In an opinion piece for the Washington Post, Tonia Wellons and Ursula Wright explore a new framework for for reconstructing a more equitable future for our region.
Survey Spotlights Inequities Impacting Lives of African American Residents in the Greater Washington Region
Greater Washington Community Foundation’s 2020 VoicesDMV Survey provides snapshot of life in the weeks immediately preceding the COVID-19 pandemic
A new survey of 1,600 households across DC, Maryland, and Virginia offers new insights about inequities and the impact of systemic racism on African American residents and people of color throughout the Greater Washington region.
The survey – conducted by Gallup in early 2020 as part of the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s VoicesDMV initiative – shows that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the region’s African American community was experiencing economic inequality and hardship, facing discrimination in their neighborhoods, and expressing deep concerns about the quality of education and health care available to their families.
Key findings on these inequities include:
Nearly one in 10 black residents (9%) felt discriminated against in interactions with the police in the past year compared with less than one in 100 white residents (0.7%).
During the past 12 months, six times the percentage of blacks relative to whites in the DMV said they experienced discrimination when trying to obtain housing and nearly four times the percentage of black residents compared to white residents reported facing discrimination when banking or applying for a loan.
Even before COVID-19 plunged our region into the worst recession of most of our lifetimes, more than one in three black residents reported that the overall economic conditions in the Greater Washington region were getting worse. By comparison, more than four in five white residents said the local economy was getting better or staying the same.
Thirty-five percent of black households reported that they did not have enough savings to survive for a month if they lost their current sources of income – a figure that is 2.5 times higher than their white neighbors.
Black residents were less than half as likely as white residents to rate the availability of arts and cultural opportunities, availability of good jobs, quality of public schools, or availability of healthcare as excellent in the place where they live.
“The VoicesDMV data offers a sobering look at the stark differences in quality of life for our African American neighbors. While we pride ourselves on being an inclusive community, this new research highlights just how far we have to go to address the deep inequities experienced by many residents and families. These disparities have only been heightened by the COVID-19 health and economic crisis, and laid bare through the community response to the tragic and senseless death of George Floyd,” said Tonia Wellons, president and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “One thing is for sure, our goal should not be to return to the status quo but to reconstruct what exists and build a stronger and more resilient community where racial justice is prioritized and everyone has equal opportunity to thrive.”
VoicesDMV is a community listening and civic engagement initiative, which launched in 2017, that seeks to better understand the diverse experiences of the people who live and work in the Greater Washington region. More than 1,600 residents from Washington, DC; Prince George's County, MD; Montgomery County, MD; and Northern Virginia participated in the survey. Additional highlights from the survey include:
Personal experiences with homelessness are widespread across the region. Nearly one in three residents know someone who has experienced homelessness or who is at risk of becoming homeless. Further, three-quarters of respondents agree that ending homelessness is a priority and more than half view housing as the solution, while almost two-thirds would even be willing to pay more in taxes to support additional affordable housing.
The impact of the 2019 government shutdown is still being felt. While fifteen percent of workers throughout the region were negatively affected by the 2019 government shutdown, more than half of those negatively affected were not government workers or contractors. Those who were negatively affected financially by the shutdown were nearly twice as likely to currently feel very worried or somewhat worried about not being able to pay their rent or mortgage.
Addressing Barriers to Quality Employment. Nearly a quarter of all workers (24 percent) and nearly half of the unemployed who are looking for work (49 percent) cited level of education as a barrier to finding and keeping a job. Across the region, two-thirds of all parents with children ages five or younger find it difficult or very difficult to pay for high-quality childcare for their family.
Many residents across the DMV region report inadequate access to benefits through their job – especially those in low-paying or essential positions. Of those making less than $22,000 a year, more than three-quarters are not offered health insurance through their job. Fewer than one-half of those with a high school diploma or less report having paid maternity/paternity leave.
The full report and an online dashboard with further demographic breakdowns of the VoicesDMV survey data is available now at www.VoicesDMV.org. Additional analysis – including overviews of survey data for the region as a whole and by local jurisdiction, will be available later this summer.
As part of the initiative, The Community Foundation will present a virtual town hall series beginning Friday, June 19, that will explore the most pressing challenges facing the region, and solutions for collectively building more equitable communities where everyone can thrive. The series will culminate in an opportunity for our entire region to come together for On the Table conversations to consider how these issues impact our families and communities. The Community Foundation will then fund Community Action Awards to help transform ideas sparked during these conversations into action – committing at least $100,000 for community organizing, action, and social justice projects that can be implemented individually or collectively.
Rebuilding a Brighter Future
By Benton Murphy, Associate Vice President, Community Investment
Benton Murphy, AVP, Community Investment
Even before the COVID-19 crisis, much of our region was struggling. Nearly one in five of our neighbors reported that they could only make it by for less than one month if they lost their current sources of household income. Even more worrisome, nearly one-third of residents reported being very or slightly worried about being able to pay their rent or mortgage on a good day. Three months ago, these were answers to hypothetical questions. Now as we face the ongoing COVID-19 public health and economic crisis, these statistics are a stark reality for so many.
These report findings, collected by Gallup for the Greater Washington Community Foundation, were intended to serve as a point in time snapshot of our region for our VoicesDMV initiative. The Community Foundation leads this community engagement initiative every few years with a focus on listening to our community in a deep and authentic way. As a community foundation, we want to ensure our community investment and community leadership strategies are informed by the needs of real people in the community—especially those whose voices are left out of important conversations about community needs and priorities.
In 2017, our first VoicesDMV survey revealed a region in which residents may be separated by income, education or geographic boundaries, but share similar hopes and dreams. We all want a better overall quality of life for ourselves and our families, including the opportunity to live in a safe and welcoming environment, obtain a quality education, earn a living wage, and build assets for a secure future.
And yet, as prosperous as our region is, our survey found that deep disparities in income and opportunity persist and that these gaps continue to widen. Due to historical discrimination, this prevents many of our neighbors, particularly people of color, from accessing the region’s economic growth and prosperity. We are so thankful and grateful to the community for their participation in VoicesDMV in 2017. Your perspective gifted The Community Foundation with insight to shape our Building Thriving Communities framework with updated priorities for our grantmaking, which focus on preparing for the future of work, disrupting poverty, and deepening human connections.
The 2020 report offers unique insight into how the region looked and felt in the months immediately preceding the COVID-19 pandemic and massive civil unrest following the killing of George Floyd. The report reveals a Greater Washington community with a lot to celebrate. Across our region, the survey identified bright prospects across many issue areas, including education and the state of the economy.
The report also revealed striking findings that again illuminated a deeply inequitable region, which we see this in COVID-19’s devastating effect on our region’s low-income households and communities of color. These individuals are much more vulnerable to the economic and health shocks exacerbated by this crisis because of these pre-existing inequities.
While the sentiments expressed in the survey have certainly shifted since it was fielded, the data provides us insights into how we looked pre-COVID. This hopefully offers direction on what we can do differently as we look beyond emergency recovery and relief toward rebuilding a more equitable and resilient region.
What’s Next?
Another critical component of our VoicesDMV initiative is convening and conversation. In 2017, we held community conversations and focus groups discussing a range of issues and challenges, including quality education for our children, fear of the police, and perceptions of race and racism. As we worked to prepare our VoicesDMV initiative for 2020, we wanted to incorporate new elements to deepen the extent to which we engaged communities, reached “unusual suspects,” and enabled authentic dialogue.
This fall, we hope to host a series of virtual On the Table community conversations – a nationally-known community engagement initiative first piloted by the Chicago Community Trust – to challenge our region to think about how we can rebuild after the pandemic toward a more equitable future. On the Table brings together friends, colleagues, neighbors, and strangers to discuss what matters to them in their community over a meal.
Our focus for these conversations will be on equity and how it intersects with a range of issues that are important to our community, including education, workforce development, housing and homelessness, the arts, the environment, and many more issue areas. From these conversations, we plan to make community micro-grants from the VoicesDMV Community Action Awards grant program to support grassroots and neighborhood-level projects and initiatives that will help us to re-envision our region in a more equitable light.
As we begin to look beyond responding to the immediate crisis at hand, our region’s recovery cannot be a return to the status quo as previously captured by our survey. We all have a role to play in shaping a “new normal” and rebuilding as a community that offers equal opportunity for all residents to thrive. I am convinced we will overcome this crisis and period of uncertainty by standing together—neighbors helping neighbors—to build a more equitable region for the future.
A Small Sigh of Relief: Returning Citizens Receive Cash Assistance from Local Nonprofit
By Paul Newport, Jubliee Jobs Job Counselor
Men and women who are currently being released from jail and seeking to re-enter the workforce are facing a particularly grim societal scenario. The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the economy and swept away millions of jobs. Most of these men and women are among the region’s lowest income earners (less than $24,000 annually).
They are hoping to find work in a highly competitive job market and are often labeled as “ex-offenders.” It is a wonder these previously incarcerated individuals, whom we refer to as “returning citizens,” can advance at all.
The Greater Washington Community Foundation’s 2020 VoicesDMV Community Insights survey found that the most significant barrier for workers and unemployed people seeking jobs is their level of education and training. This is certainly a reality within the population we work with at Jubilee Jobs, a long-standing nonprofit in Adams Morgan, that provides job placement and retention services for eager work applicants, many of whom have not graduated from high school.
The majority of our applicants are unemployed when they come to us. In addition, many have been previously incarcerated, and the VoicesDMV report found that 4% of respondents (1 in 25) noted that their criminal record was a barrier to employment. We should remember that most of these individuals are trying not only to find work, but also live under the restrictions of a halfway house, which may prevent them from attending important job training workshops and, in some cases, a job interview. Coupled with other common predicaments our applicants face, including something as simple as lack of bus fare, these challenges cause hardship and frustration.
To address some of the problems faced by returning citizens, Christine Gossens, Executive Director of Jubilee Jobs, initiated the Returning Citizens COVID-19 Relief Fund. This cash assistance program, funded in part by The Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, helps provide immediate financial assistance to Jubilee Jobs placed clients who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are immensely grateful for this contribution and for the assistance it enabled us to provide to those in need. The quick impact of this relief fund was immediately absorbed.
On two consecutive Fridays in May, our returning citizens applicants who had lost jobs due to COVID-19 made their way to our Northwest office and entered one by one in their masks to collect their envelope containing $450. Our applicant Hayden hoisted himself up in the air and knocked his boots together to express his joy. Another applicant, Crystal, had tears in her eyes as she explained to us how she was sitting looking out her bedroom window wondering what on earth she was going to do having just lost her job, when she received our phone call about the cash assistance program. These are just two of many other redeeming stories.
The data presented in the VoicesDMV report maps a challenging road ahead for all our job applicants, especially for returning citizens. But, our training and workshops will continue to focus on what they have always done: presenting the most reliable, efficient, and professional ways of preparing for a job search and successfully completing an interview.
Many of our applicants have limited access to computers, so we have now implemented further training in technology and have tested a pilot class on computer basics. Post-COVID-19 (whatever that might look like) we will harness our broad understanding of the community we work with to develop options for entry level work that is reliable and sustainable. Doing so will hopefully continue to relieve some of the burden from these vulnerable citizens.
DC Cares Program $5M Undocumented Workers Relief Package
Events DC, Washington DC's official convention and sports authority, finalized its programs for the $5M undocumented workers relief fund through the DC Cares Program.
The DC Cares Program will provide financial assistance to workers in the District of Columbia who have been excluded from federal stimulus efforts and are experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This critical program is in partnership with the Executive Office of the Mayor and the Greater Washington Community Foundation. Both the DC Cares Program and the grant awardees were approved by Events DC's Board of Directors and represent an important component of the organization's commitment to building an ever-stronger city.
"While we are known for our work in conventions and meetings, sports and entertainment, Events DC is deeply committed to the community and its residents, many of whom form the backbone of our restaurant and hospitality industry. Supporting our undocumented community is personal —my grandfather came to this country when he was 13 with nothing. He was as an immigrant and couldn't get a job because of his last name and how he looked. He was hired in a hotel restaurant and began his journey in America. We owe it to our friends in the undocumented community to share in the success we have as a city. The success of our work and projects depend on the vibrancy of our city, thriving non-profits and cultural institutions. The undocumented workers relief fund and the Cultural Institutions Grant Program will help serve our neighbors and make our diverse city stronger and more resilient," stated Max Brown, Chairman, Board of Directors, Events DC. "The relief fund distribution is a critical step forward in helping our city get back on track following the devastation of the pandemic. We also extend our congratulations to the organizations that have been awarded cultural institution grants, each of them is eminently deserving and a terrific example of what we can achieve together to enhance our world-class city."
The DC Cares Program
The distribution for the $5 million undocumented workers relief funds will be managed through the Greater Washington Community Foundation with the purchase of pre-paid debit cards in the amount of $1,000 per card. The Community Foundation will then disseminate the pre-paid debit cards to designated community-based organizations in collaboration with the Executive Office of the Mayor. The identified community-based organizations will issue the pre-paid debit cards to eligible undocumented workers determined by criteria set forth by the Mayor's Office.
The Community Foundation is a tax-exempt public charity that manages hundreds of charitable giving funds on behalf of generous individuals, families, and businesses in the Washington, DC metro area. The community-based organization currently designated by the Mayor's Office to receive the pre-paid debit cards include the following:
Bread for the City
The Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)
CentroNía
Latin American Youth Center (LAYC)
Mary's Center
Events DC will continue to work with the Community Foundation to implement ongoing efforts surrounding the DC Cares program to provide future financial assistance to DC workers who by reason of their status do not have access to other COVID-19-related public relief programs. The DC CARES program will be administered by the Community Foundation through its Greater Washington Workforce Collaborative, an initiative with the mission of enabling people to increase their skills, credentials, employment and wages with an emphasis on systems change that eliminates income gaps based on race, ethnicity and gender.
"A core part of Events DC's mission is to serve and give back to our communities which will help to continue to propel our city forward. The critical cultural grants program will help strengthen these important cultural institutions and empower new programming for generations to come while the undocumented workers relief fund will provide a vital lifeline to our neighbors in need," said Gregory A. O'Dell, president and chief executive officer of Events DC. "Through the relief funds and the grant program, we are humbled by the opportunity to assist District residents and the extraordinary organizations performing vital work to educate and enhance the lives of Washingtonians and visitors. Together, we look forward to continuing to enrich our community."
“We are proud to partner with Events DC, the Executive Office of the Mayor, and our nonprofit partners to bring critical relief to workers who have been excluded from other forms of relief intended to help our most vulnerable neighbors during this difficult time. Immigrant communities are some of the hardest hit in this region by the COVID-19 health and economic crisis. Our goal is to support disproportionately impacted communities, especially low-income and black and brown communities, by providing emergency cash assistance to cover basic needs for food, housing/shelter, medical care, and other services.”
Community Foundation Announces $500,000 Gift from Lockheed Martin to COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund
Contribution will Boost Local Relief and Recovery Efforts
The Greater Washington Community Foundation is pleased to announce a new $500,000 contribution from Lockheed Martin to the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, which will help support both coordinated local response to urgent needs and longer-term recovery efforts focused on building a stronger and more resilient region.
This coordinated rapid response fund was established to quickly raise and deploy critical resources to nonprofits helping residents adversely affected by the coronavirus public health and economic crisis. In 10 weeks, the Fund has garnered $7.5 million in community support from 700+ contributors, including corporate partners, local foundations, and individual donors (with individual contributions ranging in size from $10 - $100,000).
A list of donors and regional partners is available here.
“We are so thankful for partners like Lockheed Martin and others who have stepped up to help us respond quickly to the evolving needs of our communities and to plan for what comes next,” said Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “These contributions help bolster our ability to empower our nonprofit partners working tirelessly to help our neighbors facing hardship during this crisis.”
“We’re proud to address the local needs in Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and the Greater Washington region at this critical time,” said Marillyn Hewson, Chairman, President and CEO of Lockheed Martin. “We are committed to our local communities and the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund will be instrumental in assisting frontline workers, small business, nonprofits, and individuals in the hour of need."
“We are in great need of additional resources in the Greater Washington region, particularly food, for our growing rolls of vulnerable families," said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. "We are grateful that our corporate citizens are recognizing their role as partners and contributing to help those in need.”
“We are Prince George’s Proud of community partners like Lockheed Martin and the Greater Washington Community Foundation who have stepped up to support Prince Georgians in need during this pandemic,” said Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. “While we are still trying to weather this storm, I can promise you that COVID-19 will not have the final say. Through partnerships like these, we will get through this crisis together and we will be able to build an even stronger Prince George’s.”
In times of crisis, The Community Foundation is the region’s philanthropic first responder, bringing people and resources together to address urgent community needs. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, The Community Foundation is convening weekly meetings with local philanthropic leaders, donors, and government advisors to discuss needs, review requests, and guide the Fund’s strategic investments and priorities.
To date, the Fund has made investments of $4 million in 97 nonprofits, with additional funding expected to be issued over the coming weeks. Priority is given to nonprofits with deep roots in the community and a demonstrated ability to address both urgent needs and reach historically underserved populations. The Fund has received more than 1,300 requests from nonprofits seeking a total of $55 million in funding, which far exceeds available dollars.
A full list of the organizations receiving assistance through the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund is here.
Investments have been made across five issue areas:
To provide relief to small businesses and displaced workers (hourly, gig economy, contractors), especially those who do not qualify for unemployment or stimulus funds.
To expand parental supports and resources for youth disconnected from school or work and students distinguished by disabilities.
To support frontline workers and providers and to expand medical care for low-income communities, older adults, and people who are immunocompromised, undocumented, or uninsured.
To support and protect individuals, families, and youth experiencing homelessness and to help prevent people from losing stable housing.
To bolster our region’s food security, address the uptick in domestic and other forms of violence, and support the civil legal aid needs of individuals.
Our Commitment to Racial Justice
By Tonia Wellons, President & CEO
On Mother’s Day weekend, I received a call from the parents of 2nd Lt. Richard Collins III, the Bowie State University student who was killed at the hands of University of Maryland senior, Sean Urbanski. This devastating hate-linked, race-based crime happened in 2017 around Mother’s Day weekend. I have been humbled by the opportunity to get to know the Collins family and work with them to honor their son’s legacy by confronting the challenges represented by hate and bias violence. Yet the recent killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and now George Floyd immediately triggered the Collins family and reignited their quest to address domestic terror, police brutality, and other forms of anti-black racism.
These senseless and intolerable tragedies remind us that structural racism continues to deny our Black brothers and sisters the opportunity to live their lives completely free and without fear of the institutions intended to serve and protect them. It reminds us that racism is built into many US systems and carried by individual actors in overt and covert methods.
Even in our Nation’s Capital in 2020, pre-existing inequities in education, housing, healthcare, and employment opportunities continue to create deep disparities and divides that threaten the vibrancy and health of our communities. Take for example the drastic way in which COVID-19 has hit African American communities the hardest – while roughly half of Washingtonians are African American, they make up more than three-quarters of the deaths from COVID-19.
At the Greater Washington Community Foundation, we see it as our responsibility to uplift and amplify the voices of communities that have been systematically unheard and silenced. Through VoicesDMV, we have engaged our entire community to understand racial tensions in our region along with other needs, attitudes, and perceptions of our neighbors often left out of conversations about community development. What we have learned from these conversations has shaped our approach to Building Thriving Communities that are more equitable, healthy, and vibrant. We continue to focus on racial equity in our grantmaking and have committed at least half of our funding for COVID-19 response efforts to organizations led by people of color that are supporting historically underserved communities.
We believe now is the time for more than just words, our communities deserve action that will lead to real tangible change in inequitable systems. The Community Foundation will continue to support ending racial disparities through our voice, influence, programs and grantmaking initiatives.
We stand in solidarity with peaceful protestors who have the courage to speak up and share their anguish, frustration, fear, heartbreak, and anger to push for action. We hear you, we see you, and we stand with you in raising our fists and shouting Black Lives Matter. History has to be our teacher. These issues will not casually go away – not without effort or a deliberate attempt to be anti-racists.
"These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative. A riot is the language of the unheard." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
We encourage our community to stand with us, our partners, and advocates in calling for an end to police brutality and anti-black racism.
If you’d like to learn more, and hear from the parents of Lt. Richard Collins III, we invite you to watch our Social Justice Town Hall: From Grief To Action. This special discussion, held on June 19, 2020, examined racial justice and the concrete ways we can take action to support the Black community.
From 9/11 to the Coronavirus: Responding to Our Community’s Greatest Challenges
By Danielle Yates, Senior Director of Marketing & Communications
Whenever our community has faced a major crisis, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, The Community Foundation is our region’s philanthropic first responder to connect those in need with our caring donors who can help.
As our region’s community foundation, we see it as our responsibility to support our neighbors and communities during times of need. We fulfill this critical role in several ways:
As a trusted philanthropic partner to our donors and local funders, we can raise and mobilize funds quickly to serve our community.
Our history as a community convener and partner enables us to bring people and resources together to achieve greater impact through collective action.
Our deep community expertise and relationships with local nonprofits on the frontlines allows us to quickly identify and direct resources to where they are needed most.
Our nearly 50-year commitment to this region has helped shape our perspective and ability to address both the current and future needs of our community.
While Covid-19 is an unprecedented crisis, we have amassed considerable experience helping our community meet significant challenges and build critical capacity and resilience. In situations like this, our focus is to provide both immediate relief and ongoing support as our community works to recover and rebuild for the future.
This was evident in our approach to responding to several crises in the past two decades. For example, within 24 hours after the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon, we launched the Survivor’s Fund to direct the charitable response and caring spirit of some 12,000 donors. Housed at The Community Foundation, the fund raised more than $25 million to aid 1,051 victims and their families by providing access to both financial support and case management services needed to achieve long-term financial and emotional stability.
During the 2008 financial crisis, we collaborated with our donors to launch the Neighbors in Need Fund which raised $5 million to help families hit hardest by the economic crisis. This initiative helped meet the increase in demand for food, shelter, clothing, foreclosure prevention and healthcare services through grants to nonprofits across the region.
When gun violence erupted in tragedy at Navy Yard in 2011, we partnered with DC government and leveraged our local expertise to identify and fund nonprofits providing direct support to victims and families as well as addressing gun violence and mental health issues.
Today, we are ready to use the lessons we’ve learned from past challenges to help our region through this unprecedented health and economic crisis. You can stand with us and support this effort through the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.
Standing Up for Anti-Asian Racism
By Stephanie Chan, Member of the Cherry Blossom Giving Circle
Stephanie Chan
Growing up, I was surrounded by a large extended family, went to Dim Sum, and looked forward to receiving red envelopes during the Lunar New Year. As I’ve gotten older (and hopefully wiser), one of the things I’ve yearned for most has been a connection to my heritage and culture.
A few years ago, I joined the Cherry Blossom Giving Circle, a local group of volunteers who work to create positive change for Greater Washington’s underserved Asian American and Pacific Islanders. We’ve been a donor-advised fund at The Community Foundation for the past ten years, during which we’ve raised money and awareness for a wide range of AAPI-serving organizations doing direct service work, advocacy, historical and cultural preservation, and more. And, in response to COVID-19, supporting organizations doing anti-racism work.
Anti-racism work is more critical now than ever in our society—especially as Anti-Asian hate crimes have spiked during the coronavirus pandemic in our region. At the Cherry Blossom Giving Circle, we wanted to do something about it.
In partnership with the Metro-DC chapter of Asian Americans in Philanthropy, we launched a campaign to raise money for local AAPI organizations doing anti-racism work during the pandemic. With these COVID-19 relief funds, we chose to support the following organizations:
Asian American LEAD (AALEAD) supports low-income and underserved Asian Pacific American youth in DC; Montgomery County, MD, and Northern Virginia with educational empowerment, identity development, and leadership opportunities through after school, summer, and mentoring programs. In response to the heightened anti-Asian discrimination around COVID-19, which directly impacts the physical and mental wellness of our community, AALEAD has been conducting one-on-one and group check-ins for youth to share their experiences of discrimination and bullying and connect them to the support they need.
Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project (DVRP) provides services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, DVRP continues serving its clients and community through continuous coverage of its hotline. DVRP is encouraging those who have experienced a hate incident related to COVID-19 but do not feel comfortable contacting local authorities to reach out to DVRP staff who can record and monitor these incidents and provide peer support and system navigation
National Korean American Service & Education Consortium – Virginia (NAKASEC-VA) organizes Korean and Asian Americans in Northern Virginia to achieve social, economic, and racial justice. In response to the coronavirus crisis, NAKASEC-VA’s efforts are focused on providing accessible and in-language COVID-19 resources, COVID-19 related advocacy, and developing new ways for members to stay connected, among many other priorities.
We must speak out when we see racism and prejudice against any individual or community—whether Asian, Black, Indigenous and People of Color. We can use this moment during COVID-19 as a “reset” button to imagine a more equitable approach for philanthropy and for the Greater Washington community.
Join us in standing up against anti-Asian racism by supporting the Cherry Blossom Giving Circle. Learn more at https://dcgivingcircle.wordpress.com/
Rebuilding Our Region With Racial Equity and Inclusion
By Brittany Owens, Community Investment and Donor Services Associate
The United States has made a lot of progress towards racial equity—but, even in today’s world, there are still stark injustices. Take the recent shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25 year-old black man, killed by two white men while he was jogging in his south Georgia neighborhood. He was targeted because he allegedly “looked like a man suspected in several break-ins in the area.” It took months for local authorities to address the case.
It’s tragic and shocking incidents like these that continue to fuel my passion for racial equity and inclusion (REI) work, and inspire our REI focus here at The Community Foundation. Racial equity and inclusion, according to Center for Assessment and Policy Development, is “the condition that would be achieved if one's racial identity no longer predicted.” This means that, through REI, we are not only addressing the root causes of inequities—we’re also eliminating policies or attitudes that reinforce them.
Ignited by Experience
My own experience with REI, and inspiration to focus my career on it, goes back to my college years.
Owens (pictured top row, third from the left) with leaders at her university
For my undergraduate studies, I went to a small school in Tennessee—quite the change from my native Washington, DC. I’ll never forget one incident during Black History month, when some students wrote racial slurs on an internet site during the celebratory program my school was hosting. One of them especially striking: “Blacks should be grateful for whites because we freed them.”
After these posts surfaced, the school decided to address these issues by blocking the website and holding a school wide convocation. For some students, though, this wasn’t enough. We demanded that they take more concrete action to prevent similar situations from happening.
I gathered students to come and speak with the leaders of our institution and we crafted a list of ideas and actions the university could take. We wanted to see more diversity in faculty and staff and for the university to add a diversity officer and an African American history class. While it took time, some of the suggestions were fulfilled – though others have still not been offered, such as classes focusing on African American history.
While this incident was challenging, it was also motivating. I wanted to help inspire change through REI. And today, at The Community Foundation, I’m honored to be doing just that.
Britney Owens, at her pinning ceremony for social work during college
A Renewed Commitment to REI
At The Community Foundation, where I now work as a Community Investment and Donor Services Associate, we are working to build on a rich history of social justice grantmaking and community leadership initiatives. We have led funding collaboratives, like the Washington Area Partnership for Immigrants, the Resilience Fund, and the Common Ground Fund (which originated our acclaimed “Putting Race on the Table” discussion series) - and President & CEO Tonia Wellons felt it was time to refocus our commitment to REI.
One key way we’ve done this is by forming an REI Working Group, which leads discussions for staff at our organization. We meet once a month to read articles and discuss different REI issues, with the goal of continuing to grow into an organization that understands and can more fully center REI principles and practices in both our internal and external work.
In a recent meeting, we read and discussed The Case for Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates. We also watched his testimony on House Bill HR 40, legislation that would allow the exploration of reparations for African Americans. This has really set the tone for what we want to accomplish as an organization: providing equity and liberation to groups that continue to be impacted by systemic racism.
We are also working with external partners to educate and encourage an REI focus for the nonprofit and philanthropic sector in this region. We’ll participate in the inaugural Race, Equity and Future of Greater Washington Region Summit, tentatively rescheduled for this fall, to convene 800 regional leaders to examine existing disparities and co-create a new path toward a racially just and equitable region.
And, we are, more and more, infusing REI into our grantmaking. We recently made a commitment to ensure that at least 50% of our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund nonprofit partners are organizations led by people of color. We hope this will inspire greater equity in the Greater Washington region; and, ultimately fuel the change we want.
What’s Next?
It’s been an honor to be part of our REI work at The Community Foundation, and I’m looking forward to continuing to help lead the conversation and engage our broader community. This is especially exciting as our region begins to stabilize after the COVID-19 pandemic. Those most disproportionately impacted by the pandemic have been people of color who were already marginalized before COVID-19 hit.
We want to help address the pre-existing inequities this pandemic has shone a spotlight on. We don’t want to just return to the way things were before; instead, we will re-focus on how we can rebuild our communities to be more equitable and resilient.
While we’re still figuring out what this will look like, I know that REI will be a part of it. And, so will I.
Building Resilience in the Face of COVID-19
By Melen Hagos, Manager, Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships
We are incredibly grateful for this cash assistance that will benefit our ‘forgotten ones’ who are facing health problems, evictions, and hunger during this difficult time. –Maria Gomez, President & CEO, Mary’s Center
Since 2017, The Resilience Fund has been at the forefront of responding to the changing needs and priorities in our region. Following a brutal campaign season that contributed to a rise in instances of hate and intolerance, specifically towards immigrants and people of color, The Greater Washington Community Foundation and its partners came together to create a mechanism to ensure that our local communities were resilient and supported despite federal policy shifts that could adversely affect our neighbors.
Fast forward to 2020 and our world looks a bit different. We’re dealing with a global pandemic that has taken the lives of many individuals, most of which are people of color. And it’s no surprise that low-income communities and hourly wage workers, particularly people of color, have been disproportionately impacted through this crisis. While legislation has been passed to support our friends and neighbors in the region, undocumented immigrants have largely been left out of the conversation.
Staying True to Our Mission
Given our new reality, it is important to stay true to our mission. A key focus of the Resilience Fund has always been to support the critical needs of nonprofits responding to federal policy shifts on behalf of our most marginalized neighbors. Immigrant communities in particular have faced many hardships exacerbated by these changes, and the effects of COVID-19 are no different.
Due to the changing nature of our environment, we have decided to shift our strategy to reflect the current reality. We have decided to redirect the Resilience Fund’s remaining resources to make grants to nonprofit partners serving immigrant communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Following this final distribution of grants, we will shift our focus and efforts to COVID-19 response and prioritize meeting our community’s needs related to the pandemic through the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.
We have made 7 final grants totaling $340,000 to organizations responding to the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on immigrant communities:
African Communities Together: To engage in rapid response activities to support African immigrants.
Ayuda: To support low-income immigrant clients by providing the resources needed for food medical needs, and housing.
CASA de Maryland: To support immigrant communities in Montgomery and Prince George’s County, Maryland, whose immigration status puts them in danger of extreme economic hardship.
Mary’s Center: To provide health services to immigrant communities in DC and Maryland.
National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC): For an emergency fund providing support to undocumented individuals or individuals in mixed status households, and other individuals expressly excluded from federal relief.
Northern Virginia Family Services: To support the Immigration Legal Service (ILS) program and its impact on immigrant communities in Northern Virginia as it relates to the uptick in domestic violence and sexual assault during this pandemic.
Prince George’s Child Resource Center: To support Prince George’s Child Resource Center in their ability to provide guidance and assistance to the childcare provider community in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Grateful for the Past, Hopeful for our Future
We're very proud of the work we have been able to accomplish together with our nonprofit partners, which we could not have done without the help of our committed donors. Together, we’ve raised more than $1.3 million and made grants to 46 nonprofit organizations across the region since the Fund’s inception.
We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to the Steering Committee, which included the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, the Harman Family Foundation, the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, June Linowitz, Elaine Reuben, Rob and Sheri Rosenfeld, Mauri Ziff, and Jeff Hamond
This core group of individual and institutional donors worked with us to advise grant decisions and future Fund priorities, ultimately providing us with the thought partnership and accountability needed to ensure the Fund was successful.
I will miss being part of the Resilience Fund Steering Committee, where the members' experience and expertise were shared in service of local need. We learned from grantees, our consultants, The Community Foundation’s supportive staff, and each other. I believe it was truly a success. –Elaine Reuben, Steering Committee member since 2017
At a difficult time for our country and our community, I felt the Resilience Fund was doing important work to alleviate suffering and to combat negative trends. I was truly honored to be helping and, in a time, when it was easy to feel overwhelmed and frustrated, it gave me a sense of purpose and agency.” –June Linowitz, Steering Committee member since 2017
As we begin to return to our daily routines, we know we won’t be returning to normal. In fact, I would encourage us to question if our “normal” was even good enough in the first place. The very same systems and structures that existed prior to the global pandemic have only been exacerbated during COVID-19. And, we anticipate the issues facing our most marginalized communities will only continue after we transition back to re-opening our country.
COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund
If you’d like to continue to support our region’s immigrant communities, The Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund is one way to help. The Fund helps mitigate the impact on disproportionately affected communities in our region—including many immigrant populations that the Resilience Fund previously served.
Join us and, together, we can continue to help and empower our most marginalized neighbors towards a tomorrow that is more resilient, equitable, and just.
Neighbors in DIRE Need – Your gift matched!
We are all deeply alarmed to learn how the pandemic and shutdown are affecting our most vulnerable and lowest-income neighbors.
Families housed in cramped living conditions are threatened with the very real possibility of losing their apartments. Despite a short-term freeze on evictions, landlords are harassing tenants for rent and rent bills are piling up month after month. Many of these families already live doubled up in apartments to make ends meet and many don’t have the documentation to qualify for emergency government assistance.
Add to that the rapid spread of COVID-19 in these densely populated neighborhoods, unemployment (possibly long-term), school-aged kids at home, hunger, general anxiety and who knows what — and it’s a powder keg of stress and danger for many of our most vulnerable neighbors.
The Neighbors in Need Montgomery Fund originated during the 2008 economic downturn, which was also very harrowing for many of these families. Residents like you from across our community responded generously to a challenge grant from a group of donors, including myself. We funded an accelerated and coordinated effort to reach neighbors who would have otherwise fallen through the cracks.
Well, we are doing it again. Our Neighbors in DIRE Need Montgomery campaign is supporting a coalition of leading nonprofits who are working in coordination and avoiding duplication of effort, as they rush to help our most vulnerable neighbors stay in their apartments and deal with basic emergency needs.
The Greater Washington Community Foundation’s past Montgomery County Philanthropists of the Year honorees and their families have teamed up to offer a challenge match of $340,000, so your contribution will be matched $1 for $1 making each of the dollars you give turn into two!
So Please, Make Us Match!
Sincerely,
Cliff & Debbie White
In partnership with past Montgomery County Philanthropists of the Year and their families
Patrice King Brickman and Scott Brickman
Bainum Family Foundation
Michelle Freeman and the Carl M. Freeman Foundation
Hope Gleicher and Andy Burness
Solomon and Dorothy Graham
Clark and Diane Kendall
Sally Rudney and Scott Hoekman
Craig & Pat Ruppert and Ruppert Companies
Carol Trawick
Anna and Robert Trone
Linda and Bob Youngentob
Join US!
Please use the form below to make a secure online gift.
Community Foundation donors can make a grant from your fund using the Donor Central portal. After clicking on the “Recommend a grant” link, please search for “Neighbors in Need Montgomery Fund.”
Please see our gift transmission instructions for other types of gifts, such as by check, wire transfer, and more.
Thank you!
RFP Re-Opens for COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund Grants
Over the past several weeks, we’ve watched our region’s needs evolve in response to COVID-19. As the community’s priorities have shifted, so have ours to match.
Since temporarily closing our RFP for the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, we have carefully re-evaluated our funding priorities and continued to review all submitted applications. We received 700+ proposals totaling more than $40 million in requests during phase I of our grantmaking. To date, we have awarded 95 grants totaling nearly $4 million.
Today, we have re-opened our Request for Proposals online application form for local nonprofits to apply for support through the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.
For this second phase of grantmaking, we are now accepting requests for advocacy efforts that seek to improve food security, domestic violence prevention, health care access, childcare systems, and more. We have refined our funding priorities to better support a set of target populations disproportionately impacted by the COVID pandemic.
You can read more about our updated priority issue areas and priority populations here.
Several additional, important points to note include:
Eligible applicants may only submit ONE application for funding for this round
Organizations that did NOT receive funding in round I will be prioritized for funding in round 2
Nonprofits may apply for grants up to $50,000
At least 50% of the organizations selected for funding will have board and senior leadership of color
Applications will be accepted until May 29 at 5 p.m., with final funding decisions made in June 2020.
If you have any questions about how to apply, including what the fund will support, how your organization can apply, and what geographic regions will be considered, please read our FAQs.
For general inquiries, please contact Melen Hagos at [email protected]
Thank you. We look forward to receiving your proposals and continuing to respond to our community's needs, together.
Building Critical Capacity for Nonprofits in Need
By Glen O’Gilvie, CEO, Center for Nonprofit Advancement
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many nonprofits are struggling to survive. 501c3’s face a host of challenges as they seek funding to cover losses and maintain their programs—one of which is navigating the complexities of local and federal funding programs.
This is one of many reasons why, when I received a call in March from The Community Foundation with an innovative partnership idea, I was immediately on board. Silvana Straw, Senior Community Investment Officer and Philanthropic Advisor, who also helps lead the Partnership to End Homelessness, wanted to work together to support and help build the capacity of housing and homelessness nonprofits on the frontlines of battling COVID-19.
Our plan was to help these organizations develop proposals for the DC Small Business Recovery Microgrants program, which provides grant funding to help small, local businesses and nonprofits to cover employee wages and benefits, fixed costs, inventory, rent and utilities. The Community Foundation would identify nonprofit partners in need and the Center for Nonprofit Advancement would provide encouragement, technical assistance, and grant writing support to participants.
Glen O’Gilvie (pictured far right) with Martha’s Table at the Center for Nonprofit Advancement’s 2019 Board Leadership Reception.
Jumping into action, we organized our capacity building specialists (part-time and consultant team members) to work with housing and homelessness nonprofits in the region. After reaching out to dozens of local nonprofit homeless services providers identified by The Community Foundation, we received interest from Casa Ruby, DC Doors, Everyone Home DC (formerly CHGM), Homeless Children’s Playtime Project, Jubilee Housing, Miriam’s Kitchen, and SMYAL.
The Center’s Capacity Building Specialists used available public information (e.g. website, Form 990s, etc.) to draft proposals for each participating organization. We then worked directly with nonprofits to review proposals, collect additional information, and submit their applications.
We are proud to report that every organization we worked with submitted an application. While award notifications are still pending, we remain hopeful that each nonprofit will receive the support they need.
We were honored to receive enthusiastic feedback from our nonprofit partners:
We could not have done this without you.” – Jamila Larson, Executive Director & Co-Founder, Homeless Children’s Playtime Project
I am so grateful for your help with the recovery microgrant! Your assistance on this was so valuable, especially with the really quick turnaround time. Whatever happens, it feels good to have the support of our nonprofit community as we focus on helping our clients through this scary time and try to anticipate what it means for all of us long term.” – Karen Cunningham, Executive Director, Everyone Home DC
“Thank you so much. This really meant a lot. I’m really hopeful we’ll be able to keep our doors open for those in need. And I truly believe people put their hearts into all Ruby’s work. Thank you!” – Holly Goldmann, Director of External Affairs, Casa Ruby
The COVID-19 pandemic has created tremendous uncertainty for many organizations—and we are proud that by working together with The Community Foundation we could help ensure nonprofits have the support they need to focus on their critical missions. Our hope is to build this program out to serve additional nonprofits with administrative needs including assistance with proposal development for future public and private funding opportunities.
It’s inspiring to work in partnership with another philanthropic organization, especially the Greater Washington Community Foundation, who we have a long history of partnering with for community impact. This spirit of collaboration and service helped ensure housing and homelessness organizations had the opportunity to access funds during this critical time—and that’s something we can all celebrate. When funders, direct service nonprofits, and local capacity building organizations collaborate, our communities win.
Learn more about the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, and The Community Foundation’s Partnership to End Homelessness.
To help support nonprofits responding to COVID-19 in our region, consider giving to our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.
About the author
Glen O’Gilvie has served as chief executive officer of the Center for Nonprofit Advancement since 2008, providing education, networking, advocacy and back office services to nearly 1,000 organizations. A leader with more than 24 years of management experience in the National Capital region’s nonprofit sector, Glen is passionate about addressing the issues affecting people and communities.
Before joining the Center, Glen served as President and CEO of Earth Conservation Corps, Program Officer at The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region and National Coordinator at the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial. During his tenure at each organization, he strengthened programmatic and administrative infrastructure and forged partnerships with nonprofits, government, foundations and corporations to advance each mission and increase outcomes.
Glen holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology, a master’s of education and has completed various nonprofit management and leadership training and certification programs, including Harvard University Kennedy School’s Leadership in the 21st Century. In 2015, he accomplished the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation. He also serves as a nonprofit management, fundraising, and leadership and management adjunct professor.
Glen resides with his wife and two children, Delaney and AJ, and is active in youth sports and education enrichment.
Community Foundation Announces $3.9 Million in Grants to COVID-19 Emergency Response Efforts
The COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund at the Greater Washington Community Foundation has completed its first round of coordinated rapid response grantmaking. To date, the Fund has made a total of $3.9 million investments in nonprofits helping local residents affected by the coronavirus public health and economic crisis.
These general operating grants – ranging in size from $10,000 to $100,000 – are intended to help vital nonprofits across the Greater Washington region to fulfill their missions and expand critical services by moving operations online, purchasing essential supplies and equipment, covering staff salaries and hazard pay, and help with offsetting lost revenue.
Given the disproportionate impact on the African American community, the Fund made it a priority to support nonprofits represented by and serving people of color. As a result, 52% of the Fund’s grantee organizations are led by people of color.
Since launching the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund on March 13, The Community Foundation has mobilized $6.6 million in commitments and support from more than 500 contributors including corporate partners, local foundations, and individual donors (with individual contributions ranging in size from $10 - $50,000). The Fund is administered by The Community Foundation with working groups comprised of regional philanthropic leaders and local government advisors helping to guide its efforts. Throughout this process, working groups and steering committee members continue to meet weekly to review requests and approve awards on a rolling basis to meet significant demand.
A full list of donors and regional partners is available here.
In less than three weeks, The Community Foundation received more than 730 requests from nonprofits and other small businesses seeking a combined total of $41 million in funding. To date, 97 nonprofits have received assistance through the Fund. For this initial round of grantmaking, priority was given to direct service providers aligned with the Fund’s strategic priorities, who have deep roots in this community and demonstrated an ability to both address urgent needs and reach historically underserved populations. Additional funding is expected to be issued to more organizations over the coming weeks.
A full list of the initial organizations receiving assistance through the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund is here.
Round 1 Investments were made across five issue areas and included the following organizations, among others:
To provide financial assistance to impacted workers — Community Services Agency of the Metro Washington AFL-CIO to focus on workers who have lost their jobs, Restaurant Opportunities Center of Washington DC on low-wage restaurant workers, and CASA for immigrants and undocumented workers not eligible for unemployment benefits or assistance.
To support the most vulnerable children and families — The DC Association for Special Education (DCASE) to serve students with special education needs who are at risk of falling behind, Identity, Inc. to help low-income families access internet and digital devices for distance learning, Community Youth Advance to provide a virtual tutoring and instruction.
To expand medical care and access for marginalized communities — CCI Health & Wellness Services to purchase PPE kits and COVID-19 Test Kits for minority, immigrant, low-income, and uninsured or underinsured populations; La Clinica del Pueblo to provide comprehensive primary care for Latino immigrants and low-income families; and Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC to implement care through a telehealth system.
To support and protect individuals, families, and youth experiencing homelessness — Unity Health Care, Inc to provide health care to people in shelters and congregate settings, Calvary Women’s Services to serve women experiencing homelessness in Ward 8, and Stepping Stones Shelter to continue operating emergency shelter for families.
To provide general operating support to help stabilize critical nonprofits— Gaithersburg HELP, Inc. to provide families with nutritious food from its food pantry, The Arc of Montgomery County to provide virtual supports to people with disabilities, and House of Ruth to serve women and survivors of domestic violence.
“Far too many of our neighbors are struggling and turning to our region’s nonprofit sector to help cover basic needs for food, shelter, and medical care,” said Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “The fact that this crisis has hit our region’s marginalized communities the hardest is one of the long-term consequences of inequities that existed long before the current situation. As we continue to respond to the immediate crisis at hand, we are also planning for reconstruction efforts to ensure our community does not go back to the way things were before. We must focus on coming out of this crisis as a stronger community that is more equitable and resilient.”
More information about the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund is available here. Anyone interested in contributing can make an online donation here.
Ending Homelessness in DC and our Response to COVID-19
New research suggests that people experiencing homelessness who contract COVID-19 are twice as likely to be hospitalized, two to four times as likely to need critical care, and two to three times as likely to die.
As we are directed to stay in our homes and to practice social distancing, it is important to remember that people experiencing homelessness and the frontline organizations and people who provide essential services for this population don’t have that luxury. Given that shelters are crowded, it is challenging for our neighbors who rely on them to keep the recommended 6 feet distance. The streets have the same risks as always, and a new risk of contracting a virus that is particularly dangerous for seniors and those with underlying health conditions.
Prioritizing a Vulnerable Population
Our response must prioritize this vulnerable population, with the majority of people experiencing chronic homelessness falling into the CDC's special risk population for COVID-19. This is exactly why we created the Partnership to End Homelessness: to ensure that everyone in DC has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home.
Even without a pandemic, people experiencing homelessness are extremely vulnerable and face health challenges that are exacerbated by a lack of stable housing. With coronavirus putting an even greater strain on our community and its resources, we must do our part to support our neighbors who don’t have stable housing and the people and organizations working day and night, putting their own health at risk, to keep them safe.
Our Response to COVID-19
As we have seen COVID-19 spread across our community, The Community Foundation has been working with our partners to identify critical needs and to provide a mechanism for the public to offer support. To do this work, we have established the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.
As part of our regional response, we have developed a Homelessness and Housing Working Group made up of government partners and funders in the area. Together, we have been reaching out to our nonprofit partners and advocates in the community to identify needs and ways we can support the work they are doing.
To date we have:
Converted our initial grant funding through the Partnership to End Homelessness to general operating support. With these funds, grantees can now respond to emerging needs of people experiencing homelessness as it relates to COVID-19.
Awarded $805,000 to organizations working to support people experiencing homelessness through the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.
Our first grants focused on medical needs of people experiencing homelessness in DC and Montgomery County.
Our second round of grants include essential providers who are responding to immediate needs of people experiencing homelessness.
A third round of grants is listed online along with our other priority areas.
This work is just getting started and we are committed to making sure that people experiencing homelessness and the organizations that are supporting them in this challenging time have the resources they need.
What You Can Do to Help
Make a donation to the homeless service organizations that you already support.
Call your representatives and ask them to make sure funds for homeless and housing programs are included in their response. This will help ensure that the federal, county, and local government response to COVID-19 includes resources to provide housing stability for low-income individuals and people experiencing homelessness; and that access to healthcare, housing, food assistance, and other services provided in response to COVID-19 are made available to everyone, regardless of income, immigration status, or insurance.
Contribute to our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. Every dollar will make a difference for our neighbors impacted by this crisis.
If you are a nonprofit and would like to share information about community/nonprofit needs related to homelessness and housing, contact Jennifer Olney and Silvana Straw, who lead our Homelessness and Housing Working Group.
If you would like to make a donation, please visit our website or contact Angela Willingham, Associate Vice President, Development.
Now more than ever, it will take all of us working together to prevent and end homelessness in DC. We hope you will join us.
Leading Our Community's Response
Our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund has now been in operation for one month. Over that time, we have provided more than $3.8 million in grant funds to local nonprofits providing critical relief supports across our region and across five issue areas—education and youth, employment and small business, medical care and access, housing and homelessness, and general operating support.
Our RFP is currently on pause as we absorb the information from 750 applications on the evolving needs of our community and learn more about communities and populations that are being impacted disproportionately. We plan to reopen our RFP later this month reflecting an updated set of giving priorities.
Over the last few weeks, we have formed working groups for each of our five issue areas to review proposals and make grant recommendations. Below, read about what we are doing and learning in each area - and how our community is organizing to fight the COVID pandemic.
Employment and Small Business
We have made a set of investments in local service providers working to provide emergency cash assistance to our region’s low-income workers that do not have the resources to wait for Federal or State unemployment benefits to kick in, or communities (like undocumented workers) that do not qualify for this type of support.
Education and Youth
We have been singularly focused on supporting the most vulnerable children and families who are struggling as a result of this crisis. Many organizations are stretching themselves to support the youth and families they already have built strong connections with to address basic needs. Parents are a child’s first teacher and now that schools are closed education is not solely in the classroom. Despite what schools, local government and philanthropy are doing there are still many families that are not able to connect to services and education opportunities for the children in their homes.
Medical Care and Access
We are providing support services for health care and frontline workers while also addressing the health access needs of the more vulnerable populations in Greater Washington area. Their focus has been to support efforts to source PPE for frontline workers, increase COVID-19 testing for vulnerable and marginalized communities, and support clinics and health centers providing support and care in response to COVID-19.
As the pandemic response continues to grow on a statewide and national level, we know that our response will have to adapt as well. This working group is continuously monitoring changes, sharing resources, and adjusting its priorities directly in response to needs.
Homelessness and Housing
We have been working to support local providers whose doors are open and who are actively providing direct services to the most vulnerable and disproportionately impacted populations during the COVID crisis - specifically people living in shelters or on the street. Priority populations include: women and children facing increased instances of domestic violence and abuse, families, youth including foster care and LGBTQ youth, older/chronically ill individuals, and undocumented people and immigrants.
As we continue to see increasing numbers of people experiencing homelessness testing positive for COVID and deaths amongst this vulnerable population, our investments will help organizations provide essential services and resources to protect these individuals, families, and youth and to prevent community spread.
General Operating Support
Investments also included grants to nonprofits addressing the dramatic uptick in intimate partner violence and other types of abuse, grants to organizations supporting at-risk communities including those living with disabilities, and grants to support the ability of legal services providers to continue to provide critically needed services to local residents as courts continue to convene.
What’s Next?
We anticipate re-opening the RFP by the end of April. In the meantime, for more information on our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, please visit www.thecommunityfoundation.org/covid-19 for a list of our grantee partners and funding priorities.
Greater Washington Community Foundation and Nationals Philanthropies Partner to Launch Get Shift Done for DMV
The Greater Washington Community Foundation has teamed up with Washington Nationals Philanthropies to launch the Get Shift Done DMV initiative.
With unemployment claims spiking to record levels, Get Shift Done is helping people earn a basic income while also meeting the needs of the food insecure. The initiative will coordinate, schedule, and pay adversely affected hourly workers in the hospitality industry to work shifts for local food access providers.
Get Shift Done DMV, with founding investments from The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, Capital One, the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, and the Bainum Family Foundation, will provide wages of $15 an hour to workers left jobless by the coronavirus pandemic. These workers are filling the critical roles of providing meals for neighbors in need that, prior to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, were performed by volunteers. The first batch of workers will report for their first day of work on Saturday, April 25, and more shifts and partners will be added on a rolling basis.
Get Shift Done was originally launched by Communities Foundation of Texas and Dallas business and community leaders in partnership with Shiftsmart and the North Texas Food Bank to fill the gap between the reduction of volunteers and the increased need among food banks and other nonprofits with those from the food and service industry in need of supplemental income. The platform has been able to serve 1 million meals per week while providing more than $250,000 of wages to 1,000 workers per week. Get Shift Done is now launching in other cities, municipalities, and counties across the country. Bringing this successful initiative to the DMV will fill a critical gap as food access providers face unprecedented demand for their services while also struggling with a shortfall in volunteers.
Your gift, no matter the size, will have a deep impact in our community. By contributing to the Get Shift Done DMV Fund, you help local restaurant workers help nonprofits, who in turn help our neighbors in need.
“We know that missing even one paycheck can mean members of our community, especially the region’s lower-wage and hourly workers, struggle to pay rent, afford groceries, and otherwise provide for their families,” said Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “Our nonprofit partners and other organizations have stepped in to fill huge gaps created by this crisis, but there is more that we can and must do as a community. We are proud to partner to bring Get Shift Done to DMV in order to connect impacted workers directly to emergency food distribution providers throughout the region.”
“Food insecurity is both a systemic problem and an ever-increasing concern for families across the DMV. Through our work to open Nationals Park as a cooking and packaging site for meals and delivering grants to on-the-ground partners getting food to those who need it most, it was evident that even more was needed to meet demand,” said Nationals Philanthropies CEO Tal Alter. “Get Shift Done complements and extends the incredible coordination of food banks and providers across the region while simultaneously filling critical packaging, preparation, and delivery roles with members of our local hospitality community who are out of work.”
“The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation is proud to be a seed funder of this innovative effort which connects our colleagues in the hospitality industry with the critical and growing need for labor in our region’s food system. Food security was a crisis before the COVID-19 pandemic and has since grown to staggering levels. Concurrently, the hospitality workforce has suffered tremendously and we are thrilled to have an opportunity to address two of the Foundation’s top priorities through this investment,” stated Mieka Wick, Executive Director, The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation.
“As part of Capital One’s broader community response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve been working closely with our nonprofit partners to address crucial needs of the most vulnerable populations, including hunger relief and supporting the food and dining community,” said Andy Navarrete, Head of External Affairs, Capital One Financial. “We are proud to support Get Shift Done’s DMV initiative that is providing jobs, filling the much-needed gap in volunteer shifts and getting food to those in need. We will continue to marshal our resources – our funds, digital tools, reach and expertise during these uncertain times to help in the collective recovery.”
"The A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation is eager to support innovative programs that solve today's problems. As we collectively grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, we are pleased to join with our local partners and the Get Shift Done team to launch the program in the Washington, DC region," says Joe Del Guercio, President and CEO, A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation.
“The shortcomings of our regional food system ― which already make it difficult to get fresh, healthy, affordable food to communities that need it most ― are being intensified by the COVID-19 crisis,” says David Daniels, CEO and President of the Bainum Family Foundation. “As part of our food-security work, we are pleased to support the Get Shift Done DMV effort. It will have an immediate impact, providing both much-needed jobs to displaced workers and nutritious meals for families and individuals who are struggling financially right now.”
Today Get Shift Done DMV launches with Shiftsmart technology to register workers for shifts with local food access providers. The Shiftsmart platform and operations team manage the onboarding, matching, scheduling, dispatching, and routing of workers to perform shifts. Interested restaurants, nonprofit partners, and individual workers can visit getshiftdone.org/dmv to access sign-up portals.
About Washington Nationals Philanthropies
The Washington Nationals strive to become a civic partner to every Washingtonian interested in making a positive difference in our region and a leading philanthropic organization in professional sports. As the official charitable arm of the Washington Nationals, Nationals Philanthropies is a new entity that replaces the Dream Foundation. Building on the success of the foundation’s first decade in Washington, we aspire to an even bolder, more ambitious philanthropic vision that continues to align with the work of the Youth Baseball Academy while building an enhanced and cohesive platform for civic engagement that extends far beyond the Academy walls. This new platform will catalyze the energy of Nationals fans, and the generosity and philanthropic goals of Nationals players, corporate champions, and community partners to invest philanthropic dollars with, through, and to Nationals Philanthropies – fueling even greater good for a better Washington region. More details coming soon at nats4good.org. Follow us to stay up to date on the latest news and events.
About Greater Washington Community Foundation
The Greater Washington Community Foundation exists to Build Thriving Communities by guiding strategic philanthropy, providing leadership on critical issues, promoting civic engagement, and inspiring local giving. Founded in 1973, we are the region’s largest local funder and have invested nearly $1.3 billion to build more equitable, just, and enriching communities where all residents can thrive. We recently launched the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to rapidly raise and deploy critical resources to nonprofits addressing the urgent health and economic needs of disproportionately impacted communities. To date, we have mobilized more than $6.5 million in community support and made nearly $4 million in grants to relief and recovery efforts that are supporting our most vulnerable neighbors.
The Power of Unrestricted Impact
“I believe that the measure of our lives is how we impacted others”
For John Terry Beaty, philanthropy is in his blood. A native New Yorker, he grew up watching his mother work at the city’s Community Trust, later volunteering for United Way for nearly 15 years.
“We were all encouraged to, when we had the time or money, help other people,” he said.
Beaty, an investment advisor with Brown Advisory, first learned of The Community Foundation from one of his clients who held a fund with us. He was intrigued by the organization’s ‘multiplier effect:’ our ability to amplify positive impact in the community.
Fast forward several years, and Beaty has his own family fund at The Community Foundation, since 1995; eventually, he even served as Chair of our Board of Trustees’ Investment Committee.
Recently, Beaty and his wife Anne Mehringer, made an even longer-term commitment to The Community Foundation. They established a bequest, entrusting one-third of the Beaty Family Fund to us.
“We wanted to help strengthen the organization,” Beaty says. “It is like leaving our legacy to the community as a whole.”
Their bequest is completely unrestricted, meaning funds can be used for core operating expenses—a resource that’s essential as we work to address the greatest needs facing our community. Beaty wanted to provide this flexibility because “I think [many donors] don’t think about this [being so important].”
He hopes this money will help us remain financially strong, and help donors give to those in the community who need it the most. Beaty says that, while funding core operations can be somewhat unglamorous, he knows it is necessary. And, it will allow other donors to fund more immediate programming.
The Beatys are also regular donors to The Community Foundation’s annual Celebration of Philanthropy, and to the Celebration of Giving in Montgomery County, where they live.
When Beaty isn’t working at Brown Advisory or with The Community Foundation, he is feeding his passion for history. He serves as a board member for the American Battlefield Trust and Fort Ticonderoga; and is a former board member at the National Trust for Historic Preservation and History Montgomery. He is also a former advisory board member for Princeton’s history department.
Beaty plans to continue giving to The Community Foundation, and staying engaged as an active part of the community.
“I believe that the measure of our lives is how we have impacted others,” says Beaty. “I want to have a positive influence on our community, our families.”
Creating a Lasting Legacy for Impact
By: Rebecca Rothey, Vice President, Development and Senior Philanthropic Advisor
I will admit that, initially, I wasn’t completely comfortable writing an article about planning one’s philanthropic legacy during the coronavirus pandemic. I began to feel differently, though, after speaking with some of our generous donors who are planning their legacies. They have reminded me that legacy planning isn’t about your life ending—it’s about living life well and continuing what is most important to us, even after we are gone.
We are helping many of our donors find creative ways to plan for their philanthropic legacy. Three recent examples that come to mind include:
Providing flexibility now and for the future. A long-time donor who has co-funded many Community Foundation initiatives is leaving money to The Community Foundation’s discretion to give where most needed in the region.
The Importance of Giving Back. A couple is creating a fund for their two children to have discretion over where the charitable distributions will go and over what time frame. Their goal is to share their belief in the importance of “giving back” with the next generation of their family and to introduce them to the importance of stewarding wealth wisely.
A Gift of Service to Others. One donor spent her entire career in public service augmented by travel, animal rescue and service to seniors. She came to value the importance of attracting and training talented and passionate people to the fields of public administration, veterinary assistance, senior care, environmental education and the arts. She is establishing an endowed fund to encourage future generations to pursue careers in these fields by providing tuition assistance and research funding.
Having gone through this process many times, I can share with certainty that, even though legacy planning can initially feel daunting, in the end everyone is happy once it has been completed.
It is not about the end of one’s life—it is about exploring what is most important in our lives and then building a legacy that is rooted in those values.
All of us have benefited from important people and organizations in our lives—whether it is our families, our communities, our schools, our faith, and our cultural institutions. There is no better way to live life to the fullest than to continue to foster and support these most important aspects of our lives into the future. And, as these times have so powerfully reminded us, to demonstrate that we’re all in this together.
Learn more about The Community Foundation’s planned giving options at https://thecommunityfoundation.giftlegacy.com/