Peace for DC: Hope for Reducing Gun Violence in the District

By Amy L. Walter

My husband Chuck and I opened our donor-advised fund with The Community Foundation in 2020. At the time, we were eager to learn from The Community Foundation’s insight into local organizations and how they contribute to racial and economic equity. We initially focused on affordable housing and wealth building, which we viewed as foundational to people’s financial and overall well-being. We also participated in The Community Foundation’s Sharing DC program.

In the summer of 2021, our lives, and consequently the focus of our philanthropy, changed. During an after-dinner stroll in DC with our dear, longtime friends, Jerry Black and Cathy Feingold, gunshots rang out, and Jerry was struck and killed.

Cathy, in the midst of this unimaginable loss, focused attention on the gun violence so prevalent in many areas of our city and region. Gun violence in DC and other cities is a devasting problem. Homicides in the District nearly doubled in the four years leading to 2021. In recent years, an increasing number of gun violence victims have been children.

Cathy decided to establish a memorial fund for Jerry benefitting The TraRon Center, an organization providing art therapy and counseling to children affected by gun violence in Ward 8. The culturally responsive services The TraRon Center lovingly provides and the safe, healing space it creates have a demonstrable impact on children’s levels of PTSD.

Inspired by Cathy, I began learning about gun violence – from reading the research to attending panels to meeting with leaders of grassroots organizations. I met regularly with the founders of The TraRon Center and Guns Down Friday – an organization founded by Jawanna Hardy, one of The Community Foundation’s Black Voices for Black Justice DMV Fellows.

Here are some of the things that I learned:

• Research from around the country shows that community gun violence is a solvable problem. DC is learning from what works and targeting proven interventions toward the small number of people most likely to commit gun violence.

• ·Solving this problem is as much about racial equity and economic mobility as about safety and well-being. Black people are disproportionately the victims of gun violence in urban areas, and the communities affected by gun violence face significant adverse economic and educational consequences.

• In DC, there is momentum on this issue. For many years, community-based organizations (CBOs) with deep knowledge of the people and communities most affected have been working tirelessly to address this problem. More recently, the media are shining a spotlight on it, residents are demanding action, and the DC government is allocating greater resources to those doing this critical work.

This research led me to the Peace for DC Fund – a component fund at The Community Foundation that is playing a leading role in moving the District forward. Since its founding in 2021, Peace for DC has brought together CBOs, researchers, and the government to collaborate in solving the problem of gun violence. It has educated the public on proven solutions and supported the development of the District’s Gun Violence Reduction Strategic Plan. It has delivered financial and technical support to CBOs closest to the ground – all with the goal of reducing homicides in DC by 60 percent over five years.

In 2022, Peace for DC took the important step of launching the DC Peace Academy, grounded in the best practice of providing high-quality training to Community Violence Intervention (CVI) workers. These CVI workers put themselves at risk by connecting with the hardest-to-reach individuals, who are most likely to commit gun violence, so they choose another path. The Peace Academy gives CVI workers affiliated with different organizations the chance to learn from and support one another. In December 2022, Chuck and I were fortunate to attend the DC Peace Academy’s second cohort graduation ceremony, which we found deeply moving and inspiring.

Based on our strong belief in Peace for DC, Chuck and I have made a five-year financial commitment to support the powerful work they do. By contributing to Peace for DC, we not only help to heal and support people affected by gun violence; we help prevent gun violence-related deaths from ever occurring – a prospect that gives us hope for a safer future. We encourage you to learn more about Peace for DC’s visionary work in moving toward a District free from gun violence.

Amy L. Walter is an education professional with 20 years of experience combining classroom teaching, policy work, and nonprofit strategic planning and investment, in the U.S. and overseas. She and her husband, Chuck Szymanski, live in Washington, DC with their teenage daughter. For more information about the Peace for DC Fund, visit https://www.peacefordc.org/

Oh, What a Night! The Community Foundation Hosts 50th Anniversary Celebration of Philanthropy

Terri Lee Freeman is presented with the 2023 Spirit of Philanthropy Award. The award was presented by Charito Kruvant and Kenny Emson, who served as 50th Anniversary Co-Chairs for the event.

On May 3rd, The Community Foundation hosted the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Philanthropy — celebrating 50 Years of History, Hope, and Healing in the Greater Washington region.

The evening began with a special VIP reception, where representatives from the Prince George’s County Government and Montgomery County Government presented The Community Foundation with proclamations, honoring the organization’s legacy and commitment to the region. The Community Foundation was also honored by the recognition of elected officials from DC, Virginia and Maryland — including a special video message from MD-Rep. Jamie Raskin.

After the VIP reception, guests were lead down into the theater by the Eastern Senior High School Blue & White Marching Machine, where they were greeted by the evening’s emcee, NBC4’s Shawn Yancy.

Richard Bynum, Chair of The Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees kicked off the program and introduced Tonia Wellons, President & CEO of The Community Foundation, who delivered some brief remarks.

“Some say the racial wealth gap is too big to be solved, but we believe it’s too urgent to be ignored.”

— Tonia Wellons

In her remarks, Tonia paid homage to the incredible men and women over The Community Foundation’s 50 year legacy — including the late Bob Linowes and the Honorable Wayne Curry. She also expressed her gratitude for how far The Community Foundation has come — and the future it is working towards — closing the racial wealth gap in the Greater Washington region.

Following Tonia’s remarks, the 50th Anniversary Host Committee Co-Chairs, Charito Kruvant and Kenny Emson presented the 2023 Spirit of Philanthropy Award to Terri Lee Freeman.

Terri was the longest-serving and first Black female President and CEO of The Community Foundation from 1996-2014. During her tenure, Terri was recognized by the Washington Business Journal as one of its “Women Who Mean Business” and by Washingtonian Magazine as a “Washingtonian of the Year” and “100 Most Powerful Women of Washington”.

Since leaving The Community Foundation, she has pursued her passion for civil rights and social justice as the former President of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, and now as the Executive Director of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture in Baltimore.

Following a special tribute video, Terri sat down with Shawn Yancy for a brief fireside chat, where they discussed aspects of Terri’s legacy and her aspirations for the future.

Following the fireside chat, guests enjoyed an evening of food, fun, dance and entertainment provided by artists and nonprofit partners from across the region.

A special thank you to Eastern Senior High School, Levine Music, Baila4Life, Sole Defined, Metrostage, Christylez Bacon, and DJ Face for sharing their time and talents with us. It was truly an unforgettable evening!

Click here for a complete recording of the Evening Program. Additional photos from the evening can also be found on our SmugMug Album.

Elected Officials Congratulate The Community Foundation on 50th Anniversary

The Prince George’s County Council represented by Council Member Krystal Oriadha (District 7), presented The Community Foundation with a proclamation in honor of its 50th Anniversary

The Montgomery County Council represented by Council President Evan Glass (At-Large), Council Member Will Jawando (At-Large), and County Executive Marc Elrich, presented The Community Foundation with a proclamation in honor of its 50th Anniversary.

The Community Foundation is proud to collaborate with local elected leaders to promote positive change and build stronger communities in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

As we celebrate our 50th Anniversary, here are just a few of the leaders who send their well wishes to The Community Foundation and it’s supporters:

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser congratulated The Community Foundation on its 50 years of exemplary service to our communities.

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) commends The Community Foundation for it’s contributions to a vast array of important causes in the Washington Metropolitan area.

Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) thanks The Community Foundation and its donors for unleashing the power of philanthropy to help “people of all races, places, and identities reach their full potential”

Governor Glen Youngkin (R-VA) commends The Community Foundation for being a beacon of hope for countless members of the community.

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) issued this US Senate Citation in The Community Foundation’s honor, “with gratitude for its outstanding community investment and civic leadership….as the Washington DC region’s largest local funder”.

Congressional Recognition
Presented by the Honorable Donald S. Beyer Jr. of Virginia in the House of Representatives on the House Floor on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.

Mr. Speaker, I, alongside my colleagues, Representative IVEY, Representative HOYER, Representative RASKIN, and Delegate HOLMES NORTON, wish to honor The Greater Washington Community Foundation for 50 years of service in the region. The Greater Washington Community Foundation will commemorate this momentous milestone on May 3, 2023, with philanthropists, nonprofits, businesses, and community members at the Smithsonian’s National Museum for African American History and Culture.

In 1973, a group of prominent business and civic leaders—including Henry ‘‘Hank’’ Strong, Polly Shackleton, Davidson Sommers, Bishop John Walker, and Joseph Whyte—came together to establish a local community foundation to ‘‘promote a permanent source of philanthropic capital for the Washington Metropolitan region.’’

Over time, the Greater Washington Community Foundation has grown to become the largest local funder serving this region, with more than $1.5 billion invested to build equitable, just, and thriving communities in D.C., Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Northern Virginia. Under the leadership of CEO Tonia Wellons, the Greater Washington Community Foundation continues to galvanize philanthropic resources and strategically invest in solutions to a wide range of issues impacting our communities—from education to housing stability, food security, workforce development, and crisis response.

The Greater Washington Community Foundation is now committed to leading our community in a movement that will help increase economic mobility and close our region’s racial wealth gap to create a better future for our region where everyone prospers.

Please join the regional delegation and I in honoring the 50th anniversary of the Greater Washington Community Foundation on May 3, 2023. We urge all the citizens of the greater Washington area to join in celebrating this very special occasion.

Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD 8th District) recorded this message for The Community Foundation's Celebration of Philanthropy, in honor of the organization's 50th Anniversary.

Faces of Sharing - Getting to Know Sharing DC Member Maggie Prieto

First-time Sharing DC members Maggie Prieto and her husband Mark Michael started their Donor-Advised Fund with The Community Foundation this past year.

“The Community Foundation really fit with our giving philosophy,” Maggie explained. “We were impressed with how purposeful and in sync they were with our philanthropic values.”

A former Civil Rights Disabilities Lawyer with the US Department of Justice, Maggie has been heavily involved in the DC nonprofit scene for several decades – generously donating money, time, and professional expertise to champion the cause of changemakers in the region. In addition to working at organizations like The National Council de La Raza (now known as UnidosUS) and Ayuda, Maggie has served on the boards of the Latin American Youth Center, Mary’s Center, and the Rosemount Center.

So when Maggie and Mark were invited to join Sharing DC, they were intrigued at the possibility of learning more about the evolution of a field they know so well.

Mark is an entrepreneur; a political science major who moved to DC from California with the idea of starting an up-scale catering company. Years later, Maggie and Mark say they have a deep appreciation for young entrepreneurs – especially in the social impact space.

“Part of why we joined Sharing DC was to learn more about ‘social impact entrepreneurs’ – smaller organizations with new and exciting ideas about how to make an impact in DC. We wanted to learn more about the work they’re doing and how it aligns with the organizations we already support.”

Maggie and Mark also enjoyed meeting and working with fellow philanthropists from a variety of different backgrounds and experiences.

“It is so important in philanthropy to have a diversity of voices at the table,” Maggie explained. “Diversity allows you to have a deeper and richer understanding of what’s possible and the resources, tools, and ideas that are required to do the work.”

As a daughter of immigrants who worked extensively with immigrant populations over her professional career, Maggie was able to bring a unique perspective to the group that helped inform the grantmaking process. She was also able to make a small personal grant to one of the applicants that didn’t receive funding.

“I think informed philanthropy is much more effective philanthropy. When you meet the leaders of an organization, learn about their mission, what drives them and the impact they’re having – you are empowered to do so much more compared to simply giving to an organization because a close friend recommended it to you.”

“If you’re committed to making your community better through philanthropy, Sharing DC gives you a great opportunity to gain invaluable insight and connect with other folks who are doing the same thing.”

Community Foundation's Sharing Community Funds Announce $810,000 in Funding for Regional Nonprofits

The Greater Washington Community Foundation is excited to announce $810,000 in grants awarded through its Sharing Community Funds this past cycle.

The Sharing Community Funds bring together donors who share our passion for building more equitable, just, and thriving communities.  With expert facilitation by Community Foundation staff, donors join together to learn first-hand about the challenges facing our community. Thanks to the generosity of this growing community of givers, together we discover and invest in visionary nonprofits working on the frontlines of our region’s most pressing needs.   

In alignment with our Strategic Vision, the Sharing Community Funds focused on the three intervention areas of the racial wealth gap — Basic Needs, Economic Mobility, and Community Wealth Building.

See Below for a complete list of our nonprofit partners for 2023, sorted by category.

Photo Courtesy of Montgomery County Food Council

2023 Sharing Community Fund
Nonprofit Partners - Basic Needs

• Sharing DC Grant Recipients

  Dreaming Out Loud (2022 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to create economic opportunity for DC’s marginalized communities through creating a healthy, equitable food system by driving a new framework for sustainable economic development for Black and Brown DC residents, food entrepreneurs, and farmers in our region.

  DC Greens to advance health equity and systemic change through advocacy and direct service programs, including Food is Medicine and urban farming.

  DC Kincare Alliance (2023 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to provide legal, financial, and related services to relative caregivers who step up to at-risk DC children in times of crisis when their parents are not able to care for them.

  Safe Sister Circle to provide holistic, trauma-informed services to Black women and girls from DC Ward’s 7 and 8 who are survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence.

• Sharing Montgomery Grant Recipients

  AfriThrive to empower African immigrants to grow and share healthy, culturally appropriate produce with residents facing food insecurity.

  Black and Brown Coalition (2022 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to engage underserved families to advocate for federal, state, and local supports of intensive and research-based academic interventions targeted toward students with the greatest need.

  Care for Your Health for culturally sensitive in-home health care for seniors.

  Community Bridges, Inc to empower girls in elementary, middle and high schools through leadership development, college and career readiness, and family support and mentoring.

  Crittenton Services of Greater Washington to help teenage girls achieve academic and personal success through virtual and school-based cohort programs.

  Crossroads Community Food Network to provide training and support for startup food businesses, healthy eating education, and farmers’ market nutrition incentives at the popular Crossroads Farmers Market.

  Horizons Greater Washington to support students from low-income families with academic, artistic, and athletic activities for nine years, from kindergarten through eighth grade.

  Manna Food Center to work to eliminate hunger through food distribution, healthy eating education, and advocacy.

  Mary's Center for health care, education, social services, and ongoing COVID-19 response that builds a healthier and stronger community.

  Montgomery County Food Council (2022 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to build a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable local food system. Its leadership helps the many county food providers strategically work together to better serve the 100,000+ residents who do not know where their next meal will come from.

  Montgomery Housing Partnership, Inc (MHP) to develop affordable rental housing and offer Community Life programs that support young children and their families at home, ultimately strengthening neighborhoods.

  National Alliance on Mental Illness of Montgomery County (NAMI MC) to provide comprehensive support, education, advocacy and public awareness to promote recovery for those affected by mental illness.

  Rainbow Community Development Corporation to fund food security relief and other services including eviction and utility cutoff prevention, and temporary shelter, job search and resume assistance.

• Sharing Prince George's Grant Recipients

  Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Prince George’s County (2022 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to partner with the juvenile court to improve the lives of children living in foster care who have suffered from abuse and neglect. With a strong commitment to diversity, CASA/ Prince George’s County trains and supervises volunteers from the community who advocate for the best interest of children, recognizing and respecting each child’s individual needs. By providing a voice to children in the foster care system, it’s goal is to help children and promote the timely placement of those they serve in safe, permanent homes.

  Community Crisis Services Inc. (2022 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to provide compassionate crisis support through its hotline, safe-shelter programs and information and referral services.

  Community and Family Youth Services (CAFY) (2022 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to guide child crime victims in Prince George’s County through the process of testifying in court. CAFY empowers victims and their families to gain the confidence to help hold offenders accountable, restore families and educate the community. They are the designated victim services provider for the four largest law enforcement departments in Prince George’s County. Their mission is “to embrace, educate, and empower those impacted, affected or harmed by crime or trauma on their journey to justice and healing”. All victims are embraced – irrespective of age, gender, religion, ethnic background or sexual orientation.

  Hillside Work Scholarship Connection (2022 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to provide compassionate crisis support through its hotline, safe-shelter programs and information and referral services.

  Sowing Empowerment & Economic Development (SEED) to provide food, education, and training while promoting self-sufficiency and empowerment directly to low-to-moderate-income families.

Photo Courtesy of CollegeTracks

2023 Sharing Community Fund
Nonprofit Partners - Economic Mobility

• Sharing DC Grant Recipients

  Beloved Community Incubator (2023 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to help workers create and maintain their own businesses through worker owned cooperatives, collective projects, and business ownership.

  Young Doctors DC to provide mentoring, educational programming, and service-learning opportunities to encourage high school boys in Southeast DC to pursue healthcare careers.

• Sharing Montgomery Grant Recipients

  Career Catchers (2023 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to provide personalized employment and job skills counseling for low-income and chronically under-employed residents.

  CollegeTracks (2023 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to improve college access and retention rates for students at risk of not attending college, primarily first-generation, low-income, minority, and immigrant youth.

  Future Link to provide career counseling, mentoring, tutoring, academic advising, scholarships, and internships to help connect disadvantaged youth to post-secondary educational opportunities.

  Generation Hope to mentor and provide scholarships for teen parents pursuing college degrees. It also delivers early childhood resources so scholars’ children begin kindergarten with a strong academic foundation.

  Identity, Inc to serve Latino and other historically underserved youths and their families. Identity helps youths develop social and emotional skills, excel in school, and get ready to enter the workforce.

  Interfaith Works to provide emergency assistance and counseling, vocational services, food distributions, clothing, and shelter for those experiencing homelessness.

  Kingdom Global Community Development Corporation to distribute food, diapers, and COVID-19 support at the East County Services Consolidation Hub, along with other public-private partnerships that address food security, health and wellness, education, employment, and housing.

  Montgomery College Foundation to support the Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success (ACES) program that provides underrepresented students with a seamless and supportive pathway to a bachelor’s degree.

  Per Scholas National Capital Region (NCR) to run an intensive technology training course that empowers individuals – especially people of color, women, and young adults – to pursue high-growth tech careers.

  Red Wiggler Community Farm to support on-farm training and education for adults with developmental disabilities. Half of its organic produce is donated to low-income households throughout the county.

  Sheppard Pratt (formerly Family Services) for clinical health services, rehabilitation services, services to children youth and families, and community and family services, such as Linkages to Learning and domestic violence supports.

  The Upcounty Hub to supply families with food, healthcare assistance, and connections to other essential resources, while maintaining their privacy and dignity.

• Sharing Prince George's Grant Recipients

  CASA de Maryland, Inc. (2022 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to create a more just society by building power and improving the quality of life in working class and immigrant communities. Their vision is for a future in which immigrants stand in their own power, their families live free from discrimination and fear, and diverse communities thrive as they work with partners to achieve full human rights for all.

  Community Outreach & Development CDC to provide resources that meet the varying needs of households in a compassionate center approach, that focuses on the needs of individual households. Particular focuses of this grant will be to expand partnership with Oxon Hill Elementary School, increase healthy food options and emergency financial support.

  Ivy Community Charities to provide community outreach through education, health, leadership development, cultural arts and economic empowerment. Economic self-sufficiency programs cover financial literacy, budgeting, banking, investing, scholarships, career planning and work transition skills

  Joe's Movement Emporium to offer creative cultural experiences supporting arts education, job training, and building a creative community. Recently, the nonprofit’s work has included establishment of a Suitland location and expansion of their presence in the area.

  The Training Source to provide education, training, and services that promote positive economic mobility for residents. A priority of this grant would be to better meet the demand for services by expanding to serve additional clients.

Photo Courtesy of IMPACT Silver Spring

2023 Sharing Community Fund
Nonprofit Partners -
Individual & Community Wealth Building

• Sharing DC Grant Recipients

  Empower DC (2022 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to enhance, improve and promote the self-advocacy of low- and moderate-income DC residents through grassroots organizing, popular education style training, leadership development, and member-led campaigns strategically designed to influence pressing social issues impacting our constituency.

  Marshall Heights Community Development Organization to increase economic equity through advancements in homeownership, employment, entrepreneurship, healthcare, and public safety.

• Sharing Montgomery Grant Recipients

  Capital Area Asset Building Corporation to provide financial literacy and matched savings programs, enabling low-income residents to become financially stable and pursue their dreams.

  IMPACT Silver Spring (2023 Multi-Year Grant Recipient) to fund community-building work for a racially and economically equitable community in which people can take collaborative action to enact lasting change.

  Montgomery Moving Forward to convene leaders from government, business, philanthropy, education, and nonprofits to solve complex problems facing the county. Through capacity building programs, MMF’s leaders advocate around pressing issues of economic opportunity and early childhood education.

  Nonprofit Montgomery to support local organizations with government relations, advocacy, strategic communications, financial management, metrics tracking, and cross-sector problem solving. With this support, grantees of Sharing Montgomery can access personalized support and connections to help deepen their impact.

• Sharing Prince George's Grant Recipients

  Central Kenilworth Avenue Revitalization (CKAR) to implement projects in the Greater Riverdale community, including community and economic development, workforce training, environmental sustainability, business retention, and advocacy efforts. In part, this grant will support a café training program focused on financial stability for participants.

  Housing Initiative Partnership to provide neighborhood revitalization through innovative, green housing development and counseling – including bilingual housing counseling and financial coaching.

Statement on Proposed FY2024 DC Budget

As a foundation committed to ending homelessness and increasing deeply affordable housing - and to leveraging private sector investment for these purposes - we are deeply troubled that the proposed FY2024 DC budget represents a major step backwards in our collective effort to address homelessness and housing instability, after years of laudable progress. By cutting programs that prevent homelessness and by failing to expand housing opportunities for people experiencing homelessness, the proposed budget would likely lead to a major increase in evictions, a growing number of residents living in unsafe or unhealthy conditions, an increase in homelessness, and wider racial and economic inequity in DC.

Despite some signs of economic progress, the reality for most DC residents with low incomes, nearly all of whom are Black or Brown, is much starker. Rents are rising sharply, even in rent-controlled units, while high food prices are increasing hunger and food insecurity. The phase out of federal pandemic aid has led to cuts in SNAP benefits and a risk that many will lose Medicaid coverage. It is no wonder that nearly 40,000 DC renter households pay more than half their income for housing or that emergency rental assistance funds (ERAP) ran out less than half-way into the year. People are having to make difficult choices between paying for rent, food, or prescriptions.

This is no time to cut programs vital to ending homelessness and increasing housing stability. Yet, the proposed FY 2024 budget would cut ERAP by more than 80 percent and cut the Project Reconnect homelessness prevention program in half. It would provide no funds to expand permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness, stopping progress that has been made every year since 2014.

We urge the DC Council to reverse deep budget cuts in critical housing and homelessness programs, and to use the budget to make continued momentum toward ensuring everyone in DC has housing they can afford.

New Developing Families Maternal Health Fund Launches Ahead of Black Maternal Health Week

The Greater Washington Community Foundation has partnered with the Developing Families Center (DFC) on the launch of its Developing Families Maternal Health Fund – a $5 million investment supporting life-saving maternal health efforts. The announcement comes ahead of Black Maternal Health Week, a national campaign to raise awareness around maternal health outcomes for women of color.

“The launch of the Developing Families Maternal Health Fund marks an important step in reversing existing disparities and biases, especially for women of color,” says The Community Foundation’s President & CEO Tonia Wellons. “Our collaboration with DFC brings forth the dire need for continued resources that promote positive maternal health outcomes, as the fund will support projects laser-focused on health equity.”

The new fund will invest in community-based organizations within Wards 5, 7 and 8, where women of color continue to experience health disparities and face socioeconomic and structural challenges when it comes to accessing affordable and quality maternal care.

Investments will be made in key focus areas that include systems of care, maternal health education and advocacy efforts, and projects that demonstrate DEI efforts and capacity building. The fund highlights an urgent need in DC, where Black women account for 90% of all-pregnancy related deaths.

“Through our funding efforts, we are able to support the advancement of accessible, quality and equitable maternal health programs, services and initiatives – giving women of color and their families a brighter outlook,” says DFC Executive Director Ruth Pollard.

Founded in 1994 by Dr. Ruth Lubic, a pioneer in the American nurse-midwifery movement, DFC was created to address the devastating decline of maternal and infant health care in District by empowering women of color through primary care, maternal and newborn care, social services, and early childhood development services.

Scholarships for DC Students Now Available!

Looking for fun activities for your child to do this summer? Activity Scholarships for DC Students are now available through Learn24’s OST Youth Scholarship Program.

Learn24 is the name for the network that supports equitable access to high-quality, Out-of-School-Time (“OST”) programs for the District’s students. The OST Youth Scholarship Program is a new program, managed by the Greater Washington Community Foundation, with the goal of increasing access to OST programs for students with specific needs. Specifically, the program will support students who may be identified as at-risk.

Examples of programs that the scholarship may support include, but are not limited to, programs designed specifically for students with disabilities, advanced learners, and English Language Learners. Individuals not considered at-risk may also be eligible to receive a scholarship based on need and availability of funding.

Scholarships of up to $10,000 are available for individual students for use in approved OST activities in calendar year 2023, including both current summer activities and those expected to begin with the start of the new school year. The minimum scholarship award is $1,000. Scholarship funds can be used for any OST activities that have a cost association up to the total scholarship amount.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and must be submitted online, using the link provided. No hard copy, email or faxed proposals will be accepted. Applications are reviewed monthly by The Community Foundation and approved by Learn24. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions within 4 weeks of application submission.

For those seeking additional information, click here to read the full RFP.

If you have questions, please contact Benton Murphy at [email protected]

Grantmaking for Success: Approaching the Evaluation Process with Equity in Mind

On March 20, the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s Health Equity Fund hosted its first IDEA Summit for nonprofit partners from its inaugural $9.2 million grant round. The event brought together nonprofit leaders from across DC at the historic True Reformer Building to discuss what is often the most dreaded part of the grantmaking process – reporting and evaluation.

“Our goal here is to figure out how we can scale up those things that are working,” Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of The Community Foundation shared. “To come together as partners and be laser-focused on what we’re measuring and how we show impact.”

“What we’re doing here is co-designing success,” Dr. Brandy Farrar, a Managing Director for American Institutes for Research (AIR) explained. AIR serves as the evaluation partner for the Health Equity Fund. “Instead of establishing an arbitrary checklist of universal benchmarks, we want to work with each of you to identify what success looks like and how can we measure it.”

Partners were organized into tables based on their focus area and geographic location. Each table was given a set of discussion questions and was encouraged to set aside time to network and share ideas with their tablemates. This networking proved invaluable for many partners, as they were able to make connections with fellow changemakers within their respective spaces.

“Y’all are so inspiring,” one leader shared. “It’s so amazing to be here and see all the connections between the work that we do.”

“We represent such a diverse array of folks here,” another added. “And yet there’s this common thread in coming together in the continuum of care for our community.”

“I’m excited to feel a lot of love in this room – you gotta love on people, because once you start loving on people, you start seeing how the world can change.”

Responses from Group members when asked about organizations that they partner with.

Each group was then asked to ‘co-design success’ by identifying what success looks like – including the actions, beneficiaries, and impact behind each. Groups were encouraged to brainstorm beyond the scope of their individual organizations – allowing them to think creatively and on a macro scale about the impact of their work. The result was a list of solutions that stretched from increasing food bank access for seniors to reforming eligibility for government assistance programs.

The groups also had opportunities to answer questions about an array of topics such as promoting staff wellness, supporting diverse perspectives in the workplace, sharing resources with local government, and common evaluation challenges. All responses were collected by the AIR Evaluation team and will be used to help establish the evaluation benchmarks.

“This event is as much for our partners as it is for us,” Dr. Marla Dean, Senior Director of the Health Equity Fund shared. “Our goal is to use IDEA summits to better inform and orient future funding opportunities.”

“But it’s also about equity,” she continued. “The more we take time to listen to our partners – the ones who are on the ground, doing the work – the better we can understand from each one what success looks like and how we, as a philanthropic partner, can provide support that goes beyond the dollar figures.”

Bridging the Health and Wealth Gap Through Guaranteed Income

In September 2022, The Community Foundation announced the inaugural grant round for the Health Equity Fund — a $95 million fund designed to improve health outcomes for DC residents through an economic mobility framework.

A number of those inaugural grantees are currently (or will soon become) part of the growing Guaranteed Income or Cash Transfer movement — a group of initiatives and pilot programs across the country that are using cash payments to provide direct assistance to community members.

As part of our journey to understand the impact that these programs can have in our community, we reached out to some of our partners to understand how providing direct cash assistance helps the communities they serve.

My Sister’s Place

My Sister’s Place (MSP) emergency cash transfer program, RISE Trust, serves 45 families who have experienced domestic violence. Financial abuse goes hand-in-hand with domestic abuse, and is one of the main reasons survivors stay in, and return to, abusive relationships.

MSP is providing $500/month for 24 months to our participants. Equally as important, financial literacy and programs with our partner, Capital Area Asset Builders, will allow our participants to gain financial education, the combination leading to financially empowered and hopeful families.

Just 3 months into the program participants are getting their credit scores for the first time, creating financial goals, and learning about how trauma affects finances. Participants reported being able to drop a part-time job and having more time with their children, paying off credit card bills, feeling a new sense of hope and a reduction in stress. We are excited to see the impact after 24 months.

Mother’s Outreach Network

Mother’s Outreach Network (MON) deploys policy advocacy, legal programs, and community building to address and strengthen the social determinants of health for Black mothers. MON is specifically focused on Black family preservation -- building the economic security of Black mothers involved with Washington, DC’s Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA). These women are some of the city’s most economically marginalized mothers.

In 2019, 4 out of every 5 D.C. cases in foster care stemmed from neglect-based allegations alone. These were cases where parents were charged with harming the “health or welfare” of a child under 18 years of age by failing to accord them “adequate food, clothing, shelter, education or medical care.” 

To combat this, in 2021, MON conceived of a guaranteed income pilot research program to provide monthly unconditional cash payments for three years to DC residents that identify as Black mothers and have current or recent involvement in the child welfare system. Set to launch in three phases starting in early April 2023, MON's program seeks to inform policy around how poverty reduction affects involvement of parents in the child welfare system.

Capital Area Asset Builders

Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB) started to be involved in the guaranteed income and cash transfer movement in the Fall of 2017. At CAAB we strongly believe that in order to achieve poverty alleviation, financial stability and long-term prosperity community members need access to information, education, empowerment, and money. No one community member can ever be directly serviced out of poverty. Without access to money one’s dreams and aspirations cannot be converted into goals and actions. With access to money, they can be.

Since early 2018, CAAB has been managing DC Flex, the nation’s first eviction- and homelessness-prevention cash transfer program. DC Flex is funded by the DC Department of Human Services (DHS) for the benefit of low-income TANF-receiving families to be able to pay rent on time and thus avoid eviction and homelessness. Since the creation of DC Flex, we have seen the significant impact the program has in enabling a family to stay housed, avoid financial hardships, and be put on a pathway to financial security. DC Flex goes beyond providing cash assistance. Program participants also receive financial wellness services provided by CAAB: bank accounts, budget management, financial wellness workshops, one-on-one confidential financial coaching sessions, information on the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit, as well as access to free tax preparation services.

DC Flex was supposed to be a 4-year long pilot program for 125 low-income families in Washington, DC with total annual cash transfers of $900,000. Because of its deep impact, DC Flex has now grown to benefit 669 low-income families and 125 low-income individuals with total annual cash transfers of over $6.5 million. In addition to DC Flex, over the past 4 years CAAB has also partnered with several private sector and non-profit sector partners to manage 7 other guaranteed income and cash transfer initiatives. We celebrate and applaud all entities offering guaranteed income and cash transfer programs.

Budgeting to End Homelessness: A Letter to DC Mayor Bowser

Dear Mayor Bowser:

I am writing on behalf of the Greater Washington Community Foundation and its Partnership to End Homelessness Leadership Council. We are very grateful for your ongoing leadership to reduce homelessness, and we applaud your bold third-term goals to advance economic and racial equity. As you work to develop your Fiscal Year 2024 budget proposal, we ask that your agenda for equity prioritize ending chronic homelessness and making substantial investments in affordable housing for DC households with extremely low incomes (0-30 MFI). In addition, we urge you to take steps to connect DC residents experiencing homelessness with the substantial number of vouchers funded for this purpose in recent years.

As you know, the Partnership to End Homelessness is a collective effort of private sector business leaders, philanthropists, and national and local nonprofits working to ensure homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring. The Partnership provides direct investments to strengthen the homeless services system and increase the supply of deeply affordable and supportive housing in every ward of the city. We know that the private sector and philanthropy play an important role in supporting and funding efforts to end homelessness. However, we also know the city’s success depends on the leadership of the DC government in both adequately funding and skillfully implementing evidence-based solutions.

Our FY 2024 budget recommendations align with the recommendations of our community advocacy partners. The recommendations below reflect several realities: the ongoing economic instability resulting from the pandemic, the need for continued funding to end chronic homelessness, the challenges DC has faced to implement the vouchers funded in recent years, and the enormous need for deeply affordable housing. Our recommendations are as follows:

Expand Permanent Supportive Housing and Targeted Affordable Housing to end chronic homelessness: We recommend:

• $36.6 million in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) to end chronic homelessness for 1,260 single adults

• $18.9 million for PSH for 480 families and $58.4 million for Targeted Affordable Housing for 1,920 families. These investments would end homelessness for all families who are living in shelters or struggling with the uncertainty and challenges of Rapid Re-Housing.

Support Emergency Rental Assistance for all who need it: One-sixth of DC residents with low incomes are behind on their rent. Meanwhile, rents continue to rise sharply, even in rent controlled units. The pandemic and its ongoing impacts highlight the critical importance of funding emergency rental assistance at much higher levels than before the pandemic. Due to the combination of rising rents, the higher numbers of eviction filings and the higher number of actual evictions, sustained and increased ERAP funding is needed to avert preventable evictions and increases in homelessness and housing instability. We recommend:

• $117 million in FY 202 to fund DC’s ERAP program.

Provide sufficient staffing to put residents into PSH: A shortage of case managers and outreach workers has made it hard for the District to connect residents who are eligible for PSH with housing. This failure contributes to the inability to help residents move from tent encampments to their own home and results in human suffering and widespread frustration.

• We urge you to provide enough funding in the Department of Human Services for the staffing needed to ensure every available unit of PSH is connected with a resident experiencing homelessness.

• We ask you to work closely and urgently with the DC housing Authority to identify and implement collaborative solutions to address long processing times for vouchers.

Preserve Public Housing, Expand Affordable Housing: Housing is the solution to homelessness. We urge you to make a substantial commitment to affordable housing for households earning 0- 30 percent of the Median Family Income (MFI). Expanding deeply affordable housing, paired with targeted funding to end homelessness, will create the long-term housing stability needed to provide security to all DC residents and to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring. We recommend:

• $60 million to repair and preserve public housing.

• $17.3 million for 800 Local Rent Supplement Tenant Vouchers, to assist those on the DC Housing Authority waitlist.

Support safe and affordable housing for targeted populations: The District’s housing investments should take into account the unique needs of certain populations. To that end, we recommend:

• $18.6 million for housing for victims of domestic violence, including building new permanently affordable housing, supporting transitional housing, and providing emergency housing support. Collectively, this will support 166 families.

• $1.3 million to provide tenant vouchers to 60 returning citizens

Create storage options for people experiencing homelessness: One of the traumatizing consequences of experiencing homelessness is the inability to safely secure and maintain one’s belongings. We recommend:

• $1.5 million to create storage options for 600 residents experiencing homelessness.

Expand non-congregate shelter for people experiencing homelessness: The District should take steps to transform its shelter system to make them smaller, safer, and trauma informed. Shifting away from large congregate shelters is essential to supporting the dignity of unhoused residents but also to help them recover.

Continue to invest in homelessness prevention: We urge you to expand programs that help prevent homelessness, including Project Reconnect, an effective and low-cost program that enables people to exit homelessness quickly.

Support efforts to end youth homelessness: We recommend:

• $25 million to increase youth homelessness provider contracts to account for inflation and provide providers the opportunity to administer recruitment and retention bonuses to staff. (DHS)

•  $1.7 million to create a traveling mental health unit to meet the mental health needs of unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness. This unit will meet youth where they physically congregate to increase access to mental health support. (DBH)

• $1.1 million to create a targeted workforce development program for unaccompanied youth experience homelessness mirroring the Youth Works model which not only provides workforce supports but wraparound services (DOES)

As the District works to address serious ongoing challenges and the impact of the pandemic, including high levels of housing instability, it is imperative to continue prioritizing actions that will advance racial and economic equity and meet the needs of DC residents with the lowest incomes. Not only is that the right thing to do, but it also is essential to DC’s future. Stable and affordable housing is the key to creating healthy communities, which in turn supports school success, promotes public safety, and narrows DC’s racial income and wealth gaps.

Thank you again for your leadership and commitment to ending homelessness in our city. We urge you to make 2024 the year that DC makes bold and significant investments to end homelessness and to increase the supply of deeply affordable housing for extremely low-income households.

Sincerely,

Tonia Wellons

President and CEO, Greater Washington Community Foundation
Chair, Partnership to End Homelessness Leadership Council

Housing: A Social Determinant of Health

Neighborhood & Built Environment (Housing) is one of the five social determinants of health, as identified by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

In DC, 80 percent of residents’ health outcomes are driven by socioeconomic factors, compared to just 20 percent driven by clinical care. Access to safe, quality, affordable housing – and to the supports necessary to maintain that housing -- constitute one of the most basic and powerful social determinants of health.

Research demonstrates that housing and health are inextricably linked:

• Poor health is a major cause of homelessness. Chronic physical and behavioral health conditions can lead to loss of income and contribute to the loss of stable housing and episodes of homelessness.

• Lack of stable housing makes people sick. People experiencing homelessness are at higher risk for infectious diseases, injuries due to accident or violence, the exacerbation of chronic physical conditions like diabetes, mental illness, or addiction, and death due to exposure. Homelessness has been found to “age” people up to 20 years beyond their chronological age.

• Homelessness makes it harder to heal. Homelessness complicates efforts for health professionals to successfully treat chronic conditions, illnesses, and injuries. Discharging a patient from a hospital to a safe and stable environment is critical for proper wound care, compliance with recommended treatments and medication regimes, and access to healthy foods and a place to rest and recuperate.

The Partnership to End Homelessness knows that housing is healthcare and that housing increases economic mobility. Access to quality, affordable, supportive housing can prevent illnesses and help successfully treat health conditions

The Partnership works to increase health equity and improve health outcomes for DC residents through its investments in the development and preservation of housing that is affordable to households with extremely low incomes, including Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). PSH is an evidence-based practice that combines permanent affordable housing with comprehensive support services for people who have experienced chronic homelessness.

Through its direct grantmaking and impact investing programs, the Partnership supports the creation of housing for extremely low-income households.

One example of this work is a recent project from Jubilee Housing. The EucKal apartments will create a combined 50 units of housing that will be affordable to very low-income individuals and residents of permanent supportive housing. This project was made possible through a $500,000 recoverable grant from The Community Foundation to support Jubilee Housing’s development of PSH and other housing investments. In addition to the EucKal project, this funding was also leveraged to purchase four buildings in Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights to create 120 new units of housing for residents with low incomes. Jubilee plans to further expand its reach by creating housing to serve families, returning citizens, and individuals exiting homelessness. The organization hopes ultimately to provide housing to approximately 317 individuals annually, across 102 permanent units and 18 single room occupancy units.

Learn more about The Community Foundation’s Impact Investing Programs

Enterprise Community Loan Fund Impact Note

In partnership with Enterprise Community Loan Fund, the Partnership offers an Impact Note - an impact investing option for donors seeking to make a difference in the housing space. To date $14.8 million has been invested through this initiative, which has been leveraged to create and preserve 482 homes affordable to low-income households making less than 50% of the area median income. Projects have also included 96 units with supportive services and 192 units serving senior residents. Check out our 2022 Enterprise Community Loan Fund Impact Report to learn more about our investments and impact.

To learn more about how the Partnership’s investments in ending homelessness improves health outcomes for DC residents, contact Jennifer Olney at [email protected] or Silvana Straw [email protected].

Leading the Charge to Prevent Evictions and Increase Housing Stability in DC

Living in the Greater Washington region is expensive. Nationally, the Greater Washington region consistently ranks in the Top 10 Cities with the Highest Cost of Living – with high rental costs being a primary factor. However, in recent years the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn have exacerbated the issue – leading to widespread housing instability – especially for low-income Black and Brown residents.  

According to a 2021 report by the Urban Institute, almost one in two Hispanic/Latinx renters and more than one in four Black renters are worried about paying next month’s rent. As rental costs continue to rise, so too are evictions – which could lead to increased homelessness.

Through our Partnership to End Homelessness and its housing justice efforts, The Community Foundation has strived to be at the forefront of this issue.

In the summer of 2021, The Community Foundation was invited to participate in the White House Summit on Eviction Prevention, where we had a chance to meet with and exchange experiences with fellow housing leaders across the country.

Following the Summit, we joined with the DC Bar Foundation to convene what would become the DC Eviction Prevention Co-Leaders Group. Facilitated by The Urban Institute, the group is a coalition of key nonprofit, philanthropic, and government leaders that united to help expedite the distribution of emergency rental assistance, reduce the number of evictions, and increase overall housing stability. The overall goal of the Co-Leaders Group is to establish a cross-sector collaborative approach to prevent eviction and displacement of tenants in DC with low incomes and stabilize their housing for the future. Key leaders included representatives from Housing Counseling Services, Inc.; Bread for the City, DC Superior Court, the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Department of Human Services, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, the Office of the Tenant Advocate, and others.

The group’s weekly meetings have increased collaboration and produced tangible results to prevent evictions in DC. For example, the group has been able to ensure the presence of housing counselors in courtrooms during eviction hearings. It created a “last-mile” payment system to ensure tenants are not evicted for small remaining balances left after government assistance has been received. These convenings also led to improved communication with the US Marshals Service, which carries out evictions in DC and procured additional federal rental assistance for those at risk of eviction. In addition, the coalition has increased community outreach and door-to-door canvassing to reach tenants at risk of eviction.

Recently, several members of the Co-Leader group co-authored a report released by The Urban Institute titled, A Collaborative Framework for Eviction Prevention in DC. The report outlines current efforts to prevent evictions and recommends areas for strengthening the system of providers and agencies touching the system. The report recognizes that “the high cost of housing in DC relative to what many people can afford to pay requires a long-term commitment to increase affordable housing and economic opportunities in DC alongside the approach presented in this eviction prevention framework.”

However, despite these efforts, there is still much work to be done. Eviction filings and actual evictions have significantly increased since fall 2022. Clearly, the threat of an eviction crisis has not ended.

The Co-Leaders Group continues to serve as a conduit for leaders to come together on a weekly basis and address our community’s specific challenges. Together we continue the difficult but critical work to prevent evictions and increase housing stability.  

For more information on our efforts or how you can contribute, please contact Silvana Straw at  [email protected] or Jennifer Olney at [email protected].

Housing Justice Grants: Building Power to End Homelessness

Photo Cred: Miriam’s Kitchen

The Partnership to End Homelessness (The Partnership) is pleased to announce $395,000 in grants awarded to eight organizations and coalitions leading systems change efforts in DC. Selected nonprofits receive up to $50,000 in funding to support work to end homelessness and increase the supply of deeply affordable housing.

When we launched the Partnership to End Homelessness, we knew that to end homelessness we needed to focus on systems change. While philanthropic resources are limited, they can have an exponential impact when invested in the right places – specifically in efforts to transform structures, systems, policies and power dynamics that perpetuate racial inequities.

These investments in the infrastrucutre of advocacy and systems change organizations across the city have led to historic public sector investments in deeply affordable housing and ending homelessness. This wouldn’t have been possible without the work our grantees and partners do to build power in communities who have been disproportionately impacted by homelessness and housing instability.

Each year our grants prioritize funding for efforts that are developed and led by people with lived experience. These are people who are or have been directly impacted by homelessness and housing instability. Here’s what some of our grantees have shared about their work to build leadership and power in these communities.

Photo Cred: Miriam’s Kitchen

Miriam’s Kitchen

At Miriam’s Kitchen, we are committed to seeking input from our guests – the true experts on what it will take to end homelessness in our city. We believe that in order to truly create real change, we must move beyond simply gathering advice and feedback from our community. We need to create opportunities for leaders to raise their voices and to be heard. We must create space for our community members to learn, and grow, and feel supported. And, most importantly, we must allow leaders to lead. Community members deserve – and we know our work will improve when – they have true opportunities for leadership and decision making throughout our organization and across DC.

Last month, we launched the Guest Advisory Board, our newest (but certainly not our only) initiative to elevate guest decision making across Miriam’s Kitchen’s advocacy and programmatic work. We’re thrilled that this phenomenal group will meaningfully participate in Miriam’s Kitchen’s Strategic Planning process. With guest leaders comprising roughly half of our Strategic Planning Committee, we’re thrilled to see what comes of this powerful collaboration!

DC Fiscal Policy Institute

DCFPI leverages its analytic, legislative, and strategic capacities for systems change, building collaborative campaigns in partnership with grassroots groups, school leaders, service providers, and movement partners to amplify community voices and build community leadership in impacted communities. We elevate the lived experience of those unhoused, experiencing homelessness, and most harmed by unjust policies, centering them in our research, policy development, and advocacy. We do this to both enrich our work and ensure more unified and powerful voices advocating for collective goals that are reflective of and responsive to the experiences of residents facing racial and economic oppression.

DCFPI has an ambitious vision for the District—one of shared abundance and collective liberation, where Black and brown residents are able to live to their fullest. With our new strategic direction, we’re prioritizing our time and resources for partners rooted in Black, brown, and immigrant communities that have direct experience with the policy issues we work on – like those unhoused or experiencing homelessness – taking the time to deepen those relationships with an eye to longer-term, collaborative campaigns that can power more transformational change.

Housing Justice Grantees

• DC Jobs with Justice

• DC Fiscal Policy Institute

• Empower DC

• Fair Budget Coalition

• Miriam's Kitchen

• ONE DC: Organizing Neighborhood Equity

• People for Fairness Coalition in partnership with Serve Your City

• The Washington Legal Clinic For The Homeless Inc

Helping Nonprofits Navigate the Guaranteed Income Movement

Last month, the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s Health Equity Fund hosted its first Lunch & Learn Event with nonprofit partners from its inaugural $9.2 million grant round, and other organizations interested in launching and sustaining guaranteed income pilots. The event was hosted at the offices of Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB) and featured a virtual panel of national experts who shared insights about executing successful and sustainable pilots.

“The Health Equity Fund team believes in the inextricable link between health and wealth,” Dr. Marla M. Dean, Senior Director of the Health Equity Fund explained. “That is why we are using an economic mobility frame to address the social determinants of health – in alignment with The Community Foundation’s broader vision to closing the racial health and wealth gap.”

“We believe that guaranteed income pilots are one of the best ways to achieve that.”

Launched in 2017, the Guaranteed Income Movement was designed to provide unrestricted cash transfers to help individuals and families improve their economic stability. Deemed a “quiet revolution in social policymaking”, the Guaranteed Income Movement has quickly taken center-stage in the economic mobility arena. As of September 2022, there were 100 such pilots announced across the United States – including several in the Greater Washington region.

That figure has increased since October, when several Health Equity Fund partners from the inaugural grant round announced they were using their funding to launch their own Guaranteed Income Pilots (also known as Cash Transfer Programs).

“We are delighted to watch the incredible work you all are doing in DC,” Natalie Foster, President and Co-Founder of the Economic Security Project shared with the group. “You all are pioneers in how we think about the social contract in America – one that centers dignity and humanity and freedom and agency for people.”

As part of the event, nonprofit partners had a chance to share their questions with the virtual panel – which included some of the founding funders and organizers of the movement. Questions ranged from how to build the right narrative to how to ensure the financial sustainability of the work.

“We believe that our families know better than anybody else what they need,” Sarah Stripp, Managing Director of Springboard to Opportunities shared in response to a question about program design. Sarah Stripp was the manager behind The Magnolia Mother’s Trust – one of the first Guaranteed Income Pilots founded in Mississippi in 2018.

“We’ve found that the most successful ideas come from an intentional design process where we’re creating something with individuals, instead of just for them; a process where, we’re proactive in engaging those we serve to figure out what works.”

“How we frame our initiatives – the narrative we use – is really key to helping them become sustainable,” shared Halah Ahmad, a Vice President at Jain Family Institute (JFI) shared. In addition to funding some of the Guaranteed Income Pilots, JFI has also conducted research about public perceptions of cash transfer programs.

“We’ve seen a direct correlation between the way a cash transfer program is framed and the amount of support they receive. Is it framed as a poverty-fighting program? Is it framed as a community empowerment mechanism? The language you use to frame your initiative really matters.”

Nick Salazar of the Fund for Guaranteed Income and Katherine Cagat of Mayors for Guaranteed Income added that it’s important to engage and empower the individuals they serve in creating the narrative, rather than building a narrative around them.

“When you have people speak about their own experiences, rather than being presented, you allow them to tell their story in their own way,” Katherine explained. “This is critical to preserving their dignity and humanity, while at the same time giving them a platform to tear down negative stigmas that our society has about people in their situation.”

Panelists also talked about the importance of being purposeful in identifying and connecting with their target audience.

“Beliefs about poverty and those living in poverty run deep in this country,” Nick added. “We can’t fully wait for everybody to change their mind before we begin.”

“We need be bold and intentional in this work, staying focused and being true to the communities we’ve committed to serve; the people we’re striving to serve.”

“As long as you’re doing that, I don’t think you can go wrong.”

The Community Foundation is committed to promoting economic justice throughout the Greater Washington region through strategies like Guaranteed Income Pilots, Children’s Trust Accounts, and Community Wealth Building. For more information, visit https://www.thecommunityfoundation.org/strategic-plan

Join the Partnership to End Homelessness Leadership Council!

Do you know a private sector leader in DC who is passionate about ending homelessness?

The Partnership to End Homelessness is recruiting for the next cohort of our Leadership Council. The Partnership was created with a goal of leveraging and aligning private sector resoruces (financial and otherwise) to increase the supply of deeply affordable housing and to end homelessness in DC.

Over the past three years, the Leadership Council has been instrumental in our work to align over $14 million in private sector resources and joined our partners in advocating for historic public sector investments.

As we look forward, we know we have more work to do. We also know the private sector must be at the table and coordinated in order to build the system we need to ensure everyone has safe and stable housing.

The Leadership Council has three primary objectives:

• Engage private-sector stakeholders and networks in work to end homelessness and increase housing stability in DC.

• Provide financial investment and other resources to support the strategic priorities of the Partnership to End Homelessness.

• Participate in budget advocacy, policy advocacy, and public narrative change efforts using personal and professional networks.

To learn more about our Leadership Council, please review this document.

If you know someone who is passionate about ending homelessness and can help advance this work, complete this brief form by February 28, 2023.

Advocates Hold 10th Annual Vigil for Dozens who have Died without Housing

On a night when temperatures were expected to drop below freezing, friends and advocates for DC’s Homeless Community huddled around an empty coffin at Luther Memorial Church, honoring of the 70+ DC Residents who have died without housing in 2022.

“Today we say goodbye to over 70 people – 70 people that are no longer with us, but whose memories we will always carry,” Donald Whitehead, Executive Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless shared prior to the procession in what could only be described as an impassioned eulogy.

Donald Whitehead, Executive Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless addresses friends and advocates at Luther Memorial Church.

“These were unnecessary deaths,” he continued. “Most of them preventable and would not have happened in a safe, decent affordable home. For most of them, there was no funeral; no headstone; no accolades read out – regardless of their accomplishments in life. Because they were forced into homelessness, it is up to us – to this congregation of the willing to say, one last time “we’re glad you were here”.

“It is in their memory – and in memory of thousands of others across the US – that we must change the conditions of this country – and we must do it today! We must end homelessness – and we must end it now!”

On each pew, sat a list of names of those who have died without housing in 2022 (thus far). While many of their stories and pasts remain untold, the data that is available reveals a grim narrative. The average age of the deceased was 55 – with the oldest being nearly 80 years old.

Perhaps most concerning to housing advocates is the number of deaths that were nearly prevented. More than 60% of those on the list had received a housing voucher but died before they could be housed – a troubling statistic that underscores one of the most glaring pitfalls of the current housing system.

“Of the 70 people who died without housing, 81 percent were Black,” explained Jesse Rabinowitz, the Senior Manager of Policy & Advocacy who helped compile the list as part of Miriam’s Kitchen’s The Way Home Campaign.

“As a city, we paint ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the sidewalk – clearly, we need to do more to ensure that Black Lives are not dying on the sidewalk.”

Following the service, the participants filed out onto 14th Street where they followed the empty coffin on a mile-long march towards Freedom Plaza.

For some in the procession of fifty or so participants, this was their first time at the annual vigil – which has become something of a somber holiday tradition in the homeless community.

For those at the front of the procession; the pallbearers – especially those with ‘lived experience’ of homelessness, this was their 10th time – a decade milestone that represents far too many cold sleepless nights and far too many friends needlessly lost.

“I know the feeling of the hard concrete before the cold,” Andrew Anderson, Outreach Director with the People for Fairness Coalition shared. “It’s part of why I do what I do – getting out on the streets and giving hope to those that need it the most. ‘Cuz I know how hard it can be.”

“We’re all outreach directors in our own right,” he added. “Any time you go the extra mile to give hope to the homeless in any way you know how. While many – especially those out in the cold tonight – want to give up hope, we know that housing is a human right. As long as there is a collective of the willing to fight for that right, there is hope.”

People for Fairness Coalition (PFFC) hosts this annual vigil each year and is a partner of The Community Foundation through our Partnership to End Homelessness.

To learn more about our work and how you can get involved visit www.endhomelessnessdc.org. To learn more about PFFC and how to support their work visit pffcdc.org.

Mutual Aid Groups: Preparing for Tomorrow’s Crises by Investing in Today’s Problem Solvers

Ever since early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a tremendous mobilization in the social services sector. Within weeks, nonprofit organizations across the country scrambled to shift their operations to meet community needs – organizing new programs, experimenting with new technologies, and seeking new ways to connect and collaborate with community members.

Yet perhaps the most impressive mobilization has come from a different source – Mutual Aid Networks -- a growing movement of neighbors helping neighbors on a grassroots level.

“Mutual aid is a critical part of our region’s social safety net,” said Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “When neighbors help neighbors meet their basic needs, it strengthens the whole community’s ability to address current crises – and weather future ones, as they continue along the path to economic progress.”

While the concept of mutual aid has been around for a long time, the pandemic saw a dramatic increase in the organization and mobilization of networks throughout the Greater Washington region. Neighbors mobilized to help each other with issues that ranged from food and transportation needs to utilities assistance.

“The heart of our work is to redistribute wealth and resources to Black communities in DC who are facing rapid displacement,” one organizer with Serve Your City, Ward 6 Mutual Aid shared. “When a community can care for itself from within, leaders are developed, and new power models are created.”

In addition to greatly increasing the efficiency and reach of ongoing relief efforts, these power models can provide vital infrastructure and partnership opportunities for future community-wealth building initiatives.

“Our dream is to create sustainability within Black neighborhoods so that the city's most long-standing residents can maintain homes within thriving communities,” another organizer added. “We are all best served when our community is safe and healthy, and when communities have agency over decision-making.”

Recognizing the critical role of mutual aid networks in responding to current and future crises, the Greater Washington Community Foundation recently awarded $250,000 in grants to help meet the basic needs of low-income residents, bridge diverse communities, support vaccine education/access, strengthen political education and organizing, and more.

These investments also marked a milestone for The Community Foundation as they represent the final grants issued from the organization’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund established at the onset of the pandemic.

“We are grateful for the donors and nonprofit partners who have stood by us and our community during one of the most trying and transformative periods in its history,” Wellons said.

“Though this concludes our immediate crisis response work, we will continue working together with our partners to prepare for future crises and to support pathways to economic mobility so more people can overcome everyday crises that prevent them from thriving in our region.”

Grant Recipients include:

East of the River Mutual Aid (EORMA/Grassroots DC)

To support the work of East of the River Mutual Aid in Wards 7 and 8 to provide residents with basic needs such as groceries, hot meals, hygiene items, cleaning supplies, school supplies, transportation, emergency housing, clothing, baby formula, diapers and more. EORMA will also provide support related to grief/loss, elderly resident support, political education/organizing, and operates a COVID-19 hotline to help neighbors with vaccine education/access.

Serve Your City/Ward 6 Mutual Aid (SYC/W6MA)

To support the work of Serve Your City/ Ward 6 Mutual Aid Network in Wards 5,6, 7 and 8, including food and supply distribution, providing critical supplies and advocating alongside unhoused neighbors for access to resources, youth education and workforce programs, digital divide program, and political organizing and advocacy.

Silver Spring & Takoma Park Mutual Aid (SSTPMA)

To support mutual aid efforts in the Silver Spring, Takoma Park, and Kensington areas of Montgomery County that includes grocery store gift cards and financial assistance for utility bills. Funding will help expand the capacity of ongoing work as well as assist with the backlog of requests for assistance.

Ward 3 Mutual Aid (W3MA)

To support food assistance programs including buying /delivering groceries to neighbors, grocery gift cards, Ward 3 Food Pantry and household cleaning supplies, and financial assistance to other mutual aid groups in the city. W3MA has an ongoing commitment to providing support to East of The River Mutual Aid and to supporting a hot meal program for low-income people in other wards.

Ward 5 Mutual Aid (W5MA)

To support mutual aid efforts in Ward 5 and help neighbors with basic needs including groceries, personal and household items. W5MA operates a grocery delivery system and supply hub which is staffed by volunteers and has a storehouse of canned/dry food items, some fresh produce, diapers, and clothing. Funding will help meet the consistent inflow of grocery requests, and growing backlog.

The Hope Collective

To support a group of nonprofit organizations in Prince George’s County that utilize their resources collaboratively to provide school-based and community wraparound services in areas where violent crime is an issue. The Hope Collective will support up to 5 nonprofit organizations that will provide youth and their families with mental health, workforce development, after-school programming, and re-entry services specifically to address rising crime and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Nonprofit Partners Outline Key Factors in the Fight to End Homelessness in DC

As the Partnership to End Homelessness celebrates its three-year anniversary, the Partnership’s staff and Leadership Council are taking time to reflect on the Partnership’s accomplishments and to begin planning for our work ahead.

In order to better understand what has changed since the Partnership launched and where we go from here, the Partnership invited several partners and experts to join our most recent convening. These experts shared their perspectives on the changing landscape of homelessness in DC and emerging challenges that require the support of private sector leaders.

Here are the top three takeaways from the conversation with Marisol Bello, Executive Director of the Housing Narrative Lab, Lara Pukatch, Chief Advocacy Officer at Miriam’s Kitchen, Theresa Silla, Executive Director of the DC Interagency Council on Homelessness, and Robert Warren, Director of the People for Fairness Coalition.

1. The stories we tell about the causes of homelessness drive the solutions we create and the policies we make. Since the end of the critical phase of the pandemic, there has been an increasing focus in local and national media on homelessness being a result of bad choices made by individuals. This unfortunately has led to more calls for punitive actions against people who are experiencing homelessness, such as criminalization of camping.
   This growing narrative ignores the fact that the primary causes of homelessness are failures in systems like housing, healthcare, and criminal justice. Research demonstrates that by telling this true story, we can focus our collective efforts on supporting proven solutions by addressing the root causes of homelessness. We can all become storytellers and make change by speaking out and influencing our families, friends, and organizations.

2. Advocacy drives change, and we can all be advocates. In the past two years, the District has invested a record number of resources in ending homelessness in our city. This is in part thanks to the advocacy of those with lived experience of homelessness and our advocacy partners – together with members of the private sector -- who have tirelessly lobbied policymakers to make these historic investments. Making a meaningful impact can be as simple as sending an email or making a phone call. We all have a role to play as advocates.

3. We can end homelessness for everyone in the District if we “hold fast and stay true.” The fight against homelessness has made many exciting strides in recent years. Since 2015, family homelessness is down by 80 percent. Veteran homelessness has also fallen – down by 50 percent since 2017. But we cannot become complacent – we need to continue our work to end family and veteran homelessness through tested, proven practices.
   
   At the same time, we need to take what we’ve learned in the family and veteran systems and apply that knowledge and intensity to addressing homelessness among single adults and youth.  

The Partnership to End Homelessness will be continuing the conversation over the coming months.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Partnership’s plans, and how you can support this work, please contact Jennifer Olney at [email protected].

The Community Foundation Applauds Housing Investments in DC Budget; Urges Continued Action

Dear Councilmembers, 

As we begin the new fiscal year, the Greater Washington Community Foundation and its Partnership to End Homelessness Leadership Council thank you for the substantial progress made toward ending homelessness through the FY 2023 DC budget. Thanks to your efforts, hundreds of individuals and families facing chronic homelessness will have the dignity and security of a permanent home, putting DC on a path to ending chronic homelessness. That is a truly amazing accomplishment that should be celebrated.  

The Partnership to End Homelessness (PTEH) is a collective effort of private sector business leaders, philanthropists, and national and local nonprofits working to ensure homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring. The Partnership members engage directly to end homelessness in DC, but we know that public-sector investment, aligned with private sector resources, is the only way to ensure that everyone in our community has the stability that housing provides.

The progress made in the FY 2023 budget is laudable. We thank you for adopting a budget that provides permanent supportive housing to 500 individuals and 260 families, funding to help 400 families facing expiring Rapid Rehousing subsidies, and $51 million for badly needed repairs to public housing.  We also applaud the provision of $444 million for the Housing Production Trust Fund, with a commitment to meeting the target that 50 percent is used to serve households with incomes below 30 percent of Median Family Income.

The budget is the necessary first step of the process toward ending homelessness, but not the end. It will be critically important to take steps to ensure that funds are put to use effectively, with assertive steps to implement them and with active Council oversight. In particular, we urge you to work with the DC Housing Authority to ensure that new vouchers are made available quickly and that public housing repair funds are used well. We appreciate the legislation adopted by the Council, that allows voucher holders to self-certify their identity, and other efforts to remove barriers to leasing up a unit. We urge you to do even more to ensure that residents can use their voucher quickly and easily to get into a home of their choice.  And we fervently ask you to meet the HPTF requirement to target households with extremely low incomes, which has not been met for years.

Beyond that, maintaining the progress in the FY 2023 budget is critically important and will require greater future investments in deeply affordable housing and eviction prevention, places where the FY 2023 budget fell short.  As we start looking toward the FY 2024 budget – it is never too early – we are concerned that the District’s budget did not provide enough funding for all families with expiring Rapid Rehousing subsidies, and did not create a plan for fixing that program’s serious problems. We urge the Council to pass pending Rapid ReHousing reforms, and for the mayor and Council to fund them in the next budget cycle. The 2023 budget also seriously underfunded emergency rental assistance and provided a very small number of LRSP vouchers compared with the need. These must be priorities as we continue to work toward our shared goal of ending homelessness in DC.

Thank you again for your leadership and commitment to ending homelessness in our city. We look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure everyone in DC has a safe and stable place to call home.

Sincerely,

Tonia Wellons

President & CEO
Greater Washington Community Foundation

Co-Chair Partnership to End Homelessness Leadership Council