Celebrating A Year of Leadership

On April 2, 2020—just one day after DC’s official COVID-19 stay-at-home orders were announced—Tonia Wellons was named President and CEO of The Community Foundation. This followed a half-year search during which she served as interim CEO of the organization. 

Today, on Tonia’s one year anniversary, we celebrate her steadfast leadership and vision. Throughout 2020, Tonia remained determined to care for our community with urgency and with care - and the community took notice. 

Through her many media features, awards and accolades this past year, we are so humbled and appreciative of all the positive support she’s received. Below, get to know Tonia better, and learn about some of this year’s top highlights. 

Introducing Tonia: ‘A Steadfast Vision Offering Us Hope’

Read about Tonia’s background and experience, and her vision for The Community Foundation. Hear what it was like starting as CEO during a pandemic and how she is shaping The Community Foundation’s priorities in response to the evolving crisis. 

• ‘Greater Washington Community Foundation Named Permanent CEO,’  Washington Business Journal

• ‘Meet Tonia Wellons, appointed CEO of a regional nonprofit the day after stay-at-home orders were put in place,’ Washington Business Journal 

• ‘Community Foundation Leaders Talk Rapid Response and Evolving Roles During Crisis,’ Inside Philanthropy 

Celebrating Her Leadership: ‘A Collaborator On The Journey Toward Solutions’

Learn about two significant awards Tonia received this year, which honored the incredible community leadership she’s provided amidst the COVID-19 crisis.

• Washington Business Journal’s Nonprofit Leader of the Year Award

• Named one of Washingtonian Magazine’s ‘Heroes of the Crisis’

Thought Leadership in Action

Last summer, Tonia wrote a Washington Post op-ed with Ursual Wright, Managing Director for FSG, where she referred to the pandemic as a ‘trifecta of crisis:’ health, economic, and democratic. Read more about her views on this crisis - and her perspective from being on the frontlines of philanthropy.

• ‘How To Reconstruct An Equitable Future For Our Region,’ Washington Post 

• “From the Frontline: How a Philanthropy Professional Views the COVID-19 Experience,” Washington Life Magazine

A Call to Action to End Homelessness

Dear Mayor Bowser: 

We are writing on behalf of the Greater Washington Community Foundation and its Partnership to End Homelessness Leadership Council to thank you for your deep commitment to addressing homelessness in DC, and to offer our endorsement for bold action in the fiscal year 2022 budget to make substantial investments in ending homelessness and in affordable housing. As you know, the Partnership is a collective effort of business leaders, philanthropists, and national and local nonprofits working to ensure homelessness in DC is rare, brief, and non-recurring.

The pandemic and economic crisis have made it crystal clear that stable affordable housing is the foundation of healthy communities. Thousands of residents, nearly all of them Black or Brown, have faced the risks of COVID-19 without the dignity or safety of a home, and even more have lost jobs and are at risk of eviction and homelessness. The economic impacts of the pandemic affect all of us.

We believe that now is the time to make bold investments to alleviate the suffering and address the economic damage caused by the pandemic - and to take on the longstanding inequities that made the District and its residents vulnerable in the pandemic. The Community Foundation and The Partnership urge you to put forward a budget that assertively works to end chronic homelessness, protects our unsheltered neighbors, and that makes a significant investment in affordable housing for DC’s lowest-income households, which is the long-term solution to ending homelessness.

We acknowledge that the challenges of homelessness and affordable housing are great but also recognize that the District is a prosperous and caring city, with the resources and the leadership to be an example to the entire nation for racial justice and housing equity.

As leaders in the business, philanthropic, and nonprofit sectors, we write with both a moral call to action and a keen sense of what is best for the District’s future. Addressing homelessness and investing in deeply affordable housing is a matter of racial equity and social justice, and also a matter of efficient use of DC’s resources and building a healthy and growing city for all of us. As a result of decades of discrimination and systemic racism, nearly all of DC’s low-income renters with affordable housing needs are Black and Brown, as are nearly all DC residents facing homelessness. Addressing the housing needs of these residents is a key step to repairing the damage of systemic racism.

Our entire community and economy are stronger when everyone has stable, affordable, and decent housing. The strongest research shows that permanent supportive housing enables the most vulnerable residents experiencing homelessness to put their lives in order, and actually saves money by reducing reliance on costly emergency services. Affordable housing provides stability and security that contributes to better health, safety during pandemic, better nutrition, reduced stress and overall better mental health, workers who are able to get to their jobs, improved school outcomes for children, and more. 

The DC budget for Fiscal Year 2022 is perhaps the most consequential in our city’s history; the choices made will shape our recovery from the pandemic and have long-lasting impacts on the District’s vitality. 

We align with the recommendations of our advocacy partners in calling on the District to use the Fiscal Year 2022 budget for bold action on our deepest inequities, especially homelessness and affordable housing. 

End Homelessness

• Invest $100 million to end chronic homelessness for 2,761 individuals and 432 families.

• Grow Project Reconnect, the diversion program that helps individuals quickly exit from homelessness.

• Ensure neighbors living outside are connected to crucial outreach services by funding at least at the FY 2021 level.

• Continue to fund the Re-entry Housing Pilot for Returning Citizens at $1.8 million.

• Ensure that every person who is at high risk of dying of COVID-19 is offered a placement in non-congregate shelter.

• Provide Short-term Assistance to 1,820 individuals, including high-quality client-centered case management, rental, and other forms of financial assistance, and income supports and support with housing search.

Invest in Deeply Affordable Housing

• Use federal stimulus funds to purchase hotels that can be used as non-congregate shelter during the pandemic and converted to Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) in the long term.

• Expand Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) to support tenants who have been unable to pay rent and may not qualify for other rental assistance to at least $100 million.

• Invest $60 million in public housing repairs to adequately address the ongoing maintenance and repair.

• Maintain stable funding for the Housing Production Trust Fund of at least $104 million.

• Invest $4 million in the Affordable Housing Production Fund to preserve affordable housing throughout the District.

• Invest $17.33 million to provide tenant vouchers to 800 families.

• Maintain $5 million in investments in the project-based component of the Local Rent Supplement Program (LRSP), to ensure the Housing Production Trust Fund serves extremely low-income residents (those below 30 percent of Area Median Income). 

We believe everyone deserves the dignity and safety of a home that they can afford. We believe that together we truly can end homelessness, and that DC will be stronger and better when we all come together to achieve that. Thank you again for your leadership. We urge you to make 2022 the year that DC makes bold and significant investments to end chronic homelessness and to increase the supply of deeply affordable housing.

Sincerely,

David Roodberg
CEO and President, Horning Brothers
Partnership to End Homelessness, Leadership Council Co-Chair

Tonia Wellons
President and CEO, Greater Washington Community Foundation
Partnership to End Homelessness, Leadership Council Co-Chair

Speaking Out Against Anti-Asian Racism

To our neighbors, friends, and partners:

Embedded in our vision for a just and equitable Greater Washington region is a vision for a just and equitable world. The recent violence against our Asian American brothers and sisters is yet another indication of how far we have to go. The most recent tragedy is horrific. The notion of the perpetrator ‘having a bad day’ is unjust. The Greater Washington Community Foundation stands in solidarity with the Asian American community in adding our voice and resources to call for an end to anti-Asian hate and violence. As a society, we have to be unwavering in our commitment to eradicating homegrown terror that is rooted in hate, fear, and delusions of white supremacy. 

We will continue to partner with local organizations like the Cherry Blossom Giving Circle, which pools resources to support nonprofits serving local AAPI communities, and fund organizations leading anti-racism work as well as providing direct services, advocacy, historical and cultural preservation, and more. 

In light of recent conversations happening at The Community Foundation around advancing racial justice, equity, and inclusion, several colleagues shared their reflections on the recent attacks. 

Sincerely,

Tonia Wellons
President and CEO

---

The system of white supremacy is inherently violent.  It is also the single biggest threat to our collective well-being and the stability of our democracy.  This truth is reinforced and made self-evident; this violence is further exemplified and embedded in our quality-of-life systems (healthcare, governing, education, economy, etc.) and their capacity to reproduce the social inequities that BIPOC communities experience daily. While these systems need to be challenged, dismantled, and transformed, in this moment our hearts and minds are drawn to the acute violence that Asian American communities have historically experienced—and the violence they are experiencing right now.

This week in Atlanta, Georgia, we witnessed yet another anti-Asian attack; women were particularly targeted.  In the wake of this violence, a narrative is emerging that attempts to gloss over the primary motivating factor for this attack. Our BIPOC brothers and sisters know better. Our allies know better. We have seen and experienced this kind of violence against our humanity. It has been relentless in its ability to traumatize and destroy BIPOC lives and communities. The moment and the scale of terror that we have experienced; the insidious and shape-shifting nature of the forces that seek to kill us, demands that we are incisive and clear when we name the enemy. Our willingness to do so will buttress our ability to defend ourselves and to build the kind of society where we can thrive. So, to be clear, the attacker (just like our systems) was primarily motivated by the lie of white supremacy. This is a truth that we cannot avoid.

To our Asian American brothers and sisters, we see you. We feel you. We mourn with you. We will heal with you. Your struggle is our struggle. Your pain is our pain. Your freedom is our freedom.

Sending you love and light, 

Ronnie Galvin, Managing Director, Community Investment
Melen Hagos, Senior Manager, External Affairs
Dawnn Leary, Senior Community Investment Officer
Russella Davis-Rogers, Director, Donor Services

First Ladies of The Community Foundation

This month, in honor of Women’s History month, we are celebrating the remarkable women of The Community Foundation who’ve helped shape our history. Many were First Ladies to the President of the United States—a special, historical relationship we’ve nurtured through the years. Here are a few of their stories.

Rosalynn Carter’s Precedent of Support

In 1978, First Lady Rosalynn Carter left Camp David during President Jimmy Carter’s 13-day peace summit, which helped to broker the first-ever peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. Mrs. Carter went back to the White House to host a luncheon for business leaders to rally support for the Community Foundation of Greater Washington–then just five years old. She gained support of many corporate and philanthropic leaders, including the Ford Foundation, that set a precedent for our early organization to grow into a champion of thriving communities today. 

In 2019, Danielle Yates, our Managing Director of Marketing and Communications, got the chance to meet Mrs. Carter and former President Jimmy Carter at their church in Georgia (pictured left). 

Barbara Bush’s Literacy Legacy 

While former First Lady Barbara Bush had many passions, none was more personally identified with her than teaching children and their parents to read. Aware of The Community Foundation’s successful record of managing charitable funds for other national figures, in 1989, Mrs. Bush asked us to help establish her literacy organization.

The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy aimed to establish literacy as a value in every family in America; and, help families understand that the home is the child’s first school, with the parent as the child’s first teacher and reading as their first subject. In total, the Foundation awarded more than $40 million in grants to support the development and expansion of more than 900 literacy programs in 50 states and the District of Columbia.  

While The Community Foundation is no longer home to the Barbara Bush Foundation (the Fund closed in 2011), Mrs. Bush’s legacy lives on. You can find more information at www.barbarabushlegacy.org. 

The Laura Bush Foundation for American Libraries

In 2001, Laura Bush helped continue and expand the family’s literacy legacy by establishing the Laura Bush Foundation for American Libraries at The Community Foundation. A former teacher and librarian, Mrs. Bush has long championed the importance of reading as the foundation of all learning.

The Foundation helps students in our nation’s neediest schools by awarding grants to school libraries in an effort to improve student achievement. Funds support these libraries in extending, updating, and diversifying their book and print collections. 

The Laura Bush Foundation transitioned to Dallas, Texas in 2014, where it is now managed as a restricted fund of the George W. Bush Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization.

In 2007, we celebrated Mrs. Bush as our Civic Spirit honoree, an award which recognizes a community member who embodies the spirit of philanthropy.

Equity Hubs Help MCPS Students Plug into Learning through Pandemic

Equity Hub students hard at work with their virtual studies.

When COVID-19 forced Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) to close in March 2020, families found themselves struggling to adjust to remote learning. As a school district serving 160,000 students, MCPS is comprised of a diverse student body, with students from 164 countries speaking 184 languages. One-third of students benefit from Free and Reduced-Price Meals, and many receive English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) support and in-person special education courses -- all services that changed dramatically when schools closed. 

Due to the closures, students throughout Montgomery County lacked technical support, internet access, and daytime supervision. Students also had to adjust to distractions at home, as well as the social isolation from being away from peers and teachers. 

A Community Approach to Distance Learning

In fall 2020, certified childcare providers, The Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence, MCPS, The Children’s Opportunity Fund at the Greater Washington Community Foundation, and community members came together to establish Educational Enrichment and Equity Hubs in Montgomery County. These enrichment centers, open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. and located in schools throughout Montgomery County, served kindergarten through 8th grade students and offered a safe learning environment for young people from low-income households to receive one-on-one support. All providers followed strict health and safety guidelines, provided meals and exercise/play activities, and assigned two staff members for each group of 13 students.

The Equity Hubs were also active academic partners, monitoring and assisting with distance learning and working to ensure that students excelled. Before joining the Equity Hub, Eduardo, a first grader with community-based partner Kids Co., struggled with number and letter identification, making it difficult to complete homework assignments. 

“With help from staff, [Eduardo was] able to complete more assignments,” said Chantelle Miller, Director of Kids Co. “His teachers identified a new academic plan to measure his academic skills, specifically pertaining to math, and he seemed happier and more comfortable doing coursework.” 

Community partners—from parents to childcare providers—have said the social aspects of the Equity Hubs improved students’ engagement, social-emotional skills, and overall mental health. Social interaction also helped younger students develop their sense of self and reach developmental milestones. 

“All of our students [were] successful once they enrolled in our Hub,” said Jay Gerson, President of Kids Co. “They [were] coming every day and being consistent -- they [had] this fuel and motivation to go to school each day.” 

Enrollment Assistance for Equity Hub Students

Quickly working to support families during a crisis comes with a price. Equity Hub providers initially charged $1,200 per month per child to support technology, certified staff, transportation, meals and snacks, and other resources.  

The Greater Washington Community Foundation’s Children’s Opportunity Fund connected with concerned community partners and worked collectively to mobilize funds, raise awareness and began providing scholarships for students. In August and September 2020, the Children’s Opportunity Fund raised $500,000 in private philanthropy, allowing for the opening of four sites in September. In partnership with the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence, The Children’s Opportunity Fund began advocating to MCPS and the Montgomery County Council for additional funds to expand the Hubs to serve more students. Since September, an additional $550,000 in private philanthropy has been raised—leading to a total of over $1 million in private funds to support Equity Hubs. 

Pat Ruppert, a Children’s Opportunity Fund donor and Montgomery County resident, said that she first considered supporting the Equity Hubs when she started watching her five grandchildren in spring 2020.

“I kept thinking to myself, what about working parents who don’t have the resources or support from family and friends?” Rupert said. “I reached out to The Children’s Opportunity Fund to figure out what was being done to support these families, and that’s when I learned about Equity Hubs and felt inspired to be a part of [their] crucial work.”

The Power of Collaboration

The Children’s Opportunity Fund coordinated the work of many community partners, which created a single point of entry for families to help them navigate finding an Equity Hub that was a good fit for each family and student. Participating Partners worked to spread the word about the Equity Hubs: sharing flyers in English and Spanish, setting up a hotline to receive phone calls, and bringing on family engagement specialists to help get students enrolled.

Also, in close collaboration with MCPS, Equity Hubs were able to enroll students who were struggling the most with distance learning. Collaboration and coordination enabled this effort to reach students who would benefit from the Equity Hubs the most. 

By blending public and private funds to complement efforts, The Children’s Opportunity Fund and its partners were able to utilize private funds to quickly pilot a new program and then acquire public funds to expand its reach to students throughout the community. In October 2020, the Montgomery County Council contributed $1.8 million to expand the Hubs throughout the County’s elementary schools, and MCPS committed another $1.8 million to support Equity Hubs.

The Children’s Opportunity Fund raised over $4.6 million to help the Equity Hubs enroll 1,500 students across 70 sites. In January 2021, MCPS and Montgomery County Council provided another $3.6 million to support them through March 2021, when in-person learning resumed.  

Dr. Daman Harris, Principal at Wheaton Woods, said the Equity Hubs produced numerous benefits for students and the community.

“Before The Children’s Opportunity Fund got involved and alleviated concerns about costs, there were eight children signed up for our hub,” Harris said. “By February 2021, there were over 50 students enrolled.”

This work is not new to The Children’s Opportunity Fund. Started in 2016 by the Montgomery County Council and then established as a funding initiative led by the Greater Washington Community Foundation, The Children’s Opportunity Fund aims to close the opportunity gap by addressing racial inequities and expanding opportunities for marginalized children and families. The Fund brings together community members and government leadership to plan with, advocate for, and fund strategic investments that improve the lives of children and families. 

Looking Toward the Future

The Equity Hubs successfully served thousands of students throughout the pandemic. Even as schools begin to reopen, the need to support our community’s children and families will continue, especially as the implications of the pandemic are more fully understood. The Children’s Opportunity Fund aims to continue working with the community and its partners to understand the evolving needs of the most vulnerable youth and families in order to close the steadily increasing opportunity gap in Montgomery County.  

The Children’s Opportunity Fund can only do this work with the help of cross-sector partners across Montgomery County. You can play an active role in ensuring that young people continue to have access to safe, quality learning opportunities and enrichments that support their academic and personal development, regardless of socio-economic status, race, or housing situation. Join us to ensure that all children have access to the essential services and growth opportunities they need to thrive.

A Reflection on a Year of COVID-19

By Tonia Wellons, President & CEO

In March 2020, our world shifted before us. COVID-19 had arrived—and with it, came an unprecedented health and economic crisis for our region, our country, and our world. 

As a regional Community Foundation, we were resolute in our duty to care for our community as quickly, and compassionately, as possible. On March 12, less than a week after the onset of the pandemic in our region, we established the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to deploy emergency assistance to those most adversely affected.

And today, to mark the one-year anniversary, I want to start off by acknowledging the families and people in our region who have experienced loss of life as a result of COVID-19; or during the pandemic period. Our work has targeted those living through the pandemic, but many didn’t make it. For those people and their families, we offer our respectful condolences and hope for brighter days. 

Since launching the Fund, we’ve been able to mobilize $10.5 million from more than 1,300 contributors including corporate partners, local foundations, and individual donors. We are so humbled by and proud of our network of partners and donors, who have stepped up in incredible ways to support our neighbors in need.

I am proud to share some key data points with you on our collective impact, which helps tell the story of our coordinated COVID-19 response. What we were able to accomplish together for our community is truly inspiring—and would not have been possible without our generous community partners. 

Here are a couple of stories that I found especially inspiring: 

Future Harvest advances agriculture that sustains farmers, communities, and the environment through mini-cash grants to farmer entrepreneurs who do not qualify for federal stimulus programs. Future Harvest combined its Greater Washington Community Foundation grant funds with other sources to create the “Feed the Need” Fund, which awarded more than $60,000 to 22 small-to mid-sized, financially struggling family farm operations—14 of whom were BIPOC farmers.

Sophie Felts, a Community Foundation donor and owner of Sophie Felts Floral Design, launched a flower drive to help fundraise for our COVID-19 Response Fund. All proceeds from her locally-grown flower arrangements supported our efforts, helping funnel additional funds into the community when it was needed most. 

Or, take the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield PPE Response Fund, one of our aligned COVID-19 response partnerships. Through this public-private endeavor, we partnered with CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield to establish a $5 million fund to procure and distribute personal protective equipment (PPE) at no-cost to healthcare and social service organizations on the front lines of the pandemic. 

This equated to 1.6 million units of PPE to local frontline health workers—one of our region's most impacted populations. In this way, we were able to not only recognize, but support, the frontline workers who helped our community through this pandemic.

We know that our pre-COVID world was one rife with deep inequities in housing, employment, and education, among many areas. As we work toward an equitable recovery, we know we cannot return to the status quo. At The Community Foundation, we are focused on emerging from this crisis as a stronger, more equitable, and resilient community that offers equal opportunity for all residents to thrive. 

Right now, we are working on this in several key ways. We are in the midst of retooling our strategic framework so that every aspect of our work is aligned with what our region needs to move forward as an equitable community. We will focus on building a community of support and accountability that will advance our region’s role as a champion for racial equity and justice.  

We believe that everyone has a role to play in shaping a “better normal” for the Greater Washington region—one where who you are, and where you were born, does not determine your success in life.  We look forward to continuing to explore ways we can engage community voices, and better support Black leaders and organizations led by, or serving BIPOC communities.

Together, with our community and  local government, we will continue to foster long-lasting change, especially for our region’s low-income families and communities of color. 

Thank you for partnering with us to pursue an equitable recovery strategy that lifts and prioritizes the needs of everyone in our region, but especially those who have been the most negatively affected in the Greater Washington Region.

Partnership to End Homelessness Awards $310,000 to Nonprofits Advancing Housing Justice

The Partnership to End Homelessness (The Partnership) is pleased to announce $310,000 in grants awarded to 7 organizations leading advocacy and organizing efforts focused on DC. Selected nonprofits will receive up to $50,000 in funding to support work to end homelessness and increase the supply of deeply affordable housing for DC residents.

The Partnership prioritized efforts developed and led by people with lived experience and people most directly impacted, and collaborative efforts that coordinate strategies and messaging across organizations and issue areas. These grants were made possible thanks to generous partners and donors to the Grantmaking Fund. 

Learn more about how our partners are working to end homelessness and advancing housing justice. 

Ending Chronic Homelessness

Currently, there are 2,761 individuals in DC who have experienced homelessness for over a year and are living with severe health issues. Miriam’s Kitchen received $50,000 to advocate for resources and policies to address these pressing issues. The grant will support the organization’s budget and policy advocacy, and work through The Way Home Campaign. We know that housing is healthcare and that housing saves lives – and are proud to support their housing justice efforts. Learn more and join their advocacy efforts.

“As an organization working to end chronic homelessness, we are grateful for the Partnership to End Homelessness’ support of our advocacy work. The causes of homelessness are systemic and so too must be the solutions. This support will help us to challenge the systems that have created DC’s homelessness crisis, dismantle barriers to exiting homelessness, secure life-saving housing resources, and ensure that those closest to the issue are at the forefront of our advocacy work.” -Lara Pukatch,  Director of Advocacy

Centering People Directly Impacted

Fair Budget Coalition (FBC) brings together advocates, service providers, and people directly affected by poverty and housing instability to advocate for budget and public policy initiatives that address poverty and human needs in DC. FBC received a $50,000 grant to support budget advocacy and organizing around homelessness, deeply affordable housing, and permanent supportive housing (PSH) in DC. We’re proud to support FBC as they fight for a fairer budget that is restorative and prioritizes racial justice.  Learn more about their current budget advocacy here. 

“As advocacy has transitioned to digital spaces, it is clear that the barriers to constituent engagement have increased. Through support from the Partnership to End Homelessness, we will be able to democratize access to budget information and budget spaces through our virtual popular education series, constituent stipends, and technology/tech support for constituents hoping to engage in budget advocacy. This is critical in ensuring that the people most directly impacted by housing policy are centered in the decision-making regarding funding and the future of housing in DC. " -Stephanie Sneed, Executive Director 

 Advocacy and Organizing Grantees

• DC Action 

• DC Jobs with Justice 

• District Of Columbia Grassroots Empowerment Project Incorporated – Empower DC 

• Fair Budget Coalition 

• Miriam's Kitchen 

• ONE DC: Organizing Neighborhood Equity 

• The Washington Legal Clinic For The Homeless Inc 

About the Partnership to End Homelessness

The Partnership to End Homelessness in DC, led by the Greater Washington Community Foundation, is the first-of-its-kind initiative in the District to bring together the public and private sectors to ensure homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring. By joining together, we can increase the supply of deeply affordable housing, bolster our response system to help more people obtain and maintain stable housing, and ultimately end homelessness in DC.

Our New Partnership with SEI

The Greater Washington Community Foundation (The Community Foundation) is excited to announce a new strategic partnership with SEI, a leading asset manager with 450+ clients worldwide and $330 billion in assets under management. This includes partnerships with over 170 nonprofits, of which more than half have been working with SEI for more than 10 years. SEI works with 25 different community foundations across the country supporting their efforts to achieve their mission.

Under our partnership, SEI serves as The Community Foundation’s outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO). An emerging strategy among community foundations, this means that SEI serves as an extension of The Community Foundation staff, providing world-class investment expertise and constant focus on managing the charitable funds you have entrusted to us.

SEI is a large, global firm that makes significant annual investments in research tools and technology for investment and risk management. Because SEI has taken on full fiduciary accountability for the selection, oversight and replacement of money managers, The Community Foundation Investment Committee is able to focus more time on strategic initiatives, such as asset allocation and overall financial strength. The Community Foundation Board and Investment Committee believe this model will have great benefit in enabling us to best support our communities.

Who is SEI?

• Global firm with U.S. headquarters in Oaks, PA

• $89.7 billion in institutional assets under management (as of 9/30/2020)

• 170-plus nonprofit clients worldwide, with 24 community foundation clients

• 25-year track record in discretionary investment management designed to help improve efficiency and results

• Significant infrastructure and resources with a dedicated group focused on understanding the needs of nonprofits

• Named “Top OCIO Provider” at the Institutional Asset Management Awards two consecutive years

• Named a leading outsourcer ranked by worldwide assets from 2011 through 2020 by Pensions & Investments

• Ranked in the top 10% of money managers based on worldwide institutional client assets by Pensions & Investments

Greater Washington Community Foundation Announces Community Action Awards Winners

$100,000 in funds awarded to actionable ideas aimed to benefit Greater Washington neighborhoods and the public good

Washington, DC – February 11, 2021 – The Greater Washington Community Foundation is pleased to announce the full slate of community projects selected to receive Community Action Awards, presented by Comcast—cash awards up to $2,000 to help residents take action to make their communities safer, stronger, and more dynamic. In all, $100,000 was awarded to 50 projects working to make our region a more equitable and inclusive place for everyone to live, work, and thrive.

The Community Action Awards, presented by Comcast, are part of VoicesDMV, a powerful community engagement initiative launched in 2017 to explore the region’s challenges and opportunities related to housing, transportation, safety, economic security, race relations, and community well-being. VoicesDMV celebrates and intentionally listens to the voices of those in our community that often go unheard. To learn more about the initiative, visit voicesdmv.org. 

In 2020, VoicesDMV tapped into Community Insights through a regional survey captured in the weeks immediately preceding the COVID-19 crisis. Even before the pandemic, the survey found that our Black and African American neighbors were experiencing economic inequality and expressing deep concerns about access to quality education, jobs, and medical care. View the findings here.

On the Table then brought together thousands of DMV residents for virtual community conversations to engage in meaningful dialogue around the challenges presented by the survey findings, to work to develop solutions together, and to inspire action to make a difference in our communities.  

Finally, the Community Action Awards program, presented by Comcast, is providing support to help participants move ideas discussed at the table into action. These awards are intended to support neighborhood-based projects and individual leaders who may encounter challenges in accessing traditional foundation funding.

“VoicesDMV presents a powerful platform to engage residents to do good for their communities — in fact, 90 percent of On the Table survey respondents said they were likely to take action on an issue discussed at their conversation,” said Benton Murphy, Senior Advisor for Impact at the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “The Community Action Awards were designed to support these ideas and help community members to take action to better their communities. We are looking forward to seeing these projects come to life in communities across the region.”

Selected projects come from across the Washington, DC metro area – including DC, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland, and Northern Virginia. The projects address a wide range of issues, including education and youth development, community engagement, health and wellness, arts and culture, food access and more. All projects receiving awards can be viewed here.

Over 200 individuals and nonprofit organizations submitted ideas through an online application with the option to share a two-minute video clip describing their project. A team of Community Foundation staff and individuals representing a variety of backgrounds, neighborhoods, and expertise evaluated the entries. Winners were selected based on creativity of idea, level of community engagement, and potential impact of the project. 

Community Action Award Winners

• Action Research for Community Change, a partnership between American University’s Community-Based Research Scholars and E.L. Haynes Public Charter School to facilitate an Action Research 101 class for students and pilot a student-led action research project on a community issue important to them.

• Advancing Equity and Inclusion through Entrepreneurship, SEEK SPOT’s 2-Day Launch Camp, to support 10 DC-area entrepreneurs to accelerate business ideas that solve local problems.

• Kids in COVID Book Project, from Bee the Change, to support an opportunity for Montgomery Country children to reflect and write on their experience during the pandemic.

• Baños de Bosque and Defensores de la Cuenca to engage Spanish-speaking immigrant communities in “forest bathing,” a form of therapy that uses nature to teach mindfulness.

• Black on the Block, a collaboration between Creative Suitland Arts Center and Joe’s Movement Emporium, to support a Black wellness festival offering health and business booths, workshops, and performances by local artists.

• Black Chamber Business Tour, an initiative of the PFC Black Chamber, to host a socially distant, caravan-style tour to provide exposure and increase visibility of 10 Black owned businesses in Prince George’s County.

• The Book Club for Kids to support expansion of its podcast program into Anacostia schools.

• Brighter Bites to purchase food for its produce boxes that help underserved families gain access to healthy foods.

• Brightwood Park Unity Mural, a project commissioned by Uptown Main Street, to support creation of a mural that fosters unity, inclusion, neighborhood peace, and youth involvement in the Brightwood Park neighborhood of DC.

• Briya Voices for All, a program of Briya Public Charter School, to support student-led advocacy efforts in 2021.

• B-Roll Media & Arts to help transition its teaching model to online learning and virtual classes.

• Helping Older Adults Weather the COVID Winter through Walking from Capitol Hill Village to create and promote a Year-Round Walking Program designed to bring neighbors together, reduce social isolation, increase social support, and encourage physical activity.

• Civic Saturday Prince George’s County, part of Civic University, to create a program aimed to increase civic engagement in local communities.

• The Coming Home Coop to offer stipends to local business owners for participation in its workshop program.

• Dance Place Accessibility Project to expand Dance Place’s accessibility of its programming and facilities to people with disabilities.

• DC South Asian Food Walking Tour, an initiative of South Asian Rapid Response Initiative (SARRI), to create a walking tour that highlights Asian immigrant restaurant owners.

• DC KinCare Alliance Relative Caregiver Community Board Outreach and Education Project, a DC KinCare Alliance project, to develop an oral history video focused on the everyday life experiences of relative caregivers who’ve stepped up to raise DC's at-risk children in times of crisis.

• Empowered Healing, an initiative of Support Hopeful Youth (SHY), to host three mental health workshops for unstably housed youth in DC.

• Fill the Fridge to offer nutritious meals to underserved communities by purchasing, installing, and filling refrigerators in area schools, libraries, and departments of recreation.

• FreeState to support the second edition of its Maryland LGBTQIA+ community needs assessment.

• Fort Dupont Park Clean-Up Project, an initiative of Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena, to offer positive youth development opportunities during the pandemic.

• Food Landscape Photovoice, a collaboration between Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) and the Prince George’s County Food Equity Council (FEC), to capture personal stories from community members about their food environments to communicate their needs and potential solutions. 

• Franciscan Monastery Garden Guild to purchase farming materials for its urban farm that grows and distributes fresh food to area food banks.

• Got You Covered Diaper Bag Project, a program of Seed of Faith, to distribute diapers, clothing, and other essentials to economically disadvantaged new parents.

• Health and Hope on Wheels, a program by Rainbow Community Development Center, to hire unemployed drivers to pick up donations for its partner agencies.

• Impacto LGBT, a Spanish-language mental health program for persons living with HIV, to expand its bilingual services of LGBT Latinx gay men.

• Invest in the Future, a program by Youth for You, to support a 12-month, academic and college and career readiness program for underserved students in the DC area.

• Kinder(Garden), a program of the Community Educational Research Group, to purchase garden materials and supplies for a youth gardening project with instruction on healthy eating habits and environmental stewardship.

• Live It Learn It to provide two 5th grade classes at Drew Elementary School with access to fun, engaging, hands-on lessons and experiences, such as Sheroes, a social studies lesson focused on women in history and activism.

• Mamas Together Mutual Aid Community Survey Project, an initiative of Mothers Outreach Network, to conduct a digital survey to create awareness and measure the need for a food and supplies bank for the most marginalized moms of several neighborhoods in dire need.

• Maple Avenue Parent Support Group, part of Community Health and Empowerment in the Takoma Park and Long Branch neighborhoods, to create a new weekly parent support group for immigrant families with elementary school age children.

• Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a program of Just Neighbors, to provide stipends to former clients to continue engagement around discussing, advocating, and volunteering on issues that will help make their community a more welcoming place for immigrants.

• No Safe Place to Call Home, a collaborative reporting project that would give one of Street Sense Media’s formerly homeless vendor-writers the chance to produce an investigative story about his experience in partnership with a seasoned professional journalist.

• Overcoming Gentrification in Chinatown to support AALEAD's Youth Council, a group of high and middle-school AAPI youth who advocate for diversity and racial equity concerns in their own lives and their community, to raise awareness of gentrification concerns and give a voice to Chinese residents of DC’s Chinatown neighborhood.

• Potomac Triangle Parks Project, part of the volunteer-run nonprofit Guerilla Gardeners of Washington, DC, to help the residents of Potomac Gardens and Hopkins to reclaim two adjacent public parks from disuse and neglect.

• Raising Las Voces to involve Prince George's County Youth Poet Ambassadors in creating a series of posters to promote and foster awareness of various issues affecting the Latinx community and how to access related resources.

• School Supplies for Students from the Sequoyah Elementary School PTA to prepare and distribute school supply boxes to support the physical, material, and social-emotional needs of students during distance learning.

• Sewing Academy for Latina Women, a partnership between IMPACT Silver Spring and local Latina residents, to launch a 20-week sewing academy for 25 Latina women.

• Sonn Cosita Seria’s Langley Park Project to support a collective music workshop program that teaches and promotes Son Jarocho music in the DC area.

• Surviving a Global Pandemic: Recipes from ROC-DC to help print, publish, and distribute a cookbook that aims to build, strengthen, and maintain community across cultures and languages during the Covid-19 pandemic.

• Takoma Education Campus Community Garden, led by the TEC Parent Teacher Organization, to rehabilitate and expand an unused garden space to bring freshly grown, nutritious vegetables to the local community.

• Total Wellness to support its Bold Beautiful Brilliant Girls Empowerment Group by offering yoga supplies and online yoga classes that help middle school girls take better care of their minds and bodies.

• Ward 3 Mutual Aid, a volunteer-run network of neighbors, to provide groceries, cleaning products and household supplies directly to neighbors affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

• Wellness Together project at Thomas G Pullen Creative Arts Academy to create a wellness initiative for students in grades 3-5 with a twice weekly virtual afterschool program including yoga, meditation, and art therapy.

• Wheels for Women, a partnership between Lyft and the Brem Foundation, to offer cost-free ride-sharing service to breast screenings and diagnostic appointments for women in need.

• Woks for Washington COVID-19 Meal Donation Project and Players Philanthropy Fund to purchase meals from local Asian restaurants and donate those meals to local homeless shelters and medical staff.

• Young Royalty, a program of Royalty LLC, to offer daily and menstrual hygiene products and self-esteem workshops to young ladies 12-17 years of age.

• Young, Black & Working from Home Community and Young, Black & Giving Back Institute to support an online community of Black nonprofit professionals to share ideas, network, dialogue, and have a space to experience Black joy despite current societal crises.

• Youth in Support of Police Reform, a project of Prince George’s People’s Coalition, to educate high school youth on the Maryland state legislative process and support their advocacy efforts around police reform legislation.

• ZOOM PALS to support greater social connection for those aging in place in Hyattsville, Maryland by offering technology training taught by youth and high school students.

'What Does Being African American Today Mean To You?' 3 New Board and Staff Members Share

We are excited to welcome several new staff and board members to The Community Foundation family! And, this month, we’re also excited to celebrate them for Black History Month.

Get to know some of our new Community Foundation community members members, and learn what, to them, being African American means in today’s current climate.

Denielle Pemberton-Heard

Denielle Pemberton-Heard, Community Foundation board member, is a seasoned executive search, talent development, and legal professional. She’s currently Chief Legal Officer and a shareholding Managing Director with Diversified Search Group, a woman-founded search firm that recruits leadership through a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) lens.

Denielle feels that now, more than ever, she has the opportunity to showcase overlooked leaders - and to improve opportunity and equity in the workforce.

In honor of Black History Month, we asked Denielle to reflect on what, in this moment, being African American means to her - and how this shapes her work at The Community Foundation, and beyond. 

“The Washington DC metro area is now my adopted home and I am honored to support organizations serving the people who are the heart and soul of this greater community. I never forget the enslaved people who were by law not permitted to learn to read or vote but nevertheless they are responsible for building by hand many of the landmarks we admire. We can’t forget them and that keeps me and my family focused on trying to do our best every day. “

Marcus Braxton

For Marcus Braxton, our new Managing Director of Operations, systems change is second nature. Marcus has over 15 years of experience helping nonprofits and philanthropic organizations enhance internal operations to elevate their success and impact. 

He’s passionate about using his operational skills to create fair and equitable internal systems, a mission he says “ultimately influences how organizations show up in society.” In honor of Black History Month, we asked Marcus to reflect on his work, at The Community Foundation, and beyond.

“I’m motivated by a desire to not only help others, but really to be of service to others, which I believe is more impactful than just seeking to ‘help.’ In doing so, I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of several high-impact organizations who have really worked to change systems that create inequities. I’m excited to bring that experience here to The Community Foundation to support the organization and community overall.”

Eliana Barnett

Eliana Barnett, Executive Assistant, joined The Community Foundation in December of 2020 to support President and CEO Tonia Wellons. She’s always been passionate about working with mission driven organizations, and hopes to continue serving those in need.

In honor of Black History Month, we asked Eliana to reflect on what, in this moment, being African American means to her - and how this shapes his work at The Community Foundation, and beyond.

“Being an African American in this moment means having to negotiate for our humanity. Although we’ve seen attacks against the African American community in the past, it’s blatantly being shown now. It’s been hard and demoralizing watching people who look like me constantly being attacked. 

Even with all of this going on, it has shown me just how strong the African American community is and I’m proud to be a part of it. Seeing a powerful and well respected woman of color lead The Community Foundation gives me hope that I too can have a seat at the table.”

Also Welcoming…

Rachel Goslins, Director of the Arts & Industries Building at the Smithsonian Institution; Catherine Pino, CEO of D&P Creative Strategies; and Archie Smart, Founder of DKR Insights. Keep a look out for some special spotlights on these other new board members coming up!

Black History: Past, Present, Future

By Ronnie Galvin, Managing Director of Community Investment

Ronnie Galvin

Black history is a living and breathing story of struggle and overcoming. It is both ancient and in process now. It is the summation and multiplication of Black people’s capacity for innovation and the will to survive and thrive in the face of relentless violence against our humanity. Our story is chronicled over thousands of years of Black existence—beginning with the bones of Dinknesh, the great Mousian library, and the civilizations of Mali, Songhai, Kush, and Aksum. It has been likewise expressed in the untold revolts by those who were enslaved, and Black people’s persistent march toward liberation and freedom.

And, we are making history right now. The largest protest movement in the history of the world was birthed on these shores by our people who have declared that Black lives matter. Black people, and Black women in particular, saving the best prospects for democracy in the last election cycle is yet another testament to this fact.

Placing Black history in this context of past and present affirms that it does not begin with slavery (as this country is wanton to do all too often). This point of departure is also a reminder that history should not be merely relegated to the past; but that in this very moment we are making history in a way that will impact the kind of future we will have together.

With this level-setting as a backdrop, I’d like to draw your attention to a set of questions that I’ve been reflecting on in the advent of this new year. They are questions that invite us to courageously reflect on our history, to be informed and intentional about the decisions before us today, and to embrace the idea that what we do now will impact the future we have together.

Looking back at generations past, what if:

• African civilizations never encountered the European invaders and colonialism?

• Black people actually received their 40 acres and a mule?

• Slavery or Jim Crow never happened?

• Race riots in places like Tulsa, Memphis, Atlanta, and Chicago never happened? FDR made stronger and more explicit provisions for Black folks in the New Deal?

• The wars on crime and drugs—and the resulting rise of mass incarceration never happened

• There was a way to revitalize our neighborhoods without gentrifying them and displacing Black people?

• The murders of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, Emmitt Till, Sandra Bland, Breonna Taylor, Felycya Harris, Mia Green, George Floyd, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and Trayvon Martin never happened—and they were still alive?

Asking these questions in this way not only opens our imagination for what might have happened if people living during these times had chosen to do otherwise.  It also invites those of us who are living in the present to consider the critical choices that are before us now—what they will require of us, their impact, and how people 100 years from now will reflect on what we do in this present moment.  Given this, we are left to consider the ‘what if’s’ of our time. 

What if we:

• Became a democracy that leads with racial equity and racial justice?

• Closed racial income and wealth gaps?

• See poverty (particularly Black poverty) as a systemic and societal failure rather than an indictment on individuals?

• Embrace a comprehensive reparations program for Black people that redresses America’s history of racism and allows us (and the entire nation) to heal?

• Convened truth and reconciliation commissions at the national and local levels?

• Design interlocking systems of education, health, civic participation, and economy that produce racial equity and racial justice?

• Established a new paradigm for wealth-starting with Black wealth?

• ALL Black lives really mattered?

At the Greater Washington Community Foundation, we are working to turn these ‘what if’s’ into ‘right now’s’; and right now’s into a just and equitable future for Black people—and for all of us.  We are doubling down on our obligation to make our organization, and the entire Greater Washington region, a more equitable and inclusive place for everyone to live, work, and thrive. As we speak, we are mobilizing every aspect of The Community Foundation family to rise to this aspiration. 

Through our internal REI Working Group, we are engaged in our own learning journey and work to build a community of support and accountability that will advance these efforts.  We are also in the midst of retooling our strategic framework so that every aspect of our work is aligned with what the past has taught us, what the present is revealing to us, and what the future is demanding of us.  We look forward to sharing more—and doing more with each of you—soon! 

“How we engage history will determine the solutions we will choose to pursue with each other.” -Nicol Turner Lee

Pumoja Tutashinde (Together We Will Win)

Down Payment Grants for a More Just Future

By Lisa Wise, CEO and Founder of Nest DC

Home ownership is simply life changing. Homeowners enjoy stability and security, appreciation and wealth generation and fixed costs vs. year over year increases in rent. They unlock tax perks, appreciation and agency. A home of one’s own should not be a privilege enjoyed by some and left out of reach for the rest - particularly when those excluded are often Black, indegenous, and/or people of color. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in the first quarter of 2020, 44% of Black families owned their homes, as compared with 73.7% of white families. And while DC enjoys the highest rate of homeownership among Black households at 50%, it’s still far less than white households, 70% of whom are homeowners.

This wealth gap, inequity and (by design) power imbalance needs to be challenged mightily. And those of us in the real estate industry should be called upon to contribute meaningfully to a more just and equitable future. Indeed, many who have benefited the most from these discriminatory policies have indirectly done so at the expense of many.

Nest DC, our family of real estate management companies, launched the birdSEED Fund in partnership with The Community Foundation to start a new narrative. The fund is seeded with $215,000 for down payment grants - money never to be repaid and earmarked - for first-time Black and Brown home buyers. Grants will range from $5,000 to $15,000 at a time, for those who have been historically excluded from the wealth generating acquisition of homes.  

We want to acknowledge just how much we have to repair in this industry - and we’re initiating this conversation by first investing in our community. 

I have been managing homes for over 30 years. I experienced housing insecurity growing up and have always been drawn to this work. Managing property with empathy and kindness has been my North Star from the start. 

At Nest DC, we’ve chosen to honor people and place over profit. We embrace the communities and neighborhoods that knit together our portfolio. birdSEED and our housing justice work aligns with our values system, and gives us a very specific pathway to helping people with our profits and passion. 

To get there, we are thrilled to partner with the Greater Washington Community Foundation. Their support and commitment to justice, local investments and dignified housing offer a powerful alignment that will help accelerate our impact. With their sophisticated fund management, they allow us to stay focused on grantmaking while they help manage the administrative complexity of the work and reach the right partners. This partnership allows our 100% volunteer-led program to be effective and accessible.  

<— Our birdSEED logo is an homage to the peace and love the dove represents.  We’ll continue to fly high for justice - and hope you will join us in this important work.  

MORE ON BIRDSEED AND HOW TO APPLY

birdSEED is now open to Black and Brown first-time home buying residents in the DC area. The application/review process is deliberately uncomplicated. A board of advisors will review applications and we will match funds with qualified applicants. Grantees can have a combined household income up to $150,000 and must be first-time home buyers and plan to occupy the home. We offer 120 days to use the funds, which are released at closing and are compliant with mortgage lending guidelines. Apply at https://birdseedfoundation.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lisa Wise, CEO and Founder of Nest DC, describes herself as a serial entrepreneur with a social justice lens. Over the last 30 years, all of her professional experiences have been cause-driven, community-based and geared towards improving the lives of others. Lisa leads Nest, with a focus on giving back to communities and populations that are underserved or underrepresented. 

Day to day, Lisa oversees the strategic direction of Nest DC. In particular, she manages strategic partnerships for long term growth and sustainability, leads philanthropic efforts, partners with the heads of sales and client experience managers at all business units to make sure they continue to deliver on their commitment to exceptional customer service and instills a company culture that has led to an industry low turnover rate and a team that is committed for the long haul.

Quarterly Update to the Community

Dear friends of The Community Foundation,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sincerely,
Tonia Wellons
President and CEO

Phase Two of the DC CARES Program Will Provide Over $8M for Excluded Workers Relief

Critical Funding Represents Continuing Efforts to Support the DC Community and Invest in City’s Future

Washington, DC – January 25, 2021 – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Events DC, Washington DC’s official convention and sports authority, announced the launch of Phase 2 of the DC CARES Program, which will provide over $8 million in relief funding to eligible excluded workers in the District of Columbia. They include people who have been omitted from federal stimulus efforts and are experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The additional aid comes from the District of Columbia’s budget and supplements the $5 million in relief for Phase 1 of the program provided by Events DC in June. 

“In funding this initiative for excluded workers, Mayor Bowser and her partners on the DC Council are proud to collaborate with Events DC to make this investment in our DC values of hope, love, diversity and inclusiveness,” said John Falcicchio, deputy mayor for planning and economic development. 

DC Cares is a continuing partnership among Events DC, the Executive Office of the Mayor, the Greater Washington Community Foundation and key partnering community-based organizations (CBO’s). To implement Phase 2 Events DC has provided the Greater Washington Community Foundation with $8.1 million to purchase pre-paid debit cards of $1,000 per card. In collaboration with the Executive Office of the Mayor, The Community Foundation will facilitate the outreach, processing and distribution of the pre-paid debit cards through the CBOs. 

“This program remains a core part of our mission to serve and give back to our communities which will help to continue to propel our city forward,” stated Greg A. O’Dell, president and chief executive officer of Events DC. “We thank Mayor Bowser and her executive team for their tireless efforts in supporting the excluded worker community and the DC Council for funding this important relief package.” 

The identified community-based organizations will issue the pre-paid debit cards to eligible workers based on certain criteria. The relief funding will be targeted to those families who live in the District, have experienced loss of income due to the public health emergency, and are ineligible for unemployment insurance or federal COVID-19 relief, to include returning citizens and cash economy workers.

The Community Foundation is a tax-exempt public charity that manages hundreds of charitable giving funds on behalf of generous individuals, families, and businesses in the Washington, DC metro area. The community-based organization currently designated to help implement the DC CARES program include the following:

• Bread for the City

• The Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)

• CentroNía

• Latin American Youth Center (LAYC)

• Mary’s Center

• Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative

• DC Jobs with Justice

“We are proud of our continued partnership with Events DC, the Executive Office of the Mayor, and the following community-based organizations — Bread for the City, The Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), CentroNía, Latin American Youth Center (LAYC), Mary’s Center, Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative, and DC Jobs with Justice — to provide over $8 million in relief funding to workers who have been excluded from federal stimulus efforts,” said Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation.

“As the pandemic continues, so does the urgent need to support our excluded workers who are struggling financially. Building on our Phase I efforts, our goal is to provide this essential relief funding so these individuals may cover their food, rent, medical care, and other critical needs.”

Applicants who may be eligible for the program can access it through the centralized intake process at www.DCCARES2021.org or 202-332-1264. Any applicant who believes they may be eligible is encouraged to apply.

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About Events DC 
Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, delivers premier event services and flexible venues across the nation's capital. Leveraging the power of a world-class destination and creating amazing attendee experiences, Events DC generates economic and community benefits through the attraction and promotion of business, athletic, entertainment and cultural activities. Events DC oversees the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, an anchor of the District's hospitality and tourism economy that hosts more than 1.7 million visitors and generates more than $400 million annually in total economic impact, and the historic Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square. Events DC manages the RFK Stadium-Armory Campus (RFK Campus), including Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Festival Grounds at RFK Campus, The Fields at RFK Campus, the non-military functions of the DC Armory and the Skate Park at RFK Stadium. Stay current on the 190-acre RFK Campus Redevelopment Project at www.RFKCampus.com. Events DC also built and serves as landlord for Nationals Park, the first LEED-certified major professional sports stadium in the United States. Events DC manages Gateway DC, R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center and the Entertainment and Sports Arena (www.ESAontheRise.com), all conveniently located in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC.

Statement on Assault on our democracy

Statement from Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation

Yesterday was a sad day in America.

Our democracy has never been perfect. In fact, a healthy democracy thrives on debate and the productive exchange of ideas in the public square – sometimes vigorously. However, what we just witnessed yesterday in our Nation’s Capital is far from the kind of democracy that our founders fought for and so many of us aspire to uphold.

I have spent the better part of my career working in developing and transitional countries where democracy was fledgling and tenuous at best, and never once witnessed the attempted overthrow of government that we experienced at the seat of our democracy yesterday. On behalf of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, I want to strongly condemn the violent attack on the U.S. Congress and Capitol complex, the beacon of our nation and its democratic systems.

The brazen actions of these rioters were a blatant attempt to reverse the results of a free and fair democratic election. Those who seek to wreak havoc in our city and to desecrate our democratic institutions cannot and will not prevail. It is no longer sufficient to say, ‘this isn’t our America.’ It is, unfortunately!

And yet, the chaos of the day in our Nation’s Capital offered a stark contradiction to the victories hard won in Georgia. Victories obtained through grassroots organizing and through participatory governance; a cornerstone of our democracy. This too, is our America.

Many are resigned to view Washington, DC as a federal city and the seat of our democracy, and too often forget that this area is also home to thousands of people who chose to live, work, and raise their families in a prosperous region. As the CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, which serves DC and its surrounding suburban communities, I know the DC region to be a place with a strong sense of community and a passion for social justice and philanthropy.

In our local community, I have been heartened to see momentum building for an equitable recovery and a move toward a deeper experience of our humanity and the manifestation of justice. But as the civil unrest that unfolded earlier this summer and the racial inequities exposed and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis have shown us, we still have a long way to go until we truly realize the principles and ideals that “all men [and women] are created equal” and entitled to “certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

While we are concerned and abhorred by yesterday’s events, and all the circumstances leading up to it, the Greater Washington Community Foundation family will not be deterred from our work to ensure a future where we all have an equal opportunity to thrive. At The Community Foundation, we understand the needs and challenges facing our local community and will continue to focus our energy and resources on addressing inequities in housing, education, employment, medical care, and more. We are resolute in our commitment to creating an equitable, just, and thriving region, and will not fall prey to the distraction and disruption others would seek to create.

Those working to undermine our democracy want chaos. We choose community.

Partnership to End Homelessness Update: A Year in Review

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

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

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

a year in review

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

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

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

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

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

Ways to join us

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

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

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

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About the Partnership to End Homelessness

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

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

Get Involved

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

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

Celebrating Our Collective Impact

Dear Friends of the Community Foundation,

I believe the holidays are a time to give thanks and give back—and they’re also a time to celebrate. As we look towards the new year, I want to acknowledge and celebrate our collective impact. It has been a challenging year—and, with your partnership, we were able to respond to the needs of our community with urgency and with care.

Top 10 Impact Stories of 2020
To help us celebrate, we have put together a collection of our Top 10 Impact Stories of 2020. From our COVID-19 response work, to our community engagement through the VoicesDMV initiative, these stories offer a chance to reflect on our collective impact, and the difference we've made together.

Celebrating the Power of Our Community
Earlier this month, our community came together to reflect on and share powerful stories that encapsulate the spirit and heart of our community. The Power of Our Community virtual convenings featured local leaders from across sectors to explore the impact of our community’s COVID-19 response and examine what’s next as we rebuild from this crisis.

If you missed either event in this series, you can watch the recordings and read our recap of key take-aways from these discussions. And below, get a preview with our short impact video updates.

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This Local WDVM segment discusses the FFCYF awards and our partners.

New Investments in Children, Youth, and Families
We are proud to celebrate two new investments to support our community’s disadvantaged children, youth, and families. The Children’s Opportunity Fund (COF), through a participatory grantmaking process, invested up to $100,000 in 4 literacy-focused nonprofits in Montgomery County; and the Fund for Children, Youth, and Families (FFCYF) invested $1.99 million in 49 nonprofits helping people experiencing homelessness, youth in foster care, and to close the achievement gap. You can meet the COF awardees here and FFCYF awardees here.

Meet Our New Team Members
We have also invested in strengthening our organization to better serve this region. We are thrilled to welcome Ronnie Galvin as our new Managing Director for Community Investment, a leading voice in our region and country on issues of racial equity and reparative justice. You can “meet” Ronnie here, as well as get to know several other staff members who recently joined our team or were promoted into new roles.

An Incredible Recognition by the Washington Business Journal
I was proud to represent all of you, when accepting the Washington Business Journal’s 2020 Nonprofit Leader of the Year award. What an honor for our effort to be recognized alongside champions of the local business community and community heroes like Howard University President Dr. Wayne Frederick, and José Andrés!

This recognition would not have been possible without my hardworking staff, our nonprofit partners and donors, and my family for their unwavering support. Thank you for your commitment to deep community impact and partnership with us throughout 2020 and beyond.

Thank you. I wish you a safe and happy holiday season, and I look forward to seeing you in the new year.

With gratitude,

Tonia Wellons
President & CEO

A Year of Impact: Top 10 Stories of 2020

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

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

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

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

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

 #3 Your Voices Matters: VoicesDMV On the Table Conversations

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

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

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

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

 #5: Back to School Means Facing the Digital Divide

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

#6: #MakeADifference Mondays

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

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

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

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

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

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

 #8: Celebrating Three Leadership Legacies

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

Read more about their achievements and success stories. 

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

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

#10: Celebrating the Power of Our Community

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

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

Celebrating the Power of Our Community

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

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

Recap: Power of Our Community, Montgomery County

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Community Foundation Welcomes ‘Community Builder’ to Leadership Team, Celebrates New Staff and Staff Promotions

We are thrilled to welcome Ronnie Galvin as our new Managing Director for Community Investment. Ronnie oversees The Community Foundation team responsible for community leadership and discretionary funding programs, leading with his experience in and passion for racial equity and reparative justice. Below, hear from Ronnie on his dedication to community building and inspiration for joining The Community Foundation.

I am a community builder. This is the case in my personal and professional life. This essential part of my identity emerges from growing up in a tightly knit, self-determined, mutually supportive and accountable Black community in Miami, Florida. It was a place where elders were revered; every child was cherished; there was no such thing as hunger or homelessness; and every Black life not only mattered, but was celebrated and exalted.

I was birthed and raised in a Black working class family. My father professionally served 22 years as an enlisted airman in the United States Air Force. My mother was a domestic worker—herself coming from a long line of Black women deemed as the 'helping class.' They are now in the realm of the ancestors among many who provide counsel, inspiration, and protection for me as I come to this work. 

I do this work in a space that has already been opened by my partner, soulmate, and collaborator—Dr. Yanique Redwood, President and CEO of the Consumer Health Foundation. She is the fiercest, most tenacious, and consistent freedom fighter, lover of our people and lover of me that I know. We co-parent two young-adult children, Alana and Darren, who are both finding their way in the world.  

This feeling and experience of community is what inspires me.  It has enriched my life beyond my wildest dreams and deepest longings. I am compelled to build and share this same experience with the Greater Washington Community Foundation Family, across the DMV region, and wherever our work takes us in this country and on the planet.

New Operations and Accounting Staff

Over the past few months, we’ve welcomed several new staff members to The Community Foundation family! We are excited to work with…  

• Marcus Braxton, Managing Director for Operations. Marcus joined the organization in December 2020, and leads The Community Foundation’s work to enhance its internal operations, systems, and processes to ensure the organization has the infrastructure needed to continue its success and impact. We’ll feature more on Marcus in the new year, so stay tuned!

• Akista Haywood, Staff Accountant. Akista is responsible for the payroll and supporting the Accounting staff. She has over 20 years of Accounting and Payroll experience, coming to The Community Foundation from JSI where she was Payroll Manager. 

Celebrating New Staff Roles

Several Community Foundation staff have also been promoted to new roles in the organization! Please join us in congratulating:

• Melen Hagos, Senior Manager for External Affairs. In her new role, Melen helps build partnerships in the community, leading a variety of initiatives, including programs and grantmaking initiatives, and identifying key community alliances that will move The Community Foundation's work forward. Melen joined The Community Foundation in 2017 as a Community Investment Associate where she coordinated all competitive and discretionary grantmaking across the region.

• Kathy Matthews, Director, Grants Management. In her new role as Director, she oversees all financial and administrative operations and functions of grant awards–and is responsible for financial reporting, budget oversight and grants compliance. She has held several prior positions within The Community Foundation that include Receptionist, Grants Management Associate, and Grants Manager.

• Benton Murphy, Senior Advisor for Impact. Previously as AVP for Community Investment, Benton led The Community Foundation’s VoicesDMV initiative and managed a set of endowed funds, including the Spring Creek Fund, Joshua Community Fund, Catalyst Fund and LGBTQ+ Fund for Philanthropy. With more than a dozen years of experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, he also provides advisory services to donors and staff on effective grantmaking practices.

•  Brittany Owens, Community Impact Associate. Brittany is the Technical Lead for grant applications, co-leads our racial equity and inclusion work, and provides support for fundraising with foundations. In previous roles, Brittany has gained experience lobbying and being a case manager with nonprofit organizations. 

• Danielle Yates, Managing Director of Marketing and Communications. Danielle joined The Community Foundation in 2017 and brings more than 15 years experience leading marketing and communications programs for nonprofit associations. She leads the strategic vision and oversees tactical implementation of all communications and marketing programs across the organization. 

Learn more about our staff and their backgrounds here.