Giving Tuesday is a global movement that’s more important now than ever - and every act of generosity counts.
Not sure where to begin? In her interview with The Washington Post, Anna Hargrave, Executive Director for our Montgomery County office, offers giving tips to get you started - beginning with what moves you.
#MakeADifference Monday: Medical Care
These past several months, while exceptionally challenging at times, have also been inspiring. We’ve seen our community come together to care for our neighbors in need, springing into action to support those most adversely affected by the pandemic.
Through our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, were able to invest $10 million to support low-wage workers who have been laid off, expand access to medical care, provide shelter and services to people experiencing homelessness, increase food access, and so much more. This would not be possible without our compassionate donors – a diverse group of individuals and businesses who helped us mobilize $10 million for coordinated relief and recovery efforts. Thank you for standing with us to make a difference.
You can read about our impact here – and, below, learn more about how our nonprofit partners helped create this impact. Their stories of kindness and courage are truly inspiring.
Care for Your Health, Inc.
Care for Your Health believes that every single patient who receives adequate medical care is a win for the whole community.
As the pandemic grew and Care for Your Health staff began working remotely, the organization knew it was critical to support its staff with high-speed Internet, since most activities were pivoting to telemedicine. As a COVID-19 Response Fund grantee, they also received funding for office supplies, stamps and other essential items needed to serve the low-income and uninsured communities of Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties.
We have effectively taken care of our clients’ primary care medical problems, either via telemedicine or with visits from the nurse practitioner and the physician. In relation to the 80 new patients incorporated into our practice during the pandemic, we have tested them for COVID-19, attended to their medical problems, and referred them to other health providers and social workers when appropriate.
CCI Health & Wellness Services
Personal protective equipment (PPE) and COVID-19 test kits are a key component of fighting COVID-19—as well as software that allows telehealth visits. As CCI Health & Wellness pivoted to better serve its community during the early stages of the pandemic, our COVID-19 Response grant allowed them to focus on shoring up equipment, processes and guidelines. Notable milestones include:
Establishing workflows and designating separate space for persons under investigation and those testing positive for COVID-19
Installing sneeze safety guards that form a dividing wall to better separate symptomatic and non-symptomatic patients
Implementing routine deep cleaning at all health centers on a weekly basis and on demand in response to virus outbreaks in staff areas
Placing respiratory hygiene stations in all health center waiting rooms
Purchasing PPE for health center personnel
Testing for COVID-19 at three health center locations and securing all supplies necessary to stand up temporary testing sites at four health center locations
Montgomery Hospice, Inc.
Providing quality, compassionate end-of-life care is critical. Hundreds of individuals in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties are coping with terminal illnesses and require specialized care—and the COVID-19 pandemic presents many challenges in doing so.
Montgomery Hospice, Inc. used its Emergency Response Fund grant to provide quality care for terminally ill coronavirus-positive patients at Casey House, an inpatient facility.
During the grant period, patients received comprehensive, compassionate care, and they and their families were protected from infection. Furthermore, our services reduce patients’ use of other healthcare resources, especially hospitals, that are strained by the pandemic.
Total Family Care Coalition
Total Family Care Coalition aims to help keep families together for a better and safer community.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted life as we know it, particularly when caring for loved ones. Families are experiencing stress and exacerbated mental health challenges as a result of unemployment and financial instability. Youth are experiencing increased exposure to poor parenting, domestic violence, and child abuse and neglect.
[The Community Foundation’s] funds made a huge difference to the community. Children could eat. Parents were able to reduce anxiety and increase self-care techniques such as mindfulness to increase positive parenting.
With funding from the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, Total Family Care Coalition:
Served more than 275 individuals including 112 children, 85 adults and 80 families
Kept its doors open and responded immediately to families’ needs
Helped parents receive appropriate mental health medication they could help their small children
Kept one single, young mom from taking her own life by consistently reaching out and letting her know that she and her baby are loved
Tonia Wellons Named Nonprofit Leader of the Year by Washington Business Journal
Dear Friends of The Community Foundation,
Photo by EMAN MOHAMMED/WBJ
Courtesy of Washington Business Journal
What a year it has been! In light of the ongoing crisis and continuing cycle of bad news, I wanted to share the exciting news that Tonia Wellons, our fearless CEO, has been named Nonprofit Leader of the Year by The Washington Business Journal.
Tonia could not have taken over as The Community Foundation's permanent President and CEO at a tougher time. Tonia has proven to be the exact right leader for this moment and for our community. Under Tonia’s leadership and with the tireless work of our amazing staff, together with the generosity of all of you and many others in our community, we have raised over $10 million to date for our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.
As we continue to respond to the ongoing crisis and move forward with other critical initiatives, I hope you will join me in congratulating Tonia by making a gift to support The Community Foundation's work.
Congratulations to Tonia for this well-deserved recognition of your hard work!
Yours,
Katharine Weymouth
Chair, Board of Trustees
Greater Washington Community Foundation
#MakeADifference Monday: Workforce Development
These past several months, while exceptionally challenging at times, have also been inspiring. We’ve seen our community come together to care for our neighbors in need, springing into action to support those most adversely affected by the pandemic.
Through our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, were able to invest $10 million to support low-wage workers who have been laid off, expand access to medical care, provide shelter and services to people experiencing homelessness, increase food access, and so much more. This would not be possible without our compassionate donors – a diverse group of individuals and businesses who helped us mobilize $10 million for coordinated relief and recovery efforts. Thank you for standing with us to make a difference.
You can read about our impact here – and, below, learn more about how our nonprofit partners helped create this impact. Their stories of kindness and courage are truly inspiring.
CareerCatchers
With funding received from the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, CareerCatchers hired additional staff and part-time contractors so that the organization could expand its reach and serve more clients during the pandemic.
Notable milestones include:
Working with 355 clients to help them with upward mobility and stable employment
Increasing the number of clients participating in work skills and trainings programs by 200 percent
Helping more than 100 clients with unemployment insurance claims—through both one-on-one support and Zoom workshops
Acting as a processing agency for Montgomery County Government’s Emergency Assistance Relief Payment (EARP) program, providing immediate financial assistance to households not eligible for federal or state COVID-19 aid
CareerCatchers will continue to fulfill its critical mission—providing personalized and individualized career counseling for survivors of domestic violence, people experiencing homelessness, immigrants, people with disabilities, returning citizens, youth aging out of foster care, and disconnected youth.
Future Harvest
Future Harvest advances agriculture that sustains farmers, communities, and the environment through mini-cash grants to farmer entrepreneurs who do not qualify for federal stimulus programs.
Future Harvest combined its Greater Washington Community Foundation grant funds with other sources to create the “Feed the Need” Fund, which awarded more than $60,000 to 22 small-to mid-sized, financially struggling family farm operations—14 of whom were BIPOC farmers.
One grant recipient, Owl’s Nest Farm in Upper Marlboro, MD, grows a diverse array of vegetables on 4 ½ acres of land. “Last year, we made a commitment to see how we can share our produce with people who otherwise couldn't afford it.” Each week, Owl’s Nest Farm provides CSA shares to families at the Richardson Dwellings public housing complex.
Funding from the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund will allow Future Harvest to continue advancing agriculture that sustains farmers, communities, and the environment.
New Futures
New Futures supports under-resourced young people who are pursuing community college as the launching point to further education and rewarding careers—young people who also provide in some way for their families or are their household’s primary financial provider.
In the earliest weeks of the COVID-19 crisis, many were laid off suddenly from part- or full-time jobs in the most vulnerable industries of food service, hospitality and retail, among others.
New Futures established a Scholar Emergency Fund to play a role in preventing Scholars’ sudden, short-term financial disruptions from cascading to devastating challenges that impacted their ability to persist in and complete their credentials. This fund is saving lives and preventing financial disaster.
“My family is so happy because of this support. Please, let all the New Futures personnel know that we are so grateful with this unconditional love and support.”
People for Change Coalition
Small businesses have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and pivoting business strategies has proven critical to staying afloat.
That’s why People for Change Coalition used its funding to create a COVID-19 Small Business Rescue (SBR) program—a program that ultimately helped 10 Prince George’s County small businesses and entrepreneurs develop a digital strategy to adjust to the new norms caused by Covid-19.
“Businesses were caught unexpectedly by Covid-19 and needed a rescue plan to keep their doors open, retain existing customers and clients, as well as secure new ones.”
The businesses who participated in SBR are using their new brand, look, and marketing materials to promote their business, get new clients and contracts, and increase their sales.
Washington Business Journal Recognizes Community Foundation with 2020 Citizenship Award
We are proud to share that the Greater Washington Community Foundation and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield are recipients of the 2020 Citizenship Award, part of the Washington Business Journal's annual Philanthropy Awards program. The award recognizes our partnership on the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield PPE Response Fund to distribute thousands of PPE units to frontline workers at health clinics across the region.
Pathways to Housing staff receive a shipment of PPE
Mission of Mercy provided free medical and dental care during COVID-19 using the gift of PPE from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield PPE Response Fund.
COVID-19 Response Fund Issues Over $10 Million in Emergency Grants
300+ Critical Nonprofits Across the Region Received Support to Weather Pandemic
The Greater Washington Community Foundation today announced an additional $2.04 million in phase three grants from the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, reaching a combined total of more than $10 million in emergency support distributed to address the public health and economic crisis. The Fund’s rapid response grantmaking helped local nonprofits to expand critical services, ensure continuity of operations, transition to virtual service delivery, and counteract lost revenue due to closures or event cancellations.
In total, the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund’s impact includes:
Over $10 million raised and invested in regional response efforts
300+ social service and health nonprofits funded
Grants range from $1,000 to $250,000
50% of nonprofit partners led by people of color
Phase three funding was spurred in part by a $1 million dollar commitment from IKEA to support COVID-19 relief efforts in Maryland where some of its facilities are located. IKEA calculated unemployment claims submitted by its employees and donated that money back to the state through a partnership with the Greater Washington Community Foundation to disperse the resources to communities in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
Phase 3 Grant Highlights
Improving Food Security
$250,000 to Capital Area Food Bank and its partners to address the dramatic increase in food insecurity among Northern Virginia residents in Fairfax, Arlington, and Loudoun counties and the City of Alexandria. CAFB’s goal is to provide an additional 9 million pounds of food in these areas, including to many disproportionately impacted communities of color.
A $200,000 investment in Dreaming Out Loud to address DC’s food security crisis by connecting fresh and nutritious food offerings from local Black-owned farms in our region to food insecure residents, including 1,300 weekly CSA shares and 150,000 prepared meals.
$188,000 allocated to help Food for Montgomery meet the urgent need for food, support restaurants and farmers by purchasing meals and fresh produce, and to strengthen our hunger relief system.
$200,000 to help resource Get Shift Done for DMV operations through the end of the year. The initiative is paying displaced hospitality workers to help local nonprofit providers prepare food and meals for neighbors facing hardship due to COVID-19.
$214,000 to support food assistance providers in Prince George’s County to make and/or deliver prepared meals, produce, and shelf-stable foods, and to connect food insecure households to additional food resources.
Support for Childcare
$188,000 allocated to the Children’s Opportunity Fund to expand affordable childcare and distance learning support options for up to 1,000 low-income families in Montgomery County.
$150,000 allocated to the D.C. Childcare Reopening Fund, in partnership with Mary’s Center, to invest in a network of local family childcare providers to ensure that low-income children and youth remain in licensed childcare programs that support healthy and safe development.
$50,000 investment in the Early Care and Education Funders Collaborative, led by the Washington Area Women’s Foundation, supporting advocacy efforts to improve early childhood systems infrastructure, expand access to high quality early education programs, and help early educators effectively meet the needs of all children.
$100,000 invested alongside the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia to support local family-based early care providers through the Infant Toddler Family Day Care, a high-impact local provider that will directly support 85 Northern Virginia-based family childcare providers, all of which are led by women of color.
$50,000 to Prince George’s Child Resource Center to provide support and technical assistance to childcare providers to ensure their sustainability and ability to create healthy and nurturing environments for children by helping families and educating caregivers.
Expanding Employment Opportunities
$300,000 allocated to the Equity Fund in Prince George’s County to support programs selected through an open call for applications that are preparing workers for meaningful employment and ensuring that people facing barriers to employment can access high-quality education and job opportunities which pay a family-sustaining wage.
Eviction Prevention and Housing Stability
$150,000 allocated to The Partnership to End Homelessness for work with DC Bar Foundation and other funders to prevent evictions and help low-income residents maintain stable housing. Initial investments will focus on building the capacity of the system to make sure tenants are aware of their rights and can access the rental assistance and other resources that are available.
Previous Funding and Priorities
The COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund was established on March 12, 2020 and administered by the Greater Washington Community Foundation, which also was a donor to the effort. Community Foundation staff in collaboration with a steering committee and working groups, comprised of regional philanthropic leaders, subject matter experts, and local government advisors, met regularly to discuss needs, vet proposals, and coordinate efforts.
The Fund received contributions from nearly 800 foundations, corporations, and individuals. A list of the major contributors to the Fund can be found here.
More than 1,600 nonprofits across the region applied for approximately $60 million in grants. Priority was given to direct service providers with deep roots in the community and the ability to both address urgent needs and reach historically underserved populations.
Phases 1 and 2 (March-August) investments were made across five issue areas:
To provide cash assistance to impacted workers, including hourly and gig economy workers, contractors, and workers excluded from unemployment or stimulus funds.
To bridge the digital divide and expand resources for low-income families, youth disconnected from school or work, and students with special education needs.
To provide PPE and other equipment for frontline workers, expand medical care for marginalized communities, and increase access to mental health support services.
To support individuals, families, and youth experiencing homelessness by expanding access to housing/shelter, health care, and other emergency services.
To help stabilize nonprofits, expand emergency food assistance, address the uptick in domestic violence, and support the civil legal aid needs of individuals and families.
Phase two investments also included funding for advocacy and community organizing projects focused on improving systems for food security, violence prevention, medical care access, affordable housing, childcare, and more.
A full list of the Fund’s grantees can be found here. To learn more about the unique stories of the organizations supported by the Fund, click here for impact videos.
Quarterly Community Update
Dear Community Foundation fundholder,
I hope this note finds you enjoying a happy and healthy start to your holiday season. Thanks to your continued care for our community, last quarter our community of givers awarded more than $17.6 million in grants to organizations serving our region and beyond.
At The Community Foundation, we remain focused on meeting our community’s evolving needs through the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. Last quarter, our work coordinating the region’s philanthropic response to this ongoing crisis included:
Joining The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation and eight other funders to launch the Arts Forward Fund, providing $1 million in relief to arts and culture organizations across the region.
Distributing more than $2 million from the DC Education Equity Fund to ensure students have the resources and materials they need to continue their education.
Raising over $500,000 through the Children’s Opportunity Fund to support learning hub scholarships for low-income students in Montgomery County to receive supervision and help with remote learning.
Partnering with FSC First and a generous donor to launch a $1 million grants program to provide emergency relief to small businesses in Prince George’s County.
Partnering with Ikea to distribute over $1 million in funding to address childcare, unemployment, and food security in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
As our community continues to recover from this crisis, our goal is to work together to build a more equitable future for our region. We are approaching this work by listening to and learning from our community.
This summer, through our VoicesDMV initiative, we released new data from our Community Insights survey of residents conducted by Gallup, and launched a series of Social Justice Town Halls to unpack findings related to inequities in housing, education, employment, food access, and entrepreneurship. Earlier this month, we brought together residents from across the region for On the Table conversations to discuss and reimagine the future of our communities. Now, we are offering Community Action Awards – small grants to help individuals and nonprofits implement ideas to improve their neighborhoods.
In September, we partnered on the national launch of the Black Voices for Black Justice Fund. This innovative new fund is supporting Black leaders on the frontlines of shaping the urgent movement to build a fair, equitable, and anti-racist America. As a local partner to this national philanthropic initiative, we are proud to provide support for local Black leaders who are grassroots advocates, organizers, and emerging voices in the Greater Washington region.
With the end of year approaching, our staff can assist you with carrying out your philanthropic goals for 2020. Please be mindful of our December 18 deadline for your year-end grantmaking activities to ensure your recommended grantees receive their funds by December 31.
Your continued partnership and support are crucial as we seek to build thriving communities now and for generations to come. Thank you for standing with us!
Sincerely,
Tonia Wellons,
President and CEO
P.S. In case you missed our 2020 Annual Meeting or the release of our 2020 Annual Report, you can find the recording and resources here.
BLACK VOICES FOR BLACK JUSTICE FUND (DMV) TO INVEST IN TEN COMMUNITY CATALYSTS
A commitment to support the activists, artists, and organizers working locally to build an anti-racist America
Washington, D.C. -- The Greater Washington Community Foundation today announced the launch of The Black Voices for Black Justice Fund DMV and has partnered with the DC-based nonprofit, GOODProjects, to bring its mission to life with the Black Justice Fellowship. Ten Black Leaders representing the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia will be selected to receive monetary and meaningful support to scale their activism. They will each receive a personal grant of $30,000 to support their work and living expenses for a year. Nominations for the first cohort can be submitted via an online form at www.blackjusticefellows.org.
Led by visionary committee leaders Angela Rye, Linda Wilson, Tonia Wellons, Cherrelle Swain, and Darius Baxter, The Black Justice Fellows is redefining the way philanthropy identifies and invests in Black leaders.
“Black Leaders have been actively working for years to create a more just America, yet too many are underestimated, underfunded, and underrepresented,” says fund co-chair Baxter. “We declare the success of Black Leaders will not be determined by how much they can fundraise or their proximity to whiteness.”
The Racial Equity in Philanthropy Report states that white-led organizations had budgets that were 24 percent larger than those led by people of color. It also found that groups led by Black Women received less money than those led by Black Men or White Women. Further, disparities by the race of the leader repeatedly persist even when taking into account factors like issue area and education levels.
Co-Chair Tonia Wellons explains, “Historically, we know that there has been an underinvestment in Black leaders who are on the frontlines of fighting for justice and equality. We are excited to help scale the work of emerging leaders in the Greater Washington region by providing financial support so they can continue to live while they lead. This initiative will help elevate the voices of Black leaders and invest in solutions led by Black leaders to fuel their efforts to address structural and systemic racism.”
The Black Voices for Black Justice Fund (DMV) was seeded by the Bridge Alliance Education Fund and Greater Washington Community Foundation. This local initiative stemmed from the national Black Voices for Black Justice Fund which was launched from a partnership between many philanthropic organizations across the country.
"We are pleased to support communities and leaders in the Washington, DC area by partnering with the Greater Washington Community Foundation to provide resources to Black leaders at the forefront of community work that is strengthening our communities and our nation,” says David Nevins, Chairman of the Board of Bridge Alliance Education Fund.
For more information or to nominate a local leader for the fellowship, please visit www.blackjusticefellows.org or @blackjusticefellows on all social media platforms.
Arts Forward Fund Announces More Than $1 Million in Grants to Local Arts Groups Impacted by COVID-19
Arts Forward Fund, a partnership between the Greater Washington Community Foundation, The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, and 16 other foundations and individual donors, announces grants totaling $1,048,500 to 43 arts and culture organizations in the DC region.
These grants will help organizations make essential shifts needed to sustain their work through the COVID-19 pandemic and to respond to the national movement for racial justice. A majority of the grants will be used to support expanded digital and online programming. More than 60 percent of grants and grant funding will go to organizations that are BIPOC-led and predominantly BIPOC-serving.
In response to a call for applications released in early August 2020, Arts Forward Fund received 227 applications totaling nearly $8 million.
“The volume of applications illustrates the devastating impact of the pandemic on arts and culture organizations in our region,” says Calvin Cafritz, President and CEO of The Cafritz Foundation, which made a lead grant of $500,000 to establish Arts Forward Fund. “The pandemic has exacerbated challenges for groups that have historically had inequitable access to philanthropic capital, and these grants reflect the collective commitment of our funding collaborative to prioritize those organizations.”
“Arts and culture organizations are a critical economic engine for the region and they contribute immeasurably to our sense of community and our well-being,” says Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “We are proud to partner on the Arts Forward Fund to bring much needed relief to these organizations that enrich our communities and touch our lives.”
Following is a list of Arts Forward Fund grant recipients, grant amounts, and a brief description of how grant funds will be used.
826DC
$25,000 to support the shift to online and small group programming, including increased training for volunteersAnacostia Playhouse
$25,000 to support the shift to digital contentArch Development Corporation
$30,000 to support transition to online programsArt Enables
$25,000 to implement an enhanced digital marketing planArt Works Now
$25,000 to support the shift to virtual programming, including an expansion of the Creative Aging programARTSFAIRFAX
$25,000 to support the WORK-SMART training series for Fairfax County arts organizationsArts on the Block
$25,000 to upgrade IT and HR capacity with a focus on equity and human-centered designArtStream
$25,000 to hire a virtual programming manager and develop a new evaluation system for online programsCoalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA)
$25,000 to support the shift to virtual programmingCritical Exposure
$20,000 to support the shift to digital curriculumDance Institute of Washington
$30,000 to support facility renovation and program evaluation with a focus on racial equityDance Place
$30,000 to support diversity, equity, and inclusion trainingDC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative
$50,000 to support a distance-learning database and virtual projectsDC Jazz Festival
$30,000 to support a new digital content initiativeFoundation for the Advancement of Music and Education (FAME)
$25,000 to support an online learning platformGala Hispanic Theatre
$30,000 to build fundraising capacity and create online programmingGreater Reston Arts Center
$20,000 to support digital contentHeritage Signature Chorale
$20,000 to support digital contentInterAct Story Theatre
$10,000 to support the shift to virtual and blended programsJoe's Movement Emporium
$30,000 to support the transition to a new online teaching platformKalanidhi Dance
$10,000 to support website development
Life Pieces to Masterpieces
$30,000 to support outdoor programming, PPE and safety precautions
Live It Learn It
$25,000 to support equipment and curriculum to adapt to distance learningMuseum of the Palestinian People
$20,000 to strengthen the museum’s online presence and create a new online exhibitionMusic for Life
$10,000 to support the shift to online programsOne Common Unity
$20,000 to support software and training for a digital platformP0STB1NARY
$15,000 to support online content platforms and web developmentPEN/Faulkner
$50,000 to support online accessibility (joint proposal with Split This Rock, The Writer's Center, 826 DC)Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center
$25,000 to support virtual programmingProject Create
$17,500 to support rebranding and marketingRestoration Stage
$25,000 to support the transition to digital programsShout Mouse Press
$20,000 to increase digital and print sales and engage a DEI consultantStep Afrika!
$30,000 to support the shift to virtual programsSynetic Theater
$25,000 to support the shift to online contentTeatro de la Luna
$20,000 to support the shift to online contentThe Essential Theatre
$25,000 to support capacity-buildingTheatre Alliance
$25,000 to support the shift to online programsUrbanarias
$16,000 to support expanded digital marketing and improved ticketing and production for digital contentWashington Jazz Arts Institute
$20,000 to support an online music collaboration projectWoolly Mammoth Theatre Company
$25,000 to support innovative online productions, anti-racism training, marketingWords Beats And Life
$25,000 to support the shift to online programsYoung Playwrights Theater
$25,000 to support the shift to online programsZora Neale Hurston Richard Wright Foundation
$20,000 to support the shift to online programs
About Arts Forward Fund
Launched in July 2020 with lead grants from The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, the Harman Family Foundation, and the Weissberg Foundation, Arts Forward Fund is a funder collaborative housed at and administered by the Greater Washington Community Foundation. Additional supporters include Linowitz Family Fund, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, S & R Foundation, Diane & Norman Bernstein Foundation, Lois and Richard England Family Foundation, Philip L. Graham Fund, Greater Washington Community Foundation, Share Fund, Walter Brownley Trust, Nancy Peery Marriott Foundation, and other individual contributors.
Tonia Wellons named one of Washingtonian's "Heroes of the Crisis"
Tonia Wellons, President and CEO, of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, was recognized for our efforts to help struggling arts groups as part of the Washingtonian‘s feature on “Heroes of the Crisis.” The feature shines the spotlight on “some of the people who have helped get us through these most challenging of times” from medical professionals to social-justice activists to culinary stars.
VoicesDMV: Putting Your Ideas On the Table
By Benton Murphy, Associate Vice President for Community Investment
On October 1, hundreds of residents from across the region came together for virtual or face-to-face small-group conversations on a single day to discuss and reimagine the future of our communities, through our VoicesDMV On the Table conversations.
We were so proud to be joined by a diverse group of community members to discuss issues ranging from how we can help support students to succeed in a remote learning environment to unpacking the impacts that hate, racism, and injustice have on our neighbors and communities.
At The Community Foundation, we believe it is important to actively engage people and communities most impacted as we seek to develop solutions and identify investments to address community needs. In particular, our focus for the VoicesDMV initiative is to engage people who are often left out of these conversations to uplift and amplify the voices of communities who have been systematically unheard and silenced.
Created by The Chicago Community Trust in 2014, to date, the On the Table model has been adopted by more than 30 communities that have collectively engaged more than 300,000 people from coast to coast. Our Community Foundation chose to participate in the On the Table initiative with the knowledge that when we come together to talk with, listen to, and learn from each other, we have the power to improve the quality of life for everyone.
Individuals, nonprofits, groups of neighbors, and major regional institutions all convened for our inaugural On the Table day of civic engagement and participation. We are so thankful for the partnership of organizations like American University, Leadership Greater Washington, Howard University, and Venture Philanthropy Partners, each hosted multiple tables for robust discussion across a diverse set of topics ranging from supporting educational outcomes in the early childhood space to boosting African American participation in COVID-19 clinical trials.
On the Table was designed to bring diverse participants together to have a data-driven, action-oriented conversation on how to improve the lives of our neighbors in the DMV. Conversations were grounded in data that The Community Foundation gathered with survey partner Gallup earlier this year. Our Community Insights survey revealed a region characterized by deep inequity but also pride in our communities and deep values around topics like ensuring a quality education for young people.
Stephanie Berkowitz, President and CEO of Northern Virginia Family Services, participated in a conversation on economic mobility, noted:
“The value of it was the diversity of the participation and the data-driven aspect of the conversation and the opportunity to get people in a room together that don’t naturally have opportunities to get together, especially in the middle of a pandemic.”
Carissma McGee, a student at Howard University, underscored the importance of channeling conversations into action:
“I think today really mobilized people to take action even after the conversation… instead of just looking back and saying oh there’s a problem in my community, its taking a step back and looking holistically at what people are facing and having empathy.”
Community Action Awards
We are excited that On the Table generated so much critical conversation and are looking forward to supporting these community leaders in taking action on the issues and challenges they discussed in their conversations. To ensure these conversations move from ideas to action, The Community Foundation is now offering Community Action Awards—grants of up to $2,000 to individuals and nonprofits working to make our region a more equitable and inclusive place for everyone to live, work, and thrive.
Through the Community Action Awards, we are interested in supporting and advancing neighborhood-level projects that will engage diverse communities and help grassroots leaders to implement their ideas. We are especially interested in providing resources to enable ideas and activities that were generated through On the Table conversations.
The application process is easy, with just four questions to answer in an online application form. We also invite applicants to share a short video clip describing the change they are hoping to see for their community!
We encourage anyone in the community who has an idea of how to make our region a better place to live and thrive to apply, and to share this opportunity with people who may also be interested in sparking positive change in their neighborhood.
New Grant Opportunities for Nonprofits Serving Greater Washington
The Greater Washington Community Foundation has opened its Fall 2020 Grant Round and is now accepting applications for Community Action Awards and grants from the Children's Opportunity Fund in Montgomery County and the Equity Fund in Prince George's County.
VoicesDMV Community Action Awards
VoicesDMV is a three-part initiative that tapped into Community Insights through a regional survey, convened residents for On the Table conversations and Social Just Town Halls to discuss the issues that matter in our communities, and now will provide funding for Community Action Awards to help advance ideas sparked during these conversations.
The application is now open for small awards of up to $2,000 for individuals and nonprofits in Greater Washington working to make our region a more equitable place for everyone to live, work, and thrive. These microgrants are intended to support and advance neighborhood-level projects that will engage diverse communities and help grassroots leaders to implement their ideas. We are especially interested in providing resources to enable ideas and activities that were generated through On the Table conversations, held on or around October 1. The online application closes on Monday, November 2, 2020.
Children's Opportunity Fund
The Children’s Opportunity Fund is focused on funding innovation opportunities that close the achievement gap in Montgomery County, Maryland. As a member of the Campaign for Grade Level Reading network, the Children’s Opportunity Fund is using a participatory grantmaking process to fund organizations providing direct service, advocating for, or researching literacy skills with children ages birth to 8 and their families. The Children’s Opportunity Fund will provide grants up to $25,000 for organizations with a budget of less than $500,000, that are focusing on early literacy, family supports, and tutoring.
Applicants must submit a proposal via The Community’s Foundation’s online application system no later than 4:00 p.m. on Monday, October 26, 2020.
The Equity Fund
The Equity Fund supports nonprofit organizations working to eliminate social and economic disparities and create pathways to economic success for Prince George’s County residents. The focus area for the 2020 Equity Fund grant cycle is workforce equity and economic mobility for low-income people inclusive of people of color and other marginalized or under-represented groups. The Equity Funds seeks to support a diverse range of impactful programs to ensure that people who face social and economic barriers have access to high-quality education and jobs which pay family-sustaining wages.
Grants of up to $25,000 will be awarded for program support. Applicants must submit a proposal via The Community’s Foundation’s online application system no later than 4:00 p.m. on Friday, November 13, 2020.
Our Kids Need our Community to Act Now
By Sophie Felts, donor, concerned neighbor, and Founder of Sophie Felts Floral Design
My husband and I have four elementary school kids in Montgomery County, MD. Their teachers are some of the most creative, dedicated and hard-working teachers in the entire world (in my humble opinion). But distance learning last spring was ROUGH for our family. Our little kids, a 4th grader, a pair of second graders, and kindergartner, needed constant parental help with their Zoom calls. Our family ended the spring semester with academic regression, frayed nerves, and one less full-time job.
Part of me felt relieved, though, when Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) decided to go virtual this fall. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about my kids getting exposed to coronavirus at school. The other part of me remembered how hard the spring semester had been. That’s when the real panic began to set in. It sank into my gut. If MY family was struggling, imagine how thousands of low-income and essential worker families in our community would suffer.
Our county is the 15th largest school district in the nation. Distance learning logistics are intense, and the county has been working hard to deliver academics to every school child. To an extent, it really is working, at least in theory. The academic component of school IS being provided by teachers teaching on-line. But the childcare component of schooling, so crucial to working families, is missing.
Many families are figuring it out. They are moving to one salary, with many women leaving the workforce. They are hiring staff to create learning pods. They are relying on friends and family. Unfortunately, thousands of other families have fewer resources, and their children are left home alone or in the care of older siblings juggling their own schoolwork.
These problems felt huge and hard and heavy. So, I started to research solutions. I sat in on County meetings, participated in MCPS forums, reached out to principals and PTA presidents, and called up other parents and business leaders. My first glimmer of hope came in the form of a woman named Rory Richardson. Rory, who is brilliantly energetic and insanely hard-working, along with her team at Bar T Ranch (one of the largest childcare providers in the area), had an idea.
Bar-T Ranch teamed up with 15 other certified child-care providers to develop the “Learning Hub” concept. Each hub has two adult staff members to support a group of up to 13 children. Providers follow strict safety protocols and each hub occupies its own room. Children have staff at the ready to help them log into classes and lots of exercise and play in between classes. With nine hours of childcare coverage each weekday, parents are able to keep their jobs.
This fall, our local childcare providers hope to operate as many Learning Hubs as possible in MCPS elementary schools. The barrier, of course, is money. It costs $1,200 per month for one child to participate in a Learning Hub. For many parents, this simply is not feasible.
What could be done to help fund Learning Hubs?
I decided to ask Anna Hargrave and Kimberly Rusnak from the Montgomery County office of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. Anna and Kimberly take their mission of building more equitable and just communities seriously. They are both determined and dedicated and are doing the hard work day in and day out.
I was delighted to discover the Children’s Opportunity Fund, one of the foundation’s impact initiatives, was already working to seeking solutions to help address the needs of kids struggling with remote learning. I was thrilled that Children’s Opportunity Fund could become the primary mechanism to raise childcare “scholarships” for the families who need it the most.
I’m happy to report that we have raised over $500,000! This week, our first 32 scholarship students started “school” in their hubs and there are more opening up in the coming weeks which are projected to help at least 100 kids. That is but a tiny percentage of the 29,000 county children who need our help. We, as a community, need to keep going. We have momentum.
Lots of us want to help – we just don't know how. A gift to the Children's Opportunity Fund is a real way to make an impact right away.
In this moment, I know we all have our own “stuff” to deal with. “Stuff” that is panic inducing and keeps us up at night. I have been tempted to put my blinders on, to just focus on my own family. But NOW is the time when our community needs us to show up. To dig deep. To move past the debates over how this problem could have been handled differently. To look the problem right in the eyes. And to collectively wrap our arms around the kids and families who need it the most.
Join Us
You can support our community’s families and children by giving to the Children’s Opportunity Fund today. Click below to give, or contact Kate Daniel at [email protected] for assistance giving via check, stock gift, IRA charitable rollover, or a grant from a donor-advised fund.
Educational Equity in our Response to COVID-19, and Beyond
By Kimberly Rusnak, Project Director of The Children’s Opportunity Fund
“We do run the risk that the learning loss students experience now will be the enduring legacy of this pandemic.” - Ralph Smith, director of The Campaign for Grade Level Reading, a national advocacy group
During a typical school year, children only spend 15% of their time in school. For the 2020-2021 academic year, we know that “school” is very different. Throughout the DMV, all school districts are starting 100% online. Unfortunately, there are many students who are not fully participating in online learning for a variety of reasons:
Insufficient technical support or access to the internet;
Not having a supportive adult on hand for support;
Distractions from pets, siblings, tv, etc.;
Digital eye strain after 3-6 hours of Zoom each day;
Isolation, depression, and mental health challenges;
For older children, they may need to supervise younger siblings; and
Decreasing motivation from not having clarity about academic progress in the virtual setting.
The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated and laid bare many long-standing inequities. Unfortunately, without significant intervention specifically focused on the needs of children, the challenges will get much worse.
Our Regional Response to COVID-19 for education
Several years ago, the Montgomery Public School System (MCPS) and Montgomery County Government partnered with the Greater Washington Community Foundation to create the Children’s Opportunity Fund. It works to plan, launch, and expand strategic investments to close the achievement gap by addressing racial inequities and expanding opportunities for marginalized children and families.
The Fund’s leadership decided to focus on helping kids build a strong foundation for life-long success after discovering only about 50% of third-graders in Montgomery County were able to read at or above grade level. Research shows third-grade literacy has been tied to dropout rates, higher rates of anxiety and depression and increased behavioral problems. Therefore, ensuring our kids have a strong start is key to the community’s economic viability.
In response to the pandemic, the Children’s Opportunity Fund is focusing on important programs for elementary school age children, including tutoring, family supports and early literacy interventions. Moving into the 2020-2021 school year, we’ll focus on building out effective, evidence informed programs to expand tutoring for Elementary School age children in reading and math, providing families with supports such as Equity Learning Hubs and access to affordable childcare options for families who cannot afford it otherwise. We are also partnering with Waterford Upstart, a national evidence-informed program, to provide a virtual kindergarten readiness program for a cohort of four year-olds in Montgomery County.
Join Us to Make a Difference
Through our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, we’ve disbursed more than $7 million to local nonprofits—more than $1 million of which supported organizations helping to expand educational opportunities for children and youth, and advocacy around childcare system improvements.
We are proud to help advance educational equity in our region – and hope you will join us in helping to make a difference.
Provide Critical Support to Advance These Efforts
Donate to the Children’s Opportunity Fund.
Learn more about and donate to DC Education Equity Fund.
Donate a digital device (or backpacks, activities, and school supplies) to the “Back to School Bash”
Learn More
“Equal Opportunity for Remote Learning.” VoicesDMV Social Justice Town Hall
“DC had a Summer to Connect with Students and Close the Digital Divide. Did it?” Washington Post
“A ‘Covid Slide Could Widen the Digital Divide for Students.” Wired Magazine
“Education In a Pandemic: Remote Learning and The Digital Divide.” WAMU
“‘A Whole System Failure’: Test Scores Indicate Half of MCPS Third-Graders Can’t Read At Grade Level.” Bethesda Magazine
#MakeADifference Monday: Education and Youth
These past several months, while exceptionally challenging at times, have also been inspiring. We’ve seen our community come together to care for our neighbors in need, springing into action to support those most adversely affected by the pandemic.
Through our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, were able to invest $7 million to support low-wage workers who have been laid off, expand access to medical care, provide shelter and services to people experiencing homelessness, increase food access, and so much more. This would not be possible without our compassionate donors – a diverse group of individuals and businesses who helped us mobilize $8 million for coordinated relief and recovery efforts. Thank you for standing with us to make a difference.
You can read about our impact here – and, below, learn more about how our nonprofit partners helped create this impact. Their stories of kindness and courage are truly inspiring.
The Young Women’s Project
YWP Youth Leaders advocate for educational change
The Young Women’s Project (YWP) helps build the leadership and power of young people, engaging youth as peer educators, advocates, and employees. YWP’s work engages under-resourced youth of color, ages 14-21; most are women and 20% are LGBTQ, in care, dealing with unstable housing
When the COVID-19 crisis hit, they expanded their educational advocacy work to focus on the immediate mental health needs of their youth. As a COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund Partner, they utilized 35 youth leaders from all 24 public schools in the District of Columbia to advocate for in-school job programs and school-based mental health programs. And, developed a set of recommendations to strengthen school-based mental health programming.
In total, youth leaders presented 27 testimonies to Committees on Health and Education! Their advocacy efforts helped make a drastic difference for their peers:
$4.1 million was awarded to expand school-based mental health services
$4.1 million was re-investing in students’ social and emotional learning
Reversed the $9.5 million cut to the Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Program at the Department of Behavioral Health and add $300,000 for community-based mental health responses
Latino student fund
“Since receiving this grant, decisions regarding school closures for Fall 2020 were announced for public schools in the DC metro area. After a summer of planning for hybrid programs, families are now struggling to find support for a year of virtual learning.”
Latino Student Fund students and tutors on a virtual session.
Now more than ever, the Latino Student Fund’s year-round academic programs are essential in our community. This regional nonprofit offers 8 different tutoring and college preparation programs to underserved Pre-K-12th grade students—all of which they were able to continue throughout the pandemic.
As a COVID-19 Response fund partner, Latino Student Fund quickly shifted from in-person to virtual tutoring, serving over 400 students within three months. They have seen an increased attendance rate from 60% to 80% since starting their virtual programs. LSF recruited additional tutors to provide one-on-one support in multiple subjects, helping students adjust to virtual learning in last spring.
By providing academic support and safe employment, families have had an increased sense of security for their child’s future and students were set on a path to remain in step with their peers when they returned to their virtual classrooms in the fall
free minds book club and writing workshop
Books for Free Minds inmates.
We know that knowledge is power—but can we harness it for the disempowered? Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop has certainly shown us how. Free Minds uses books and creative writing to empower young inmates, offering a remote reading and writing program, virtual workshops, a weekly Letter Writing circle, and their “Write Night” events.
Throughout the pandemic, Free Minds, a COVID-19 Response Fund partner, supported hundreds justice-involved youth housed within DC’s incarceration facilities, and children enrolled in programs with their community partners. For example, their “Write Nights,” a monthly poetry feedback program, connected youth with community members who provided feedback on their writing. Write Nights have seen a 250% increase from their pre-COVID numbers, now serving up to 350 people each virtual session.
“Free Minds did a remarkable job of making the virtual Write Nights [an impactful] experience of youth poetry. The presentations have been focused, direct, and incredibly moving. Watching made clear the extent of the community that Free Minds has forged.” -Write Nights volunteer
Free Minds notes that they will keep striving to fulfill their purpose of “filling the large educational gap created by the act of incarcerating young people.” The longer the pandemic persists, the more determined they are to stay connected.
the alliance of concerned men
During their grant period, the Alliance of Concerned Men (ACM,) a COVID-19 Response Fund partner, served at-risk youth, many of whom were under court supervision from the DC Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. This DC-based nonprofit offers services for youth crime and violence intervention, including social services, cultural enrichment, and recreational activities.
In response to the pandemic, they launched the Cyber Transformational Mentoring program, partnering with other local nonprofits including Inner City Collaborative Community Development Corporation, Life Deeds, Sasha Bruce Youthwork Inc, and many others. The program brought youth and community members together virtually on multiple platforms: Zoom, social media, email and phone calls. They also helped build community and facilitate better communication through a large-scale social media campaign to engage their 6-week annual Summer Youth Employment Program
A leader from the program said the following:
“We gave one youth the opportunity to tell his story. This youth was involved in over 40 robberies before his 14th birthday - and has since transformed his life.” -ACM leader
Community Foundation Partners with Montgomery County to Provide Food Assistance Capacity Building Grants
The Greater Washington Community Foundation is proud to partner with Montgomery County Health and Human Services, the Montgomery County Food Council, and the Healthcare Initiative Foundation to provide nonprofit food assistance providers with funding to support programmatic operations. The full release is available below.
Montgomery County Food Assistance Provider Capacity Building Grants Awarded to 28 Community Organizations
For Immediate Release: Monday, August 17, 2020
Montgomery County has awarded $1,126,100 to 28 local food assistance providers to improve their infrastructure and expand their capacity to provide food access to hard-to-reach communities in Montgomery County during the response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This program was funded by the Federal CARES Act as appropriated by the County Executive and Montgomery County Council, the Community Food Rescue mini-grants program, and the newly launched Food Security Fund at the Greater Washington Community Foundation.
The COVID-19 Emergency Food Assistance Provider Capacity Building Grant is a partnership between the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Montgomery County Food Council (MCFC), the Healthcare Initiative Foundation (HIF), and the Greater Washington Community Foundation (The Community Foundation). The County’s Food Security Task Force, formed by the County's Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS), reviewed and determined all grant awards. The HIF and The Community Foundation are the fiscal agents for the program and will award the money.
These grant awards will support community nonprofit purchases of refrigerators and freezers, shelving and space enhancements, vehicles, forklifts, hand trucks, computers and software, as well as repairs to existing infrastructure. Funded investments will directly expand these organizations’ ability to store and transport larger quantities of shelf-stable and cold-stored food and are estimated to increase community-wide capacity for food assistance distribution and delivery to over 31,000 households.
“I am proud to be part of a community where our nonprofit and faith-based organizations work tirelessly to ensure our residents have access to nutritious and culturally appropriate food, especially during this national pandemic,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “Providing funding to help these organizations improve their infrastructure and increase their capacity to feed more residents is money well spent.”
Special consideration was given to organizations who formed partnerships to better serve the community and provide culturally diverse food access services. Despite funding limitations more than half of the applications were awarded full or partial funding. As the County’s food security response to the pandemic continues, it is anticipated that additional funds will be made available to further support initiatives that address the significant food security needs of our community.
“Food insecurity is currently being experienced by more residents in our community than ever before,” said County Council President Sidney Katz. “So many of our neighbors are feeling the instability caused by the health crisis in so many ways. It is incumbent upon us to provide culturally appropriate food to those in need and these funds will do just that. I want to thank all of the nonprofit and faith-based organizations who are forging partnerships to reach out to the communities hardest hit by the pandemic.”
Nonprofit organizations were eligible to apply for up to $85,000. The organizations receiving grants, ranging from $1,075 to $85,000, are:
Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington, Inc.
American Diversity Group
Bethesda Cares
Caribbean Help Center, Inc
Chinese Culture and Community Service Center, Inc.
Clifton Park Baptist Church
Damascus HELP Inc.
Guru Gobind Singh Foundation
Indonesian American Association
Islamic Center of Maryland
Kingdom Fellowship African Methodist Episcopal Church
Kings & Priests Court International Ministries Inc.
Liberty Grove United Methodist Church
Manna Food Center
Meals on Wheels of Takoma Park and Silver Spring
Montgomery County Muslim Foundation
Nourish Now Inc
Rainbow Community Development Center
Shepherd's Table
Small Things Matter
So What Else, Inc.
Southern Bethany Baptist Church
Camillus Church Food Pantry
The Living Legends Awards for Service to Humanity
The Salvation Army
Up 2 Us Foundation
Vietnamese Americans Services, Inc.
Women Who Care Ministries
DHHS, along with Montgomery County Public Schools, MCFC, and a network of over 110 local food assistance providers and community partners have been working during the COVID-19 pandemic to address the dramatically increased need for food assistance across the county. To address food insecurity and plan for a greater need, OEMHS created the Food Security Task Force, made up of County staff, community partners and food assistance recipients to create and implement a comprehensive and innovative Food Security Response Strategy.
Montgomery County Government recently partnered with The Community Foundation to launch the Food Security Fund to galvanize private sector and individual support of food access initiatives in the County in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Visit the Food Security Fund website to learn more and contribute.
For the latest COVID-19 updates, visit the County’s COVID-19 website and follow Montgomery County on Facebook @MontgomeryCountyInfo and Twitter @MontgomeryCoMD.
Put the “count” in Montgomery County! Be sure to complete the Census online, by phone, or by mail. It’s safe, confidential, easy, and important. #2020Census #EveryoneCountsMCMD
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Release ID: 20-443
Media Contact: Mark Hodge 240-777-6507
Need Inspiration? These Nonprofit Stories Will Move You
These past several months, while exceptionally challenging at times, have also been inspiring. We’ve seen our community come together to care for our neighbors in need, springing into action to support those most adversely affected by the pandemic.
Through our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, were able to invest $7 million to support low-wage workers who have been laid off, expand access to medical care, provide shelter and services to people experiencing homelessness, increase food access, and so much more. This would not be possible without our compassionate donors – a diverse group of individuals and businesses who helped us mobilize $8 million for coordinated relief and recovery efforts. Thank you for standing with us to make a difference.
You can read about our impact here – and, below, learn more about how our nonprofit partners helped create this impact. Their stories of kindness and courage are truly inspiring.
DC Rape Crisis Center
It’s not just a crisis line – it’s a lifeline” - Indira Henard, Executive Director
The DC Rape Crisis Center is dedicated to creating a world free of sexual violence. It is the oldest Rape Crisis Center in the country—and the only in Washington, DC—providing mental health counseling, a 24-hour crisis hotline, and community education and outreach, among other services.
Requests for its services have doubled since the start of the pandemic. With Community Foundation support, it was able to expand a 24/7 crisis hotline to serve an additional 80 clients a month.
“Our advocates bear witness and hold space to the unimaginable. They let survivors know that they are not alone and it is not their fault,” said Henard. She shares more of her story above in her 2-minute #COVIDImpactStories video.
DC Central Kitchen
DC Central Kitchen, whose mission is to use food as a tool to strengthen bodies, empower minds, and build communities, has doubled its weekly food production in response to our community’s needs. As a COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund partner, DCCK was able to increase the amount served from 36,000 to 92,000 meals each week.
In the process, it was also able to help hospitality workers who lost their jobs and local farmers. DCCK also:
Employed 10 Culinary Job Training graduates, who were laid off from their hospitality industry jobs. Each were hired full-time with benefits.
Partnered with local farmers to produce fresh, healthy ingredients. Since March 31, DCCK has purchased an estimated 286,000 pounds of local produce. Currently, 90% of fruits and vegetables are sourced locally.
Implemented thorough safety protocols to ensure workers stayed healthy, including securing three commercial kitchens to properly space, and additional PPE.
Mary’s Center
In Prince George’s County, the surge in demand for low-cost prenatal care has been tremendous. Many women have found themselves suddenly uninsured – one devastating bi-product of the pandemic.
In response, Mary’s Center’s Adelphi site enhanced their telemedicine services with a COVID-19 Response grant, reaching nearly 570 expecting mothers. Their telemedicine outreach was especially impactful for one postpartum patient:
“If she hadn’t stayed on me and hadn’t kept calling and texting – I could have died with a newborn.”
Mary’s Center also expanded their general healthcare capacity, serving nearly 3,000 patients, in-person and virtually. And, they hosted public COVID-19 testing, with 45% of tests coming back positive.
Community crisis services, inc
Since its inception in 1970, Community Crisis Services, Inc (CCSI) has been a 24/7 resource for anyone facing personal turmoil in our community. CCSI’s mental health hotline provides immediate, compassionate assistance to those in need. Additionally, their emergency shelter services offer a safe place to stay.
Through the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, CCSI expanded their crisis hotline and emergency shelter services in Prince George’s County. So far, CCSI has answered nearly 14,000 COVID-related calls—covering topics from government regulation of COVID, to personal anxiety.
They also increased their shelter beds from 50 to 250, and moved into a new space that accommodates 2 beds per room, versus dormitory-style.
COMMUNITY YOUTH ADVANCE
Community Youth Advance, an educational nonprofit offering services for K-12 students, transitioned to virtual tutoring and instruction for 85 middle school students in Prince George’s County. Students received JLA GoVirtual reading and math instruction, personal tutoring and enrichment courses.
“Distance learning has been a fun experience. We learned and got rewarded for being there and participating. If I had a choice, I would probably do this rather than going to school. Thank you for having me!”
On average, participants increased their Math pretest scores from 69% to 81%. In reading, students reported they read 80% more material weekly while participating in the GoVirtual program.
You can unlock matching dollars to help our neighbors in dire need
In times of crisis, The Community Foundation is our region’s philanthropic first responder. I first witnessed this when The Community Foundation’s donors came together 12 years ago to launch the Neighbors in Need Montgomery Fund. In response to the 2008 economic crisis, that effort galvanized support for a coordinated response to reach people who would otherwise have fallen through the cracks. By working together, donors could pool their resources to invest in trusted nonprofits addressing urgent needs in a smart, strategic way that maximized their collective impact. (The effort was so innovative, it was highlighted as best practice in a Brookings study about the suburbanization of poverty.)
When our Neighbors in Need Montgomery steering committee convened this spring to discuss the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, we realized there was a need to reboot that collaborative approach. We quickly launched the Neighbors in DIRE Need campaign and are partnering with four nonprofits which have strong track records of providing relief to people in dire need: Family Services, Identity, Inc., IMPACT Silver Spring, and Interfaith Works. This effort is working in complement to Montgomery County’s relief programs by helping organizations coordinate, prevent the duplication of resources, and maximize the impact of every dollar to reach deeply into the community.
To propel this work even further, The Community Foundation’s past Montgomery County Philanthropists of the Year honorees and their families teamed up to offer a challenge match to double the impact of contributions (up to $340,000). Each contribution will be matched $1 for $1 to generate $680,000 in funds to support our neighbors impacted by the public health and economic crisis. (Click here to read a message from the philanthropists about what compelled them to put up this match!)
Thanks to many generous donations received in support of this initiative, we’ve been able to release the first round of relief grants which our nonprofit partners redeployed directly to help families in need. We’ve been so deeply touched to hear those grants have made a difference:
Martha and her husband both contracted COVID-19 at the start of the pandemic and lost their jobs. With an emergency relief grant from Neighbors in Need Montgomery, they had the breathing room and peace of mind of one month’s rent paid for themselves and their three kids. Now Martha is paying that kindness forward as a volunteer community outreach worker by partnering with Identity and the Manna Food Center to bring food and resources to even more neighbors who are struggling in isolation.
Daysi is a mother of two from Gaithersburg who lost all her house cleaning jobs once stay at home orders began. With a grant from Neighbors in Need Montgomery supporting her rent, Daysi has been able to focus her energy on building mutual support networks within her community. She organized mothers in her apartment complex to take turns grocery shopping for each other to decrease exposure to COVID-19 while ensuring families have the food staples they need. Daysi also uses her own vehicle to pick up 70+ hot meals from Gethsemane Church in Ashton every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for neighbors struggling with food insecurity.
Even while celebrating the impact thus far, I realize that we just passed another first of the month rent deadline, leaving thousands more families wondering how they are going to survive.
Please give now to help us unlock additional matching funds that will help families in dire need to weather this crisis.
Your Generosity Made a Difference
A lot has changed over these past five months. The one thing that has not changed is our shared commitment to support and strengthen our community.
In times of crisis, The Community Foundation serves as our region’s philanthropic first responder. As our region faces a trifecta of crises that threatens our health, economic security, and racial justice, The Community Foundation has galvanized people and resources in response to these challenges and supported high-impact nonprofits serving our communities. With one-third of nonprofits in our region potentially closing or merging before the economy recovers – we knew this partnership was crucial.
On March 12, we launched the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to deploy critical resources to meet the urgent health and economic needs of this region. Our community responded with a strong statement about the power of generosity in the face of hardship and tragedy.
You and a diverse group of businesses, foundations, individuals, and families stepped up to help us mobilize $8 million - with gifts ranging from $5 to $1 million - for coordinated relief and recovery efforts. Thank you for standing with us during our community’s time of need.
Caring for Our Neighbors in Need
These funds were quickly deployed to care for our neighbors directly impacted by the pandemic, and to provide aid to low-income families and communities of color who have been disproportionately affected due to pre-existing inequities exacerbated by this crisis.
Our staff led working groups which reviewed more than 1,600 requests for funding totaling more than $60 million - a figure nearly seven times the amount raised to date. We were able to invest $7 million to support low-wage workers who have been laid off, expand access to medical care, equip frontline workers and clinics, address the digital divide, provide shelter and services to people experiencing homelessness, increase food access, and so much more.
Take Generation Hope for example, a nonprofit helping teen parents earn their college degrees while preparing their children for kindergarten. With support from our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, Generation Hope moved its services online, providing student parents with virtual education, career readiness programming, and mental health support.
“Our families are among the hardest hit by COVID-19," said Nicole Lynn Lewis, Founder and CEO. "With this support, we've been able to really provide [our clients] with the critical services they need to weather this storm.” Hear more from Nicole in her two-minute COVID-19 Impact Story video.
In It Together
We have witnessed some inspiring examples of our community coming together to meet this unprecedented moment with unprecedented generosity and creativity.
The Community Foundation was proud to team up with our donors and partners to advance educational equity for DC students, increase food security in Montgomery County, support small businesses in Prince George’s County, and help displaced workers earn an income by filling gaps in volunteer shifts at local nonprofits. These are just a few examples of the many ways in which our community has stepped up to meet this challenge. It is proof that we are all in this together!
Our newest initiative, the Arts Forward Fund, aims to help small and mid-sized arts and culture organizations make the shifts needed to successfully navigate this crisis and continue their essential role in our communities and lives. It is a collaborative partnership with The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, the Harman Family Foundation, the Weissberg Foundation, and many other individual and institutional contributors.
Partnering for the Future
As we prepare for what comes next, our goal is not to go back to the way things were before, but to work together to build a more equitable future for our region. Your continued partnership and care for our community inspires hope for what we can accomplish together.
This is the final message in our COVID-19 response series, and we are using this opportunity to give you an inside look at what your support has made possible. Click here to view our Interim COVID-19 Impact Report with stories from our coordinated regional response efforts. A more detailed impact report is in the works and will be released later this fall.
Thank you for supporting our efforts to ensure our region comes out of this crisis stronger and more resilient. We are so grateful for your support and partnership.
Sincerely,
Tonia Wellons
President and CEO
Greater Washington Community Foundation and Cafritz Foundation Launch $1 million Arts Forward Fund
Grants Will Address Impact of COVID-19 on the DC Region’s Arts and Culture Sector
Recognizing the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on arts and culture organizations throughout the region, the Greater Washington Community Foundation has joined with The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation and eight other grantmakers to launch the Arts Forward Fund, a million-dollar initiative to provide critical support to help arts and culture organizations in the DC region to stabilize, adapt, and thrive despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Arts Forward Fund will award grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 to help arts and culture organizations make the urgent changes needed to continue their work through the pandemic and beyond. The Arts Forward Fund also recognizes the need to address systemic inequities in arts and culture organizations and in our communities that have amplified the impact of the pandemic for Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color, and will prioritize support for organizations founded and led by people of color and organizations that primarily serve communities of color.
The Arts Forward Fund was launched in July with a lead grant of $500,000 from The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, with additional support from the Harman Family Foundation, Weissberg Foundation, Linowitz Family Fund, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, S & R Foundation, Diane & Norman Bernstein Foundation, Lois and Richard England Family Foundation, and Philip L. Graham Fund. The Fund will be housed at and administered by the Greater Washington Community Foundation.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has altered the programs and finances of the region’s nonprofit sector in ways that even the most forward-thinking organizations could not have anticipated,” says Cafritz Foundation President and CEO Calvin Cafritz. “In helping to launch the Arts Forward Fund, we want to ensure that arts and culture nonprofits continue to carry out their missions, serve their communities, and pursue new paths during this crisis. We are happy to work with the Greater Washington Community Foundation, the Harman Family and Weissberg foundations, and many of our colleagues, to help our local arts institutions continue their work and find opportunity in this moment.”
“The Greater Washington Community Foundation and our donors have a long history of investing across the arts ecosystem – from supporting anchor institutions to small theaters, visual arts programs, arts education, and individual artists. In order for our communities to truly thrive, we must continue to cultivate a broad-based arts sector where creativity can flourish and foster diverse and inclusive spaces for human connection and understanding,” says Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “We are proud to partner on the Arts Forward Fund to bring much needed relief to organizations that enrich our communities and touch our lives.”
According to a 2017 Americans for the Arts study (using 2015 data), the Greater Washington region’s arts and culture organizations contribute at least $3.75 billion in economic activity and nearly 60,000 jobs to the region’s economy on an annual basis.
Nationally, a white paper released in May by SMU DataArts estimated that the impact of COVID-19 on arts and culture organizations across the United States will be a net loss of $6.8 billion between February 2020 and March 2021—the equivalent of a 25 percent operating deficit for the average organization, even after significant reductions in expenses.
Interviews with dozens of small and mid-sized arts organizations in the DC region by the Cafritz Foundation in May found groups struggling with the financial and programmatic impact of shuttered facilities and the cancellation of performances and in-person fundraising events. More than a third had already laid off staff, with more layoffs anticipated as federal Payroll Protection Program funds run out.
All the organizations interviewed reported challenges with making the transition to online and digital programming. These challenges included production limitations that impact the artistic quality of online offerings, contractual and intellectual property barriers, and barriers to online participation as a result of inequitable access to the internet and technology -- particularly among youth-serving organizations. Generating revenue from online content is especially challenging.
Arts Forward Fund aims to help organizations address these challenges by providing grants to support short-term capacity-building, training, and innovation. Arts and culture organizations with annual revenue of less than $10 million in their most recently completed fiscal year are eligible to apply, provided they serve the District of Columbia, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland, and Arlington and Fairfax counties and the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, and Fairfax in Virginia. More details and the call for applications are available here.
Funders and individual donors interested in joining Arts Forward Fund should contact Rick Moyers.