the betterment of underserved children, youth, and families across the greater Washington region - specifically, to invest in organizations achieving significant impact providing services and programming across the following program areas: Stable Homes Stable Families, Foster Care and Adoption, and Academic and Career Success. Through its grantmaking, the fund supports effective organizations working to make the community healthy and stable. Please visit www.fund4cyf.org for more information.

Deciding which charity to support doesn’t have to be hard. These tips will help.

Giving Tuesday is a global movement that’s more important now than ever - and every act of generosity counts.

Not sure where to begin? In her interview with The Washington Post, Anna Hargrave, Executive Director for our Montgomery County office, offers giving tips to get you started - beginning with what moves you.

Tonia Wellons Named Nonprofit Leader of the Year by Washington Business Journal

Dear Friends of The Community Foundation,

Photo by EMAN MOHAMMED/WBJ
Courtesy of Washington Business Journal

What a year it has been! In light of the ongoing crisis and continuing cycle of bad news, I wanted to share the exciting news that Tonia Wellons, our fearless CEO, has been named Nonprofit Leader of the Year by The Washington Business Journal.

Tonia could not have taken over as The Community Foundation's permanent President and CEO at a tougher time. Tonia has proven to be the exact right leader for this moment and for our community. Under Tonia’s leadership and with the tireless work of our amazing staff, together with the generosity of all of you and many others in our community, we have raised over $10 million to date for our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.

As we continue to respond to the ongoing crisis and move forward with other critical initiatives, I hope you will join me in congratulating Tonia by making a gift to support The Community Foundation's work.

Congratulations to Tonia for this well-deserved recognition of your hard work!

Yours,
Katharine Weymouth
Chair, Board of Trustees
Greater Washington Community Foundation

Community Foundation Awards $1 million in Relief Funds to Prince George’s County Small Businesses

The small business sector is a key economic driver in Prince George’s County; it makes up 95% of all businesses in the County. Unfortunately, Prince George’s County was hit hard by the pandemic.

50% of the jobs created over the past five years were lost in the first two weeks of COVID-19.

Many businesses have shuttered and far too many have closed for good, taking the jobs they’ve created with them. These losses have left individuals, families and communities struggling to survive and gain an economic foothold.

Helping residents improve their social and economic status is an important yet complex goal—and that’s exactly what the Greater Washington Community Foundation is doing as part of its new focus on equity and economic mobility in Prince George’s County.

The Legacy Fund, seeded with a $1 million gift directed by Sam Brin and a $10,000 gift from Meridiam, provides critically needed access to capital for small businesses in Prince George’s County. It provides direct relief to small businesses in Prince George’s County impacted by COVID-19 to help minimize vulnerability to closure and to enable small businesses thrive.

The Legacy Fund is helping blunt the impact of business closure and job loss with grants ranging from $2,000-$10,000 to 173 small businesses. These investments resulted in the retention of more than 650 full time jobs and provided the funding that businesses need for technology and other business enhancements. Additionally, through our partnership with FSC First, these companies can access technical assistance to help them better navigate new business and economic realities and ensure long-term development.

Grants were awarded to companies in all nine Councilmanic Districts in the County and across multiple industries including retail, IT, business services, restaurants, and health, beauty and fitness. While each of the companies we’ve invested in supply critical goods and services, they’re also community gathering spaces and are important institutions in the County.

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Below are a few examples of small businesses that received grants and how they play a critical role in our community.

Spiritual Essence Yoga, in Upper Marlboro, has supported the mental, physical, and emotional health of the Prince George's County community since 2008. While the stress of the pandemic has increased the community’s need for these services, the company was required to close for several months. This grant helped them reopen and begin offering virtual and in-person classes.

BLE Executive and Virtual Office Suites, in Largo, provides individual offices and virtual services to hundreds of entrepreneurs and small businesses in the County through a flexible office space business model. With more people working from home, and in-person meetings no longer an option, BLE has had to contend with reduced demand for its services. This grant will enable BLE to maintain critical staffing levels and continue to provide the high quality business to business services that are important for the growth and sustainability of small businesses and entrepreneurship.

Minimizing business closure and reducing job loss are important goals of the Legacy Fund, but we also recognize that in order to work families need childcare. The staff at Loving Hands Enrichment Center, a childcare facility in Clinton have cared for children in the community for 14 years. Like most companies, they’ve been forced to scale back due to the pandemic. Funding is helping the center retain staff and improve their operating systems. They are, once again, providing a strong educational and nurturing environment for child development in Prince George’s.

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2020 Legacy Fund Grant Awardees

21st Century Expo Group

4EVER 2012 Corporation

Acbles Adrian Wilcox Agency, Inc.

Adventure Tours Aga Group

Aggie Family Child Care

Airport Metro Connection Inc.

Angarai Management Services

Appreciation Moments

Around the Clark Trucking

Ayers Natural Aztlan, Inc.

BC Tours & Travel, Inc.

Bea's Hive Assisted Living

Behind The Scenes Production

Belmont Executives, Inc.

Beltway Trophy Co.

Best Sweet Frog

Biruk Chewaka

BizyBee Professional Staffing & Biz'Ness Solutions

BLE Executive & Virtual Office Suites

Bright Horizon Ventures

Bruce T. Blake Insurance Agency, Inc.

Cameau Enterpises dba Camp Space

Centered Support

Charlene Mitchell

Cheerful Speech Therapy

Choice Clinical Services

Chung & Oh

Cipher Logix, Inc.

Clearview Optics dba Sterling Optical

CN Accounting & Management Consulting

College Park Yoga dba Numi Yoga

Colors by Tangie

Corporate Wheels

C-Pup Pet Walks

Cursor Logistics

Custom Plumbing and HVAC

Cuts Unlimited, Inc.

Cybersoft Technologies Corporation

Cynthia Cephas Photography

DAPO Group

DC Vegan

DCG Construction

Deanna Robinson Fitness

Defined by Design Events

Dickey & Associates

DMV Healthy Insurance

DNA Fitness, Inc. dba Curves of Glenn Dale

DSSP Consulting, Inc.

DXT Therapeutic Services

DY Food Wholesalers

Dynamic 3, Inc.

Dynamic Technical Solutions One

Eby Health Services, Inc.

Elites Care

Emmanuel Management Enterprise, Inc.

Envisage Management Solutions

Eric Kruszewski

Essentially Everything Events

Exact Financial Services

Executive Electrolysis, Inc.

Expressions of Faith

Extra Mile Logistics

Felicia C. Everett Insurance Company, Inc.

Femsterimages Productions

First Lady

Fitness Martial Arts

Flavors Culinary Group

Forty Winks

Front Street Management

G&D Construction

Garcia's Investments

Goins Worldwide, Inc.

Goldleaf Academy

Green Ivy, Benefit

Greenbelt Barber and Beauty Shop

Greenbelt Foods

GS Consulting and Communications, Inc.

Hair + Space Blowdry and Beauty Company

Harbor Wines

Hawkeye Medical

Higher Ground Transportation Services, Inc.

Hutchinson Design Group

Innovations 2000

Intuitive Group

Iwynn Productions

J and A Transport

J.D Clark Professional Services

Jiivana-LIFE Yoga & Wellness LLC dba Spiritual Essence Yoga

K&W Plumbing

KBM Realtors

KC Enterprise

Kery's dba Christina O Salon & Spa

KIK, Inc.

Kimi Nails & Spa

Kinetic Solutions

Klub Kid

Lamaha Hospitality

Laugh House

Law Offices of Sharon Theodore-Lewis & Associates

Legacy Partners Distribution

LG Total Fitness/Triple Delight Aquatics

LLF Handyman Services

Lord & Mitchell, Inc.

Lovi Family Daycare, Inc.

Loving Hands Enrichment Daycare

Maryland Carpet Repair & Cleaning

Maryland Physical Therapy and Wellness Center

Melton Digital

MF Communications Trade, Inc.

Min Wireless, Inc.

Mixin' Mimi Mixology

My Wealth Store

Neshama, Inc.

NITDOT

N'Style Hair Grooming Barber and Salon

Old Town Hospitality

Oni Family Day Care

Own Your Own DMV

PG Family Dentistry

Physical and Sports Rahab, Inc.

Premier Eye Care Center

Prince of Peace Homes for Seniors, Inc.

Printing Express & Designs

Pro Spex, Inc.

Prominent Solutions, Inc.

Quality Time

QW, Inc.

R.A. Investments

Regina Robinson Enterprises

Rickenbacker's Preparation Services

Roman Mechanical

Salon 809

Seeram Enterprises

SELA Hair and Nails

Shan's Jumping Gymnasium

Sidnea Global Enterprises, Inc.

Silver Canady & Associates

Sky Nails

SLDB

SNR Holdings dba Misfit Winery

Something Vintage Rentals

SRC Eldercare Services

Sutter Design, Inc.

Tajick Dental Clinic PC

TCH Enterprize

Team Power Linx

TechOpps, Inc.

Temple Hills Swim Club, Inc.

The Face Paint Ladyn Inc.

The Groom Room

The Joseph Company

The Mercy Law Firm

The Mobile Experience

The SEMCAS Group

The WaterHole

Total Interior

Toth Distribution Service, Inc.

Transcend Solutions

Tucker Moor Law Group

Turning Point Solutions

University for Tots-Suitland Child Care Center, Inc.

viaJ Entertainment Services

Vino 301 Wine Concierge

VIP Financial Services

Visage Dermatology and Aesthetic Center

Way To Live Initiative

Wills Trucking & Excavating, Inc.

World View Early Learning Center, Inc.

Youth Avenue Solutions

About the Legacy Fund

The Legacy Fund made a big difference for 173 businesses on the brink of closure. It’s a key part of our effort to build thriving communities and help individuals and families in Prince George’s County build wealth and leave a legacy for generations to come.

For more information about our work in Prince George’s County, visit www.thecommunityfoundation.org/princegeorges.

Washington Business Journal Recognizes Community Foundation with 2020 Citizenship Award

We are proud to share that the Greater Washington Community Foundation and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield are recipients of the 2020 Citizenship Award, part of the Washington Business Journal's annual Philanthropy Awards program. The award recognizes our partnership on the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield PPE Response Fund to distribute thousands of PPE units to frontline workers at health clinics across the region.

Pathways to Housing staff receive a shipment of PPE

Mission of Mercy provided free medical and dental care during COVID-19 using the gift of PPE from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield PPE Response Fund.

COVID-19 Response Fund Issues Over $10 Million in Emergency Grants

300+ Critical Nonprofits Across the Region Received Support to Weather Pandemic

The Greater Washington Community Foundation today announced an additional $2.04 million in phase three grants from the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, reaching a combined total of more than $10 million in emergency support distributed to address the public health and economic crisis. The Fund’s rapid response grantmaking helped local nonprofits to expand critical services, ensure continuity of operations, transition to virtual service delivery, and counteract lost revenue due to closures or event cancellations. 

In total, the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund’s impact includes: 

• Over $10 million raised and invested in regional response efforts

• 300+ social service and health nonprofits funded

• Grants range from $1,000 to $250,000

• 50% of nonprofit partners led by people of color

Phase three funding was spurred in part by a $1 million dollar commitment from IKEA to support COVID-19 relief efforts in Maryland where some of its facilities are located. IKEA calculated unemployment claims submitted by its employees and donated that money back to the state through a partnership with the Greater Washington Community Foundation to disperse the resources to communities in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. 

Phase 3 Grant Highlights

Improving Food Security

$250,000 to Capital Area Food Bank and its partners to address the dramatic increase in food insecurity among Northern Virginia residents in Fairfax, Arlington, and Loudoun counties and the City of Alexandria. CAFB’s goal is to provide an additional 9 million pounds of food in these areas, including to many disproportionately impacted communities of color.

A $200,000 investment in Dreaming Out Loud to address DC’s food security crisis by connecting fresh and nutritious food offerings from local Black-owned farms in our region to food insecure residents, including 1,300 weekly CSA shares and 150,000 prepared meals.

$188,000 allocated to help Food for Montgomery meet the urgent need for food, support restaurants and farmers by purchasing meals and fresh produce, and to strengthen our hunger relief system.

$200,000 to help resource Get Shift Done for DMV operations through the end of the year. The initiative is paying displaced hospitality workers to help local nonprofit providers prepare food and meals for neighbors facing hardship due to COVID-19.

$214,000 to support food assistance providers in Prince George’s County to make and/or deliver prepared meals, produce, and shelf-stable foods, and to connect food insecure households to additional food resources.

Support for Childcare

$188,000 allocated to the Children’s Opportunity Fund to expand affordable childcare and distance learning support options for up to 1,000 low-income families in Montgomery County.

$150,000 allocated to the D.C. Childcare Reopening Fund, in partnership with Mary’s Center, to invest in a network of local family childcare providers to ensure that low-income children and youth remain in licensed childcare programs that support healthy and safe development.

$50,000 investment in the Early Care and Education Funders Collaborative, led by the Washington Area Women’s Foundation, supporting advocacy efforts to improve early childhood systems infrastructure, expand access to high quality early education programs, and help early educators effectively meet the needs of all children.

$100,000 invested alongside the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia to support local family-based early care providers through the Infant Toddler Family Day Care, a high-impact local provider that will directly support 85 Northern Virginia-based family childcare providers, all of which are led by women of color.

$50,000 to Prince George’s Child Resource Center to provide support and technical assistance to childcare providers to ensure their sustainability and ability to create healthy and nurturing environments for children by helping families and educating caregivers.

Expanding Employment Opportunities

$300,000 allocated to the Equity Fund in Prince George’s County to support programs selected through an open call for applications that are preparing workers for meaningful employment and ensuring that people facing barriers to employment can access high-quality education and job opportunities which pay a family-sustaining wage.

Eviction Prevention and Housing Stability

$150,000 allocated to The Partnership to End Homelessness for work with DC Bar Foundation and other funders to prevent evictions and help low-income residents maintain stable housing. Initial investments will focus on building the capacity of the system to make sure tenants are aware of their rights and can access the rental assistance and other resources that are available.

Previous Funding and Priorities

The COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund was established on March 12, 2020 and administered by the Greater Washington Community Foundation, which also was a donor to the effort. Community Foundation staff in collaboration with a steering committee and working groups, comprised of regional philanthropic leaders, subject matter experts, and local government advisors, met regularly to discuss needs, vet proposals, and coordinate efforts.

The Fund received contributions from nearly 800 foundations, corporations, and individuals. A list of the major contributors to the Fund can be found here.  

More than 1,600 nonprofits across the region applied for approximately $60 million in grants. Priority was given to direct service providers with deep roots in the community and the ability to both address urgent needs and reach historically underserved populations.

Phases 1 and 2 (March-August) investments were made across five issue areas:

• To provide cash assistance to impacted workers, including hourly and gig economy workers, contractors, and workers excluded from unemployment or stimulus funds.

• To bridge the digital divide and expand resources for low-income families, youth disconnected from school or work, and students with special education needs. 

• To provide PPE and other equipment for frontline workers, expand medical care for marginalized communities, and increase access to mental health support services.

• To support individuals, families, and youth experiencing homelessness by expanding access to housing/shelter, health care, and other emergency services.

• To help stabilize nonprofits, expand emergency food assistance, address the uptick in domestic violence, and support the civil legal aid needs of individuals and families.

Phase two investments also included funding for advocacy and community organizing projects focused on improving systems for food security, violence prevention, medical care access, affordable housing, childcare, and more.

A full list of the Fund’s grantees can be found here. To learn more about the unique stories of the organizations supported by the Fund, click here for impact videos.

BLACK VOICES FOR BLACK JUSTICE FUND (DMV) TO INVEST IN TEN COMMUNITY CATALYSTS

A commitment to support the activists, artists, and organizers working locally to build an anti-racist America

Washington, D.C. -- The Greater Washington Community Foundation today announced the launch of The Black Voices for Black Justice Fund DMV and has partnered with the DC-based nonprofit, GOODProjects, to bring its mission to life with the Black Justice Fellowship. Ten Black Leaders representing the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia will be selected to receive monetary and meaningful support to scale their activism. They will each receive a personal grant of $30,000 to support their work and living expenses for a year. Nominations for the first cohort can be submitted via an online form at www.blackjusticefellows.org.

Led by visionary committee leaders Angela Rye, Linda Wilson, Tonia Wellons, Cherrelle Swain, and Darius Baxter, The Black Justice Fellows is redefining the way philanthropy identifies and invests in Black leaders.

“Black Leaders have been actively working for years to create a more just America, yet too many are underestimated, underfunded, and underrepresented,” says fund co-chair Baxter. “We declare the success of Black Leaders will not be determined by how much they can fundraise or their proximity to whiteness.”

The Racial Equity in Philanthropy Report states that white-led organizations had budgets that were 24 percent larger than those led by people of color. It also found that groups led by Black Women received less money than those led by Black Men or White Women. Further, disparities by the race of the leader repeatedly persist even when taking into account factors like issue area and education levels.

Co-Chair Tonia Wellons explains, “Historically, we know that there has been an underinvestment in Black leaders who are on the frontlines of fighting for justice and equality. We are excited to help scale the work of emerging leaders in the Greater Washington region by providing financial support so they can continue to live while they lead. This initiative will help elevate the voices of Black leaders and invest in solutions led by Black leaders to fuel their efforts to address structural and systemic racism.”

The Black Voices for Black Justice Fund (DMV) was seeded by the Bridge Alliance Education Fund and Greater Washington Community Foundation. This local initiative stemmed from the national Black Voices for Black Justice Fund which was launched from a partnership between many philanthropic organizations across the country.

"We are pleased to support communities and leaders in the Washington, DC area by partnering with the Greater Washington Community Foundation to provide resources to Black leaders at the forefront of community work that is strengthening our communities and our nation,” says David Nevins, Chairman of the Board of Bridge Alliance Education Fund.

For more information or to nominate a local leader for the fellowship, please visit www.blackjusticefellows.org or @blackjusticefellows on all social media platforms.

Arts Forward Fund Announces More Than $1 Million in Grants to Local Arts Groups Impacted by COVID-19

Arts Forward Fund, a partnership between the Greater Washington Community Foundation, The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, and 16 other foundations and individual donors, announces grants totaling $1,048,500 to 43 arts and culture organizations in the DC region.

These grants will help organizations make essential shifts needed to sustain their work through the COVID-19 pandemic and to respond to the national movement for racial justice. A majority of the grants will be used to support expanded digital and online programming. More than 60 percent of grants and grant funding will go to organizations that are BIPOC-led and predominantly BIPOC-serving.

In response to a call for applications released in early August 2020, Arts Forward Fund received 227 applications totaling nearly $8 million.

“The volume of applications illustrates the devastating impact of the pandemic on arts and culture organizations in our region,” says Calvin Cafritz, President and CEO of The Cafritz Foundation, which made a lead grant of $500,000 to establish Arts Forward Fund. “The pandemic has exacerbated challenges for groups that have historically had inequitable access to philanthropic capital, and these grants reflect the collective commitment of our funding collaborative to prioritize those organizations.”

“Arts and culture organizations are a critical economic engine for the region and they contribute immeasurably to our sense of community and our well-being,” says Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “We are proud to partner on the Arts Forward Fund to bring much needed relief to these organizations that enrich our communities and touch our lives.”

Following is a list of Arts Forward Fund grant recipients, grant amounts, and a brief description of how grant funds will be used.

• 826DC
  $25,000 to support the shift to online and small group programming, including increased training for volunteers

• Anacostia Playhouse
  $25,000 to support the shift to digital content

• Arch Development Corporation
  $30,000 to support transition to online programs

• Art Enables
  $25,000 to implement an enhanced digital marketing plan

• Art Works Now
  $25,000 to support the shift to virtual programming, including an expansion of the Creative Aging program

• ARTSFAIRFAX
  $25,000 to support the WORK-SMART training series for Fairfax County arts organizations

• Arts on the Block
  $25,000 to upgrade IT and HR capacity with a focus on equity and human-centered design

• ArtStream
  $25,000 to hire a virtual programming manager and develop a new evaluation system for online programs

• Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA)
  $25,000 to support the shift to virtual programming

• Critical Exposure
  $20,000 to support the shift to digital curriculum

• Dance Institute of Washington
  $30,000 to support facility renovation and program evaluation with a focus on racial equity

• Dance Place
  $30,000 to support diversity, equity, and inclusion training

• DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative
  $50,000 to support a distance-learning database and virtual projects

• DC Jazz Festival
  $30,000 to support a new digital content initiative

• Foundation for the Advancement of Music and Education (FAME)
  $25,000 to support an online learning platform

• Gala Hispanic Theatre
  $30,000 to build fundraising capacity and create online programming

• Greater Reston Arts Center
  $20,000 to support digital content

• Heritage Signature Chorale
  $20,000 to support digital content

• InterAct Story Theatre
  $10,000 to support the shift to virtual and blended programs

• Joe's Movement Emporium
  $30,000 to support the transition to a new online teaching platform

• Kalanidhi Dance

  $10,000 to support website development

• Life Pieces to Masterpieces
  $30,000 to support outdoor programming, PPE and safety precautions

• Live It Learn It
  $25,000 to support equipment and curriculum to adapt to distance learning

• Museum of the Palestinian People
  $20,000 to strengthen the museum’s online presence and create a new online exhibition

• Music for Life
  $10,000 to support the shift to online programs

• One Common Unity
  $20,000 to support software and training for a digital platform

• P0STB1NARY
  $15,000 to support online content platforms and web development

• PEN/Faulkner
  $50,000 to support online accessibility (joint proposal with Split This Rock, The Writer's Center, 826 DC)

• Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center
  $25,000 to support virtual programming

• Project Create
  $17,500 to support rebranding and marketing

• Restoration Stage
  $25,000 to support the transition to digital programs

• Shout Mouse Press
  $20,000 to increase digital and print sales and engage a DEI consultant

• Step Afrika!
  $30,000 to support the shift to virtual programs

• Synetic Theater
  $25,000 to support the shift to online content

• Teatro de la Luna
  $20,000 to support the shift to online content

• The Essential Theatre
  $25,000 to support capacity-building

• Theatre Alliance
  $25,000 to support the shift to online programs

• Urbanarias
  $16,000 to support expanded digital marketing and improved ticketing and production for digital content

• Washington Jazz Arts Institute
  $20,000 to support an online music collaboration project

• Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
  $25,000 to support innovative online productions, anti-racism training, marketing

• Words Beats And Life
  $25,000 to support the shift to online programs

• Young Playwrights Theater
  $25,000 to support the shift to online programs

• Zora Neale Hurston Richard Wright Foundation
  $20,000 to support the shift to online programs

About Arts Forward Fund

Launched in July 2020 with lead grants from The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, the Harman Family Foundation, and the Weissberg Foundation, Arts Forward Fund is a funder collaborative housed at and administered by the Greater Washington Community Foundation. Additional supporters include Linowitz Family Fund, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, S & R Foundation, Diane & Norman Bernstein Foundation, Lois and Richard England Family Foundation, Philip L. Graham Fund, Greater Washington Community Foundation, Share Fund, Walter Brownley Trust, Nancy Peery Marriott Foundation, and other individual contributors.

Tonia Wellons named one of Washingtonian's "Heroes of the Crisis"

Tonia Wellons, President and CEO, of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, was recognized for our efforts to help struggling arts groups as part of the Washingtonian‘s feature on “Heroes of the Crisis.” The feature shines the spotlight on “some of the people who have helped get us through these most challenging of times” from medical professionals to social-justice activists to culinary stars.

Greater Washington Community Foundation Announces Community Action Awards

Microgrants for Individuals, Organizations with Ideas for Improving Neighborhoods

After engaging hundreds of residents from across the Greater Washington region in small-group conversations to discuss and reimagine the future of their communities as part of VoicesDMV On the Table, the Greater Washington Community Foundation is offering Community Action Awards – small grants of up to $2,000 for individuals and nonprofits in Greater Washington who have ideas to make the region a more equitable place to live, work, and thrive.

“Everyone has a role to play in shaping a ‘new normal’ for the Greater Washington region. Yesterday’s On the Table conversations were an important first step,” said Tonia Wellons, president and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “The best way for us to overcome this time of crisis and uncertainty is by standing together – neighbors helping neighbors – to build a more equitable future for our region. Yesterday we were encouraged by the residents from across the DMV who gathered virtually, in parks, offices, around kitchen tables, and elsewhere to discuss the issues that impact their lives, and to work together to develop solutions.”

On the Table is part of The Community Foundation’s VoicesDMV initiative, which launched in 2017 as a way to explore the region’s challenges and opportunities related to housing, transportation, safety, economic security, race relations, and community well-being. This year, VoicesDMV returned as a three-part initiative that first tapped into Community Insights through a regional survey conducted by Gallup, then brought residents together to discuss the issues that matter in their communities through a series of town halls this summer and small-group On the Table conversations on October 1, and now will help fund ideas sparked during those discussions through Community Action Awards to move from ideas into action.

Through the Community Action Awards, The Community Foundation is interested in supporting and advancing neighborhood-level projects that will engage diverse communities and help grassroots leaders to implement their ideas. The Community Foundation is especially interested in providing resources to enable ideas and activities that were generated through On the Table conversations.  

“We are eager to hear the ideas our neighbors developed during yesterday’s On the Table conversations to make the region an even better place for all residents to live, work, and thrive. But any resident, including those who didn’t participate in On the Table but have an innovative idea, should consider applying for one of our Community Action Awards to help move those ideas from conversations into community change projects,” said Wellons.

The deadline to apply for a Community Action Award is November 2, 2020. To learn more and apply, visit www.thecommunityfoundation.org/community-action-awards. For more information about VoicesDMV and On the Table, visit www.VoicesDMV.org.

Community Foundation Joins National Philanthropic Leaders to Launch Black Voices for Black Justice Fund

The Greater Washington Community Foundation is excited to partner with Black leaders and national philanthropic leaders on the launch of the Black Voices for Black Justice Fund (BVBJ). The Fund is led by co-chairs Wes Moore, Kerry Washington, and Jean Desravines and Selection Committee co-chairs John B. King, Jr., Tenicka Boyd, Kristen Clarke, and Shavar Jeffries.

As the U.S. continues an unprecedented racial reckoning following the deaths and continued pursuit of justice for countless Black Americans including Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, an innovative new fund is supporting Black leaders on the frontlines of shaping the urgent movement to build a fair, equitable, and anti-racist America. BVBJ will amplify Black voices and directly support Black advocates in building an anti-racist America without the typical constraints of philanthropy. BVBJ is unique in its approach – letting awardees use funding dollars in whatever way they believe will make the greatest impact toward racial justice.

BVBJ launched today with an initial $2 million investment, and a goal to raise $10 million nationally, which will be distributed as awards to Black leaders focused on voting rights, COVID recovery, criminal justice reform, creating economic opportunity, environmental justice, and education. Thirty-one awardees – encompassing Black leaders across U.S. cities including Minneapolis, MN; Tulsa, OK; Washington, D.C.; Brooklyn, NY and Portland, OR – have been selected for the fund’s first set of investments, encompassing a range of Black community leaders and organizers across the country who are working to address systems of oppression, violence, and inequality.

Awardee Nicole Lynn Lewis, who founded and runs Generation Hope, a nonprofit that helps teen parents forge a path to economic opportunity, said: “Receiving this award is a recognition of my voice and vision but, more importantly, it is a validation of young parents, single mothers and fathers, and parenting college students everywhere. Their stories – our stories – are intricately intertwined with the roots of racial oppression in this country, and this support will allow us to amplify their experiences and work alongside others to dismantle systemic barriers to their economic mobility."

Initial funding was pooled by seven foundations: The Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation (which supports the fund’s special area focus in Brooklyn); The Moriah Fund; Galaxy Gives; Chan Zuckerberg Initiative; and CityBridge Foundation, Greater Washington Community Foundation and Bridge Alliance Education Fund (which collectively support the fund’s special area focus in Washington, D.C.)

As a local partner to this national philanthropic initiative, The Community Foundation is proud to sponsor two awards for local leaders from our community: Nicole Lynn Lewis and Brittany Packnett Cunningham. These awards recognize the incredible work that’s being done locally by everyday heroes, like Brittany and Nicole, who are on the frontlines of dismantling racist systems to build more equitable, just, and enriching communities.

The Community Foundation will open the nomination process for Justice Fellows awards, a local initiative to support Black leaders who are grassroots advocates, organizers, and emerging voices in the Greater Washington region, in partnership with GOODProjects and with seed funding from Bridge Alliance Education Fund.

“We are excited to be part of this national initiative, and to work alongside the Black Voices for Black Justice Fund to help scale the work of emerging leaders in the Greater Washington region by providing financial support so they can continue to live while they lead,” says Tonia Wellons, President and CEO, Greater Washington Community Foundation. “This initiative will help elevate the voices of Black leaders and invest in solutions led by Black leaders to fuel their efforts to address structural and systemic racism.”

“The Bridge Alliance Education Fund believes it is critical for us thrive as a people we must embrace and support the diversity that defines our nation,” says David Nevins, Chairman of the Board of Bridge Alliance Education Fund. “We are proud to be partnering with the Greater Washington Community Foundation in providing resources to Black-led organizations at the forefront of community work to strengthen our communities and our nation.”

Meet the Local Awardees

Brittany Packnett Cunningham

Love & Power Works, Washington, DC

Brittany Packnett Cunningham is an educator, organizer, and writer. Cited by President Obama as a leader whose "voice is going to be making a difference for years to come," Brittany was an appointed member of the Ferguson Commission and President Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing. She is a co-founder of Campaign Zero, a police reform campaign, and was previously the executive director of Teach for America in St. Louis. Brittany has worked to impart lessons of movement-building, social impact, leadership, and empowerment for women and girls-especially girls of color. Today, she continues to advocate for urgent systemic change at critical decision making tables and through national and international media.

Nicole Lynn Lewis 

Generation Hope, Washington, DC 

As CEO of Generation Hope, Nicole Lynn Lewis surrounds motivated teen parents and their children with the mentors, emotional support, and financial resources that they need to thrive as they pursue their education. Generation Hope rallies around teen parents to help them earn college degrees and forge a path to economic opportunity and is now expanding its work with young parents beyond the DC region by sharing its best practices to help colleges and universities across the country better meet the needs of the nearly four million parenting students who are working toward their degrees. In 2003, Lewis graduated from the College of William and Mary as a teen mother who had overcome homelessness and a drug-infested environment to achieve the impossible. She was named a CNN Hero in 2014. Lewis is also a nationally known author and speaker with her next, highly-anticipated book, Pregnant Girl, to be released in the spring of 2021 by Beacon Press.

The Community Foundation has long been a supporter of Nicole and Generation Hope’s success. In 2010, as a fledgling nonprofit, Generation Hope participated in The Community Foundation’s incubator program, sharing office space and resources to support the organization during its critical first years. Since then, Nicole has helped grow Generation Hope into an organization providing emotional and financial support to hundreds of parenting teens as they pursue a college degree.

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About Black Voices for Black Justice Fund

The Black Voices for Black Justice Fund is a new racial justice fund that is supporting Black leaders and Black-led organizations on the front lines in shaping the urgent movement to build a fair, equitable, and anti-racist America. It will amplify and elevate ongoing efforts to address our national crisis surrounding racism, white supremacy, police brutality, and racial inequality. By linking emerging community and local leaders with a cohort of established national leaders, the Fund will also seek to help develop the next generation of Black leaders.

Greater Washington Community Foundation Invites Area Residents to Put the Future of the Region “On the Table”

Residents to Gather Through Virtual or Face-to-Face Small-Group Conversations on Thursday, October 1

WASHINGTON, DC – Residents from across the Greater Washington region will gather for virtual or face-to-face small-group conversations on a single day – Thursday, October 1, 2020 – to discuss and reimagine the future of our communities as part of VoicesDMV On the Table, presented by the Greater Washington Community Foundation.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing calls for racial justice in health, policing, and economy highlight how far we have to go to address the deep economic inequities and social challenges experienced by so many residents of the DMV region,” said Tonia Wellons, president and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “As a community foundation, it is central to our mission to have a finger on the pulse of our community in order to effectively respond to the most critical issues affecting our region. On the Table is an opportunity for our community to talk with, listen to and learn from each other as we work to build a more resilient community where racial justice is prioritized and everyone has equal opportunity to thrive.” 

Hosts can plan their conversations to take place any time on Thursday, October 1. Virtual discussions can be convened through The Community Foundation’s free interactive online platform, which includes easy-to-use, built-in discussion guides, or through another preferred video conference tool. Face-to-face conversations can be convened using proper social distancing at homes, offices, parks, community centers and other locations.

The topics, issues and ideas discussed during each of the On the Table conversations will be driven by the unique perspectives of participants, and the opportunities and challenges that are most important to them. The Community Foundation will provide discussion guides on important issues, such as racial equity, education, housing and homelessness, economic security, employment and workforce, and more, that were identified through a regional survey conducted this spring by the public opinion research firm, Gallup, to better understand the diverse experiences of the people who live and work in the Greater Washington region. Thousands of residents shared their feedback about the most important issues facing the Greater Washington region. The full report, along with summaries of survey responses by geographic region and a customizable data dashboard that helps participants to explore the report, are available at www.VoicesDMV.org.

“We are grateful to the thousands of residents who shared their insights through the survey,” said Wellons. “And we hope thousands more will join us to discuss what we can do to make our communities stronger through On the Table conversations. Together, we have the power to improve the quality of life for everyone in the Greater Washington region.”

On the Table is part of The Community Foundation’s VoicesDMV initiative, which launched in 2017 as a way to explore the region’s challenges and opportunities related to housing, transportation, safety, economic security, race relations, and community well-being. This year, VoicesDMV returns as a three-part initiative that, in addition to the regional survey and On the Table conversations, will help to fund ideas sparked during those discussions through Community Action Awards of up to $2,000 to move ideas from the discussions into action.

Created by The Chicago Community Trust in 2014, to date, the On the Table model has been adopted by more than 30 communities that have collectively engaged more than 300,000 people from coast to coast.

American University will serve as The Community Foundation’s lead outreach partner in encouraging Greater Washington area residents and organizations to host and/or participate in these On the Table conversations.

For more information or to sign up to host an On The Table conversation on October 1, visit www.VoicesDMV.org.

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ABOUT THE GREATER WASHINGTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Since 1973, the Greater Washington Community Foundation has been a champion of thriving communities and a catalyst for change through local philanthropic engagement, effective community investment, and civic leadership. 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 by aligning resources and leveraging shared interests to amplify impact. As the region’s largest local funder, The Community Foundation has invested more than $1.3 billion to build more equitable, just, and enriching communities where all residents can live, work, and thrive.

Community Foundation Partners with Montgomery County to Provide Food Assistance Capacity Building Grants

The Greater Washington Community Foundation is proud to partner with Montgomery County Health and Human Services, the Montgomery County Food Council, and the Healthcare Initiative Foundation to provide nonprofit food assistance providers with funding to support programmatic operations. The full release is available below.

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Montgomery County Food Assistance Provider Capacity Building Grants Awarded to 28 Community Organizations

For Immediate Release: Monday, August 17, 2020

Montgomery County has awarded $1,126,100 to 28 local food assistance providers to improve their infrastructure and expand their capacity to provide food access to hard-to-reach communities in Montgomery County during the response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This program was funded by the Federal CARES Act as appropriated by the County Executive and Montgomery County Council, the Community Food Rescue mini-grants program, and the newly launched Food Security Fund at the Greater Washington Community Foundation.

The COVID-19 Emergency Food Assistance Provider Capacity Building Grant is a partnership between the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Montgomery County Food Council (MCFC), the Healthcare Initiative Foundation (HIF), and the Greater Washington Community Foundation (The Community Foundation). The County’s Food Security Task Force, formed by the County's Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS), reviewed and determined all grant awards. The HIF and The Community Foundation are the fiscal agents for the program and will award the money.

These grant awards will support community nonprofit purchases of refrigerators and freezers, shelving and space enhancements, vehicles, forklifts, hand trucks, computers and software, as well as repairs to existing infrastructure. Funded investments will directly expand these organizations’ ability to store and transport larger quantities of shelf-stable and cold-stored food and are estimated to increase community-wide capacity for food assistance distribution and delivery to over 31,000 households.

“I am proud to be part of a community where our nonprofit and faith-based organizations work tirelessly to ensure our residents have access to nutritious and culturally appropriate food, especially during this national pandemic,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “Providing funding to help these organizations improve their infrastructure and increase their capacity to feed more residents is money well spent.”

Special consideration was given to organizations who formed partnerships to better serve the community and provide culturally diverse food access services. Despite funding limitations more than half of the applications were awarded full or partial funding. As the County’s food security response to the pandemic continues, it is anticipated that additional funds will be made available to further support initiatives that address the significant food security needs of our community.

“Food insecurity is currently being experienced by more residents in our community than ever before,” said County Council President Sidney Katz. “So many of our neighbors are feeling the instability caused by the health crisis in so many ways. It is incumbent upon us to provide culturally appropriate food to those in need and these funds will do just that. I want to thank all of the nonprofit and faith-based organizations who are forging partnerships to reach out to the communities hardest hit by the pandemic.”

Nonprofit organizations were eligible to apply for up to $85,000. The organizations receiving grants, ranging from $1,075 to $85,000, are:

• Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington, Inc.

• American Diversity Group

• Bethesda Cares

• Caribbean Help Center, Inc

• Chinese Culture and Community Service Center, Inc.

• Clifton Park Baptist Church

• Damascus HELP Inc.

• Guru Gobind Singh Foundation

• Indonesian American Association

• Islamic Center of Maryland

• Kingdom Fellowship African Methodist Episcopal Church

• Kings & Priests Court International Ministries Inc.

• Liberty Grove United Methodist Church

• Manna Food Center

• Meals on Wheels of Takoma Park and Silver Spring

• Montgomery County Muslim Foundation

• Nourish Now Inc

• Rainbow Community Development Center

• Shepherd's Table

• Small Things Matter

• So What Else, Inc.

• Southern Bethany Baptist Church

• Camillus Church Food Pantry

• The Living Legends Awards for Service to Humanity

• The Salvation Army

• Up 2 Us Foundation

• Vietnamese Americans Services, Inc.

• Women Who Care Ministries

DHHS, along with Montgomery County Public Schools, MCFC, and a network of over 110 local food assistance providers and community partners have been working during the COVID-19 pandemic to address the dramatically increased need for food assistance across the county. To address food insecurity and plan for a greater need, OEMHS created the Food Security Task Force, made up of County staff, community partners and food assistance recipients to create and implement a comprehensive and innovative Food Security Response Strategy.

Montgomery County Government recently partnered with The Community Foundation to launch the Food Security Fund to galvanize private sector and individual support of food access initiatives in the County in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Visit the Food Security Fund website to learn more and contribute. 

For the latest COVID-19 updates, visit the County’s COVID-19 website and follow Montgomery County on Facebook @MontgomeryCountyInfo and Twitter @MontgomeryCoMD.

Put the “count” in Montgomery County! Be sure to complete the Census online, by phone, or by mail. It’s safe, confidential, easy, and important. #2020Census #EveryoneCountsMCMD

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Release ID: 20-443
Media Contact: Mark Hodge 240-777-6507

Your Generosity Made a Difference

A lot has changed over these past five months. The one thing that has not changed is our shared commitment to support and strengthen our community.  

In times of crisis, The Community Foundation serves as our region’s philanthropic first responder. As our region faces a trifecta of crises that threatens our health, economic security, and racial justice, The Community Foundation has galvanized people and resources in response to these challenges and supported high-impact nonprofits serving our communities. With one-third of nonprofits in our region potentially closing or merging before the economy recovers – we knew this partnership was crucial.

On March 12, we launched the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to deploy critical resources to meet the urgent health and economic needs of this region. Our community responded with a strong statement about the power of generosity in the face of hardship and tragedy. 

You and a diverse group of businesses, foundations, individuals, and families stepped up to help us mobilize $8 million - with gifts ranging from $5 to $1 million - for coordinated relief and recovery efforts. Thank you for standing with us during our community’s time of need.

Caring for Our Neighbors in Need

These funds were quickly deployed to care for our neighbors directly impacted by the pandemic, and to provide aid to low-income families and communities of color who have been disproportionately affected due to pre-existing inequities exacerbated by this crisis. 

Our staff led working groups which reviewed more than 1,600 requests for funding totaling more than $60 million - a figure nearly seven times the amount raised to date. We were able to invest $7 million to support low-wage workers who have been laid off, expand access to medical care, equip frontline workers and clinics, address the digital divide, provide shelter and services to people experiencing homelessness, increase food access, and so much more.

Take Generation Hope for example, a nonprofit helping teen parents earn their college degrees while preparing their children for kindergarten. With support from our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, Generation Hope moved its services online, providing student parents with virtual education, career readiness programming, and mental health support. 

“Our families are among the hardest hit by COVID-19," said Nicole Lynn Lewis, Founder and CEO. "With this support, we've been able to really provide [our clients] with the critical services they need to weather this storm.” Hear more from Nicole in her two-minute COVID-19 Impact Story video. 

In It Together

We have witnessed some inspiring examples of our community coming together to meet this unprecedented moment with unprecedented generosity and creativity.

The Community Foundation was proud to team up with our donors and partners to advance educational equity for DC students, increase food security in Montgomery County, support small businesses in Prince George’s County, and help displaced workers earn an income by filling gaps in volunteer shifts at local nonprofits. These are just a few examples of the many ways in which our community has stepped up to meet this challenge. It is proof that we are all in this together!

Our newest initiative, the Arts Forward Fund, aims to help small and mid-sized arts and culture organizations make the shifts needed to successfully navigate this crisis and continue their essential role in our communities and lives. It is a collaborative partnership with The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, the Harman Family Foundation, the Weissberg Foundation, and many other individual and institutional contributors. 

Partnering for the Future

As we prepare for what comes next, our goal is not to go back to the way things were before, but to work together to build a more equitable future for our region. Your continued partnership and care for our community inspires hope for what we can accomplish together.  

This is the final message in our COVID-19 response series, and we are using this opportunity to give you an inside look at what your support has made possible. Click here to view our Interim COVID-19 Impact Report with stories from our coordinated regional response efforts. A more detailed impact report is in the works and will be released later this fall. 

Thank you for supporting our efforts to ensure our region comes out of this crisis stronger and more resilient. We are so grateful for your support and partnership.

Sincerely,
Tonia Wellons
President and CEO

Greater Washington Community Foundation and Cafritz Foundation Launch $1 million Arts Forward Fund

Grants Will Address Impact of COVID-19 on the DC Region’s Arts and Culture Sector

Recognizing the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on arts and culture organizations throughout the region, the Greater Washington Community Foundation has joined with The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation and eight other grantmakers to launch the Arts Forward Fund, a million-dollar initiative to provide critical support to help arts and culture organizations in the DC region to stabilize, adapt, and thrive despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The Arts Forward Fund will award grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 to help arts and culture organizations make the urgent changes needed to continue their work through the pandemic and beyond. The Arts Forward Fund also recognizes the need to address systemic inequities in arts and culture organizations and in our communities that have amplified the impact of the pandemic for Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color, and will prioritize support for organizations founded and led by people of color and organizations that primarily serve communities of color.

The Arts Forward Fund was launched in July with a lead grant of $500,000 from The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, with additional support from the Harman Family Foundation, Weissberg Foundation, Linowitz Family Fund, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, S & R Foundation, Diane & Norman Bernstein Foundation, Lois and Richard England Family Foundation, and Philip L. Graham Fund. The Fund will be housed at and administered by the Greater Washington Community Foundation.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has altered the programs and finances of the region’s nonprofit sector in ways that even the most forward-thinking organizations could not have anticipated,” says Cafritz Foundation President and CEO Calvin Cafritz. “In helping to launch the Arts Forward Fund, we want to ensure that arts and culture nonprofits continue to carry out their missions, serve their communities, and pursue new paths during this crisis. We are happy to work with the Greater Washington Community Foundation, the Harman Family and Weissberg foundations, and many of our colleagues, to help our local arts institutions continue their work and find opportunity in this moment.”

“The Greater Washington Community Foundation and our donors have a long history of investing across the arts ecosystem – from supporting anchor institutions to small theaters, visual arts programs, arts education, and individual artists. In order for our communities to truly thrive, we must continue to cultivate a broad-based arts sector where creativity can flourish and foster diverse and inclusive spaces for human connection and understanding,” says Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “We are proud to partner on the Arts Forward Fund to bring much needed relief to organizations that enrich our communities and touch our lives.”

According to a 2017 Americans for the Arts study (using 2015 data), the Greater Washington region’s arts and culture organizations contribute at least $3.75 billion in economic activity and nearly 60,000 jobs to the region’s economy on an annual basis.

Nationally, a white paper released in May by SMU DataArts estimated that the impact of COVID-19 on arts and culture organizations across the United States will be a net loss of $6.8 billion between February 2020 and March 2021—the equivalent of a 25 percent operating deficit for the average organization, even after significant reductions in expenses.

Interviews with dozens of small and mid-sized arts organizations in the DC region by the Cafritz Foundation in May found groups struggling with the financial and programmatic impact of shuttered facilities and the cancellation of performances and in-person fundraising events. More than a third had already laid off staff, with more layoffs anticipated as federal Payroll Protection Program funds run out.

All the organizations interviewed reported challenges with making the transition to online and digital programming. These challenges included production limitations that impact the artistic quality of online offerings, contractual and intellectual property barriers, and barriers to online participation as a result of inequitable access to the internet and technology -- particularly among youth-serving organizations. Generating revenue from online content is especially challenging.

Arts Forward Fund aims to help organizations address these challenges by providing grants to support short-term capacity-building, training, and innovation. Arts and culture organizations with annual revenue of less than $10 million in their most recently completed fiscal year are eligible to apply, provided they serve the District of Columbia, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland, and Arlington and Fairfax counties and the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, and Fairfax in Virginia. More details and the call for applications are available here.

Funders and individual donors interested in joining Arts Forward Fund should contact Rick Moyers.

Announcing the 2020 Bradt Nonprofit Leadership Awardees

David Bradt is a quietly effective leader for, and champion of, the Greater Washington region.  In addition to serving as a Managing Director of Andersen Tax, he served as Chair and Member of the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s Board, Chairman and Board member of Greater DC Cares, member of the Board of Venture Philanthropy Partners, and as a volunteer and fundraising dinner chair for Share Our Strength.

 A few years ago, Alex Orfinger, Market President and Publisher at Washington Business Journal, wanted to find a meaningful way to salute David’s many years of service to our local community. He teamed up with David’s wife, Diane Tipton, and together they invited friends and family to join them in establishing the David Bradt Nonprofit Education Fund at the Greater Washington Community Foundation. Their vision was to provide an annual award to enable a nonprofit leader in the Greater Washington region to attend an intensive executive training program. 

On July 28, The Community Foundation and the Award Steering Committee announced the third cohort of awardees: Paula Fitzgerald, Shannon Steene, and Tyler Spencer.  Donors, friends, and colleagues tuned in to applaud them during the award reception which featured an interactive discussion.

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Meet our Awardees

Shannon Steene is the Executive Director of Carpenters Shelter which supports Virginia residents struggling with homelessness to achieve independence by providing shelter, guidance, education, and advocacy. In addition to leading the organization through a successful capital campaign, Shannon has been applauded for his creative approach in resolving needs for securing additional housing spaces due to major shelter renovations and COVID-19. 

When asked about how his leadership has changed during the pandemic, Shannon reflected, “If we were on a game show, this would be called the speed round. The leadership required [during COVID-19] has been faster and the rules have been changing much more rapidly. A few things have remained constant for us: the safety of our residents, volunteers, and staff and that shutting down, even temporarily, was not an option. But otherwise, every element of what we know has been shifting.”

Paula Fitzgerald is the Executive Director of Ayuda which provides legal, social, and language services to help vulnerable immigrants in the DMV region navigate immigration and justice systems and access support and justice. Since becoming Executive Director, Paula has provided strategic direction in growing the organization’s budget, collaborating more intentionally with other local nonprofits, and ultimately increasing Ayuda’s capacity to serve the community. 

Paula reflected that adapting Ayuda’s services during the pandemic “has required a lot of flexibility and I’ve been surprised by all we’ve been able to accomplish remotely. I feel really proud of our teams for making that shift and really maintaining the quality of services we provide.”

Tyler Spencer is the Executive Director of The Grassroot Project. Since founding the organization 11 years ago, Tyler has grown The Grassroot Project from a small school-based HIV prevention program into a city-wide comprehensive adolescent health program. He has led his team of staff and volunteers through tremendous growth in recent years, now serving many schools throughout DC.  

In our discussion, he shared his organization’s challenges at the onset of COVID-19: “It is such an uncertain environment and it is so important as a leader to bring some sense of certainty to the situation. I think the thing that has been very certain is our kids need us now more than ever, even though we have not been in this digital space before. We’ve been thinking about the role we can play: Do we just try to shrink and survive this storm or is this our time to really push a culture of health and prevention in a time when it is most needed?”

Tonia Wellons, President & CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, notes, “We are delighted to house and support the Fund’s mission of making an impact in our region by investing in outstanding nonprofit leaders.  Thank you to David for inspiring the award, and to Diane and Alex for dreaming up a such a wonderful way to honor him.  Finally, congratulations to the 2020 awardees!  We are grateful for all you have done and will continue to do to strengthen our region.” 

Quarterly Community Update

Dear Community Foundation Fundholders,

I hope you and your family are safe and well. The past several months have been exceptionally challenging for our region—but the outpouring of support from our community continues to inspire me. Since the start of this crisis, our community has come together to commit nearly $8 million in support to help our neighbors in need—an incredible effort that would not be possible without the generosity and compassion of so many. Thank you for standing with us to support and strengthen our community.

At The Community Foundation, we remain focused on supporting our community’s evolving health and economic needs through the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. Last quarter, our work coordinating the region’s philanthropic response to this crisis included:

• Reviewing over 1,300 proposals from nonprofits and small businesses requesting over $60 million in funding, and making investments totaling $6.7 million in local nonprofits working on the frontlines of our region’s COVID-19 response efforts.

• Launching Get Shift Done DMV with Washington Nationals Philanthropies to help displaced hospitality workers earn an income while assisting local nonprofits with preparing meals/packaged food for families in need. So far, over 300 workers have clocked 8,452 cumulative hours to address food insecurity in our region.

• Partnering with Events DC and the Executive Office of the Mayor to administer the $5 million DC Cares Program, providing emergency cash assistance to help DC workers excluded from federal stimulus efforts.

• Partnering with the Montgomery County Council to launch the Montgomery County Food Security Fund to engage the public and private sectors around increasing food access and security for county residents struggling to feed their families.

• Preparing to launch a $1 million small business grants program in Prince George’s County.

The global pandemic has exacerbated many pre-existing inequities and had a disproportionate impact on low-income workers, immigrants, and communities of color. As we prepare for what’s next, we are committed to advancing racial justice and building a more equitable future for our region by using our voice, influence, programs, and initiatives to help end racial disparities. Our goal is not to go back to the way things were before, but to work together to build a new normal and a more equitable future for our region. You can read about our vision in an opinion piece that I co-authored for the Washington Post.

One of the ways we are examining the possibilities is through our VoicesDMV community engagement initiative. In June, we released the findings from our Community Insights survey and launched a series of Social Justice Town Hall conversations that will run throughout the summer. In the fall, we plan to bring neighbors together for virtual community conversations and then fund microgrants to help transform ideas sparked during these conversations into action. You can learn more about VoicesDMV and read the report at VoicesDMV.org.

Finally, the changes and uncertainty brought on by COVID-19 have encouraged us to find more efficient ways to serve our donors and nonprofit partners. We have set up a bank lockbox collection system to ensure faster and more secure processing of your gifts made by check. You can now mail checks directly to PO Box 49010, Baltimore, MD 21297-4910. Our office address has not changed - this PO Box is only for mailing gifts made via check.

Thank you for your continued partnership in serving our community’s needs today, and in building a better tomorrow for the Greater Washington region. 

Sincerely,
Tonia Wellons
President and CEO

The Partnership to End Homelessness Welcomes New Leadership Council Members

The Partnership to End Homelessness is proud to announce the members of its Leadership Council, including leaders in business, health care, philanthropy, and academia; national experts; developers; and advocates for affordable housing and ending homelessness—all committed to ending homelessness in Washington, DC.

The Partnership, launched by the Greater Washington Community Foundation and the DC Interagency Council on Homelessness, is the District’s first-of-its-kind initiative to bring together the public and private sectors to expand DC’s supply of deeply affordable housing and to help people experiencing homelessness obtain and maintain stable housing.

“Homelessness is too big a problem for government alone to solve,” said Leadership Council Chair David Roodberg, CEO and President of Horning Brothers. “As a real estate developer, I’m committed to expanding housing opportunities for people who’ve experienced homelessness, but everyone in the business community has a role to play. This is an issue that affects all of us in one way or another and it is our responsibility together as a community to ensure everyone has a safe, stable home.”

On any given night, nearly 1 in every 100 DC residents experience homelessness, living on the streets or in the city's emergency shelters. Lack of stable housing makes it difficult for people to obtain or maintain employment, address health needs, and keep families together. 

Homelessness and the lack of affordable housing is a systemic challenge, and the Partnership approaches this challenge by aligning public and private sector resources to create systems level changes that allow people to be housed more quickly and to maintain housing stability. 

Homelessness is also an issue of racial justice—86 percent of people experiencing homelessness in DC are Black, compared to 46 percent of DC residents as a whole. We are committed to approaching this work with a focus on how we can address these disparities and make sure that everyone can access safe, stable housing. 

“Homelessness is projected to increase as much as 45% this year due to COVID-19. In DC, we urgently need to increase affordable housing in every ward of the city,” said Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Community Washington Foundation. “The members of our new Leadership Council bring diversity, wisdom, experience, and commitment to ending homelessness in DC. With their support and dedication, the Partnership will work to advance proven solutions to ensure all DC residents have a safe and stable place to call home.”

 The Partnership’s Leadership Council will meet quarterly to advance the Partnership’s work to engage the private sector more deeply in combating homelessness.

The Partnership’s Leadership Council members include:

• Waldon Adams, Consumer Representative

• Neil Albert, DowntownDC BID

• Amanda Andere, Funders Together to End Homelessness

• Natalie Avery, DC BID Council

• Robert Burns, Citi

• David Daniels, Bainum Family Foundation

• Madi Ford, MidCity Developers

• George Leventhal, Kaiser Permanente

• Debbi Jarvis, Howard University 

• Bruce Jones, Howard University

• Nan Roman, National Alliance to End Homelessness

• David Roodberg, Horning Brothers

• Mike Schwartz, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

Partners include:

• David Bowers, Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.

• Kristy Greenwalt, DC Interagency Council on Homelessness

To date, the Partnership has raised and committed nearly $10 million from partners including the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, Bainum Family Foundation, Diane & Norman Bernstein Foundation, The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, and MidCity Developers, along with gifts from individual donors. This includes more than $2 million in support for the Grantmaking Fund to support nonprofits working with individuals, youth, and families experiencing homelessness. Learn more about our grantee partners through our grants announcement and on endhomelessnessdc.org

The Partnership has also secured $7.9 million in investments for increasing affordable housing in our region through the Enterprise Community Impact Note offered by Enterprise Community Loan Fund, Inc. The Greater Washington Community Foundation is proud to have committed $5 million from its own combined investment fund to this program-related investment.

Community Foundation Invests $6.7 Million in Local Relief and Recovery Efforts

The COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, a coordinated fund established by the Greater Washington Community Foundation, has issued new investments of $2.8 million as part of phase two of rapid response grantmaking. To date, the Fund has made total investments of $6.7 million in 192 nonprofits helping local residents adversely affected by the coronavirus public health and economic crisis.

These general operating grants — ranging in size from $10,000 to $50,000 — are intended to help vital nonprofits across the region to fulfill their missions and expand critical services during a time of unprecedented need. Flexible support is crucial for stability as our nonprofit partners work to shift operations online, purchase essential supplies and equipment, cover staff salaries and hazard pay, and pursue ways to offset lost revenue and volunteer resources.

Since launching the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund on March 13, The Community Foundation has mobilized more than $8 million from 700+ contributors, including corporate partners, foundations, and individual donors (with individual contributions ranging in size from $10 - $100,000).

In times of crisis, The Community Foundation is the region’s philanthropic first responder, bringing people and resources together to address community needs. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, The Community Foundation is convening weekly meetings with local philanthropic leaders, donors, and government advisors to raise funds, discuss needs and priorities, and guide strategic investments.

The Fund has received more than 1,340 requests from nonprofits seeking approximately $60 million in funding, which is more than seven times the amount of dollars raised. For phase 2 of grantmaking, priority was given to nonprofits with deep roots in the community and a demonstrated ability to address urgent needs and reach historically underserved populations. Phase 2 also included funding for advocacy and community organizing projects focused on improving systems for food security, violence prevention, medical care access, affordable housing, childcare, and more.

Phase 2 investments include:

Workforce and Small Business

To support individuals through direct cash assistance, including hourly and gig economy workers, contractors, and immigrant workers excluded from federal stimulus; and to support advocacy and community organizing efforts focused on policies affecting workers impacted by COVID-19, such as entry level workers and excluded workers in retail, food service, and hospitality.

• Academy of Hope

• Center for Nonprofit Advancement

• Congregation Action Network

• DC Bar Pro Bono Center

• DC Jobs with Justice

• District Bridges

• Future Harvest

• Nonprofit Village Center

• People for Change Coalition

• Per Scholas

• Samaritan Ministry

• Sunflower Bakery

• The Training Source

• Unite Here

• Upwardly Global

• Urban Ed

Education and Youth

To bridge the digital divide and expand resources for youth disconnected from school or work and students transitioning from middle to high school.

• Advocates for Children and Youth

• The Alliance of Concerned Men

• Best Kids

• City Gate

• Covenant House

• Community Bridges, Inc.

• Community Support Services, Inc.

• Crittenton Services of Greater Washington

• The District of Columbia Association for the Education of Young Children

• DC Fiscal Policy Institute & DC Action for Children

• Family Services, Inc.Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop

• Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection

• KID Museum

• Latino Student Fund

• Nonprofit Montgomery (MMF)

• Reach Education Inc

• Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (MD Women's Business Center)

• Total Family Care Coalition

• The Young Women's Project

Medical Care and Access

To support the purchase of PPE and other equipment for frontline workers, expand medical care for marginalized communities, increase access to mental health support services, and pursue advocacy addressing local health issues.

• Abraham and Laura Lisner Home for Aged Women

• Access to Wholistic and Productive Living Inc.

• Breast Care for Washington

• Care for Your Health, Inc.

• Community of Hope

• Cornerstone Montgomery, Inc.

• HIPS

• Joseph's House

• La Clinica del Pueblo

• SOME, Inc.

• Volunteers of America Chesapeake Inc

• Wendt Center for Loss and Healing

Housing and Homelessness

To support advocacy and community organizing around universal testing in shelters, rent relief and assistance, housing for returning citizens, and increased funding for homeless services; as well as direct services to protect individuals, families, and youth experiencing homelessness and to prevent community spread.

• Bethesda Cares

• Central American Resource Center

• Central Union Mission

• The Church of the Epiphany

• Community Development Network of Maryland

• Empower DC

• FAIR Girls, Inc.

• Hearts and Homes for Youth

• Mary House

• Mi Casa Inc

• Miriam's Kitchen

• National Coalition for the Homeless

• The National Reentry Network for Returning Citizens

• ONE DC - Organizing Neighborhood Equity

• The Platform of Hope

• Rainbow Place Shelter for Homeless Women

• St. Ann's Center for Children, Youth and Families

• University Legal Services

• Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless

Food Security, Legal Services, and Domestic and Community Violence

To provide critical infrastructure and coordination support and emergency food assistance; to address the uptick in domestic and other forms of violence; and support the civil legal aid needs of individuals and families.

• Bread for the City

• Capital Area Food Bank

• Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition

• Community Family Life Services

• Community Support Systems, Inc.

• Community United Methodist Church

• DC Affordable Law Firm

• DC Volunteer Lawyers Project

• District of Columbia Center for Law and Justice

• District of Columbia Forensic Nurse Examiners

• Dreaming Out Loud

• Fair Budget Coalition

• FRESHFARM Markets, Inc.

• Germantown Cultural Arts Center/ BlackRock Center for the Arts

• Greater Mount Nebo A.M.E Church

• Greater Riverdale Cares/Central Kenilworth Avenue Revitalization Community Development Corporation

• Homeless Persons Representation Project

• JCADA

• Jews United for Justice

• Kings & Priests Court International Ministries

• Life After Release

• Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations

• Maryland Center on Economic Policy

• Montgomery County Food Council

• Mutual Aid Movement

• Rising for Justice, Inc.

• Shepherd's Table

• St Camillus Church Food Pantry

• The Safe Sisters Circle

• Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs

A generous contribution from PepsiCo, Inc. and its philanthropic arm, The PepsiCo Foundation, allowed for additional investments to aid Black and Latino communities by providing food, cash assistance, medical care and support for small female-led businesses. Recipients include:

• African Communities Together to provide emergency cash support for the African immigrant diaspora in the Greater Washington region.

• Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative to provide emergency support for children and families in Wards 7 and 8.

• Identity, Inc. to provide emergency cash assistance to low-income families in Montgomery County.

• Impact Silver Spring to provide emergency cash assistance for undocumented workers.

• Jubilee Jobs to provide an emergency cash assistance program for returning citizens.

• La Cocina Virginia to provide support for low-income, immigrant, mostly food-focused female-led small businesses.

• THRIVE East of the River Partnership to support 500 families in Wards 7 and 8 with emergency assistance.

• Voices for a Second Chance to provide support for incarcerated individuals and their families.

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A full list of the organizations receiving assistance through the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund is here

Anyone interested in contributing to this collective effort can make a tax-deductible gift here.