Arts Forward Fund Announces $1.7 Million in Grants to 89 Local Arts Groups Impacted by COVID-19

 
Arts Forward Fund.png
 

Arts Forward Fund, a partnership between the Greater Washington Community Foundation, The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, and 10 other foundations and individual donors, is proud to announce new grants totaling nearly $1.7 million to 89 arts and culture organizations in the DC region.

These grants will help organizations address the challenges of reopening and recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 60 percent of grants and grant funding will go to organizations that are led by Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) and predominantly BIPOC-serving. Based on feedback from a community advisory committee and last year’s applicants, these grants will support general operations rather than specific projects. Grant recipients include six theaters, nine dance schools and dance companies, five film and music festivals and more than 20 youth-serving organizations across DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

In response to a call for applications released in early July 2021, Arts Forward Fund received 131 applications totaling nearly $2.7 million. Thanks to a generous gift of $1 million from billionaire Mackenzie Scott and her husband Dan Jewett, Arts Forward Fund was able to support more than two-thirds of 2021 applicants and award more than 60% of total funds requested.

“Our region’s arts and culture organizations will take years to recover from the impact of this pandemic,” says Calvin Cafritz, President and CEO of The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, which made a lead grant of $500,000 to establish Arts Forward Fund in 2020 and contributed an additional $400,000 in 2021. “As the region’s leading funder of arts and culture organizations, The Cafritz Foundation is honored to join so many of our funding colleagues in this remarkable collective effort to help our local cultural organizations reopen and thrive.”

“Through some of the darkest days of this crisis, many of our region’s arts and cultural organizations found innovative ways to inspire, uplift, and support our community. As we continue to recover from this crisis and adjust to a new normal, it is important to acknowledge that arts groups were disproportionately impacted and that recovery will take time and require sustained investment,” says Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “We are proud to be part of this equity-focused funder collaborative investing in the stability of our region’s arts sector to contribute to the vitality of our region.”

Following is a list of Arts Forward Fund grant recipients. All grants support general operations.

1st Stage Theater

826DC

Actor's Center

Adventure Theatre

American Poetry Museum

American Youth Philharmonic

Anacostia Playhouse

Arlington Arts Center

Art Enables

Art of Noize

Art Works Now

Artivate

Arts Fairfax

Arts on the Block

ArtStream

Asian Pacific American Film

Atlas Performing Arts Center

Black Artists Of DC

BlackRock Center for the Arts

Capital Fringe

CapitalBop

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop

Capitol Hill Jazz Foundation

GB Youth Media

Church of the Epiphany

Ciesla Foundation

CityDance Viva School of Dance

Coalition For African Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA)

Critical Exposure

D.C. Creative Writing Workshop

Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company

Dance Institute of Washington

Dancemakers

Dance Place

DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative

DC Independent Film Festival

DC Jazz Festival

DC Palestinian Film & Arts Festival

DC Youth Orchestra Program

Docs in Progress

East of the River Boys & Girls Steel Band

Educarte

Encore Stage & Studio

Foundation for the Advancement of Music and Education

Friends Of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

Gala Hispanic Theatre

Girls Rock DC

Greater Reston Arts Center

Heritage Signature Chorale

IN Series

Inlight Magazine

Joe's Movement Emporium

Kalanidhi Dance

Life Pieces to Masterpieces

Live It Learn It

McLean Project for the Arts

Music for Life

New Orchestra of Washington

Northeast Performing Arts Group

One Common Unity

Oyé Palaver Hut

Pan American Symphony Orchestra

PEN Faulkner

Prince George's Arts and Humanities Council

Princess Mhoon Dance Institute

Project Create

Pyramid Atlantic

Ragbaby Exchange

Sandy Spring Museum

Shout Mouse Press

Sitar Arts Center

Smith Center for Healing and the Arts

Sole Defined

Split This Rock

Step Afrika!

The Essential Theatre

The MusicianShip

Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts

Transformer

UrbanArias

Washington Area Lawyers For the Arts

Washington Bach Consort

Washington Chorus

Washington DC International Film Festival

Washington Project For the Arts

Words Beats And Life

Young Artists of America

Young Playwrights Theater

Zora Neale Hurston Richard Wright Foundation

About Arts Forward Fund

Launched in July 2020 with lead grants from The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, the Harman Family Foundation, the Weissberg Foundation, and and more than a dozen other funders, Arts Forward Fund is an equity-focused funder collaborative housed at and administered by the Greater Washington Community Foundation. Additional supporters in 2021 include Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Diane & Norman Bernstein Foundation, Lois and Richard England Family Foundation, Linowitz Family Fund, Nancy Peery Marriott Foundation, Robin B. Martin Family Foundation, Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation, and other individual contributors.

Senior Nonprofit Leader Joins Our Prince George's County Team

We are thrilled to welcome Darcelle Wilson as our new Senior Director for Prince George’s County.

darcelle.jpg

Darcelle brings deep expertise in fundraising and community engagement. Darcelle has worked with some of the leading nonprofit organizations in our region including Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, and University of Maryland. She’s helped raise millions of dollars to address community needs, and we couldn’t be more excited that she has joined our team.

As the new Senior Director in Prince George’s County, Darcelle will work with donors to explore opportunities for achieving their philanthropic goals and facilitating their commitment on critical community issues affecting county residents. She will also prioritize developing and deepening relationships with community leaders and organizations throughout the county.

This leadership change in Prince George’s County is occurring because our beloved colleague Amina Anderson is leaving The Community Foundation after 14 years to spend more time with family and friends and work on special projects.

Our President and CEO Tonia Wellons shared, “Amina’s contributions to the Greater Washington Community Foundation have been numerous. She started as a program lead in Prince George’s County, then shifted to working with and understanding the priorities of our DC-based fundholders, before returning to Prince George’s County two years ago and elevating our presence there. Amina moves seamlessly with a keen thoughtfulness and quiet power that is incredibly valued and will be sorely missed.”

Please join us in welcoming Darcelle Wilson and wishing Amina Anderson all the best on her new adventures!

Our 2020 - 2021 Year in Review

Over the past 18 months, we have all been impacted in some way by COVID-19. Although our experiences may be different, our community came together -– as neighbors helping neighbors -– to support each other through this crisis.

Since March 2020, we have mobilized over $40 million in community support to help our neighbors facing hardship. Thanks to the incredible donors, nonprofit partners, and community leaders who stepped up to meet this challenge, our collective response demonstrated the power of what our community can accomplish by coming together. 

Our Annual Report features the impact that The Community Foundation, our donors, and partners have had on this region from April 2020 – March 2021, and beyond.

cover.jpg

Read our Annual Report

Deepening Our Impact: 8 Highlights from the Past Year

Along with the release of our annual report, we’re celebrating our most impactful stories from the past year--from helping launch the Black Voices for Black Justice DMV Fellowship, continuing our work to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, to advancing housing justice in partnership with Flock DC’s birdSEED Fund. Read on for stories of meaningful collaboration and coordination that helped make a difference in our community. 

Uniting for Change

We believe true change rises from strong alliances. We’re proud to share stories about how our community partnerships have helped make a difference.

 
reginaldBlack.jpg

Introducing the Black Voices for Black Justice DMV Fellows

Launched last fall (2020) in partnership with the DC-based nonprofit GOODProjects, and with seed funding from Bridge Alliance Education Fund, the Black Voices for Black Justice DMV Fellowship supports activists, organizers, and leaders who are on the front lines of advancing social justice and racial equity. Each Fellow received a $30,000 grant to support their racial justice work in our region, and beyond. Meet these inspiring change-makers, and learn what fuels their fight for justice.

 

DC Cares Program: $5M Undocumented Workers Relief Package

Thousands of immigrants in Greater Washington were excluded from federal stimulus efforts due to their documentation status. Together with our partners at Events DC and the Executive Office of the Mayor, we launched the DC Cares Program in summer 2020, disbursing a total of $5 million in direct cash assistance to excluded workers experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19. In January 2021, we launched Phase II of the program, providing over $8 million in relief funding.

 
Dance Institute of Washington.jpg

$1 Million Arts Forward Fund

In partnership with the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation and eight other funders, we launched Arts Forward Fund to provide critical support to local arts and culture organizations impacted by COVID-19. In October 2020, we awarded over $1 million in grants to 43 arts organizations. Currently, we’re reviewing a second round of proposals, supported by a generous $1 million gift from MacKenzie Scott.

Investing for Impact 

Learn about some of our most impactful investments this year.

 
JD Clark 4.jpg

Legacy Fund for Small Business Development

Seeded with a $1 million gift from a generous donor, the Legacy Fund for Small Business Development provides critically needed access to capital for small businesses in Prince George’s County. It’s part of our work in Prince George’s County’s to advance equity and economic mobility by eliminating social and economic disparities in the County. In November, we awarded relief funding to 173 small businesses in Prince George’s County to help minimize business closures and retain 650 jobs.

“Ninety-five percent of all businesses in [Prince George’s County] are small businesses and they contribute nearly half of all jobs in the county. Through the Legacy Fund, we hope to preserve the small business infrastructure, ensure job retention, drive economic development, and enable the transfer of wealth from one generation to the next, leaving a lasting legacy for families and Prince George’s County.” --Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation.

 
Screen Shot 2020-12-15 at 2.21.29 PM.png

Fund for Children, Youth, and Families Awards $1.99 Million

At the end of last year, the Fund for Children, Youth, and Families (FFCYF)awarded nearly $2 million in grants to 49 nonprofits serving disadvantaged children, youth, and families. Local WDVM covered the announcement, highlighting the investment’s focus on closing the achievement gap, supporting children in foster care, and helping families experiencing homelessness.

Jana-Lynn Louis, Community Foundation program officer for FFCYF, said:  “It’s all about supporting where our region needs help the most and trying to fill in those gaps that often fall by the wayside.”

Community Connections

Oftentimes, it's our staff and partners who say it best. These guest posts highlight different voices and perspectives in our community on the issues that matter most.

 
wash+post+article.jpg

How to reconstruct an equitable future for our region

How can we reconstruct an equitable future for our region coming out of the COVID-19 crisis? In an opinion piece for the Washington Post, our CEO Tonia Wellons and Ursula Wright explore a new framework to respond to emerging needs, re-engage our community, and reconstruct and shape a new normal for this region.

 
Laura-Flock+DC.jpg

Flock DC: Down payment Grants for a more just future

BirdSEED Fund, launched in partnership with local real estate firm Flock DC, helps advance housing justice by providing down payment grants for first-time Black and Brown home buyers. In her guest-authored blog, Flock DC founder and CEO Lisa Wise shares her passion for justice and why she believes it’s crucial we work together to reimagine a more equitable future.

 
IMG_0629.jpg

Food for Montgomery: A Community-Wide Response to the Rise in Hunger

As our community’s need for food skyrocketed during 2020, our Montgomery County leaders, community stakeholders, and The Community Foundation teamed up to create Food for Montgomery. Anna Hargrave, Executive Director for Montgomery County, shares how this remarkable public-private partnership is helping prevent food insecurity in the County, and ensure no residents go hungry.

Hungry for other Community Foundation impact stories? Check out ‘A Year of Impact: Our Top 10 Stories of 2020,’ published as an annual wrap-up last December. 

Quarterly Community Update

Dear Community Foundation Fundholders,

I hope you and your family are enjoying a safe and happy summer break!

Last quarter, thanks to the continued generosity and care of our community of givers, we collectively awarded nearly $24 million in grants to nonprofits working to strengthen our region and beyond.

At The Community Foundation, we remain focused on supporting our community through the COVID-19 crisis and ensuring an equitable recovery now and for the future. Last quarter, our work leading the region’s coordinated philanthropic response effort included:

As we are wrapping up our strategic planning process and preparing to release our new strategic vision to the community, we are also updating some of our policies and procedures to ensure greater alignment and clear purpose. As a social justice organization with a mission to build equitable and thriving communities for all, we have adopted an anti-hate group policy that is consistent with how our peers are prohibiting funding to organizations designated as hate groups. We have also updated and clarified our policies and procedures for funds that participate in fundraising to better support your efforts to mobilize resources for the causes that matter most to you. 

In the fall, we look forward to sharing with you our new 10-year strategic plan with the goal of increasing our impact on this community now and long into the future. This moment in time demands that we leverage our leadership capacity and ability to mobilize resources to ensure an equitable recovery and a brighter future for our region.

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

Introducing Our New Advisory Board Members

The Greater Washington Community Foundation welcomes Anna Behnam, Christopher J. Martin, and Ana Morales to its Montgomery County Advisory Board, and Glenda Wilson to its Prince George’s County Advisory Board. 

These individuals join a diverse group of passionate and dedicated advisory board members. They, along with their colleagues, are responsible for advising The Community Foundation on the challenges and opportunities specific to their respective counties, and sharing their knowledge on issues of community leadership for greater impact.

Meet our Newest Montgomery County Advisory Board Members

image001.png

Anna Behnam
Behnam & Associates

Anna has worked 22 years in the financial advisory business and is the managing director and active financial advisor with Behnam & Associates. Anna is an active member of The Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce. She has co-chaired committees such as the Chamber’s annual gala, The Big Event and is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors. Anna is also a member of the Chamber’s Elite Forum Club. In addition to the BCC Chamber, she has served on the board of Coral Reef CPR and Dast2Dast.

Anna graduated from George Mason University with a B.S. in Accounting and a B.A. in Biology. She also has a Certificate in Financial Planning from Georgetown University. Anna lives in Bethesda with her husband, and two children. Her family puts great emphasis on charitable actions and giving back to the community. In her spare time, Anna enjoys photography, painting and reading.

Christopher J. Martin
C. J. Martin Law Group

Christopher J. Martin is a seasoned attorney, experienced in helping individuals, families and small business owners with their legacy planning needs. Chris works closely with his clients to create and implement plans to benefit their families and communities through various methods including both lifetime gifting and postmortem wealth transfers. In addition to his work with individual clients, Chris regularly speaks to both public and private organizations and has contributed to numerous publications including articles for the National Business Institute and The Business Monthly.

Formerly, Chris worked for a boutique estate planning firm in Montgomery County, Maryland, overseeing a variety of estate planning and probate matters and managed a solo estate planning practice. Chris also had the pleasure of serving as a law clerk for the Honorable Sheila R. Tillerson Adams, Chief Administrative Judge for the 7th Circuit of Maryland.

Chris earned his law degree from Howard University School of Law, and his undergraduate degree from Saint Louis University, from which he graduated magna cum laude and was on the Dean’s List.

Ana Morales
United Bank

Ana is Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Commercial Services at United Bank. Her Team is responsible for driving commercial deposit growth throughout United Bank’s footprint, which comprises of 223 offices across Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. Ana has been in the financial industry for 22 years and has worked in various areas of banking, including International Banking, Private Banking, Retail Management and Treasury Sales.

Ana serves on the Board of Directors for NAMI-MC (National Alliance on Mental Illness – Montgomery County) and the Catholic Business Network of Montgomery County. She collaborates with Catholic Charities’ Financial Stability Network to organize financial literacy workshops in Spanish, and volunteers as a financial mentor. Ana previously served on the Board of Cornerstone Montgomery and Liberty’s Promise. She also served on the Business Engagement Committee for Imagination Stage.

Ana was born in Guatemala and moved to Montgomery County with her parents and 3 sisters when she was 9 years old. She lives in Kensington with her husband, daughter, and English Bulldog.

“Anna, Chris, and Ana share our commitment toward building thriving communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive,” says Anna Hargrave, Executive Director for Montgomery County at The Community Foundation. “We are thrilled they will bring their knowledge, creative thinking, and community leadership experience to the Advisory Board as we seek to help our community rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic and build a stronger, more equitable Montgomery County for the future.”

Meet our Newest Prince George’s County Advisory Board Member

Glenda Moore Wilson
Vice President, LEARN Foundation

Ms. Glenda Moore Wilson has been in service to Prince George’s County for over three decades.  She was appointed Chief of Staff, in 2011, by Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III.  She guided and facilitated the implementation of the Baker Administration’s vision and mission in the core areas of economic development, public safety, education, and healthcare. Ms. Wilson was a pivotal team member in the development of the unprecedented Prince George’s and MGM Community Benefit Agreement associated with the $1.2 billion MGM National Harbor Casino Project.  

Previously, Ms. Wilson served as Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff during the administration of Wayne K. Curry, the County’s first African American elected County Executive. During that eight-year tenure, she played a critical role in Mr. Curry’s transformative accomplishments that turned Prince George’s County into a regional economic hub.  

Ms. Wilson is actively engaged in the county, but she has an unparalleled dedication to the LEARN Foundation, established during the Curry Administration as part of the Redskins Stadium project to relocate the team to Prince George’s County. The LEARN Foundation awards scholarships to youth in the stadium impact zone and grants to nonprofit organizations serving the impact area.

Ms. Wilson is a graduate of South Carolina State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She is the recipient of numerous awards and a member of Leadership Greater Washington.

“Glenda shares our deep commitment to improving the quality of life for Prince George’s County residents. Her work very much aligns with our goals to increase philanthropy and ensure equity and economic mobility,” says Amina Anderson, senior director for Prince George’s County at The Community Foundation. “We are grateful that she continues to serve the county in a myriad of ways and honored that she has chosen to work with The Community Foundation. We look forward to partnering with Glenda to ensure that each and every Prince Georgian has an opportunity to achieve their full potential.”

A Community Transformed: The Visionary Leadership of Milton V. Peterson

The Greater Washington Community Foundation is deeply saddened by the passing of Milton (Milt) V. Peterson, founder of the local real estate development firm Peterson Companies.  He was a business leader who never lost sight of the need to give back and support our communities and people in need. While Milt Peterson may be best known for his vision and the creation of National Harbor, we will remember him for his caring spirit, generosity, and deep commitment to Prince George’s County and the region. 

Peterson Companies joined The Community Foundation family of donors in 2007, establishing the National Harbor Community Outreach Grant Fund to support community, civic, religious, educational, and recreational organizations serving the residents of Prince George’s County, Maryland. Thanks to Peterson Companies, we were able to support the work of 128 nonprofit organizations working to increase economic security in the areas of education, workforce development, and safety net services in Prince George’s County.  

Peterson Companies has continued to support and partner with The Community Foundation, most notably through our Civic Leadership Awards, which recognizes, honors, and promotes outstanding community leadership in Prince George's County. The Peterson Family Foundation also recently supported our Food for Montgomery Fund to improve food security in Montgomery County and our Neighbors in Need and Equity Funds to help Prince George’s County residents facing economic hardship. 

 “The Community Foundation could not be more proud of our long-standing partnership with Peterson Companies. The National Harbor Community Outreach Grant Fund, and more, is a testament to Milt Peterson’s vision of what our region could truly be. His generosity has contributed greatly to our mission to build thriving communities,” said Tonia Wellons, President and CEO. 

We send our heartfelt condolences to the Peterson family and all those touched by Milt’s work, civic engagement, and philanthropy. Milt Peterson has forever transformed our community, and helped improve the lives of countless residents throughout the Greater Washington region. He will be sorely missed, but has left an enduring legacy. 

The memorial service for Milt Peterson will be live streamed on Wednesday, June 9 at 1 p.m. ET. Click here to watch the service.

Apply Today For The 2021 LEARN Scholarship

The Landover Educational Athletic Recreational Nonprofit (LEARN) was established in 1996 to support education programs for Prince George's County youth residing in the vicinity of FedEx Field stadium. Since its inception, the LEARN Foundation has awarded close to $1 million in scholarships and grants to Prince George’s County students and community organizations.  Embedded in the foundation’s mission is the belief that the future is now, and that through partnerships and collaboration young people residing in the targeted areas can benefit through post-secondary education opportunities. 

In 2002, the LEARN Foundation became a component fund of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. Since that time, hundreds of students have benefited from scholarship awards toward college and other career preparation opportunities.The fund is now accepting applications for 2020 awards. Interested high school seniors must apply by Saturday, April 24, 2021.

For more information please contact The LEARN Foundation at [email protected].

Celebration of Community Champions

Invite Card_20th_F.png

On Thursday, May 20 at 6 p.m., join us for an hour of inspiration and celebration of our collective efforts and impact. As a champion for your community, we want to uplift you and the everyday heroes - including the donors, nonprofit partners, corporate supporters, and local government advisors - who stepped up to help our community navigate this crisis.

This virtual Celebration will share the incredible stories of neighbors helping neighbors that have continued to inspire us. You will also enjoy special performances from local artists and arts organizations, supported by the Arts Forward Fund, representing a range of creative expression including music, theater, visual arts, and dance.

Save the date for May 20 to recognize and honor our community of changemakers.

Registration opens in early April and is free to our community (though donations are appreciated!).

Equity Fund Awards $440,000 to Address Critical Needs in Prince George’s County

The Greater Washington Community Foundation is pleased to announce $440,000 in grants from the Equity Fund to 19 nonprofit organizations serving Prince George’s County, MD. Selected nonprofits will receive up to $25,000 in funding to support work to advance food security, affordable childcare, and workforce equity in Prince George’s County. These grants were made possible thanks to a generous gift from the Ikea U.S. Community Foundation. 

Nourishing A Community In Need

HAP-R1MM-delivery.jpg

Senior citizens have been among our region’s most impacted populations—especially in terms of food security. Through our Equity Fund, we awarded $115,000 to six food assistance programs serving seniors and families in Prince George’s County. Thanks to these providers, families have access to healthy food through prepared food from local restaurants, fresh food from local farmers, and shelf-stable food.  

“This grant has helped Hyattsville Aging in Place (HAP) maintain and expand its services during the pandemic,” said Lisa Walker, Chair of the HAP Board of Directors. “As we struggled to provide services while guarding the health of our neighbors, the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s grant not only helped HAP deliver needed support and services to seniors in need, it also spurred HAP to build deeper connections with other programs in our community.”

Ensuring Affordable Childcare for Families

Copy+of+PGRC+1104+%281%29.jpg

COVID-19 has devastated the childcare provider community, forcing the closure of 40% of childcare programs, and resulting in the loss of more than 8,000 childcare slots. The Prince George’s Child Resource Center received a $25,000 grant from the Equity Fund to help ensure the sustainability of childcare providers in the County.

"Through The Community Foundation's Equity Fund, we are able to provide advocacy and support for the childcare workforce. Ensuring strong, high quality childcare means employment for thousands in Prince George's County; children are in safe environments where they are learning; and parents can go back to work with confidence,” said Jennifer Iverson, Executive Director, Prince George’s Child Resource Center. “Access to childcare is essential for families seeking employment and absolutely critical for those still fortunate enough to have a job.”

Curbing the Impact of Unemployment

Picture1.jpg

Fifty percent of the jobs created in Prince George’s County over the past five years were lost in the first two weeks of COVID. Through the Equity Fund, we awarded $300,000 to 14 organizations to help mitigate the impact of unemployment, reduced wages, and lost work. These grants will help prepare workers for meaningful employment and ensure that people facing barriers to employment can access high-quality education and job opportunities, which pay a family-sustaining wage. 

Kim Rhim, Executive Director of The Training Source, said:

“The Equity Fund grant was a life saver for us and so many already marginalized people who were further impacted by COVID-19. Many workers will never return to their jobs, and those who previously struggled to find work will find it much more difficult to secure employment. They will have to learn new skills and adapt to entirely new work environments, including the now vast telework environment. [This support from The Community Foundation] will help them do just that.” 

2020 Equity Fund Grantees

Asylum Seeker Assistance Project to provide wraparound employment services and support to asylum-seeking adults residing in Prince George’s County.

Community Outreach and Development CDC to purchase food and support food pantry operations including food deliveries and assisting persons to apply for SNAP food benefits. 

Community Support Systems, Inc. to support food pantries that benefit residents in Southern Prince George’s County. 

Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/ Prince George's County, Inc. to help youth overcome the hurdles they face as a result of the traumas they endured as children by focusing on workforce readiness, education, and skills development.

Eckerd Youth Alternatives to mitigate barriers, attain critical workforce skills, and navigate a pathway to gainful employment for youth who are disconnected from employment or educational opportunities.

Food & Friends to provide health and nutrition education workshops, individualized assessments, and the preparation and delivery of medically tailored meals to individuals who are living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, or another critical illness, as well as children and caregivers. 

Hyattsville Aging in Place, Inc. (HAP) to help seniors by delivering food, providing transportation to food sources, and assisting with access to financial resources. 

Joe's Movement Emporium to create a pipeline of diverse, skilled workers by providing young adults with training in digital media and technical theatre, experience with regional employers, and one-on-one coaching and counseling.  

Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services, Inc. to support households living at or below the poverty line that are working to increase their earnings and achieve economic mobility.

Life Asset, Inc. to create temporary and seasonal jobs by providing microloans coupled with ongoing business training to low-income entrepreneurs.

Mission of Love Charities, Inc. to help people become Water Treatment Technicians and Certified Nursing Assistants by providing requisite training and employability skills and job search assistance. 

Ourspace World, Inc. to recruit, train, and mentor young people to be competitive in the green jobs sector. 

Prince George's Child Resource Center, Inc. to provide support to family childcare providers to ensure the provision of a safe and nurturing environment for children and the sustainability of the childcare sector. 

Prince George's Community College to support curriculum design and digital literacy training for students and faculty.

Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland Inc. to provide consumer protections to help individuals avoid crippling judgments, wage garnishments, and impossible choices between rent, medical care, and food for their families.

Solutions In Hometown Connections Corp. to connect low-income refugee and immigrant women with critical services and resources that minimize barriers to self-sufficiency. 

Sowing Empowerment & Economic Development, Inc. (SEED) to serve as a food hub providing supplemental food to seven pantries in Prince George’s County.

The Training Source, Inc. to help residents secure and retain well-paying employment through comprehensive training, job readiness, and community supportive services.

TranZed Apprenticeship Ventures, LLC to secure new employer partnerships and placement in Prince George’s County for apprentices.

University of Maryland SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors to initiate a “First Step into Employment” program that includes an hourly stipend for young adult trafficking survivors in need of meaningful employment experience, training, skills development, and a supportive mentor.                                                            

About The Equity Fund

The Greater Washington Community Foundation’s Equity Fund seeks to eliminate social and economic disparities in Prince George’s County by ensuring that every Prince Georgian is afforded the opportunities necessary to reach their full human potential. The focus areas for the 2020 grant round were food security, childcare, and workforce equity. Grants were awarded to high impact organizations and innovative programs working to create pathways to success for county residents.

Visit us at https://www.thecommunityfoundation.org/princegeorges to learn more about our impact and work in Prince George’s County

Quarterly Update to the Community

Dear friends of The Community Foundation,

I hope this finds you enjoying a happy and healthy start to your new year. Thanks to the continued care for our community, last quarter our community of givers awarded more than $23+ million in grants to organizations serving our region and beyond.

The Community Foundation remains focused on meeting our community’s evolving needs through leading critical community impact initiatives. Last quarter, our activities included:

  • Issuing an additional $2 million in grants from the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, for a total of $10 million to address the public health and economic crisis.

  • Funding equity hub scholarships through the Children’s Opportunity Fund for low-income families in Montgomery County to receive childcare and remote learning support in a safe environment.

  • In partnership with FSC First, distributing more than $1 million in emergency relief to support 173 small businesses in Prince George’s County through the Legacy Fund.

  • Celebrating the Power of Our Community with virtual convenings reflecting on the heart and spirit of our communities in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

  • Welcoming experts on racial equity and community building to our board and staff, including new Trustee Dr. Rashawn Ray and new Managing Director of Community Investment Ronnie Galvin.

Our collective efforts have been recognized with several notable awards. I was proud to represent all of you when accepting the Washington Business Journal’s Nonprofit Leader of the Year award and I was humbled to be named a Hero of the Crisis by Washingtonian Magazine. And, our partnership with CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield received the Washington Business Journal's 2020 Citizenship Award for our efforts to distribute thousands of PPE units to frontline workers at qualified health clinics across the region.

As our community continues to recover from this crisis, we are working to build a more equitable and resilient future for our region. With this in mind, we have embarked on a strategic planning process to identify ways to develop a fresh roadmap for the organization and how we serve this community.

Over the next several months, we will examine and fine-tune our organizational processes to serve our fundholders and our community with strengthened excellence and efficiency. We will also get crystal clear about our strategy, how to best center racial equity, and what it means to be a regional organization with the need for local, jurisdictional, and community nuance. And we will look at how we partner with our donors and fundholders so that we can fully and thoughtfully leverage your philanthropic passions into lasting community impact. 

I look forward to sharing an update with you soon. Thank you for being our partner in strengthening our communities now and for the future.

Sincerely,
Tonia Wellons
President and CEO

COVID-19 Partners Advance Food Security and Equity in Region

More than 15% of residents in our region struggle with food insecurity—and we anticipate this only getting worse as the cold winter months continue. In response to this emergency community need, we recently distributed an additional $2.04 million in phase 3 grants from our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, helping support local nonprofits that are providing food assistance, as well as childcare, eviction prevention, and unemployment support.

Our nonprofit partners have stepped up to feed our community, and we are excited to share a few of their stories. Read on for more.

Community Outreach and Development CDC

Community Outreach and Development CDC, a Prince George’s County-based nonprofit, works to provide quality services so residents can become self-sufficient, productive members of our community. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization has expanded their food assistance program to deliver to over 1,000 households who are homebound, including seniors and those who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. 

“Elderly individuals called our agency thanking us for our delivery service, especially during a time when persons were anxious about being in the public and they had underlying medical conditions. One family called stating that they tested positive for COVID-19 and had no groceries. We were able to assist that family with two weeks' worth of food while going through isolation, and provided a tub of cleaning products to help with disinfecting their home.”  -Community Outreach and Development CDC staff member

 In the below, short impact video, Corae Young, Assistant Director of Community Outreach and Development, shares more of their story.

Dreaming Out Loud

Since the onset of COVID-19, Dreaming Out Loud (DOL) quickly pivoted their program model to include meal preparation for vulnerable populations, as well as supporting mutual aid programs for residents across Wards 1, 7, and 8. This directly supports this local nonprofit’s mission—creating economic opportunities for the DC metro region’s marginalized communities through building a healthy, equitable food system.

With support from The Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, DOL provided logistics and coordination support to provide more than 200,000 meals. And, they procured produce from Black BIPOC farmers, and helped maintain community-based hires to pack and distribute food. In total, their direct COVID-19 food support has served an average of 2,000 people per week to DC residents.

“This grant allowed DOL to add capacity to support food aid to thousands of DC residents,” said Christopher Bradshaw, Executive Director. 

“It was very important the way that the food aid resources were deployed. They supported Black food makers and workers and farmers, hiring from within the community – while reaching vulnerable residents with healthy, delicious food. This is in line with our mission of creating economic opportunities within marginalized communities, while building a health equitable food system.” 

Institute for Public Health Innovation

The Institute for Public Health Innovation is focused on improving the public’s health and well-being, across Northern Virginia, Maryland, and DC. And with our region’s current food security crisis, that includes providing urgent food assistance to those in need. In response to COVID-19, the Institute has:

  • Provided grant writing and development support for food assistance providers

  • Developed an extensive COVID-19 resource hub for food access on their website

  • Developed a partnership with La Clinica Del Pueblo that allows us to refer requests for food assistance support form Spanish speaking residents to support staff at the organization

  • Acted as a liaison between donors, food providers, and Council members to help coordinate large donations

…among many others. In partnership with World Central Kitchen and National Philanthropies, the Institute was able to provide county partners with over 10,000 meals served weekly from April to June, and 8,000 weekly for the months of July and August.

“We were able to leverage our deep relationships with food and farm stakeholders, regional organizations, and county agencies to lead the County’s COVID-19 emergency food response. Support from the Greater Washington Community Foundation enabled us to quickly build staffing capacity and launch new initiatives,” said Sydney Daigle, Food Equity Council Director. 

“The programs we have launched during our grant period will support residents during the pandemic and during our County's recovery.” 

Partnership to End Homelessness Update: A Year in Review

 
Partnership to End Homelessness Orgs.png
 

This year, our work to end homelessness in DC has been more critical than ever, as our neighbors without housing were at greater risk of contracting COVID-19, on top of the risks people experiencing homelessness face every day. Throughout 2020, and always, our focus has been on working with our partners to look at the efforts happening across the city and to identify strategic opportunities for investment.

So, this holiday season, as we reflect on our first full calendar year of the Partnership to End Homelessness, we want to say thank you. Thank you to our donors who trusted us to stay informed and to make strategic investments that will result in fewer people experiencing homelessness and more people maintaining safe and affordable housing. Thank you to our nonprofit partners on the frontlines working to make sure our neighbors have food, shelter, medical care, and other basic necessities, in such a scary and uncertain time. And finally, thank you to our government partners who are working tirelessly to respond and direct resources where they are needed most.

Volunteers for Church of the Epiphany, a COVID-19 Response Fund partner, hand out food and supplies topeople experiencing homelessness

Volunteers for Church of the Epiphany, a COVID-19 Response Fund partner, hand out food and supplies topeople experiencing homelessness

a year in review

With your help, this year we have provided over $1.25 million in grants to organizations supporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness and housing instability during the pandemic. These grants included COVID-19 response partners Mi Casa Inc., which provides long-term support and critical housing resources; the Church of the Epiphany, which provides food to people experiencing homelessness in the community; and Bethesda Cares, which provides case management and counseling services. You can learn more about these partners and others here.

In addition to our grantmaking, since 2019 we have supported the development and preservation of over 530 affordable homes through our partnership with Enterprise Community Loan Fund. These investments will create long-term housing options for our neighbors and help to preserve and increase the supply of deeply affordable housing in DC.

Together, we have continued to invest in the strength of our system and helped to provide our neighbors without housing access to healthy meals and medical care when they needed it most. Even in uncertain times, we remain committed to supporting the creation of processes and systems that will help people exit homelessness more quickly or avoid homelessness altogether.

As we head into the new year, we know that tens of thousands of our neighbors are behind on rent and at risk of eviction. We know we must continue our emergency response, while also investing in long-term solutions and systems change that will mean less people experiencing homelessness and a more equitable response for those that do.

COVID-19 Response Fund partner Mi Casa Inc. works with Girard House Co-op to preserve affordable housing

COVID-19 Response Fund partner Mi Casa Inc. works with Girard House Co-op to preserve affordable housing

Ways to join us

Next year, keep an eye out as we ramp up our advocacy work and continue to coordinate with our public and private sector partners. As Congress appears to be moving forward on a new COVID-19 relief package, join us in sending a message to your Members of Congress to let them know that now, more than ever, we must make investments that ensure everyone has housing where they can isolate to stay healthy, continue their education, and work to address other needs.

We hope this year, in addition to supporting the amazing frontline providers in our community, we can count on you to support our work as we continue to identify strategic investments to ensure everyone has safe and stable housing.

So once again, thank you. Thank you for all you have done this year and for joining us in our efforts to make sure that no one in DC experiences homelessness and that everyone has housing they can afford.


About the Partnership to End Homelessness

The Partnership to End Homelessness, led by the Greater Washington Community Foundation and the District Government’s Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH), brings together the public and private sectors to ensure homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring in DC. We believe that all DC residents deserve a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home.

By joining together, we will increase the supply of deeply affordable housing, help everyone find a home they can afford, and help more people access housing and exit homelessness more quickly.

Get Involved

Every action, whether large or small, can make a difference in ending homelessness. Visit EndHomelessnessDC.org to learn more.

This blog post is from the Partnership to End Homelessness newsletter. Sign up here to receive these quarterly updates.

A Year of Impact: Top 10 Stories of 2020

#1: Tonia Wellons Named Hero of the Crisis, Nonprofit Leader of the Year

It’s been a busy year for Community Foundation staff—especially for Tonia Wellons, who was named permanent President and CEO just weeks after the pandemic hit. Tonia was recently named Washington Business Journal’s 2020 Nonprofit Leader of the Year for her role and leadership in our region’s COVID-19 Response efforts; and “Hero of the Crisis” from Washingtonian Magazine. We are so proud of Tonia, and the incredible leadership she’s provided throughout this crisis. 

#2: COVID Impact Stories: Bringing Partner Voices to Life 

This special video highlights our COVID-19 nonprofit partners’ impact —and thanks donors for their incredible generosity and support throughout this crisis. 

Highlights are pulled from our individual, 2-minute COVID impact story videos, including local organizations like Black Swan, Generation Hope and Montgomery Hospice. Click here to access a full list of videos—and hear more of our nonprofit partner’s stories first-hand. 

 #3 Your Voices Matters: VoicesDMV On the Table Conversations

This WDVM segment highlights how VoicesDMV On the Table conversations brought together residents throughout the DMV area to talk about ideas for improving their communities.

On October 1, we hosted our inaugural VoicesDMV On the Table conversations, bringing together hundreds of residents from across the region for small-group conversations, remotely. Groups discussed and reimagined the future of our community, offering meaningful, action-oriented perspective on how to improve the lives of our neighbors in the DMV. Read more from Benton Murphy, Senior Advisor for Impact, who led the initiative.

#4: Arts Forward Fund Announces $1 Million in Grants to Local Arts Groups Impacted by COVID-19

This fall, together with the Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation and 16 other foundations and individual donors, we launched the Arts Forward Fund, an initiative to help local arts and culture organizations weather the impact of COVID-19. We were so excited to announce $1 million in grants from the fund, helping arts and culture nonprofits make essential shifts needed to sustain their work—and respond to the national movement for racial justice. 

 #5: Back to School Means Facing the Digital Divide

IMG_4429.JPG

As remote learning continues, schools still don’t have enough devices for every student, and too many homes in DC lack access to high-speed internet. Together with the DC Public Education Fund and Education Forward DC, we established the DC Education Equity Fund, which has provided 4,000+ students with internet access. and 3,000+ students with personal devices. Read more in “Back to School Means Facing the Digital Divide,” by our partner Erin Sheehy of Education Forward DC. 

#6: #MakeADifference Mondays

This bi-weekly blog series features our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund partners’ stories, grouped by funding priority: housing and homelessness, medical care and access, education and youth, domestic and community violence, and workforce and small business. Take our #MakeADifference Monday: Housing and Homelessness blog, for example, which includes a feature on Mi-Casa, Inc.:

Through its Emergency Rental Assistance and Tenant-Based Rental Assistance programs, [Mi Casa] helped more than 15 residents access critical housing resources. More than 400 households received virtual trainings around financial education, food banks, unemployment benefits, and the financial effects of the pandemic.

Read our blog for a full list of our #MakeADifference Monday posts, sharing the difference your support has made for our community.

#7: How to Reconstruct an Equitable Future for Our Region

In this opinion piece for the Washington Post, our President and CEO Tonia Wellons and Ursula Wright, Managing Director for FSG, explore a new framework for reconstructing a more equitable future for our region. In the article, they refer to our country’s current situation as a “trifecta of crises” that threatens our nation’s public health, economic security, and democracy. 

Though this pandemic is new, racism and economic injustice are not. The pandemic has served to further reveal preexisting inequities in housing, education, health care, food security, policing and criminal justice, income and employment.

 #8: Celebrating Three Leadership Legacies

BynumRichard-49482-9420.jpg

Richard Bynum, board member and President of PNC in Greater Washington and Virginia, was honored by the Washington Business Journal with the Minority Business Leader Award—an honor that coincided with two other major board member milestones. Dr. Charlene Dukes, Secretary of our Board, retired as President of Prince George’s Community College after 13 years of service. And Artis Hampshire-Cowan, Vice Chair of our Board, was honored by Leadership Greater Washington as the 2020 Leader of the Year.

Read more about their achievements and success stories. 

#9: Legacy Fund Supports Small Businesses in Prince George’s County

This fall, we were proud to launch The Legacy Fund for Small Business Development, seeded with a $1 million gift directed by Sam Brin and support from Meridiam, to provide critically needed access to capital for small businesses in Prince George’s County—one of the hardest hit groups in the County. We have disseminated $1 million in relief funds to 173 small Prince George’s County small businesses, helping them minimize vulnerability to closure and enabling them to thrive. 

#10: Celebrating the Power of Our Community

It’s been challenging year, but our community stepped up in amazing, awe-inspiring ways. Our community recently came together to celebrate these efforts at the Power of Our Community, Montgomery County and Power of Our Community, Prince George’s County, two virtual convenings that applauded the cooperative spirit of these communities and the collective impact of our work.

Read our Power of Our Community recap to watch the event recordings and view our key-takeaways and impact video updates.

Celebrating the Power of Our Community

This has been a challenging year, but our community stepped up in amazing, awe-inspiring ways. Our community came together to celebrate these efforts at the Power of Our Community, Montgomery County and Power of Our Community, Prince George’s County, two virtual convenings that applauded the cooperative spirit of these communities and the collective impact of our work.

If you missed these inspiring events, read on to access each event recording, our key take-aways and our Montgomery County and Prince George’s County impact reports.

Recap: Power of Our Community, Montgomery County

On December 8, a panel of philanthropic leaders—known for thinking creatively and working in close partnership with the communities they serve—discussed giving and leading boldly, creating a culture of “yes,” and how to embed a framework of social justice in philanthropy to create deeper change.

For a preview of the event, check out our short Montgomery County impact video.

  • “I think we have to be less afraid of failure,” said Mieka Wick, executive director of The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation. “There’s a lot of learning in failure. And if we’re not ever failing as funders, we aren’t being brave and bold enough.”

  • Crystal Carr Townsend, president and CEO of Healthcare Initiative Foundation, encouraged donors to be humble and flexible while working with communities to change systemic inequities. “If we’re going to change the future, we need to get to the root causes and invest in innovative approaches that align with other sectors and other funders to ensure holistic approaches that engage the community.”

  • Alise Marshall, director of strategy and new ventures at the Public Welfare Foundation stressed the importance of self-reflection for funders. “The call to action is work inside out. Really examine your internal practices, your hiring practices, the contractors you work with. Look within your organization and be super intentional about the work you’re doing.”


Recap: Power of Our Community, Prince George’s County

Hosted on December 10, Power of Our Community, Prince George’s County welcomed a panel of government, education and philanthropic leaders who discussed the importance of eliminating silos and embracing partnerships, going beyond what’s required to what is expected to get the job done, and the need for restoration so we can bring our best selves to our work.

For a preview of the event, check out our short Prince George’s County impact video.

  • Diana Léon-Brown, director of strategic partnerships for Prince George’s County, outlined the County's emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing food, medical care and supplies to frontline workers and raising $4 million from their partners. “This community has really come together. And I think crisis, as difficult as it can be, can also bring out the best in people. We had to really think about long-term impact and sustainability”

  • Dr. Falecia Williams, president of Prince George’s Community College, encouraged us all to NOT “stay in our lanes.” “What I’ve seen in this community is a willingness to redefine the boundaries, as we think about how to build communities through partnership.”

  • This event helped us focus not on the negative, but, rather, the power of our community. “It is moments like this where it’s often the case that, not only do we see the worst of what humanity can be, but we also see the best of it,” said Ronnie Galvin, The Community Foundation’s new managing director of community investment and moderator of the Prince George’s County panel.

In this Together—In Any Season

By Rebecca Rothey, Vice President of Development and Senior Philanthropic Advisor

Rebecca Rothey

Rebecca Rothey

At this time of year, I am particularly grateful for my job. Philanthropy is my passion, and helping others discover opportunities to be philanthropic is a great joy. The Greater Washington Community Foundation provides the perfect context for this work, thanks to the collective knowledge of our donors, volunteers, and staff. That is knowledge not only of effective giving practices, but also of the issues affecting our region. 

This year, the killing of George Floyd, among far too many other Black men and women, led to widespread civil unrest and calls for racial and social justice as urgent issues for our community and our nation to take action on. Many community members—especially our Black and brown neighbors—were struggling before this pandemic and now find themselves standing in line for boxes of food or eking out their savings to make the rent or mortgage payment. On top of that, nonprofit organizations across the region, many of whom endeavor to help our lowest-income neighbors, are facing sudden losses of expected revenue, and increased but unfunded operational costs. Many have already folded. 

The Community Foundation has closely tracked regional needs throughout this year of turmoil and served as our region’s philanthropic first responder. Since the start of this crisis, our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund has addressed the public health and economic needs of our communities, with a particular focus on those disproportionately affected—typically low-income households and communities of color. 

Thanks to the generosity of hundreds of individuals, as well as corporate and foundation donors, we have been able to distribute over $10 million to meet the extraordinary needs of our community. And, with 50% of COVID-19 nonprofit partners led by people of color, we’ve continued to prioritize racial equity in our grantmaking.   

And the work is not over yet. 

Each year, particularly during this season, donors turn to The Community Foundation to help them identify where their philanthropy will have the greatest impact. In a year like 2020, this can be particularly crucial. We stand ready to listen to your particular interests and concerns—whether those be in environmental justice, human services, or elsewhere—and offer guidance or support. 

Rufus Lusk, III and Jessica Damen

Rufus Lusk, III and Jessica Damen

Let me tell you about a couple who are very clear about their priorities and have partnered with The Community Foundation for over 15 years to maximize their impact. Social justice is at the core of Rufus Lusk, III. and Jessica Damen’s giving. “Everything has a social justice component to it. There’s not a single charity we contribute to that doesn’t have this factor,” said Rufus.

Through their donor-advised fund at The Community Foundation, Rufus and Jessica support a wide range of social justice-focused organizations, including The Sierra Club, American Friends Service Committee, Doctors Without Borders, Southern Poverty Law Center, and many others. 

They are committed to advancing equity—especially at the local level, in the Prince George’s County community. The couple credits The Community Foundation with connecting them to local organizations that are committed to social and racial justice, and advising them about giving  opportunities like the Legacy Fund, established by The Community Foundation to provide relief to small Prince George’s County businesses suffering as a result of COVID-19.  

“Giving to small businesses—especially minority-owned—is absolutely crucial,” said Jessica. “They’re the backbone of our economy.” Rufus agreed, and added, “To develop greater social equity, you need strong organizations. And you need local strong organizations. That’s what The Community Foundation is all about.”

I started this blog post by saying that philanthropy is my passion. I’m dedicated to working with donors to invest in organizations fostering real change in our society—and helping people discover their passions along the way. I’d be delighted to partner with you in this process and help to further develop your giving priorities.   

One easy place to start is this Washington Post piece, featuring giving tips from our Montgomery County office Executive Director Anna Hargrave. Some other resources I recommend include:

  • Bethesda Magazine’s annual Guide To Giving, to which we contribute, with a vetted list of nonprofit partners in Montgomery County addressing a range of issues.

  • The Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington, which we mail to all of our donors in November. This year, it features 80+ nonprofit partners focused on COVID-19 response work.

  • Our own list of more than 200 nonprofits selected over the past six months to receive grants from our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund—all worthy of consideration for additional gifts. 

  • Become a Community Champion with a contribution to the Fund for Greater Washington, and help us provide vital resources to civic and community organizations, incubate new ideas, and remain flexible and vigilant in leading the response to today’s needs and tomorrow’s challenges. 

“We’re all in this together” is a familiar refrain in this pandemic. But it could be the motto of The Community Foundation in any year. We’re glad to have you with us.

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

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.

#MakeADifference Monday: Medical Care

These past several months, while exceptionally challenging at times, have also been inspiring. We’ve seen our community come together to care for our neighbors in need, springing into action to support those most adversely affected by the pandemic.

Through our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, were able to invest $10 million to support low-wage workers who have been laid off, expand access to medical care, provide shelter and services to people experiencing homelessness, increase food access, and so much more. This would not be possible without our compassionate donors – a diverse group of individuals and businesses who helped us mobilize $10 million for coordinated relief and recovery efforts. Thank you for standing with us to make a difference.

You can read about our impact here – and, below, learn more about how our nonprofit partners helped create this impact. Their stories of kindness and courage are truly inspiring.

Care for Your Health, Inc.

Care for Your Health believes that every single patient who receives adequate medical care is a win for the whole community.

As the pandemic grew and Care for Your Health staff began working remotely, the organization knew it was critical to support its staff with high-speed Internet, since most activities were pivoting to telemedicine. As a COVID-19 Response Fund grantee, they also received funding for office supplies, stamps and other essential items needed to serve the low-income and uninsured communities of Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties.

We have effectively taken care of our clients’ primary care medical problems, either via telemedicine or with visits from the nurse practitioner and the physician. In relation to the 80 new patients incorporated into our practice during the pandemic, we have tested them for COVID-19, attended to their medical problems, and referred them to other health providers and social workers when appropriate.

CCI Health & Wellness Services

Personal protective equipment (PPE) and COVID-19 test kits are a key component of fighting COVID-19—as well as software that allows telehealth visits. As CCI Health & Wellness pivoted to better serve its community during the early stages of the pandemic, our COVID-19 Response grant allowed them to focus on shoring up equipment, processes and guidelines. Notable milestones include:

  • Establishing workflows and designating separate space for persons under investigation and those testing positive for COVID-19

  • Installing sneeze safety guards that form a dividing wall to better separate symptomatic and non-symptomatic patients

  • Implementing routine deep cleaning at all health centers on a weekly basis and on demand in response to virus outbreaks in staff areas

  • Placing respiratory hygiene stations in all health center waiting rooms

  • Purchasing PPE for health center personnel

  • Testing for COVID-19 at three health center locations and securing all supplies necessary to stand up temporary testing sites at four health center locations

Montgomery Hospice, Inc.

Providing quality, compassionate end-of-life care is critical. Hundreds of individuals in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties are coping with terminal illnesses and require specialized care—and the COVID-19 pandemic presents many challenges in doing so.

Montgomery Hospice, Inc. used its Emergency Response Fund grant to provide quality care for terminally ill coronavirus-positive patients at Casey House, an inpatient facility.

 
 

During the grant period, patients received comprehensive, compassionate care, and they and their families were protected from infection. Furthermore, our services reduce patients’ use of other healthcare resources, especially hospitals, that are strained by the pandemic.

Total Family Care Coalition

Total Family Care Coalition aims to help keep families together for a better and safer community.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted life as we know it, particularly when caring for loved ones. Families are experiencing stress and exacerbated mental health challenges as a result of unemployment and financial instability. Youth are experiencing increased exposure to poor parenting, domestic violence, and child abuse and neglect.

[The Community Foundation’s] funds made a huge difference to the community. Children could eat. Parents were able to reduce anxiety and increase self-care techniques such as mindfulness to increase positive parenting.

With funding from the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, Total Family Care Coalition:

  • Served more than 275 individuals including 112 children, 85 adults and 80 families

  • Kept its doors open and responded immediately to families’ needs

  • Helped parents receive appropriate mental health medication they could help their small children

  • Kept one single, young mom from taking her own life by consistently reaching out and letting her know that she and her baby are loved

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

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