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Bridging the Health and Wealth Gap Through Guaranteed Income

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

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

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

My Sister’s Place

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

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

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

Mother’s Outreach Network

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

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

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

Capital Area Asset Builders

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

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

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

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Budgeting to End Homelessness: A Letter to DC Mayor Bowser

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Dear Mayor Bowser:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • $60 million to repair and preserve public housing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Support efforts to end youth homelessness: We recommend:

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

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

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

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

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

Sincerely,

Tonia Wellons

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

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In Pursuit of Economic Justice Recap: National Leaders Discuss Guaranteed Income Movement

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Last week, The Community Foundation hosted a panel of national leaders in the guaranteed income movement for a discussion about how philanthropy is working to increase economic mobility by launching and investing in guaranteed income programs. The event was the first of the “In Pursuit of Economic Justice” Webinar Series – designed to bring together experts to explore innovative approaches to closing the racial wealth gap.

“Part of our 10-year strategic vision to close the racial wealth gap is to invest in innovative solutions that can move beyond providing economic stability to promoting economic mobility and eventual prosperity for communities of color,” President & CEO Tonia Wellons shared. “The guaranteed income movement is one of those.”

“Guaranteed income is designed to allow those who are economically disadvantaged to be the arbiters of their own financial lives,” Natalie Foster, President & Founder of the Economic Security Project shared. “It’s based on the premise that as we provide people with regular cash payments – with no strings attached – that they can live with dignity and make the choices they need to prosper.”

Foster has been with the guaranteed income movement since one of the first pilot programs launched in Stockton, CA in 2017. Six years later, the movement has grown to encompass more than 100 pilots across the country – including four in the Greater Washington region: Let’s Go DMV! (DC), MoCo Boost (Montgomery County), Arlington’s Guarantee (Arlington), and ARISE (Alexandria).

The Community Foundation is a proud partner for several of these initiatives and plans to help launch a similar program in Prince George’s County in the coming months.

““The problem is not that these people aren’t working – the problem is that the economy is not working for them.””
— Natalie Foster

Foster explained that one of the biggest challenges facing the growing movement lies in narrative building – specifically in addressing common misconceptions surrounding guaranteed income and the social safety net.

“Many in our society have a very harmful ideology that poverty is an individual failing,” Foster continued. “We know that is not true. For communities of color, we know it is a structural and systemic failure.”

“The problem is not that these people aren’t working – the problem is that the economy is not working for them.”

“For those of us with wealth, there are multitude of public subsidies – like tax deductions – that we can access with ‘no strings attached’,” added Geeta Pradhan, President of the Cambridge Community Foundation. “Yet for our low-income populations, we ask them to explain themselves, fill out forms, jump through hoops, and waste time that they don’t have – just to get the help they need.”

“The time has come for us to put aside these systemic inequities when it comes to our social safety net.”

Pradhan and the Cambridge Community Foundation joined the guaranteed income movement in 2021, when they partnered with Mayor’s for Guaranteed Income to launch Cambridge RISE. The project has been so successful that the Mayor’s Office of Cambridge, Massachusetts announced an additional $22 million in federal funding for the project last year – making it one of the largest programs in the country. The investment highlights what Foster says is an important step towards one of the long-term goals of the movement.

 “The vision of the guaranteed income movement is not simply to launch pilots in certain parts of the country,” Foster explained. “The vision is that philanthropic dollars will serve as the R&D (Research & Development) and power building muscle to influence and enact policy.”

Foster highlighted the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Expanded Income Tax Credit (EITC) as examples of existing policies that could be expanded upon – a measure that the DC Council chose to take this past year to establish a new monthly basic income program.

“I think you have a real opportunity,” Pradhan said, speaking directly to The Community Foundation’s donors. “Your community is already doing an amazing job in the guaranteed income space – and through those initiatives, we continue to learn more and more about how we can make our community stronger. As donors, your generosity is what helps us create change in our communities.”

“It’s not often you get the opportunity to have such a return on your investment,” Foster added. “Not only from a policy standpoint in the long-term – enacting long-awaited systemic change – but also in the short-term – providing tangible support that truly makes a difference for people in your community.”

Click here to view the full recording of In Pursuit of Economic Justice: A Primer on Guaranteed Income Programs. This event is the first of a series of conversations exploring innovative approaches to closing the racial gap.

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Listening to the Community: Sharing Montgomery Meets With Leaders in East-County

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Members of The Community Foundation’s Montgomery County Advisory Board, staff, and Sharing Montgomery donors recently visited with community partners in Montgomery County’s East-County region – one of the “Priority Neighborhoods” identified by The Community Foundation as part of its new 10-year strategic plan. The event follows a similar visit with Up-County partners that took place last November.

The day began at Manna Food Center’s headquarters in Silver Spring, where the group met with a panel of nonprofit leaders who have been at the forefront of the battle against food insecurity in Montgomery County. A battle that they say has continued, even as COVID cases have declined.

“Let’s not have amnesia about what we experienced during the pandemic,” Jackie DeCarlo, CEO of Manna Food Center shared. “As one our volunteers shared ‘I hope we never go back to normal; the pandemic made me realize that -- for a lot of people -- normal just wasn’t working”.

Despite the challenges, these partners have only continued to innovate. Rev. Kendra Smith, of East County Hub led by Kingdom Fellowship, and Pat Drumming, Executive Director of Rainbow Community Development Center, outlined how they work collaboratively with local businesses, grocery stores, and farmers to rescue thousands of pounds food.  DeCarlo explained how Manna Food Center now partners with local ethnic food markets to establish a voucher system that allows families to obtain culturally appropriate foods to make homecooked meals while also supporting critical local businesses.

“Essentially, we’re working with what already exists to recreate a new food system,” Rev. Kendra Smith of East County Hub of Kingdom Fellowship explained. “One that has the flexibility to respond to our community’s needs.”

The panel expressed gratitude to the donors of Sharing Montgomery and Food for Montgomery for their extraordinary support in recent years. They further highlighted how major investments over the last few years enabled them to secure shared cold storage – increasing their capacity to collect, store, and distribute perishable food items like meat and fresh produce.

“We can’t continue to look at food insecurity in isolation,” Rev. Smith explained. “Many of the families we’re serving are multi-generational. We need to examine all the social determinants of health and start having conversations about how we can work together and collaborate to address the root causes behind the needs that these families have.”

After a quick tour of the Manna Food Center’s choice pantry, the group then moved on to Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville, MD, where they met with representatives from local nonprofits working to promote economic mobility and higher education: IMPACT Silver Spring, College Tracks and the Achieving College Excellence & Success (ACES) partnership of Montgomery College, the Universities at Shady Grove, and Montgomery County Public Schools.

Much like the safety-net partners, these nonprofit leaders had to continuously pivot and innovate since the outbreak of COVID.   For IMPACT Silver Spring, that meant finding ways to provide direct cash transfers so families in crisis could meet their needs more efficiently (an effort supported by The Community Foundation’s Neighbors in Need Montgomery Fund).  Meanwhile, CollegeTracks and ACES initially struggled to connect with students virtually while schools were operating remotely but ultimately found their efforts made them even more accessible.

“We were able to engage with their families in ways that we’d never done before,” explained Mecha Inman, CEO of College Tracks. “We were able to directly answer their questions about the college application process and help them become better informed about how to support and advocate for their students.”

Andres Maldonado, Assistant Director of ACES, further shared how ACES expanded their outreach to better serve students and their families – ensuring that students not only had access to academic support, but also important resources like food, employment opportunities, and mental health services. 

In response to how residents are helping their families and neighborhoods recover, Michael Rubin, Interim Director of IMPACT Silver Spring, shared how they are advancing worker collaboratives, empowering people with the resources and capital they need to start new enterprises that will ultimately help them on the pathway out of poverty and keep wealth in our local economy.

“We are not going to safety net ourselves out of the racial wealth gap. We are not going to safety net ourselves out of poverty,” Rubin shared. “We have to do things differently.”

Following the tour, Anna Hargrave, Executive Director for Montgomery County for the Greater Washington Community Foundation, reflected on two key takeaways:

  • While the nonprofit partners we heard from have different missions, there is a common practice that has fueled their many accomplishments; they authentically listen to the community, making sure residents’ voices are driving change.

  • Knowing the federal pandemic relief dollars are dwindling, we must empower our local nonprofits with flexible support they will need to further meet the urgent needs plus advocate for policy changes that will help our lowest-income neighbors who were hit hardest by the pandemic and are still struggling to recover.

To learn more about upcoming in-person and virtual visits plus other learning opportunities, contact Olivia Hsu at [email protected].

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Housing: A Social Determinant of Health

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

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

Research demonstrates that housing and health are inextricably linked:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Learn more about The Community Foundation’s Impact Investing Programs

Enterprise Community Loan Fund Impact Note

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

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

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The Next Step in our Journey with the DMV Book Group

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Dear Book Group Family,

Thank you for those of you who have been a part of the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s book group over the last year. 

As a group, much of our time and attention has been focused on socializing ourselves about the ways that racism, economics, politics, and policy making have played out in American history and created the disparities we see in our society. We have done so with the expectation that we could all align around a shared understanding about the racial and economic choices, histories, policies, and impacts that perpetuate the disparities we see in our society—the racial wealth gap in particular. 

To this end, please allow me to offer a draft perspective that we will test, revise, and eventually hold together:

In our book group, we have learned how racism and our prevailing political and economic systems were born and raised together.  We have seen how they are mutually reinforcing structures that have instigated profound harm in the lives of Indigenous and Black peoples, and other people of color. 

While these groups have suffered the most, we all suffer as long as these systems remain unchallenged and unchecked. We believe that the racial and economic justice that so many of us seek will only come by transforming BOTH the hearts, minds and behaviors of individuals AND the interlocking systems that govern our lives and well-being.

Over this next year we will be making an intentional pivot to volumes and published pieces inviting us to imagine compelling and concrete solutions that address the racial and economic issues keeping us all from living our highest collective potential.

We set the tone for this pivot toward solutions at our last book group when we read Solidarity Economics: Why Mutuality and Movement Matter. One of the book’s co-authors, Professor Manual Pastor joined us to offer perspectives on the book.  He invited us to reimagine an economic system built on the values and practices of mutuality—in other words an economy that moves away from competition, individualism, and winners and losers, to one that models collaboration, the human desire for community, everyone doing well.   

I’m excited to continue our journey as we discuss Collective Courage: A History of African-American Cooperative Thought and Practice. If you don’t have time to read the entire book, feel free to skim this article that includes in an interview with the author of the book—Jessica Gordon Nembhard – who will be joining us for our book group session on March 31st. You can register here. 

I hope you’ll continue to join us in the work of learning, dreaming, and taking action together.  The change we seek will take all of us.

In Solidarity,

Ronnie Galvin
Senior Fellow & Book Group Facilitator

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Meet Our Spirit of Philanthropy Award Honoree – Terri Lee Freeman

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The Greater Washington Community Foundation was proud to honor Terri Lee Freeman with the 2023 Spirit of Philanthropy Award at our 50th Anniversary Celebration of Philanthropy .

As the longest-serving and first Black female President and CEO of The Community Foundation (from 1996-2014), Terri was the catalyst for remarkable growth of the organization’s assets and impact in the community. Her visionary leadership was the driving force behind critical initiatives that helped our community through major crises, instigated groundbreaking conversations about race and racism, and mobilized resources to expand equity, access, and opportunity for all residents of the Greater Washington region. This work was unparalleled for its time and paved the way for The Community Foundation’s new strategic vision to build community wealth and close the racial wealth gap.

During her tenure, Terri was recognized by the Washington Business Journal as one of its “Women Who Mean Business” and by Washingtonian Magazine as a “Washingtonian of the Year” and “100 Most Powerful Women of Washington”. Since leaving The Community Foundation, she has pursued her passion for civil rights and social justice as the former President of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, and now as the Executive Director of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture in Baltimore.

Terri Lee Freeman was appointed Executive Director of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture in December 2020. The seventh director of the State’s largest museum devoted to African American history, Freeman is responsible for providing strategic leadership in furthering the museum’s mission as an educational and cultural institution. To that end, she has worked with staff and board to develop a five-year strategic plan that culminates in a planned renovation of The Lewis Museum’s permanent history exhibition, a growth in visitors, membership, funding support and community outreach. Freeman seeks to connect history to current events and expand the museum’s connection to the very rich and vibrant communities which make up the state of Maryland.

Prior to joining The Lewis Museum, Freeman served as President of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee for six years. During her tenure Freeman broadened the Museum’s reputation as the new public square. She oversaw the Museum’s MLK50 commemoration, an international commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and designed and executed signature programming like “Unpacking Racism for Action,” a seven-month-long dialogue program delving into issues of implicit bias and structural racism. 

Before the NCRM, Ms. Freeman served as President of the Greater Washington Community Foundation for 18 years. She distinguished herself for her community building and her ability to grow the Foundation’s reputation as an effective and strategic funder in the metropolitan DC region. 

Her intense passion for the nonprofit sector and community was nurtured while serving as the founding executive director of the Freddie Mac Foundation; at the time, one of the five largest corporate foundations in the metropolitan Washington region.

Ms. Freeman currently serves on the boards of BoardSource, the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, Visit Baltimore, the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, and the University of Dayton, her alma mater.  In 2020, she was identified as an Outstanding Alum by the University of Dayton.  And in December 2020, the Memphis Magazine identified her as Memphian of the Year. A frequently sought-after speaker, Ms. Freeman lives by the saying that what is most important is what people say about you when you aren’t in the room. 

Freeman received her bachelor’s degree in journalism/communication arts from the University of Dayton and her master’s degree in organizational communication management from Howard University. 

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Faces of Philanthropy: Meet The Emerging Leaders Executive Committee

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A new year, means there’s new faces on the Emerging Leaders Impact Fund (ELIF) Executive Committee!

ELIF is a diverse group of passionate people who are interested in using the power of philanthropy to make a positive difference in Prince George’s County. The ELIF Executive Committee is made up of strong leaders who are dedicated to inspiring future philanthropists and building coalitions for change in their community.

Tatiana Paige Altson

(Bio Coming Soon)

Danita Dyer

Danita C. Dyer resides in Upper Marlboro, MD and has been a PG County resident for the past 9 years. She is very passionate about her community. 

Danita has a background in Public and Community Health and began her career as a Research Intern for the Center of Evaluation, Policy, Research and Prevention at John Hopkins while enrolled as a student at Morgan State University.  She furthered her education by obtaining a Masters’ Degree at Trinity University majoring in Science Administration in Organizational Management and Public and Community Health. After graduation, Danita worked alongside the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAD) as a Health Analyst/Program Manager with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation. 

Currently, Danita works at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA), where she serves as an Assist Records Liaison Officer (ARLO) between ORA and FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel. As part of that role, Danita serves as the lead POC over the multilayered contract awarded to ORA, ensuring that operations are in compliance with Congressional Mandate.

Danita has also served as the ORA and Baltimore District Office Vice President (VP) for National Treasury Employees Union’s (NTEU) Chapter 282 and services over 5,000 employees. During her over tenure as the elected VP with NTEU’s Chapter 282 she has lobbied on the Hill and fought for employee rights for over 5 years. 

Danita has one daughter (Blair) who is a Freshman at Morgan State University and majors in Entrepreneurship. Danita is also the primary caregiver for her grandparents who were both diagnosed with Dementia over the pandemic.   

Armaund Hodge

(Photo and Bio Coming Soon)

Eric Johnston

As someone passionate about political empowerment, and mobilizing people to solve challenging, shared problems, Eric Johnston is currently leaving his mark as the Director of Federal Government Affairs for Marriott International. He leads the global company's federal public policy advocacy efforts, grassroots and grasstops political coordination, and national partnership engagement.

Prior to that, Eric worked with Coca-Cola Consolidated for more than five years. He served as the Director of Government Relations for the Mid-Atlantic region. He was the youngest person and first African American to hold this leadership position in their 117-year history. Before joining the Coca-Cola team, Eric worked seven years as a lobbyist for the multi-client firm, Strategic Solutions Center LLC.

Eric serves his community by contributing to multiple organizations on their Board of Directors. Those organizations include the Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business, National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics, Maryland Government Relations Association, 100 Black Men of Greater Washington DC, and New Leaders Council. Through these and other organizations, he has been dedicated to civic engagement and empowering young professionals to engage underserved communities.

Eric graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) with a bachelor’s degree in Finance and holds an M.B.A. from Hampton University. He is also a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and an even prouder husband and father.

Altmann Pannell

Altmann R. Pannell is a native of Petersburg, Virginia, who earned a B.A. in African American Studies with a focus in Public Policy from the University of Maryland College Park in 2009 and a Masters of Public Administration with a focus in Public Policy from Bowie State University in 2016.

Upon graduation, Altmann worked in the Office of The Honorable Anthony G. Brown, Lieutenant Governor of Maryland and later in the Prince George’s County Council with The Honorable Ingrid M. Turner Esq, and The Honorable Deni Tavares. In March of 2016, Altmann began working in the Non-Profit Sector of the District of Columbia for Food & Friends Inc., as the Manager of Intergovernmental Relations and Public Funding.

In 2019, Altmann left the servicer field and joined the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) as the Director of Government and External Affairs, where he worked tirelessly to bring different perspectives to difficult conversations addressing community policing in America. During his time at IACLEA, he was tasked to lead the COVID-19 Rapid Response Task Force for the nation’s Colleges and Universities at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the early Spring of 2021, Altmann joined Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc., as the Director of Government Relations over the Mid-Atlantic Region, where he currently works.

Altmann is married to his lovely wife Joy, and they reside in Laurel, Maryland, with their Miniature Schnauzer, Vino. Altmann is an active member of Trinity Episcopal Church in Washington D.C., as well as in his Graduate Chapter of Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, Inc., serving the greater College Park, MD community.

In addition to serving on the Emerging Leaders Impact Fund Executive Committee, Altmann also serves as the Vice-Chair of the Camping Committee for the National Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America servicing the youth of the District of Columbia.

Davion Percy

Davion E. Percy launched Percy Public Affairs, LLC in July of 2020. Prior to launching PPA, Davion worked the Government Relations Practice of Alexander & Cleaver, PA. He started out as a Government Relations Consultant, quickly rising to Vice President of the Government Relations Division.  Prior to joining Alexander & Cleaver, Davion served in Prince George’s County Government for 10 years.  He worked five years in the Department of Environmental Resources (now the Department of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement).

During the last half of the decade he spent with Prince George’s County, Davion served in the office of former County Council Member Karen R. Toles (D-Suitland) as Constituent Services Specialist and Chief of Staff, respectively.  As part of his duties, Davion acted as Council Member Toles’ community representative, liaison to the county’s public safety agencies, and advisor on public safety policy initiatives.  As Chief of Staff, Davion advised Council Member Toles on all policy matters, including zoning issues, and served as her staff liaison to the Health, Education, and Human Services committee, which she chaired.  Additionally, he oversaw the day-to- day functions of the office.

Davion resides in Prince George’s County where he spends his spare time with family and mentoring young men and women through community outreach programs with non-profits.

Ashley Sharp

Ashley is a Maryland resident and graduate of University of Maryland, College Park. She is CEO of Resurgence Consulting, LLC and President of the Marlboro Pike Partnership, CDC. Her professional career includes Government & Politics working at Local, State and Federal levels of all legislative branches.

Ashley is passionate about community and solving complex social issues for those most in need. In addition to her involvement with ELIF, she’s also a member of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. and the First Baptist Church of Glenarden.

D’Andre Wilson

D’Andre Wilson is an educator and leader who is passionate about helping others through the gift of education. Having worked in various capacities, Mr. Wilson currently serves as a higher education business operations leader with the primary purpose of helping students achieve their education and career goals.

During his 15+ years in education, D’Andre Wilson has aimed to lead through a Servant Leadership approach. In addition to seeing his students accomplish their career goals, D’Andre says that his greatest professional accomplishments revolve around helping his fellow Colleagues advance into leadership roles. “Real Leaders Create Other Leaders” is a phrase that guides Mr. Wilson daily.

Mr. Wilson has received several accolades and awards throughout his career, but his greatest accomplishment has been being a husband and father to four beautiful children. Mr. Wilson holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Hampton University, Masters of Education in Higher Education Administration and is currently pursuing an Education Doctorate from Northeastern University.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Advancing Economic Mobility— and Justice—in Prince George’s

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“Despite its designation as one of the wealthiest majority Black jurisdictions in the country, Prince George’s has the lowest household income in the region, a sobering nod to Greater Washington’s significant and historic racial wealth gap.”

By Jamie McCrary - Addressing our region’s economic inequality has become a leading priority for community leaders. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, Greater Washington—home to nine of the 20 wealthiest counties in the U.S.—suffered some of the highest income inequalities in the nation.

Prince George’s County, Maryland, is no exception. Despite its designation as one of the wealthiest majority Black jurisdictions in the country, Prince George’s has the lowest household income in the region, a sobering nod to Greater Washington’s significant and historic racial wealth gap.

Throughout the region, many philanthropic organizations have pivoted their focus to address these stark disparities. For The Community Foundation, this means continuing to partner with local nonprofits driving economic justice—and reimagining the organization’s strategy to build racially equitable, just, and thriving communities where everyone prospers.

“Low-income residents and communities of color have paid dearly due to lack of investment advancing economic justice,” says Darcelle Wilson, Senior Director for Prince George’s County at The Community Foundation. “Every community and person, no matter their socio-economic status, is better off when we take strategic action to close the racial wealth gap.”

A Vision for Equity

In 2021, The Community Foundation finalized its new, 10-year strategic vision to pursue economic justice for Greater Washington

Centered on three core pillars—leading with racial equity and inclusion, aligning its business with its vision, and closing the racial wealth gap—the framework envisions our region as a place where people of all races, places, and identities reach their full potential. “Our region’s biggest challenges stem from economic injustice, the root cause of persistent inequities exacerbated by the pandemic,” says Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of The Community Foundation. “[We] imagine a region that has moved beyond simply surviving to becoming a welcoming and inclusive place where we all prosper.”

In Prince George’s County, The Community Foundation’s pursuit of justice is prescient throughout its programs and partnerships— some longstanding, others newly established.

Through initiatives like Sharing Prince George’s, a program which convenes donors to learn about community needs and invest in promising solutions, or the Equity Fund, which invests in nonprofits working to eliminate disparities, The Community Foundation is turning its vision for equity into action.

In 2021, The Community Foundation’s Prince George’s County office awarded more than $3.8 million in grants to 100+ nonprofits, building on their existing $50 million of investments in nonprofits serving county residents.

Empowering Prince George’s Families and Communities

The organization’s pursuit of economic justice began long before finalizing its equity-driven vision. The Community Foundation has long partnered with organizations in Prince George’s County to fight poverty, unemploy- ment, and other barriers to prosperity for more than 20 years, including Capitol Heights-based nonprofit United Communities Against Poverty (UCAP).

A respite service provider, UCAP serves low- income residents negatively impacted by poverty, homelessness, crime, and other adverse social situations. Through initiatives like the Family Stabilization Program (FSP)—a homelessness shelter transition program that The Community Foundation helped seed in 2013—UCAP is helping empower Prince George’s families toward equitable economic stability.

A 12-24 month program, FSP provides sup- portive case management to families experiencing homelessness in Prince George’s County and transitioning out of UCAP’s shelter. Families are paired with a caseworker to ensure continued access to shelter services and receive a bank account and starter stipend, once they complete a financial literacy class.

“The Community Foundation affords the opportunity to create solutions to our com- munity’s environmental and socioeconomic challenges,” says Rasheeda Jamison, President and CEO of UCAP. “This support has allowed us to grow and expand our reach by making sure programs like FSP meet residents’ needs.”

Since the program’s inception, The Community Foundation has invested in case worker salaries, administrative fees, and stipends, helping assist more than 700 Prince George’s families.

“It’s been phenomenal to see so many people come together to make sure individuals who need help receive services,” Jamison says. “This is the foundation of a strong community.”

Catalyzing Action Through Philanthropy Partnering with high-impact nonprofits like UCAP is just one way the Community Foundation is pursuing justice. The organization is also investing in growing strong philanthropic connections, particularly with younger generations through its Emerging Leaders Impact Fund (ELIF).

ELIF, a giving circle for young philanthropists in Prince George’s County, convenes next gen donors to raise awareness and catalyze action around key societal issues. Members, typically aged 45 and under, pool their resources to invest in programs to advance residents’ economic mobility.

ELIF members also attend a series of learning events throughout the year, helping ensure participants stay attuned to community needs and that they are learning about the fundamentals of effective and strategic giving. “The Emerging Leaders Impact Fund is about the future,” says ELIF chair Davion Percy. “Not only the future of Prince George’s County, but our community’s future leaders.” The first cohort completed their inaugural grant round last fall, investing nearly $12,000 in five Prince George’s County nonprofits combatting chronic absenteeism in schools— a barrier to both educational and economic advancement.

As the Community Foundation continues to pursue its vision for justice, its Prince George’s County team is also driving impact through new partnerships, programs, and investments. Recent partnership initiatives include the County Executive Office’s Hope in Action Anti-Violence Project, a cross-sector violence prevention initiative; and the new Faith and Philanthropy Project, a partnership with the faith community which helps ensure long-term institutional sustainability and impact. Whatever the medium, The Community

Foundation wants to ensure all Prince Georgians are afforded equal economic opportunity—and, in time, the region’s racial wealth gap is a painful reality of the past.

“By widening the pool of economic devel- opment opportunities to a more diverse set of participants, we take steps toward closing the racial wealth gap,”Wellons says. “Together, we can build a more just and equitable community.”

This Article was originally published in the Fall/Holiday 2022 Edition of the Prince George’s Suite Magazine.

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Housing Justice Grants: Building Power to End Homelessness

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Photo Cred: Miriam’s Kitchen

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

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

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

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

Photo Cred: Miriam’s Kitchen

Miriam’s Kitchen

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

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

DC Fiscal Policy Institute

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

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

Housing Justice Grantees

  • DC Jobs with Justice

  • DC Fiscal Policy Institute

  • Empower DC

  • Fair Budget Coalition

  • Miriam's Kitchen

  • ONE DC: Organizing Neighborhood Equity

  • People for Fairness Coalition in partnership with Serve Your City

  • The Washington Legal Clinic For The Homeless Inc

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Helping Nonprofits Navigate the Guaranteed Income Movement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Join the Partnership to End Homelessness Leadership Council!

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

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

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

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

The Leadership Council has three primary objectives:

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

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

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

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

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

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New Year, New Faces at The Community Foundation

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We’re excited to welcome two new faces to The Community Foundation family to kick off 2023! We are thrilled — not only by the vast array experience that they bring to the organization, but also by their dedication and drive to help us close the racial wealth gap. If you haven’t already, please join us in welcoming them to The Community Foundation!

GENERAL COUNSEL & SENIOR PHILANTHROPIC ADVISOR

Tiffanie Purvis

Tiffanie Purvis joined the Greater Washington Community Foundation in January 2023 as its General Counsel and Senior Philanthropic Advisor. In this role, she will handle general legal matters for the organization and work with advisors and donors to achieve philanthropic solutions.

Before joining The Community Foundation, Tiffanie held positions as Planned Giving Officer for the Southern Poverty Law Center, Assistant Director of Gift Planning and Director of Gift Planning at the University of Maryland, College Park. As a front-line fundraiser with nine years of experience, Tiffanie has raised millions for her perspective organizations by leveraging blended gift strategies and working collaboratively with advisors and donors.  

In 2017, Tiffanie won the inaugural Rising Star Award in charitable gift planning from the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners. She is a member of the National Capital Gift Planning Council (NCGPC), which serves the Greater Washington, D.C. region. She serves on the NCGPC Board as Secretary, Ethics Committee Chair, and program committee.

Prior to her career in fundraising, Tiffanie was a solo practitioner in the field of Estate Planning and Landlord Tenant Law in Georgia. She is licensed in Georgia and Washington, D.C. She received her bachelor's degree from North Carolina A&T State University and her Law Degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University, where she graduated with honors from both institutions. She is currently enrolled at the University of Maryland College Park, working towards a master's degree in Public Management with a specialization in Nonprofit Management and Leadership. Her expected graduation is May 2023.

Tiffanie enjoys traveling to new and interesting places with her family and friends in her free time. If you know of a new adventure she should experience, let her know.

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Ring in the New Year with New Charitable Giving Tax Laws

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If you’ve been tracking federal legislation, you may have seen that on December 29, 2022, President Biden signed a $1.65 trillion-dollar omnibus spending bill known as the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (“CAA”). 

A component of this legislation, known as “SECURE 2.0,” includes many provisions that make it easier for people to build retirement savings, ranging from required enrollment in employer-sponsored 401(k) plans to larger “catch up” contributions to enable workers nearing retirement to add more to their retirement accounts each year.

Three of the new law’s provisions are particularly interesting to Community Foundation donors, especially related to a planning tool called the Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). Many donors who are 70½ or older have already been taking advantage of the QCD. This technique allows a taxpayer to make an annual transfer of up to $100,000 from an IRA to a qualifying public charity such as a field-of-interest fund, scholarship fund, or unrestricted fund at The Community Foundation. The taxpayer does not need to pay income tax on the distribution and, for taxpayers who must take RMDs from their retirement plans, the QCD counts toward that year’s RMD.

Here’s what’s new, thanks to SECURE 2.0:

More time to accumulate retirement assets

Under the new law, the required minimum distribution (RMD) age (previously 72) increased to 73 on January 1, 2023. RMDs are the IRS-mandated distributions from qualified retirement plans. The RMD age will further increase to 75 beginning on January 1, 2033. This provision is a boost to retirees’ financial plans and may mean more dollars available for charitable giving, especially in the form of a tax-savvy beneficiary designation of retirement plans to charity.

Note that the age for QCD eligibility is still 70½, and, still, donor-advised funds are not eligible recipients of a QCD.

“Legacy IRA” opportunity

SECURE 2.0 makes QCDs even more attractive because taxpayers may now make a one-time $50,000 QCD transfer to a newly established charitable remainder trust (CRT) or charitable gift annuity (CGA). These components of the new law are called the “Legacy IRA” provisions. 

Bigger QCDs

The annual per-taxpayer $100,000 QCD cap is now slated to be indexed for inflation, which will allow taxpayers to give even more from their IRAs directly to charity.

The team at The Community Foundation would be happy to talk with you about how the new laws can enhance your charitable giving plans. Reach out to us anytime! 

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A Video Message from Tonia Wellons, President & CEO

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Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! I am so excited for all that awaits us in 2023!

This past holiday season, I took a moment to reflect on just how impactful 2022 was for us, and for our broader community.

Last year alone, we received over $100 Million in gifts to and through The Community Foundation from generous donors and partners. We also granted more than $85 Million to nonprofit organizations and community organizations and completed the first year of our 10-year strategic vision to increase economic mobility with a north star of closing our region's racial wealth gap.

As we enter 2023, we look forward to celebrating 50 years of shared impact and history with all of you who have made The Community Foundation what it is today -- and what it will become in the next 50 years!

We look forward to sharing with you an exciting calendar of events that will be included in your monthly newsletter next week. I hope you will join us in celebrating this incredible milestone for our organization.

On behalf of all of us at The Community Foundation, we thank you for your commitment to this community and to this region. We look forward to continuing to partner and ensure that we create a place where everyone prospers.

Sincerely,

Tonia Wellons
President and CEO
Greater Washington Community Foundation

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A Year in Review: Looking Back at the Top Milestones from 2022

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Now that 2022 has come to a close, we’re reflecting on and celebrating our most impactful stories from the past year – from launching the $95 million Health Equity Fund, to the creation of the Children’s Opportunity Alliance, to appointing a new Chair of the Board of Trustees. Here are some of our most meaningful milestones from 2022.

Outlining a Vision for Change at the Celebration of Philanthropy

At the 2022 Celebration of Philanthropy, President & CEO Tonia Wellons outlined The Community Foundation’s strategic vision and path to pursue economic justice, with a neighborhood-centered approach to over 200 supporters, community partners, and friends gathered at the Warner Theatre.

The evening included a special conversation with two of the country’s leading experts on racial inequality – Dr. Rashawn Ray, a Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution and Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland, and Dr. Thomas Shapiro, award-winning author and Professor of Law and Social Policy at Brandeis University – to reflect on the causes and consequences of the racial wealth gap, and how can we pursue economic justice for the Greater Washington region.

Let’s GO DMV! Guaranteed Income Pilot launches in DC

In April, The Community Foundation joined if, a Foundation for Radical Possibility, Meyer Foundation, and other partners to announce the launch of Let’s GO DMV! – a 5-year guaranteed income pilot that provides $1,000 a month–no strings attached– to 75 hospitality workers who lost their jobs during COVID. All but one of the workers are individuals of color.

Let’s GO DMV! is designed to get cash in people’s hands – giving them increased flexibility and financial freedom to overcome the systemic barriers they face. Our hope is that this initiative can be used as a case for future government-supported programs and policies that are needed to advance economic justice.

Historic Health Equity Fund Announces Inaugural Grant Round Targeting Economic Mobility

In October, The Community Foundation announced $9.2 million in grants during the inaugural round of funding from the Health Equity Fund. The grants focused on boldly investing in economic mobility and wealth-building in DC’s historically underinvested communities – recognizing that 80 percent of DC’s health outcomes are driven by social, economic, and other factors, compared to just 20 percent by clinical care

The historic $95 million fund was welcomed to The Community Foundation’s philanthropic family earlier this year. The fund is governed by a seven-member Health Equity Committee, in partnership with the Greater Washington Community Foundation and is dedicated to supporting innovative systems-changing strategies as well as existing approaches that improve prospects for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, people of color, and other marginalized populations.

Partnership To End Homelessness Invests in the Future of Homeless Services

This year, the Partnership to End Homelessness provided grants to enroll 26 nonprofit partners in The Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH)’s Supportive Housing Medicaid Academy.

The six-week series provided invaluable trainings and one-on-one technical assistance to nonprofits in the permanent supportive housing (PSH) space – including smaller, BIPOC-led organizations. As a result, these organizations will be better prepared to leverage an estimated $20+ million in new, annual federal resources made available through Medicaid this past summer.

The new Medicaid funding could be a breakthrough in our region’s fight against homelessness; specifically for our PSH programs -- one of the leading nationally-recognized solutions to chronic homelessness.

Children’s Opportunity Alliance Named Montgomery County Coordinating Entity for Ages 0-5

In July, Montgomery County leaders announced the launch of the Montgomery County Children’s Opportunity Alliance, a nonprofit entity that will connect partners in support of equitable outcomes for children from birth through age 5. 

The Children’s Opportunity Alliance is a new independent nonprofit organization that transitioned from the Children’s Opportunity Fund, a public-private impact initiative created by the Greater Washington Community Foundation, Montgomery County Government and Montgomery County Public Schools in 2014.

Bringing Faith & Philanthropy Together in Prince George’s County

In June, The Community Foundation convened faith, nonprofit, and philanthropic leaders from across Prince George’s County to recognize the important role that the faith community has historically played in the fight for social and economic justice and will continue to play, as we partner together to close the racial wealth gap.

Greater Washington Community Foundation Welcomes Richard Bynum as New Board Chair

In September, The Community Foundation announced the appointment of Richard K. Bynum, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer for The PNC Financial Services Group, as the new Chair of its Board of Trustees.

Bynum is an accomplished executive with nearly 20 years of executive leadership experience. As chief corporate responsibility officer for The PNC Financial Services Group and a member of its Executive Committee, Bynum leads the PNC Foundation, Community Affairs, ESG practice, Community Development Banking, and Diversity and Inclusion.

Bynum succeeded Katharine Weymouth who served as Board Chair since September 2020. During her tenure as Chair, Weymouth oversaw the hiring of Tonia Wellons as permanent President and CEO in 2020 and she played a key role during the development of The Community Foundation’s new 10-year strategic vision.

Celebrating $1.5 Billion in Giving & Looking to the Future at the 2022 Annual Meeting

In October, The Community Foundation hosted its 2022 Annual Meeting at The National Press Club and via livestream. The event capped off a record-breaking year of growth and community impact for The Community Foundation and its donors and partners – which recently surpassed $1.5 billion in grantmaking (with approximately $93 million given in FY22, alone).

The event also included a panel discussion with two nationally recognized experts on economic mobility – a major focus of The Community Foundation’s strategic vision, outlined by President & CEO, Tonia Wellons. The panel included Nisha Patel, co-author of the study Restoring the American Dream, and Gary Cunningham, President & CEO of Prosperity Now, and touched on a wide range of topics, including entrepreneurship, the need for more investment in social safety nets, shifting policies and practices to advance economic mobility, and the need to center these policies around lived experiences.

Continuing our Learning Journey at the DMV Community Book Group

Our quarterly DMV Community Book Group hosted several riveting discussions this past year that created invaluable space for conversation around economic and social justice.

In September, we hosted Anne Price for a conversation about her article “What We Get Wrong About Closing the Racial Wealth Gap”. Price outlined how there is no “one-size fits all” solution to closing the racial wealth gap, and outlined the importance of redefining racial wealth.

In December, we invited Dr. Manuel Pastor to discuss his book Solidarity Economics: Why Mutuality and Movements Matter. We learned about the vital role that social movements play in creating a society and economy that work for everyone.

The Community Foundation Closes out COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund with Investment in Mutual Aid Groups

Recognizing the critical role of mutual aid networks in responding to current and future crises, the Greater Washington Community Foundation awarded $250,000 in grants to support mutual aid groups in their work to help neighbors meet basic needs, support vaccine education and access, strengthen political education and organizing, and more.

These investments marked an important milestone as they represent the final grants issued from the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund established at the onset of the pandemic.

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Recognized with 2022 Arts Champions Award

In December, The Community Foundation was proud to recognize The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation with the 2022 Arts Champion Award, in recognition of its outstanding commitment to helping arts organizations adapt and respond to the pandemic.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the Cafritz Foundation was among the first to recognize the devastating impact that it would have on the region. Within weeks, the foundation approved a $1 million grant to The Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund – one of the largest single contributions to the fund -- at a time when uncertainty surrounding the pandemic was at its height.

A month later, the Cafritz Foundation made a lead grant of $500,000 to launch Arts Forward Fund – a collaborative partnership with The Community Foundation and more than a dozen other individual and institutional contributors, and followed up with a second grant of $400,000 in 2021. Since October 2020, the fund has distributed more than $2.7 million in grants to 100+ organizations, providing essential resources to help them continue their work during the pandemic.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grant Recipients include:

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

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

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

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

Silver Spring & Takoma Park Mutual Aid (SSTPMA)

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

Ward 3 Mutual Aid (W3MA)

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

Ward 5 Mutual Aid (W5MA)

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

The Hope Collective

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

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Book Group Recap: Solidarity Economics with Dr. Manuel Pastor

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Our quarterly DMV Community Book Group closed out the year with a lively discussion with Dr. Manuel Pastor, Professor of Sociology and American Studies & Ethnicity at University of Southern California and co-author of Solidarity Economics: Why Mutuality and Movements Matter.

“For 250 years now, our major economic and political institutions have rewarded those who act in self-interest over those who act out of mutuality,” Dr. Pastor explained.

“But we know that that’s not how most people operate – we know that in our own lives, communities do better when everyone feels connected.”

“This book is an attempt to move the middle – to present a common-sense perspective of why systemic change benefits everyone.”

Dr. Pastor kicked off the webinar with a reminder about language usage.

“We have been brainwashed into thinking that equity is bad for the economy,” Dr. Pastor explained. “But the reality is that it’s not ‘the economy’; it’s ‘our economy’.”

“When we talk about ‘the economy’, we make it sound like it’s an extraterrestrial force that can’t be impacted. Our economy is something that we are constantly involved with.”

“This simple language shift is incredibly important because it changes how we look at issues in our society – especially those that impact African-Americans, Latinos, and other groups that have been systematically marginalized and disenfranchised.”

Dr. Pastor quoted one of the DMV Book Club’s past reads, Heather McGhee’s book The Sum of Us, challenging participants to consider “the sum of us” instead of just “some of us” when it comes to combating racism and its consequences.

“Equity is not a ‘special-interest’ issue,” Dr. Pastor continued. “It’s not something that is only beneficial for communities of color. It’s something that can grow our economy in ways that benefit most, if not all of us.”

However, he was also realistic about the need for systemic change.

“There are still those who benefit from the current state of affairs,” Dr. Pastor explained. “Because of this, we need more social movements that can change the constellation of power.”

“These movements are critical,” he added. “Just as markets reward and teach us to pursue self-interest, movements reward and teach us to act mutually. When you become part of a movement for social change, you build bridges to other communities and help find the uncommon common ground between those groups.”

When asked how to build those bridges, Dr. Pastor highlighted the need to have real conversations with community members about what they are actually feeling.

Citing another book of his, South Central Dreams, Dr. Pastor highlighted community organizing efforts in South Los Angeles – a community which has transformed from a historically Black neighborhood into a predominantly Latinx one. The book outlines how organizers helped community members to develop a sense of place or spatial identity – as well as racial identity.

“It’s not just expressing commonality,” he said. “It’s about exploring the ways that we are ignorant of one another. It’s about creating a conversation where people can say what they are thinking – including the myths or misconceptions they have – and having a dialogue so we can work to dispel them.”

“We need to help people understand the history of their communities,” he continued. “We need them to realize that the terrain of inequalities and deprivation that they face today has been set by centuries of anti-Black racism.”

Dr. Pastor concluded the discussion responding to a question about the role that philanthropy can play in advancing the concept of Solidarity Economics.

“We need to invest in more fundamental power-building – at a community and movement level,” Dr. Pastor explained.

“Foundations often look at their work across three progressive dimensions -- projects, policy, and power. Projects demonstrate what’s possible. Policies canonize projects and establish standard operating procedures – but it’s power that actually moves policy.”

“Movement [power] efforts aren’t just instrumental to policy change – they are fundamental to community change,” he added. “When you invest in organizing and movements, you are empowering community members to take actions in their own lives. Rather than enlisting them in a cause, you empower them to choose and advocate for the issues that make the most difference in their lives, allowing them to pivot from issue to issue in ways that make sense. THAT is what sparks lasting change.”

Click here to watch a full recording of the December 2022 DMV Community Book Club.

Our next DMV Community Book Club will be in early 2023, when we will discuss Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice by Jessica Gordan Nembhard.