Philanthropists are increasingly willing to support direct cash assistance. Foundations and individual donors have supported a range of emergency cash relief for various crises throughout the years, and the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the greater Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia region has been no exception. Private philanthropy is also working with the current wave of government-sponsored cash assistance pilots. This virtual convening highlighted Urban’s findings on philanthropic support and will gather speakers to reflect on the implications and future of philanthropic efforts aimed at transferring cash directly to individuals. 

 Research Presentation:

• Benjamin Soskis, Senior Research Associate, Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, Urban Institute

• Sonia Torres Rodríguez, Research Assistant, Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center, Urban Institute

• Fay Walker, Research Analyst, Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center, Urban Institute

Panelists/Discussants:

• Mary Bogle, Principal Research Associate, Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center, Urban Institute

• Kevin Callaghan, Newark Philanthropic Liaison, Council of New Jersey Grantmakers and Office of Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka

• Nisha G. Patel, Creative Catalyst, Powered by Shakti

• Paula Sammons, Program Officer, W.K. Kellogg Foundation

• Tonia Wellons, President and CEO, Greater Washington Community Foundation

• Shena Ashley, Vice President, Nonprofits and Philanthropy, Urban Institute (moderator)

Read Across Montgomery County featured a virtual panel celebrating the role that schools, the community, and families play in building a village that promotes the joy of reading!

Read Across America Day, the nation’s largest celebration of reading inspires individuals, both young and old, to pick up a book and read. As a member of the Campaign for Grade Level Reading Network, the Children’s Opportunity Fund is asking you to join National Education Association and many of America’s leading literacy, youth, and civic groups in bringing a nation of readers together for a flurry of reading excitement!

The Children’s Opportunity Fund hosted a virtual panel to discuss system, local, and individual approaches to reading that will support our youngest learners to achieve their full potential.

Speakers included:

• Kareem Bernard: author of the children's book series Billy's Adventures

• Jeanette Dixon: former member of the Montgomery County Board of Education

• Tanushree Dutta Isaacman: associate organizer, Action in Montgomery

• Craig Rice: councilmember and chair of education and culture committee, Montgomery County Council

• Jennifer Sloan McCombs: director of the Behavioral and Policy Sciences Department; senior policy researcher, RAND Corporation

• Kimberly Rusnak (moderator): project director of the Children’s Opportunity Fund, The Greater Washington Community Foundation

Didn't catch our Tuesday Talks series? We’ve made it easy for you to catch up on what you missed by watching the recordings! This virtual series for Community Foundation donors, which ran from March through July, offered updates on our COVID-19 Emergency Response work and what learned about the needs of our community in the areas of hunger, housing and homelessness, medical access, employment and small business, the arts, and more.

• July 28, 2020: Arts and Culture in the Wake of COVID-19

• July 14, 2020: Hunger Relief

• June 23, 2020: Medical Care and Access

• June 9, 2020: COVID-19 Impact on Workers and Small Businesses

• May 26, 2020: Housing and Homelessness

• May 12, 2020: Education and Youth

• April 28, 2020: Community Update #3

• April 14, 2020: Community Update #2

• March 31, 2020: Community Update #1

Join us on March 2 for Read Across Montgomery County, a special community conversation about the power of literacy to equip our children for lifelong success.   

The event will kick off with a keynote from Dr. Daniel T. Willingham, the author of Raising Kids Who Read and Why Don't Students Like School. Dr. Willingham focuses on the major pillars of literacy for parents, community organizations, and educators to use daily practices assuring student success. Prepare to learn about the brain basis of learning and leave with strategies to help improve children's reading skills.

The keynote will be followed by a panel discussion about removing literacy barriers, expanding opportunities, and supporting community members to serve as full partners in the success of Montgomery County's children.

The second half of the event (from 3-5 p.m.) will feature several special guest readers, including Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, leading a literacy activity.  Feel free to bring your children to enjoy a book reading and special giveaway opportunity.

Agenda

• 1-3 p.m. - Keynote and panel discussion

• 3-5 p.m. - Literacy activities with Special Guest Reader, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich

About the Children's Opportunity Fund

The Children's Opportunity Fund is an initiative of the Greater Washington Community Foundation which brings together top government leadership and community partners to plan, advocate for, and fund strategic investments that improve the lives of children and families in Montgomery County. The Children's Opportunity Funds invests in innovative, evidence-based efforts targeted at addressing the achievement gap.

We hope you will join us at the Celebration of Giving to salute our network of generous donors, philanthropic partners, and local nonprofit grantees for growing the spirit of giving throughout Montgomery County. At the event we will recognize Hope Gleicher and Andy Burness as the 2019 Montgomery County Philanthropists of the Year.

Dreams Fulfilled or Deferred:

Empowering families, neighborhoods, and schools

to break cycles of poverty

Join us for a special conversation between our Montgomery County Council President Nancy Navarro and Dr. Karl Alexander, co-author of the seminal study, The Long Shadow: Family Background, Disadvantaged Urban Youth, and the Transition to Adulthood.

At Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Karl Alexander led a landmark 25-year study that followed inner-city children from first grade through adulthood. By truly listening to the children, their parents, and teachers, Alexander’s work reveals not only what it takes to break cycles of poverty but also what holds back so many low-income children from achieving their dreams.

We look forward to discussing how these lessons may be applied to address the rapidly changing needs here in our local community.

This donor event is invite-only. If you have any questions, please contact Kate Daniel at [email protected].

These quarterly free lunch events provide representatives of local companies and foundations with an opportunity to get acquainted, learn more about Montgomery County funding priorities, and share best practices. The events are open to grantmakers only, and each time we have anywhere from 15 to 30 attendees. There is a different topic for each luncheon – education, health care, etc. – selected in advance by the group. 

Whether you are passionate about kids, health, suicide prevention, ending poverty, or simply want to build thriving communities, we hope you will join us for our next Funders’ Roundtable!  

Cutting-edge research shows adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can trigger hormones that wreak havoc on the brains and bodies of children. In addition to hindering their academic achievement in the short term, exposure to two or more traumatic childhood events (such as abuse, neglect, persistent hunger, parental conflict, mental illness, and substance abuse, etc.) can result in long-term negative effects on learning, behavior, and health. Fortunately, there is a growing movement of trailblazers in pediatrics, education, and social welfare who are using pioneering science and field-tested therapies to protect children from the insidious effects of toxic stress.

To delve into this topic, our next Funders’ Roundtable luncheon will call on innovative leaders working on the frontlines. We’ll also screen a short award-winning documentary, “Resilience: The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope.”

These quarterly free lunch events provide representatives of local companies and foundations with an opportunity to get acquainted, learn more about Montgomery County funding priorities, and share best practices. The events are open to grantmakers only, and each time we have anywhere from 15 to 30 attendees. There is a different topic for each luncheon – education, health care, etc. – selected in advance by the group. 

If you have any questions, please contact Kevin Donnelly at [email protected].

Join us on Thursday, November 1, as we celebrate the growing spirit of giving throughout our community and salute the 2018 Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year, Linda Youngentob.

The Greater Washington Community Foundation launched Voices of the Community (VoicesDMV), a new initiative designed to hear directly from residents about the challenges and opportunities facing our region. Community conversations play a vital role in surfacing resident stories and perspectives from across the region that can be shared with community organizations, funders, businesses, government, and others who are working to make a positive difference in our region. The evening included large and small group conversations on issues such as health, education, housing, transportation, crime, and overall community well-being.This initiative will help to inform a collective vision for the region’s future and efforts to improve equity, access, and opportunity for all.