Introducing Three New Team Members

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

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

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

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

Jana-Lynn Louis, Community Investment Officer

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

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

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

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

Jamie McCrary, Digital Marketing Manager

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

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

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

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

Jennifer Olney, Community Investment Officer

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

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

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

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

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

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Finding Hope in Resilience

By Melen Hagos, Manager, Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships

re·sil·ience

noun

the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Viewpoint: Region's income gaps can also lead to perception gap

In her Washington Business Journal op-ed, Interim President and CEO Tonia Wellons discusses the misperception that poverty is primarily a choice—and how philanthropy can help.

“My hope for 2020 is that we can not only inspire more local philanthropy here in Greater Washington – but also that we can make progress on controlling the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.”

Quarterly Community Update

Dear friends,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sincerely,

Tonia Wellons
Interim President and CEO

Save the Date for VoicesDMV Community Conversations

Save the Date

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

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

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

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

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#VoicesDMV | VoicesDMV.org

Inspiring Emerging Leaders In Prince George's County

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

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

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

Davion’s vision for ELIF is clear.

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

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

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

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Inspired to find out more?

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

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

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

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

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

Please join us in welcoming these dynamic leaders!

Veronica Jeon

Chair, Prince George’s County Advisory Board

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

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

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

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

Karen Leder

Chair, Montgomery County Advisory Board

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

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

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

2020 Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year Award Nominations Now Open!

Our 2019 Montgomery County Philanthropists of the Year, Andy Burness and Hope Gleicher at the 2019 Celebration of Giving.

Nomination Guidelines

Purpose: To honor an individual who has made a positive impact in our community through giving, and whose philanthropic leadership sets an inspiring example for us all. 

Nomination Process:

Complete the official nomination form and a letter explaining why your nominee should be selected as the Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year. 

Please note that the cover form must be completed in its entirety in order for the nomination to be eligible. The Awards Committee will not accept nominations which rely solely on resumes, newspaper articles, annual reports, or the like, in substitution for concise responses to the criteria outlined below. Pending review by the Philanthropist of the Year Selection Committee, The Community Foundation staff may contact you for additional information. 

For inspiration, look no further than our past Philanthropist of the Year honorees.

Eligibility Criteria: 

All nominees must:

• Be a resident of Montgomery County

• Have a demonstrated track record of charitable giving to one or more nonprofit organizations based in and working in Montgomery County

• Have made a positive impact in the lives of county residents through their giving

• Encourage/motivate others to become philanthropic

Note: The level of charitable dollars given is secondary to its impact and potential to inspire others to follow suit. Creative approaches to philanthropy are welcome!  Nominees may be of any age.

In exceptional circumstances, the Selection Committee may consider a former resident, a family unit, or a philanthropist who is deceased. 

Deadline: February 28, 2020

The nomination form and letter must be postmarked or emailed by close of business on Friday, February 28, 2020 to:

The Community Foundation in Montgomery County

Attn: Kate Daniel

8720 Georgia Avenue, Suite 202

Silver Spring, MD 20910

[email protected]

The Community Foundation in Montgomery County will contact the selected awardee and their nominator by the end of May. All other nominations will remain confidential.

Questions: Contact Kate Daniel at [email protected] or 301-495-3036 x169.

Sponsor the 2020 Celebration of Philanthropy

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

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

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

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

What is Permanent Supportive Housing?

If you asked Pathways to Housing DC outreach specialist Waldon Adams what ends homelessness, he’d have a very simple answer. Housing. That’s because it worked for him. For many years, Waldon experienced homelessness, losing jobs and places to stay while battling an addiction to alcohol and drugs. One day, he visited a support center on 14th Street NW and the staff there connected him with his own apartment — with no preconditions. Having his own home gave Waldon stability, and this led to other positive changes in his life. Today, Waldon works to help others like himself exit homelessness by connecting them with housing.

Waldon’s experience — and that of thousands of other people like him in DC — tells us that housing ends homelessness. But what should that housing look like? For many of our neighbors experiencing chronic homelessness, the answer is permanent supportive housing.

Over the course of a year, approximately 4,000 adults experience chronic homelessness in DC.

People experiencing chronic homelessness have been homeless for at least one year, or four times within three years, and they struggle with complex health challenges such as mental illness, addiction, physical disabilities, or other chronic conditions that make them highly vulnerable to becoming homeless. These challenges also create barriers that can make it difficult for them to maintain stable housing.

Permanent supportive housing (or PSH) is a tool to end chronic homelessness. It works by pairing housing with wrap around services to help people experiencing chronic homelessness obtain affordable housing and maintain it long-term. PSH services are voluntary, flexible, and individualized to help people achieve their personal goals, such as stabilizing and improving their health, gaining employment, re-connecting with family, and participating in the community.

The Partnership to End Homelessness seeks to advance data-driven and evidence-based practices — and we know from the evidence that permanent supportive housing works:

• PSH improves long-term housing stability. Studies show that at least 75 percent of people in permanent supportive housing remain in housing for 18 months or longer. In DC, over 97 percent of people who exit the homeless services system to permanent supportive housing maintain their housing for at least six months.

• PSH improves health and well-being. People experiencing chronic homelessness who receive housing combined with supportive services make fewer hospital and emergency room visits and can better access routine mental and physical health supports.

• PSH is cost-effective. People experiencing chronic homelessness are frequent users of emergency services. Studies have shown that providing people with permanent supportive housing lowers public costs on average by nearly 50 percent by reducing use of shelters, hospitals, and jails.

DC has invested in ending chronic homelessness by funding comprehensive street outreach and case management services, creating an coordinated assessment and prioritization strategy to match individuals to permanent supportive housing, and increasing the supply of rental subsidy vouchers. The city has also worked to build strong private sector partnerships with affordable housing developers and property owners. DC incentivizes developers to provide units for permanent supportive housing by financing affordable housing projects and offering backup funding to property owners to cover any the costs of unpaid rent and unit damages.

DC’s strategy to end chronic homelessness in DC is working: since 2015, chronic homelessness has decreased by fifteen percent and 2,540 single adults experiencing chronic homelessness were moved into permanent supportive housing.

Despite this progress, we know that we need more permanent supportive housing in DC to meet the need. Join The Partnership to End Homelessness to increase the supply of Permanent Supportive Housing to #EndHomelessnessDC.

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How You Can Help Create More Permanent Supportive Housing in DC

• Partnership grantees such as Friendship Place, Miriam’s Kitchen, Pathways to Housing DC, and Open Arms Housing — are among many local organizations committed to providing high-quality permanent supportive housing in DC. By investing in The Partnership’s Grantmaking Fund you can support their crucial work while supporting our efforts to create a system that houses people more quickly and has the number of units we need to end homelessness in DC.

• Participating in the Partnership’s Impact Investment can aid in bringing financial resources to assist in the fight to end homelessness and housing insecurity by increasing the production of deeply affordable and supportive housing.

• Advocacy from the community is critical to ensuring that the city continues to invest in permanent supportive housing. Join the Partnership mailing list to be alerted to opportunities for action.

Resilience Fund Announces New Grants to Increase Advocacy, Civic Engagement, and Support for Marginalized Communities

The Resilience Fund has announced a new round of $180,000 in grants to eight local organizations conducting advocacy on behalf of immigrants and asylum seekers, providing outreach and services to marginalized communities, and expanding civic engagement among Hispanic voters. These grants represent our mission to respond to federal policy shifts that are negatively impacting our neighbors and communities in the Greater Washington region.

ADVOCACY

$25,000 grant to Casa de Maryland to respond to the impact of increased immigration enforcement on the African diaspora community in the region. This project will directly engage 250 African immigrant community members in legal rights training and 20 African immigrant community leaders in leadership and advocacy training and will benefit a broader community of immigrants residing in Fairfax County and statewide in Maryland through the achievement of universal representation in immigration proceedings.

$25,000 grant to Crossroads Community Food Network to address the need for increased communication and connection amid heightened anti-immigrant rhetoric and federal policy changes around SNAP and other safety-net programs. This project will serve 4,000+ residents of the Takoma/Langley Crossroads, a mostly immigrant, low-income community that straddles the border of Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

ASYLUM SEEKERS

$25,000 grant to Asylum Seeker Assistance Project to provide holistic social services supporting a minimum of 40 formerly detained asylum-seeking men, women, and children living in the region. Through the provision of direct services, education, and community support, ASAP empowers asylum seekers to rebuild their lives with dignity and purpose. All services are provided free to clients.

$25,000 grant to Ayuda to support critical client and case needs across three field offices in DC, Maryland, and Virginia to include (but not limited to) asylum seekers, victims of trafficking and other crimes such as domestic violence, and separated families. Ayuda will help clients with the costs of filing fees, expert reports, and psychological evaluations, in addition to other critical support such as transportation expenses, which are necessary for our clients to pursue their legal cases.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

$15,000 to League of Women Voters, Montgomery County to increase voter participation in 2020 among Hispanic voters. League of Women Voters will work with an established local newspaper, El Tiempo Latino, to translate the Voter's Guide into Spanish for each election in 2020. This newspaper is distributed free on a weekly basis at about 300 points in Montgomery County, including bus stops, retail outlets, and metro stations. Its circulation covers about 26% of Hispanic households in the County. This grant will cover election-related activities for both the Primary Election and General Election in 2020.

SUPPORT FOR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES

$25,000 grant to Identity, Inc. to support emergency family custodial planning for immigrant families impacted by real and threatened immigration policy changes. Identity will facilitate 10 Know-Your-Rights information sessions for at least 300 residents and schedule five day-long follow-up Standby Guardianship Clinics to assist immigrant parents in Montgomery County in preparing Standby Guardianship Forms, thereby legally designating an adult to care for their children in case they are unable to do so due to adverse immigration action.

$25,000 grant to Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County to hire and manage a Community Health Worker (CHW), who will work from the Montgomery County Public Schools International Admissions and Enrollment (IAE) office in Rockville to serve children and families at a point of entry into the school system that is nearly universal for international students. This CHW is a critical piece of the program design to serve the increasing numbers of children and families settling in the County after emigrating from Central America. Many of these children faced incredibly difficult journeys to get here, and they will need a broad scope of supportive services to achieve healthy development and reach their full potential.

$15,000 grant to Shout Mouse Press, Inc. to support author empowerment, outreach, and advocacy work around two books: a memoir collection by Latinx youth immigrants and an anthology by Muslim American youth. The goal is to change the narrative about marginalized communities by empowering young people to write and publish original stories not being represented in traditional publishing marketplaces. This grant will support outreach to 300+ DMV-area educators and 1400+ local students via author talks and will directly empower 26 Latinx immigrant or Muslim American youth authors via professional development training, speaking opportunities, and scholarship money to support their next steps as leaders changing the narrative about their communities in this country.

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ABOUT THE RESILIENCE FUND

The Resilience Fund was created in early 2017 as a collaborative partnership of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, and other foundation and individual contributors. It seeks to address the critical needs of nonprofits responding to changes in federal policy and budget priorities, as well as the climate of intolerance and hate, both of which are disproportionately impacting local people of color, and immigrant and refugee communities.

The Truth About Chronic Homelessness and The Solution

As a part of The Partnership to End Homelessness’ work to educate and engage donors and private sector investors, we host a regular learning series focused on issues related to housing and homelessness. The series features experts on topics such as family homelessness, chronic homelessness, racial equity, and more. To learn about future events, please contact Angela Willingham at [email protected].

Our panel featured Neil Albert (DowntownDC BID), Rhonda Whitaker (an advocate with lived experience), Schroeder Stribling (ICH and N Street Village), and Scott Schenkelberg (Miriam's Kitchen). Tonia Wellons, our Interim President and CEO, moderated the discussion.

On December 4, The Partnership to End Homelessness hosted our third learning series event, focused on The Truth About Chronic Homelessness. Chronic homelessness is defined as a person living with a disabling condition — such as mental illness, substance abuse disorders, or physical disabilities — a person who has experienced homelessness continuously for a year or more, or someone who has had four separate episodes of homelessness in three years.

Many people have a specific picture in mind when they think about someone who is experiencing chronic homelessness. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions and a general lack of awareness around solutions. To help event participants to better understand who are people experiencing chronic homelessness, our Interim President and CEO, Tonia Wellons, opened the conversation with some helpful data points.

First, Tonia pointed out that it is not just single men that experience chronic homelessness. In the District:

• 13% of people experiencing chronic homelessness are with families,

• 72% of women experiencing homelessness are chronically homelessness, and

• Many people experiencing chronic homelessness are elderly (over the age of 62).

Tonia also highlighted data from a recent survey of people experiencing homelessness which found that nearly 40% of interviewees had worked and wanted to work, and that the loss of a job was the reason they had become homeless.

To help continue the conversation, we had an outstanding panel of experts join us to help participants learn about the solutions to chronic homelessness, including Permanent Supportive Housing. Permanent Supportive Housing, often referred to as PSH, is affordable housing combined with supportive services like case management and health care. Research has shown that PSH is not only effective at ending a person’s homelessness but can also improve health outcomes and save the system money. In the District, PSH has a 93% success rate and costs about half of what it would for someone to remain homeless for a year.

Speaking directly to the audience of business leaders and philanthropists, the panel highlighted an important opportunity and role for the private sector — funding advocacy. To take solutions to scale, we need public and private funding that is proportionate to the number of people who need housing and supports. To get to that point, we need to support nonprofit advocacy organizations that can raise the issue and continue working to make sure we understand the need and have proof of what works. One of our panelists, Scott Schenkelberg said it best when he said:

“Fund advocacy. It creates real change and creates a better for system for ending homelessness.”

Below are a few highlights from the event and information about how to get involved in our efforts to #EndHomelessnessDC.

“ “We have goals. We have families. We are people. I lost my job and became homeless. I got another job, but couldn’t afford a home. I was homeless for 25 years, but no one knew. I took later shifts to have a place to be warm.” - Rhonda Whitaker, Advocate with lived experience

“It costs $40,000 per year to keep someone homeless in DC. And Permanent Supportive Housing is cost effective - it costs $23,000 per year. A savings of almost 50%. And we know it works - PSH has a 93% success rate. ” - Scott Schenkelberg, CEO, Miriam’s Kitchen

“We are working with business owners in the DowntownDC BID to make them aware of resources available to people experiencing homelessness. We want the business community to engage and treat them as our brothers and sisters.” - Neil Albert, President & Chief Executive Officer, DowntownDC Business Improvement District

“The rate we transition people out of shelter is not keeping up with the rate of people coming into the shelter. We will not charity our way out of this problem...it is going to take all of us working together.” - Schroeder Stribling, Chief Executive Officer, N Street Village and Co-Chair, Executive Council, DC ICH

”We’re looking for champions. We’re extending the invite to you today to join us in the Partnership to End Homelessness.” -Tonia Wellons, Interim President and CEO, Greater Washington Community Foundation
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JOIN US

If you are inspired and want to get involved, we invite you to join the Partnership to End Homelessness. Contact us or visit EndHomelessnessDC.org for more ways to contribute to the solution.

Charitable giving in D.C. is well below the national average

By Tonia Wellons for the Washington Post Local Opinions

Tonia Wellons is interim president and chief executive of the Greater Washington Community Foundation.

The District is a magnet for some of the nation’s wealthiest and most powerful people. It’s also home to world-class museums, top-flight thinkers and the national headquarters for many of our nation’s most prominent nonprofits.

But even with these tremendous resources, we are conspicuously behind the curve when it comes to one important measure: generosity.

What is Housing First?

What does it mean to be “ready for housing”? Historically, housing programs for people experiencing homelessness would have shared a list of criteria like this: sober for 6 months or more; taking all prescribed medications; completion of a life skills program; and proof of stable employment. But, imagine that you are a person experiencing homelessness. How will you look for a job when you have to bring all of your belongings with you to the interview? How will you keep a job when the shelter across town where you stay requires that you line up for a bed by 4 p.m. every day, or if you’re afraid to sleep because you are worried about your safety? How will you keep up with your medical appointments when your ID, health insurance card, and phone can easily be lost or stolen because you have no place safe to keep them? And on top of all of that, imagine that you are one of the 30 percent of adults experiencing homelessness in DC who are struggling with a severe mental illness while you try to accomplish all of these tasks.

Housing First is an approach that centers on the belief that everyone is ready for housing — right now.

The theory is simple — people need basic necessities like a safe place to live before they are able to work successfully toward any other goals, such as getting a job, managing a monthly budget, improving mental health, or getting sober.

Housing First was introduced in New York City in 1992 by Dr. Sam Tsemberis, and brought to DC in 2004 by Pathways to Housing DC, a Partnership to End Homelessness grantee. In 2008, DC adopted Housing First practices — and today, all permanent supportive housing programs that receive funding from the DC government — and from the Partnership to End Homelessness — follow this evidence-based model.

Housing First moves people experiencing homelessness from the streets or shelters into permanent housing, while providing supportive services to help residents obtain and maintain housing stability and improve their lives. The Housing First model is:

• Evidence-based. Clients in Housing First programs access housing faster than clients in traditional housing programs. They are also more likely to remain stably housed. Clients also report an increase in perceived levels of autonomy, choice, and control in Housing First programs, and a majority of clients are found to participate in the optional supportive services provided, often resulting in greater housing stability.

• Targeted. The model prioritizes permanent housing placements for people who are experiencing chronic homelessness.

• Low barrier. Clients do not have to participate in services, maintain sobriety, or undergo psychiatric treatment in order to get or maintain their housing.

• Driven by client choice. Clients select their own housing and hold a lease. They decide what supportive services they would like. This ability to choose helps clients feel safe, in control of their environment, and more inclined to consider using supportive services.

Housing First works and is a key approach to any effort to end homelessness. Join the Partnership in supporting organizations that follow this model.

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How You Can Help Support Housing First in DC

• Partnership grantees such as Friendship Place, Miriam’s Kitchen, Pathways to Housing DC, and Open Arms Housing — are among many local organizations committed to providing high-quality permanent supportive housing in DC. By investing in The Partnership’s Grantmaking Fund you can support their crucial work while supporting our efforts to create a system that houses people more quickly and has the number of units we need to end homelessness in DC.

• Participating in the Partnership’s Impact Investment can aid in bringing financial resources to assist in the fight to end homelessness and housing insecurity by increasing the production of deeply affordable and supportive housing.

• Advocacy from the community is critical to ensuring that the city continues to invest in permanent supportive housing. Join the Partnership mailing list to be alerted to opportunities for action.

Save the Date for the 2020 Celebration of Philanthropy

You’re invited to the 2020 Celebration of Philanthropy on March 12, 2020! Join us for the largest annual celebration of local philanthropy as we pay tribute to the individuals and organizations that dedicate their time and resources to make our region a more vibrant, equitable, and inclusive place to live. Mix and mingle with our region’s top local philanthropists, nonprofits, business, government, and community leaders, while toasting to The Community Foundation’s impact and legacy of bringing people and resources together for community change.

Photo of Mr. and Mrs. Clark courtesy of the Clark Foundation.

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

You’ll also experience the region’s vibrant local arts community while enjoying delicious food, an open bar, and networking opportunities. You can choose from an incredible line up of pop up performances of live music, theater, poetry, and dance from some of the region's most exciting nonprofits and local artists supported by The Community Foundation and our community of givers. To learn more about performance opportunities, please click here.

When you purchase a ticket or sponsorship for this event, you are also giving back to your community by supporting our efforts to build thriving communities throughout the region. Proceeds benefit The Community Foundation's Fund for Greater Washington, enabling us to make grants to effective nonprofits, incubate new ideas, convene partners to address community issues, and conduct programmatic initiatives and advocacy. Through this Fund, The Community Foundation invests in effective solutions to help our marginalized neighbors find pathways out of poverty, create diverse and inclusive spaces to deepen human connection, and prepare workers to succeed in our region’s changing economy.

Sponsorship Packages

We have a variety of sponsorship opportunities for organizations of all sizes and for individuals who want to celebrate with us and share their great work with an audience of 700+ community, philanthropic, local government, and business leaders— contact Emily Davis for more details.

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WHEN

Thursday, March 12, 2020
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

WHERE

New Location!

Andrew Mellon Auditorium
1301 Constitution Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20240

TICKETS

Ticket sales will open in January 2020

General Admission: $200

Nonprofit and Emerging Philanthropists: $125

Business Attire

Quarterly Update to Fundholders

Dear friends,

I hope this note finds you enjoying a happy and healthy start to your holiday season. In September, the Board of Trustees asked me to serve as Interim President and CEO, bridging Bruce McNamer’s departure and our search for a permanent successor. It is my pleasure to serve in this capacity and to continue the critical work of The Community Foundation. During this transition, I will continue to prioritize our efforts to Build Thriving Communities through local philanthropy, move full steam ahead on our impact initiatives across the region, and continue to cultivate and build strong partnerships with you, our fundholders. 

I am also excited to share the news that our Board of Trustees has elected Katharine Weymouth as our new Board Chair. As Katharine takes on this mantle, she continues a family a legacy of giving and service to the Greater Washington region. Her grandmother (and namesake) Katharine Graham, who ran The Washington Post for more than two decades, also served on the board of The Community Foundation for nearly a decade. Katharine Weymouth previously served as Publisher and CEO of The Washington Post, and today she serves on the Board of Graham Holdings and is the COO at DineXpert.

Thanks to your continued support and partnership, last quarter our community of givers awarded more than $15.3 million in grants to organizations serving the most critical needs of our communities. This included $1.95 million in grants from the Fund for Children, Youth, and Families, managed by The Community Foundation, to support 46 nonprofits making a difference around some of our region’s biggest challenges in education, homelessness, and foster care. We were pleased to release a new online dashboard featuring the impact of the City Fund, detailing our five-year partnership with the District to invest $15 million in local nonprofits providing quality services to make DC a healthy, stable, and vibrant place to live for all residents. We also held donor education and engagement events across the region, including a discussion of lessons learned from our strategic emergency response efforts during the partial Federal Government shutdown earlier this year.

These are only a few examples of the ways in which we partner with you and our entire community of givers and doers to strengthen our communities. To support and sustain this vital work, we rely on generous gifts from our donors and on Community Foundation Support Fees charged to fundholders like you. These fees both support our critical community impact work and enable us to provide you with high-quality fund management and philanthropic advisory services throughout the year.

As we announced this summer, our Board of Trustees voted to increase our baseline Community Foundation Support Fees for the first time in 10 years — affecting most scholarship funds and non-endowed donor-advised, designated, field of interest, memorial, and disaster relief funds. The revised fees schedule took effect on October 1, 2019 and will be reflected on your February 2020 fund statement (for the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2019). Please contact us if you have any questions.

With 2019 coming to an end, The Community Foundation's staff can assist with carrying out your charitable giving to maximize both the impact and tax benefits of your gifts. Now is an ideal time to consider replenishing your fund at The Community Foundation. You can add to your fund now and make grants any time you wish. Please be mindful of our December 16 deadline for your year-end grantmaking activities to ensure your recommended grantees receive their funds by December 31.

Your continued partnership and support are crucial as we seek to build thriving communities today and for generations to come. We welcome the opportunity to discuss how The Community Foundation can support your charitable interests.

Sincerely,

Tonia Wellons
Interim President and CEO

P.S. You can find more information and stories of impact on our website or by following us on social media (@communityfndn on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram).

Ensuring an Equitable Future for Our Region Through a Fair and Accurate Census Count

The 2020 Count DMV In Census Project is proud to announce its first round of grants to ensure an accurate, and complete census count in the Greater Washington region. Grants will support 20 local nonprofit organizations undertaking education, outreach, and assistance focused on hard-to-count communities in the region, ahead of the March 2020 census, with a goal of increasing census participation in those communities.

The 2020 Count DMV In Census Project recognizes that a complete and accurate census count is critical for advancing racial equity in our communities. Historically, the census count disproportionately left out communities of color, immigrants, young children, low-income, and rural households. It is estimated that more than 55,000 individuals were “undercounted” in this region in 2010. With that many people undercounted, the full picture of our communities and their needs cannot possibly be captured.

Video courtesy of the United Way of the National Capital Area, a funder of the 2020 Count DMV In Census Project.

When populations are undercounted in the census, communities are impacted in multiple ways, with communities of color the most adversely impacted. For example, the census count determines the number of representatives a region has in government. An undercount could mean less representation than necessary for some of our most hard-to-count populations, resulting in a loss of power, influence, and likely decreased focus and mismatched investments in their priorities and concerns, which will have real consequences for the next decade. Federal funding for social service programs – such as maternal and child health, Head Start, supplemental food programs, subsidized housing, and other human services (more than $24 billion to DC, Maryland, and Virginia combined!)— could be drastically reduced and fail to meet the full needs of our communities that are historically and persistently subjected to divestment. Businesses that are urgently needed – like grocery stores and healthcare providers – may fail to open in under-resourced neighborhoods because the data does not reflect current or potential for future demand.

With the importance of the census count in mind, we are proud to award a total of $287,000 to organizations committed to a fair and accurate count of all residents of the DMV. The organizations listed below are focusing on a variety of communities in our region, including people living with disabilities, communities of color, returning citizens, and more. These organizations also work with communities across the Greater Washington region, including DC, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Northern Virginia. We encourage you to read below to learn not only which organizations we funded, but also how they specifically plan to encourage historically undercounted communities to participate in the census and be heard.

Donors to the 2020 Count DMV In Census Project include Bainum Family Foundation, the Bauman Foundation, Consumer Health Foundation, Eugene & Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, United Way of the National Capital Area, and Weissberg Foundation. The Greater Washington Community Foundation administers grants on behalf of the project and conducted a rigorous application review process to vet grantee organizations for funding.

2020 Count DMV In Census Project Grant Recipients

Arc of the District of Columbia, Inc. to engage and educate people living with disabilities to complete the census with appropriate and accessible supports in place.

Asian American LEAD (AALEAD) to support efforts in Northern Virginia and Montgomery County to reach hard-to-count Asian-Pacific American populations.

CASA de Maryland, Inc. to support a census outreach program specifically promoting the participation of low-income immigrants and Latinx families in Northern Virginia.

DC Action for Children to engage children as youth ambassadors to convince families, friends, and neighbors to complete the 2020 census form and ensure that all people living in their household are counted.

District of Columbia Baptist Convention to support residents served by District of Columbia Baptist Convention’s interfaith member congregations in the DMV region through educational and awareness campaigns.

Edu-Futuro to reach hard-to-count Latinx populations in the DMV region through Linea Directa, a half-hour Spanish language program focusing on the importance of participating in the census. 

Ethiopian Community Center, Inc. to ensure that newly arrived African-immigrant residents in Montgomery County, MD have the information and support they need to participate fully in the 2020 census, by engaging individuals and families with limited English proficiency.

Greater Washington Urban League to fulfill the needs of census outreach and participation for people of color in the District, specifically wards 5, 7, and 8.

Justice for Muslims Collective (Defending Rights and Dissent Inc.) to engage Arab, Middle East Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA) communities and businesses through outreach and awareness building in the DMV region. 

La Clinica del Pueblo (Promotores) to support promotoras de salud (community health workers) who will conduct education and outreach to hard-to-reach Latinx populations to encourage participation in the 2020 census.

Latino Economic Development Corporation to educate and reach out to small businesses in DC on the importance of the census.

Montgomery College Foundation - Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center to support student ambassadors at Montgomery College to engage in strategic outreach in hard-to-count communities in Montgomery County, MD.

National Korean American Service and Education Consortium Inc. to support outreach activities including education and raising awareness of the census within the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in Northern Virginia.

Prince George’s County Children’s Resource Center to advance census work in Prince George’s County to engage families and children ages 0-5.

Progressive Maryland Education Fund to engage low-income residents and communities of color in Prince George’s County on their participation in the 2020 census.

Restaurant Opportunities Centers ROC United, Inc. to support ROC DC’s efforts to incorporate census work in its outreach and education programs designed for low-wage restaurant workers.

Seabury Resources for Aging to support outreach to low- to moderate-income older adults in DC and Silver Spring, MD.

United Planning Organization to host information sessions for participants in their training programs for people of color in wards 5,7, and 8 and encourage students in its employment training programs to apply for positions in support of the census. 

Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights Inc. to support outreach efforts in Northern Virginia, specifically to Latinx, Asian, and African immigrant communities.

Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement to support outreach efforts to communities of color and immigrant communities in Northern Virginia.

Black and Brown Coalition Announces Vision to End Inequities in Montgomery County Public Schools

Post by Kimberly Rusnak, Project Director for the Children's Opportunity Fund

“Everyone wins if we can tackle the achievement gap,” said Diego Uriburu, the Executive Director of Identity and a key leader in the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence.

As I sat in the auditorium at Gaithersburg High School for the Black and Brown Forum for Educational Equity and Excellence on the night of October 15, I was amazed by the power and energy in the room. The Black and Brown Coalition—a group of nonprofit partners led by Identity, a Montgomery County nonprofit serving Latino youth and families, and the NAACP of Montgomery County — shared moving data points, told stories, and led the audience to understand how black and brown children do not have access to the same opportunities as their peers.

This is what Black and Brown parent engagement looks like! More than 750 parents united in a shared passion for their schools to better serve their children. #BlackParentsMatter #LatinoParentsMatter #MocoEdEquityNow pic.twitter.com/VewcKpzmFJ

— The Education Trust (@EdTrust) October 16, 2019

¡Casa llena en el Foro de Equidad y Excelencia Educativa de @IdentityYouthMD y NAACP!#MoCoEdEquityForum pic.twitter.com/otVKge8agq

— MCPS en Español (@MCPSEspanol) October 15, 2019

Their data came from the Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) system, where educators commissioned a resource study that showed three dramatic inequities:

• Black and Latino students in MCPS from low-income families are 1.5 times more likely to have a novice teacher than their peers.

• Lower-income elementary and middle schools are much more likely to attend schools led by novice principals. In Title 1 elementary schools, more than half of the principals have less than 3 years of experience in MCPS, and more than 60% of low-income middle schools have a novice principal.

• Black and Latino students are less likely to have access to the most rigorous curriculum than their peers.

If you were not at the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence forum yesterday, this was the clearest evidence of opportunity gap faced by minority students who are routinely tracked low in math. @naacp_pcmd @IdentityYouthMD pic.twitter.com/PkrXhu9rcS

— Sunil Dasgupta (@sunildasgupta4) October 16, 2019

In addition to these powerful statistics, students shared stories about how this inequality affected their own educational experiences. Giankarlo Vera, an MCPS graduate, shared how he once dreamed of becoming a doctor. Despite an excellent GPA in honors classes, none of the counselors ever encouraged him to look at four-year universities or provided guidance on how to pursue his dream. He reflected,

“Where was all the support that I was promised when I enrolled in MCPS schools?”

Education is a key factor that impacts all aspects of life. A great education can pull an individual out of poverty. It is especially important in Montgomery County, a county with a reputation for an excellent school system, that everyone benefits.

One especially moving moment occurred when Ruby Rubens, a long-time education activist, shared that a group of concerned parents named 1977 made similar requests of MCPS 42 years ago. Despite a positive response from the administration at the time, not much has improved.

“Even when Black and Latino students from low-income families have the SAME score at the end of 6th grade as their peers, they are less likely to be enrolled in Algebra 1 in 7th grade”. Y’all this is us in 2019!

— Nicolle Grayson (@nyckieg) October 16, 2019

The time to act is now. Approximately 1,000 people attended the event on a Tuesday night – including elected officials, community organizations, parents, students, educators, and other groups of concerned citizens. They sent a message, loud and clear, that the Montgomery County community cares about equity in education.

I was proud to participate and represent the Children’s Opportunity Fund to pledge our support to strengthen education for all Montgomery County students. The Children’s Opportunity Fund is a proud partner, planner, and supporter of the Coalition’s work, including this forum. Through the Children’s Opportunity Fund, we will continue to invest in evidence-informed solutions to drive our community toward better outcomes for all. We recognize that no one person or organization can do this work alone. There is power in numbers.

Standing in Solidarity at the Black and Brown Forum! It was so exciting being a room full of passionate folks committed to changing outcomes for our students. The marathon continues! pic.twitter.com/W9vo0hBafJ

— Dr. Alana D. Murray (@DrADM75) October 16, 2019

We can no longer stand idly by and wait for others to get this right. We need to get loud. We need to push. We need to influence and demand positive change. The Children’s Opportunity Fund is ready to catalyze this change. In partnership with the Black and Brown Coalition, the Children’s Opportunity Fund will continue working to amplify community voice and ensure that county officials understand the importance of closing the achievement gap for all students in Montgomery County.

The @mocoedequitynow conversation will continue on Nov 19 at the NAACP Parents' Council Kick Off with a keynote by John B. King, President of the Education Trust pic.twitter.com/WX6a8aGxK1

— Anna Hargrave (@aahargrave) October 16, 2019

If you have questions or would like to support with the Children’s Opportunity Fund, please contact Kimberly Rusnak, Project Director for the Children's Opportunity Fund at [email protected].

New Cohort of Nonprofit Leaders Selected for Leadership Development Award

David Bradt, Shannon Babe-Thomas, Jorge Figueredo, Markus Larsson, Lecester Johnson, and Alex Orfinger pose together at the awards presentation.

We’re excited to announce the second cohort of the David Bradt Nonprofit Leadership Award: Shannon Babe-Thomas, Jorge Figueredo, Lecester Johnson, and Markus Larsson. These four nonprofit leaders were selected from among an impressive group of more than 45 applications and nominations. They will be awarded a grant to invest in their own professional development to enhance their leadership, creative thinking, strategy, management skills, and networks. We see this award as an investment in their future, and in the future of our nonprofit sector.

The award was named after and established in honor of David Bradt, a quietly effective leader and champion of the Greater Washington region’s nonprofit sector for several decades. A few years ago, his friend Alex Orfinger wanted to find a meaningful way to salute David’s many years of service to our local community. Teaming up with David’s wife, Diane Tipton, Alex and Diane 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 nonprofit leaders in the Greater Washington region to attend an intensive executive training program. Through investments in leadership development, the David Bradt Nonprofit Education Fund will have a long-lasting, tangible impact on our community by enhancing the capacity and influence of the region’s most effective nonprofits. Learn about the award’s first cohort: Lauren Biel, Patricia Funegra, and Adam Rocap.

With facilitation by The Community Foundation staff, the steering committee recently selected the following awardees:

David Bradt, Shannon Babe-Thomas, and Diane Tipton.

Shannon Babe-Thomas, Executive Director of Community Bridges

Community Bridges serves immigrant and minority girls, grades 4-12, and their families living at or below the federal poverty line in Montgomery County. By addressing the development needs of these girls, Community Bridges empowers them to become exception students, positive leaders, and healthy young women. Since Shannon became the executive director three years ago, Community Bridges has almost tripled the number of girls served to over 340 and doubled its cohort of mentors to 46. More than an executive director, Shannon is also a civic leader who listens to the community and thinks strategically about how Community Bridges can constantly improve to meet the evolving needs of its clients. Shannon plans to attend Stanford’s Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders.

David Bradt, Jorge Figueredo, and Diane Tipton.

Jorge Figueredo, Executive Director of Edu-Futuro

Edu-Futuro was established in 1998 to serve immigrant youth and families in Northern Virginia through its Emerging Leaders academic enrichment program for youth, its parent empowerment services, and its language enrichment programs for children. Since becoming Edu-Futuro’s executive director four years ago, Jorge has helped triple the number of clients served through Edu-Futuro’s programs to 1,694 and has been instrumental in growing the organization’s capacity. Jorge sets a tone of integrity, innovation, and creativity that will pave the way for Edu-Futuro’s success into the future. Jorge plans to attend Harvard Business Schools’ Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program.

David Bradt, Lecester Johnson, and Diane Tipton.

Lecester Johnson, CEO of Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School

Academy of Hope provides adult learners with the instructional programs and services they need to earn their high school credential, obtain workforce training, or continue onto advanced training or college. In her 13 years as CEO, Lecester has overseen Academy of Hope’s transition from a small, community-based volunteer literacy organization to an adult public charter school with Middle States Accreditation. She also helped to start and led the DC Adult and Family Literacy Coalition for three years, which advocated for resources that have helped move the needle for adult learners across the District, including the career pathways innovation fund and a fund for much-needed transportation support. Lecester plans to attend Stanford’s Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders.

David Bradt, Markus Larsson, and Diane Tipton.

Markus Larsson, Founder and Executive Director of Life Asset

Markus founded Life Asset to fill an unmet need for microloans and training for low-income entrepreneurs in the Greater Washington region. Since its creation, Life Asset has become the second largest Small Business Administration microlender in terms of number of loans under $50,000 in the country. In 2018, Life Asset provided 800 microloans and trained 1,600 entrepreneurs. Markus is known for his collaborative spirit and the learning culture he has created at Life Asset, which has helped it create a model for other microlenders. Markus is exploring management and entrepreneurship programs from Stanford, George Washington, and Georgetown.

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For more information about the awards, please contact Kate Daniel, Donor Services Associate.

What is Affordable Housing?

“We have goals. We have families. We are people. I lost my job and became homeless. I got another job, but couldn’t afford a home. I was homeless for 25 years, but no one knew. I took later shifts to have a place to be warm.” - Rhonda Whitaker, advocate with lived experience.

Having income from a job, Social Security disability benefits, or retirement benefits is no guarantee of being able to afford a place to live. Just over half of all single adults and over 80 percent of adults in families who are experiencing homelessness in DC have income of some kind, and like Rhonda, 22 percent of people experiencing homelessness in DC are employed. Affordable rental housing is housing that a person or family can obtain by paying no more than 30 percent of their income for rent. Anyone paying over 30 percent is considered rent-burdened by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In DC, a person earning minimum wage would need to work two full-time jobs in order to afford a one-bedroom apartment in our city at Fair Market Rent.

This housing affordability crisis doesn’t just impact the 6,500 people who experience homelessness on any given night in the District— it also puts families who have homes at risk. In DC, there are approximately 39,500 extremely low-income households who pay over 30 percent of their income on housing. Nearly two-thirds of these households spend over half their income on rent, and many pay 80 percent or more of their income on rent. Low-income families who live in unaffordable housing face increased food insecurity and are more likely to delay necessary medical care due to lack of funds. Children growing up in families without affordable housing often struggle in school. These households are only one unexpected expense or job loss away from becoming homeless. And with increasing economic challenges brought on by the COVID-19 crisis, this risk is growing.

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Understanding Median Family Income

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates Median Family Income (MFI) annually for each metropolitan area and non-metropolitan county. HUD uses this information to determine eligibility for assisted housing programs. In the DC Metro Area, a family of 4 with an income of up to $37,800 per year would be considered extremely low-income (0 to 30 percent MFI).

Issues of Equity and Affordable Housing

The median income for all DC households has increased considerably over the last decade when adjusted for inflation, but not all of our neighbors have benefited. According to a report from the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, Black households were the only major racial or ethnic group in DC to see no progress in household income in the last 10 years when adjusting for inflation. During the same period, housing prices in D.C. increased by 50 percent and rental prices increased by 55 percent in our region. 

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Housing is healthcare and everyone needs housing they can afford.

Affordable housing in DC is supported by a variety of construction and long-term financing tools. For example, the federal government provides Low Income Housing Tax Credits and funding for housing rental vouchers, and DC’s government has a Housing Production Trust Fund and Local Rent Supplement Program. DC also uses policies like inclusionary zoning to ensure that private market developments incorporate affordable units, and requires that up to one-third of new units built on public land sold for development be affordable. Nonprofits, faith-based institutions, and the private sector also help develop affordable housing. DC’s Douglass Community Land Trust uses an innovative model to acquire land to preserve its long-term affordability. Churches across the city provide low-cost land for affordable housing development. Private sector resources are brought to the table by groups like the Washington Housing Conservancy and the Washington Housing Initiative, both of which focus on building and preserving affordable workforce housing (60 to 80 percent of median family income).

But even with all of these resources and partners, creating an adequate supply of affordable housing for our lowest income neighbors, those making up to 60 percent of median family income, is challenging. Building and operating expenses — land, labor, basic materials, utilities, repairs, and maintenance — are largely the same for all apartment buildings no matter what rents tenants can afford to pay, which means that projects that provide affordable housing require more financial support and higher tolerance for investment risk. This is where philanthropic efforts, like the Partnership to End Homelessness, are most needed and best positioned to help solve the problem. Philanthropy is flexible, willing to take calculated risks, and committed to long-term and innovative investments that advance equity in our communities.

We know that in order to end homelessness in DC, we need to have housing that everyone can afford. That’s why we’re focused on increasing the supply of housing that is affordable for those who are most likely to experience homelessness and housing instability in our city.

The Partnership’s Impact Investment is one innovative tool that works to deliver affordable housing for individuals and families making up to 60 percent of median family income (MFI), with a priority on ensuring DC has affordable housing for extremely low-income residents (0-30 MFI). It pools philanthropic investments to support construction and long-term financing for affordable housing projects while delivering a return on investment. In its first year, the Partnership’s investment in Enterprise Community Loan Fund’s impact note has helped fund the development and preservation of 408 affordable units in DC, including 8 new units for extremely low-income formerly homeless individuals living with HIV/AIDS at Homes for Hope’s G Street Campus, and 50 new affordable units including 13 permanent supportive housing units for extremely low-income families on Eastern Avenue in NE DC.

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How You Can Help Create More Affordable Housing in DC

• Participating in the Partnership’s Impact Investment can aid in bringing financial resources to assist in the fight to end homelessness and housing insecurity by increasing the production of deeply affordable and supportive housig.

• Advocacy from the community is critical to ensuring that the city can continue to build affordable housing. This includes advocacy for increased budget for construction and long-term affordable housing programs. It also includes supporting new affordable housing developments in your neighborhood at local ANC and community meetings. Join the Partnership mailing list to be alerted to opportunities for action.