Introducing our 2024 VoicesDMV Fellows

A Note from Darius Graham, Managing Director of Community Investment

Our community listening and engagement initiative, VoicesDMV, is designed to help philanthropy, community leaders, policymakers, and others understand the diverse experiences of the people who live and work in the Greater Washington region.

With the release of the VoicesDMV Community Insights Report earlier this year, we created the VoicesDMV Fellowship to identify and support individuals who are deeply rooted in the foundation’s priority neighborhoods. Fellows will facilitate deeper engagement between the foundation and residents in the priority neighborhoods with the ultimate goal of ensuring authentic community voice is at the center of our work.

VoicesDMV Fellows are taking on self-directed projects and will also have the opportunity to participate in the review of grant applications and advise the foundation as we develop, implement, and refine programs and initiatives. Fellows will receive a stipend and serve for at least eight months.

Following an open application process, we selected the following inaugural VoicesDMV Fellows who we’re now delighted to introduce you to.

• Katie Wilson

  Which community (or communities) will you be working with, as a VoicesDMV Fellow?

  Bailey's Crossroads & Culmore

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly share with us about your experience living in/working with the community.

  Currently, I work as the full-time Program Manager for a resident-centered Place-Based Initiative (PBI) in the Bailey’s Crossroads & Culmore community led by Kaiser Permanente and George Mason University's College of Public Health. In this role, I engage hundreds of low-income residents and organizations in the community to amplify marginalized voices and accomplish local systems change through a collective impact model. I regularly organize and facilitate convenings of residents and local organizations to create and maintain transformational, rather than transactional, relationships.

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly describe what you hope to accomplish as a VoicesDMV Fellow. What are you most looking forward to?

  I am most looking forward to strengthening the Greater Washington Community Foundation's ties with service providers and residents alike. It is incredibly important to not only build trusting relationships with community stakeholders, but also to foster those relationships in a way that promotes greater equity for all. Through my work as a VoicesDMV Fellow, I hope to move the needle forward on addressing the racial wealth gap within the Bailey's Crossroads and Culmore area.

  What was your reaction to the 2024 VoicesDMV Community Insights Report? Did it's findings resonate with you and your work? If so, how?

  The data collected in the 2024 VoicesDMV Community Insights Report highlights a hard truth: historically disenfranchised communities like Bailey's Crossroads & Culmore have experienced worsening conditions due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. I have seen firsthand the ways that local families have been negatively impacted as they face barriers in accessing essential services and resources. It is more important now than ever before that we amplify and center community voices in our mission of advancing economic mobility in these islands of disadvantage in the DMV.

  What excites you about the future for your community?

  The residents of Bailey's Crossroads & Culmore are some of the most resilient people I know. I am excited that their voices will direct the economic strategy of the Greater Washington Community Foundation going forward. The residents are the experts on how we can improve quality of life in this community and I am thankful that they are being recognized as such.

• David Schultz

  Which community (or communities) will you be working with, as a VoicesDMV Fellow?

  Ward 7 & 8

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly share with us about your experience living in/working with the community.

  Living and working in Washington, DC, has allowed me to immerse myself in the diverse and resilient community here. Through my role as the Director of Reentry Services at Changing Perceptions, I’ve witnessed firsthand the strength of individuals who are rebuilding their lives after incarceration and other challenges. This experience has deepened my commitment to supporting personal transformation and community healing.

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly describe what you hope to accomplish as a VoicesDMV Fellow. What are you most looking forward to?

  As a VoicesDMV Fellow, I hope to amplify the voices of individuals in the community and advocate for more equitable opportunities in reentry services. I’m looking forward to working with others who care about finding real solutions for these neighborhoods and creating better opportunities for residents to rebuild their lives.

  What was your reaction to the 2024 VoicesDMV Community Insights Report? Did it's findings resonate with you and your work? If so, how?

  The 2024 VoicesDMV Community Insights Report highlighted many challenges that resonate with my work in reentry services, particularly in Wards 7 and 8. The findings on economic precarity, such as barriers to employment and struggles with housing and basic necessities, strongly reflect the experiences of those I work with daily. It reinforced the importance of addressing systemic barriers that continue to impact marginalized communities. Additionally, the report’s focus on racial disparities and the need for increased collaboration aligns with my efforts to promote equity and create opportunities for those most affected.

  What excites you about the future for your community?

  I’m excited about the push to tackle long-standing inequalities in Wards 7 and 8. This fellowship allows for a chance to make meaningful changes that help people get back on their feet, find opportunities, and build better futures for themselves and their families.

• Nia Smart

  Which community (or communities) will you be working with, as a VoicesDMV Fellow?

  Bailey's Crossroads and Route 1 corridor in Northern Virginia

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly share with us about your experience living in/working with the community.

  Living in Northern Virginia has given me the opportunity to be part of a vibrant and resourceful community. It has allowed me to experience both the unique challenges and valuable resources within our area. I’ve personally benefited from many local services and programs, and I’m passionate about raising awareness and helping more residents connect with these valuable resources to enhance our community's well-being.

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly describe what you hope to accomplish as a VoicesDMV Fellow. What are you most looking forward to?

  As a VoicesDMV Fellow, I hope to deepen my understanding of the unique community health needs and increase relationships with local health resources to effectively communicate and build knowledge of the various services I may not yet be aware of. I am particularly looking forward to collaborating with diverse stakeholders, gaining insights from fellow advocates, and leveraging this experience to implement impactful health initiatives that empower the Bailey's Crossroads and Route 1 corridor in Northern Virginia.

  What was your reaction to the 2024 VoicesDMV Community Insights Report? Did it's findings resonate with you and your work? If so, how?

  My reaction to the 2024 VoicesDMV Community Insights Report was one of affirmation and clarity. The findings resonated deeply with my experiences in Bailey's Crossroads and the Route 1 corridor, as they highlighted the unique challenges that our community faces. The report provided valuable data and perspectives that helped to qualify my thoughts about the needs in my neighborhood, guiding me on where to focus my efforts. It has reinforced my commitment to enhancing awareness of local health resources and informed my approach to community engagement, ensuring that my initiatives align with the needs of residents. This resource will be instrumental in shaping my work as a VoicesDMV Fellow.

  What excites you about the future for your community?

  What excites me about the future of my community in Bailey's Crossroads and the Route 1 corridor is the growing commitment to health equity and the collaborative efforts to address long-standing disparities. With more organizations and stakeholders coming together to leverage resources and share knowledge, there is tremendous potential for impactful initiatives that will enhance health literacy and improve access to care. The community’s resilience and openness to engage in meaningful dialogue about its needs inspire hope for lasting change. I am particularly excited about the potential of grassroots movements to empower residents and foster a culture of wellness and support across the area.

• Tiffany Turner-Allen

  Which community (or communities) will you be working with, as a VoicesDMV Fellow?

  Prince George's County, MD

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly share with us about your experience living in/working with the community.

  I recognize my privilege because I work in and support the very community that I live in. My purpose of making a difference starts at home. My work is embedded in my DNA, so I use every opportunity to be cognizant about what the changing needs are of my community. This allows me to be connected to community, while confidently advocating for the ever changing needs of my community.

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly describe what you hope to accomplish as a VoicesDMV Fellow. What are you most looking forward to?

  I hope to contribute to the established infrastructure that has been created by the Greater Washington Community Foundation. I hope to be a voice that communicates in a clear, authentic and uncompromising way for my community.

  What was your reaction to the 2024 VoicesDMV Community Insights Report? Did it's findings resonate with you and your work? If so, how?

  I was not surprised. The findings are on par with what I see and hear daily.

  What excites you about the future for your community?

  The possibilities... We are in a space where people are starting to imagine and reimagine what a racially equitable and just world can look like. I am excited that I work in a majority melanated community, where the potential to achieve this is not just an idea but is a possibility.

Meet Our Community Action Award Partners!

This month, The Community Foundation is excited to announce the 2024 VoicesDMV Community Action Awards. First introduced in 2020, the VoicesDMV Community Action Awards provide grants of $5,000 to nonprofits who are working on projects to make our region more equitable and inclusive. We are proud to support the work and mission of our Community Action Award Partners!

• Child Care Counts

  Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  We serve low-income families in the District of Columbia and neighboring counties in Maryland and Virginia. At least 70% of our program families live in DC Wards 7 and 8, or in Maryland: Aspen Hill, Hyattsville and Takoma Park.

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly describe the mission of your organization

  Child Care Counts promotes economic mobility for low-income families by addressing child care needs. We provide direct assistance for child care costs of young children in the greater Washington DC area so parents can pursue better career opportunities. These supports, along with ongoing financial planning, help parents build long-term prosperity and set up children for success.

  What was your reaction to the 2024 VoicesDMV Community Insights Report? Did it's findings resonate with you and your work? If so, how?

  The 2024 VoicesDMV Community Insights Report echoes what we see with our program families and those who come to us seeking assistance. Most are working full-time but struggling to, not even get ahead, but just stay afloat. Low wages for jobs like early learning teacher, school bus driver, home health aide - jobs that are so important to our community - keep them in a constant state of financial insecurity. Our assistance with the cost of a state licensed child care provider is a huge help but they also need help navigating a system that is stacked against them. Applying for a state child care voucher can be a nightmare, so much so that many parents just give up on benefits that could really help them find and keep employment. This is just one example of how the programs that are in place to support our most vulnerable families, can end up being a barrier. It is no wonder that these communities report lower expectations for long term prosperity, as cited in the report.

  What excites you about receiving a 2024 Community Action Award? In 2-3 short sentences, please share what you hope to accomplish with the microgrant?

  We are excited to offer our Necessities Fund to families receiving Child Care Counts child care scholarships because we hope it will give them actual experience that demonstrates the importance of saving for a family emergency fund. Low-income families often rely on credit cards in emergency situations and so, frequently come to us with large credit card debt. We provide one-on-one financial counseling but it's hard to relate to the advice given, without real-life experience.

  What excites you about the future for your community?

  Many of the parents we work with are achieving goals because they've had the barrier of affording quality child care removed. Some have graduated with degrees from college. Some have been able to take full-time, higher paying jobs. It is so gratifying to see them excited for their children and excited for their own future prospects. It gives us hope that if we, as a community (and nation) can solve some very solvable issues, families could be so much better off. In our minds, it is not that hard and the payoffs are tremendous. For every family we've supported, no matter the situation of the parent(s,) we know that the safe, nurturing and enriching child care that their children are provided with will serve them well in life. This support not only helps families now, it is also an investment the future of their children and, ultimately, in the greater community.

• Bethesda Cares

  Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  Montgomery County, MD.

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly describe the mission of your organization

  The mission of Bethesda Cares is to ease, end, and prevent homelessness. We conduct street outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness, helping them obtain subsidies for permanent supportive housing. Once housed, we provide them with ongoing case management.

  What was your reaction to the 2024 VoicesDMV Community Insights Report? Did it's findings resonate with you and your work? If so, how?

  We felt a sense of empathy with members of our community who feel a lack of personal stability. The findings resonated with the sense of community well being that is imbued in our mission.

  What excites you about receiving a 2024 Community Action Award? In 2-3 short sentences, please share what you hope to accomplish with the microgrant?

  With this grant we plan to support our outreach program, ensuring individuals experiencing chronic homelessness have the support and resources to find and remain in permanent supportive housing. This work will end homelessness for members of our community.

  What excites you about the future for your community?

  We are excited to see more individuals given the supports they need to find and remain in housing, permanently.

• Centers for Opportunity

  Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  CFO operates five centers across Northern Virginia (including Annandale, Arlington, Merrifield (Fairfax), Reston, and South County in Alexandria on Route 1 near Fort Belvoir). Through our virtual groups which run Monday through Saturday, we provide added support to residents across Arlington and Fairfax Counties.

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly describe the mission of your organization

  CFO supports adults in Northern Virginia, offering free programs to help them achieve their personal and professional goals. We offer five areas of support 1) Basic Needs (daily meals and referrals to services such as housing and medical care 2) Peer Support (all of our staff are individuals in recovery from mental health and/or substance use issues) 3) Wellness and Recovery programs (daily activities such as art-for-wellness, journaling, socialization, and recreation to help individuals heal from trauma and negative life experiences 4) Employment Services (available for anyone in the community) and 5) Virtual Groups (to support individuals who are homebound or who prefer online services).

  What was your reaction to the 2024 VoicesDMV Community Insights Report? Did it's findings resonate with you and your work? If so, how?

  Your report is thorough and comprehensive. It touched on many of the issues those we serve face daily, from access to affordable housing to employment concerns. It also recognizes the very real issue of food insecurity most of our participants face on a daily basis. We at CFO value and respect the wonderful work of your organization and both humbled and honored to be working with you to help uplift those we serve on Route 1 in Alexandria. CFO recently opened an Employment Services division to help individuals find jobs, but also to connect individuals to training and programs that will help them move forward such as literacy, securing GED's, ESL, and others. This issue were another key finding in your report that many of our participants face.

  What excites you about receiving a 2024 Community Action Award? In 2-3 short sentences, please share what you hope to accomplish with the microgrant?

  CFO is grateful for the Community Action Award because it empowers us to help individuals who need to secure their GED's so they can pursue a higher education or a trade. It helps us create meaningful collateral material to help support those seeking employment to use as a guide while pursuing their dreams, and it helps us to capture the behaviors of individuals digitally in mock interviews so they can become self-aware of the impressions they are making to employers. This will help them be more prepared when an interview happens. Ultimately the funds will assist CFO in helping adults who are unemployed, underemployed, or who are seeking new opportunities to move toward upward mobility. The ability to help those we serve achieve this is thrilling for us. Thank you!

  What excites you about the future for your community?

  South County Alexandria, along Route 1, has seen a great deal of positive growth in the past several years. It is a positive development. Unfortunately, however there are many individuals who continue to live below the poverty level in the area. We are excited that as a collective - individuals, nonprofit organizations, faith-based communities, businesses, and local government are all working together to address the challenges these individuals face. It is heartening to witness, and CFO's participants are benefiting from these collective efforts as they are securing jobs, homes, and are moving forward in life in this vibrant section of Fairfax County.

• Story Tapestries, Inc

  Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  Story Tapestries (ST) focuses on providing access to the arts for all ages, especially in communities experiencing disparities and economic challenges. Write Your Story (WYS - pronounced “wise”) is Story Tapestries’ approach to provide workforce development for caregivers and educators while promoting accessibility and inclusivity in learning environments to support youth at every stage of development. The WYS initiative currently reaches Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Frederick counties and Washington, DC.

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly describe the mission of your organization

  Story Tapestries addresses vital community issues for millions of people of all ages and abilities using collaboration and the arts, in all forms, to create and deliver tailored, accessible programs. We are an arts service organization that meets mental health, education, workforce development, digital equity and economic stability objectives through the use of the arts as a tool to support personal and community development.

  What was your reaction to the 2024 VoicesDMV Community Insights Report? Did it's findings resonate with you and your work? If so, how?

  The VoicesDMV Community Insights Report confirms the observations we’ve had of the challenges and barriers that exist for residents across the DMV, and in specific communities in particular. The report really highlights workforce fears, with 75% of residents describing available job opportunities as a barrier to achieving financial goals, and underlines how access to quality early childhood education and childcare services is the primary barrier to employment for residents with children.

  It was sobering, though not surprising, to see the report identified significant gaps and inequities in perceptions and in actual access to services based on racial/ethnic background in addition to geographic disparities.

  The data parallels what we know from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). MSDE reports (2022-23) only 42% of children were ready for kindergarten, with 29% of those living in poverty demonstrating readiness. The gap is larger based on economic status and ethnicity, with 56% of Caucasian kindergarteners deemed ready, compared to 22% of Latino/a students and 37% of African American students.

  This has been a central focus of the work of Story Tapestries - to intentionally work to increase access for those who have not had it and to systematically address these inequities by building pathways to change and implementing strategies that are inclusive and accessible for all.

  What excites you about receiving a 2024 Community Action Award? In 2-3 short sentences, please share what you hope to accomplish with the microgrant?

  Story Tapestries has received requests from sites in East County and Langley Park, both in Montgomery County, but have not had the funding to offer services at those sites. With this microgrant, WYS will expand the current successful program to 2 more sites in the above regions reaching an additional 80 children, 40 caregivers and 16 educators. We are excited to be able to reach these communities who have expressed need and interest, but haven’t had access to the funds to make these programs possible.

  What excites you about the future for your community?

  Montgomery County has a vibrant community of civic-minded and engaged residents and a current county government that supports collaboration and has set up strategies to support early childhood development. We are excited for the possibilities to affect systemic change with both the public and private support necessary. In our years of providing strong workforce development programs that boost skills and improve job security for early childhood educators, we have seen a real impact on teachers as well as the children they support. Involving parents/caregivers has been a critical component of this success. We look forward to continuing to partner with the community to develop a strong cradle to career pipeline that more equitably supports today’s children - tomorrow’s leaders.

• Beloved Community Incubator

  Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  We are a regional solidarity economy movement organization serving communities in the DMV. Specifically we support an over 20 member network of coops, and provide intensive support to Black and Brown led coops and coops in formation, through non-extractive lending, technical assistance and training, and community organizing. Specifically, our focus in DC is primarily in Wards 1, 4, 7 & 8. We are also cultivating and deepening relationships with BIPOC-led coops and potential coops in Montgomery County, PG County, and in NOVA -- specifically in Bailey's Crossroads/the Rt. 1 Corridor in Virginia.

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly describe the mission of your organization

  BCI provides both high-touch incubation and administrative, legal, and technical support to cooperatives in DC, Maryland, and Virginia at various stages of incubation and operation. Data shows that worker-owned cooperatives and collectives build wealth for workers and provide better wages, benefits, leave, and training than traditional capitalist business structures. BCI also provides non-extractive, or solidarity, lending to local cooperatives through the DC Solidarity Economy Loan Fund. Solidarity loans support a thriving ecosystem of cooperatives by providing access to non-extractive capital, especially to borrowers who otherwise would not qualify for lending under traditional lending practices, and ensuring that they are not bankrupted by automatic loan repayments or personal loan guarantees. Finally, because the current capitalist economy does not meet the needs of our communities, BCI engages in community organizing, advocacy campaigns, and mutual aid to build and protect worker power in the DC region, with the goal of creating policies that support the emergence of a regional solidarity economy.

  What was your reaction to the 2024 VoicesDMV Community Insights Report? Did it's findings resonate with you and your work? If so, how?

  The findings we resonated 100% and confirmed what we already know to be true from our work in the community. Strategies so far in the traditional service, advocacy, and organizing sectors to alleviate generational poverty are not working on their own. They need to be supplement with a radically different approach that shifts the relationship of workers to capital, and allows families to build generational wealth. We are so glad to be part of a very broadly conceived "social safety net" and bring to the table our own model of social change, where the most harshly system impacted people to own their own labor and and create assets owned communally.

  What excites you about receiving a 2024 Community Action Award? In 2-3 short sentences, please share what you hope to accomplish with the microgrant?

  We hope to continue the work we started in building out a regional approach to the work of BCI! This microgrant will allow us to dive deeper and share out our learnings!

  What excites you about the future for your community?

  The DMV is in deep need of a solidarity economy ecosystem! We are ready to for our role in supporting communities regionally to build a new society in the shell of the old.

• Guerilla Gardeners of Washington DC

  Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  Guerrilla Gardeners of Washington DC conducts most of our work in Ward 6, however participants in our vocational training program are drawn primarily from Wards 7 and 8. We also are in the fourth year of a long-term commitment to develop, improve and maintain the public green spaces adjacent to the Potomac Gardens and Hopkins Apartments public housing campuses.

  In 2-3 sentences, please briefly describe the mission of your organization

  Guerrilla Gardeners of Washington DC is a 100% volunteer nonprofit organization that improves public spaces, strengthens underserved communities and positively impacts the lives of at-risk youth. We provide leadership, knowledge, organization, volunteer labor and supplies in collaboration with local residents to create more equitable, attractive, usable and safer green spaces for urban neighborhoods. We provide vocational training internships in gardening, landscaping and urban agriculture to young people facing homelessness and food insecurity. 

  What was your reaction to the 2024 VoicesDMV Community Insights Report? Did it's findings resonate with you and your work? If so, how?

  The 2024 VoicesDMV Community Insights Report underscored the need for the work of Guerrilla Gardeners and inspired us expand our efforts to provide vocational training to vulnerable youth populations and equitable public green spaces to underserved communities.

  What excites you about receiving a 2024 Community Action Award? In 2-3 short sentences, please share what you hope to accomplish with the microgrant?

  Receiving a 2024 Community Action Award validates the work we are doing in the community. This microgrant will fund intensive training in landscaping for at-risk youth at the beginning of 2025, preparing them to immediately enter the workforce for the coming season. Our network of industry employers will be provided a roster of newly-trained candidates with the requisite skills to perform basic landscaping tasks. Some trainees may choose an entrepreneurial route by engaging private clients.

  What excites you about the future for your community?

  GGDC and the Greater Washington Community Foundation share the philosophy of developing community-based solutions. As the success of this approach grows, we anticipate greater support for this strategy from the wider population to overcome obstacles to education, self-reliance and prosperity.

The Community Foundation Announces 2024 VoicesDMV Community Action Awards

The Community Foundation is excited to announce the 2024 VoicesDMV Community Action Awards. The awards are part of The Community Foundation’s VoicesDMV community engagement initiative, which unveiled its most recent Community Insights Report earlier this year.

“VoicesDMV is about more than just gathering and sharing information,” Darius Graham, The Community Foundation’s Managing Director of Community Investment shared. “It’s about turning information into action and making sure our work and that of our partners is directly informed by residents.”

“That’s why we’re excited to announce these Community Action Awards to support nonprofits in our community that are doing the work to address the issues and challenges outlined in the VoicesDMV report.”

First introduced in 2020, the VoicesDMV Community Action Awards provide grants of $5,000 to nonprofits who are working on projects to make our region more equitable and inclusive.

Projects ranged from initiatives addressing civic engagement and job readiness to others focused on rental assistance and housing security. All of the projects address one or more issues highlighted in the 2024 VoicesDMV Community Insights Report.

This year’s Community Action Award Recipients include:

• Anti-Racist DC will train and engage DC residents about housing insecurity and the inequitable distribution of wealth through the lens of equity and racial justice.

• Guerilla Gardeners of DC will provide a 4-week groundskeeping training program for young people facing housing insecurity.

• Beloved Community Incubator will partner with local organizations to engage with residents to promote workplace democracy and worker ownership.

• Centers for Opportunity will address barriers to employment for those living in the Richmond Highway corridor – with a special focus on those who have not worked for an extended period of time (ex. those experiencing homelessness, formerly incarcerated, and those without a high school diploma).

• Living Classrooms Foundation will train Ward 7 residents in how to operate and maintain “green infrastructure” through their Kingman Rangers program.

• Story Tapestries will hold trainings for early childhood educators in Montgomery County so they can earn higher wages and teach more effectively.

• Child Care Counts will provide emergency funds for families in Ward 7 & 8

• Bethesda Cares will provide rent relief to low-income individuals in Montgomery County

• Youth Activism Project will focus on youth civic empowerment and get-out-the-vote efforts in DC Wards 7 & 8 and East County, Montgomery County to help residents become more involved and aware of their role in local government.

• Many Languages, One Voice will hold four listening sessions with immigrants and refugee residents of Washington, DC to gather additional insights and reactions to the VoicesDMV Report. Data from these sessions will be used to create deeper awareness of the needs and situation of immigrants of color in DC.

Click here to learn more about our 2024 Community Action Award Recipients!

Building an Ecosystem for Community Safety in the District of Columbia

How we’re combining grants, strategic planning, and the power of collaboration to address gun violence

By Melen Hagos & Tonia Wellons

Earlier this week, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a declaration that many in the Greater Washington region have known and recognized for decades – gun violence is a national public health crisis.

“It is up to us to take on this generational challenge with the urgency and clarity the moment demands,” the Surgeon General wrote in the 40-page report. “The safety and well-being of our children and future generations are at stake.”

FROM THE NATIONAL NEWS TO THE LOCAL STREETS

In our region, the Greater Washington Community Foundation has long been committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our local residents – particularly those most at risk – and has been at the forefront of efforts to prevent and respond to gun violence.

We acknowledge that while the issue of gun violence and public safety impacts everyone, there are those in our region who unjustly bear its impact more profoundly than others. Our most recent VoicesDMV report revealed that while everyone in our region deserves to feel safe and welcome in their communities, not everyone does.

Our work to achieve community safety and harm reduction – both across our region and in those areas most impacted – is one of the many ways we honor our commitment and work to create a just, equitable, and thriving community. With strong partnerships and expert guidance from national organizations like the Public Welfare Foundation, we have made a substantial impact over the years. Here are some key examples of our accomplishments:

In partnership with the District government, in 2013, we established a relief fund to aid victims and families affected by the Navy Yard shooting and to address long-term gun violence and mental health issues.

From 2013-2018, the Greater Washington Community Foundation partnered with the District Government and served as administrator of The City Fund, investing $15 million over five years as part of the District’s overall public safety and violence prevention agenda. This effort successfully spanned two political administrations—initially under Mayor Vincent Gray’s One City Action Plan and later repositioned under Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Safer Stronger Initiative.

In 2018, The Community Foundation mobilized local funders to support the implementation of Cure the Streets – a pilot program based on the Cure Violence methodology that worked to better understand the causes of gun violence in specific DC neighborhoods and empower local community organizations to be part of the solution.

More recently, we partnered with the Federal City Council and Peace for DC to host Stopping the Cycle of Violence, a community forum that explored proven solutions from across the country and the roles business and philanthropy leaders play in public safety.

LEADING WITH INTENTIONALITY & COLLABORATION

At The Community Foundation, we acknowledge it’s not enough to merely respond to community violence. Rather, it requires intentional coordination and strategic collaboration with community, local government, and philanthropic partners to proactively address the root causes and build stronger, safer communities.

As a result, we have made strategic decisions to support the development and funding of a comprehensive strategy aimed at enhancing harm reduction efforts in DC. Including:

HIRING A SENIOR FELLOW, COMMUNITY SAFETY & HARM REDUCTION

In partnership with the Public Welfare Foundation, we have hired a Senior Fellow for Community Safety and Harm Reduction. This full-time role is designed to provide leadership for the strategy and coordination of a cohesive and coordinated approach to community safety and harm reduction in the District of Columbia. We look forward to introducing the Fellow to you next month.

PARTICIPATING IN CF LEADS GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION NETWORK

The Community Foundation was selected from community foundations nationwide to participate in the CF Leads Gun Violence Prevention Network. Through this year-long initiative, we will get to learn from leading experts and other foundations to help us catalyze and expand local gun violence prevention efforts by learning and adapting best practices from across the country. We are excited to collaborate with Peace for DC and the DC Office of the Attorney General as we take the opportunity to listen to and learn from each other and all the organizations involved in this important work.

MAKING INVESTMENTS IN HEALTH AND SAFETY

Months before the Surgeon General’s announcement, our Health Equity Fund recognized the connection between the increase in crime and violence in the District and the Fund’s objective to address the social and structural determinants of health.

In March 2024, the Fund committed to making $1 million in matching grants in partnership with the DC Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Neighborhood Engagement and Safety to address youth violence prevention through trauma-informed services, conflict and dispute resolution, mental health and wellbeing, and by assisting families dealing with the grief and trauma caused by these occurrences of violence.

BUILDING NEW STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

In the coming months, we look forward to sharing more about a new strategic partnership that will seek to establish a coordinated body which spans political administrations to develop a long-term strategy for community safety, create a plan for implementation with accountability measures throughout, and establish best practices to align investments across philanthropy, government, and business for maximum impact.

Stay tuned for more details!

We are convinced that philanthropy, especially through community foundations, is ideally positioned to lead a unified response initiative, collaborating with local government, philanthropic entities, and community leaders.

We would love you to join us in this work to promote the overall safety and well-being of residents of the District of Columbia. Please contact us to learn more or get involved in this work.

Building Towards Belonging: Voices DMV Report Highlights Critical Needs & Strategic Priorities for the Greater Washington Region

Almost half of DMV residents are struggling or suffering in their overall well-being, according to the latest Voices DMV Community Insights Report.

The report - which was released this week -- provides an update on the state of our region, including key regional challenges and insights from a comprehensive survey conducted by The Community Foundation in partnership with Gallup and its Center on Black Voices.

“This is not just data for data’s sake,” shared Tonia Wellons, President & CEO of The Community Foundation. “This data is a reflection of what we can do better – what our community requires of us. It provides a roadmap for how we can shift what we’re doing – as funders and as community and nonprofit partners -- to better meet their needs.”

First launched in 2017, VoicesDMV is a community engagement initiative designed to help philanthropy, community leaders, policymakers, and others better understand the diverse experiences of the people who live and work in the Greater Washington region.

This year’s report marks the third iteration of VoicesDMV. Data from the previous iteration was gathered just weeks prior to the  COVID-19 pandemic that exacerbated pre-existing socio-economic disparities across the region.

Nearly four years later, the latest VoicesDMV Community Insights Report shows that many of those disparities are still prevalent – and in some cases have widened further in the aftermath of the pandemic.

According to the report, at some point during the past year, half of residents in the DMV worried about not being able to pay their rent or mortgage. Meanwhile, among Black and Hispanic residents, more than 1 in 3 have run out of money for food. Click here to view the Full Report

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The report surveyed more than 2,800 residents across DC, Maryland, and Virginia – with an oversampling among communities of color across the region, including several neighborhoods identified by The Community Foundation as priority neighborhoods.

“This report is important because we need to make sure we’re all singing from the same sheet of music,” Camille Lloyd, Director of the Gallup Center for Black Voices shared at a launch event for the report. “No matter how well we’re doing as a region, if we don’t understand who’s being impacted negatively – and how they’re being impacted – we won’t know who is being left behind.”

Lloyd provided insights on the survey’s methodology and moderated a panel discussion with members of The Community Foundation’s Community Investment team about key takeaways from the report.

“COVID really changed the conversation about ‘work’ and the employment space as we know it,” Dawnn Leary, Chief Program Officer at The Community Foundation shared. “On a philanthropic level, it’s forced us to re-examine how we invest in workforce development and where.”

According to the latest report, nearly three in four residents described available job opportunities as a barrier to achieving their financial goals. At the same time, residents also identified a number of critical barriers to finding and keeping those jobs including access to public transportation, credit history, and access to childcare.

Leary is the chief facilitator of Reimagine – formerly the Greater Washington Workforce Development Collaborative. The initiative recently shifted its focus following a robust listening and learning discovery process with community members about the needs of the community – many of which were outlined in the report.

“When we talk about impact, we need to get out of the tendency to only focus on programmatic outcomes,” Leary explained, outlining one of the reasons for the shift. “Instead, we need to prioritize how we are responding to the actual needs on the ground.”

Jennifer Olney, Senior Community Investment Officer with the Partnership to End Homelessness shared how her initiative is advocating for more funding to meet one of the most urgent of those needs – access to affordable housing.

Olney shared how the growing number of residents struggling to pay rent has played out across the DMV, as the number of people experiencing homelessness in our region increased by 12% last year. This statistic had actually decreased during the pandemic, but has since reversed course as COVID relief and rental assistance programs expired and more residents find themselves struggling to get by.

“Like many challenges facing our community, homelessness is one issue where the public sector needs to be at the table and make the necessary investments,” Olney shared. “That’s why it’s critical for us to empower community members and those with lived experience and ensure that their voices and advocacy are heard.”

“We need to constantly ask ourselves how are we supporting and investing in the agency of people,” Leary added. “Not just listening to their voices and providing input, but finding ways to step back and let those who are closest to these issues lead.”

“Those who are living these experiences know what the solutions are – what they need is investment and support. They need to be the ones that are engaged in driving change in their community; not just philanthropy.”

“As you read this report, don’t just take it as another input for data,” Leary concluded. “Think about how this insight will change the way you work. How can you use it to change you interact with the community you serve.”

Following the panel discussion with members of the Community Investment team, Duc Luu, Director of Sustainability Initiatives/Journalism at the Knight Foundation moderated a panel discussion that dived deeper into other aspects of the report – specifically those related to the sense of belonging, social connections, and resident voice.

“A sense of belonging is more than just being seen or feeling included,” shared Vanessa Mason, Principal on the Building Cultures of Belonging team at Omidyar Network. “It means having a voice and an opportunity to use it to make demands on the society that they are a part of.”

“Belonging is more than aspirational,” Dr. Wendy Ellis, Director and Founder of the Center for Community Resilience at George Washington University added. “It’s something that is real and is measurable.”

According to Gallup and  the VoicesDMV Community Insights Report, a sense of belonging is the biggest predictor of whether residents are thriving. It also represents one of the biggest areas for improvement for our region – especially as residents look to their future. Just over half of residents expect living conditions in their communities to be ‘about the same’ five years from now, while about one in three expect them to them to be worse.

“We can’t create belonging for anyone else,” Dr. Ellis shared. “We can only create the conditions for belonging. That requires intentionality and investments that foster social cohesion – which over time develops into social capital and hope for a brighter future.”

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“I do this work because I believe that belonging cannot happen without power,” Allison Dunn-Almaguer, Executive Director of Washington Interfaith Network shared. “It’s about building agency – bringing people together across, race, religion, sexuality, and ethnicity to promote collective decision-making.”

Following the panel, Darius Graham, Managing Director of Community Investment, expressed The Community Foundation’s commitment to continue to build upon the community insights of the VoicesDMV Report by turning ideas into action. He shared information about the VoicesDMV Fellowship which will facilitate deeper engagement between The Community Foundation, residents, and organizations in priority areas to ensure authentic community voice is at the center of our work.

He also shared information about the 2024 VoicesDMV Community Action Awards. Started in 2020, the Community Action Awards provide microgrants to nonprofits working to make our region more equitable and inclusive by addressing issues and challenges highlighted in the Community Insights report.

Among the past Community Action Award Honorees were Erin McKenney, Executive Director of Just Neighbors and Lauren McDanell, VP of Strategy & Growth at SEED SPOT. Both recipients shared how the Community Action Awards allowed them to build a sense of belonging amongst the communities they serve.

“We hope that you leave this room today with a shared commitment to intentionality,” Tonia Wellons shard in conclusion. “May we glean what we can from this report and interrogate how it plays out in our communities and in the work that we do.”

“If we are to do this work effectively, it is imperative that we adapt to the needs of our community – we cannot keep doing the same things and expect different outcomes.”

“This report is only the beginning of our work – and we have a responsibility to our community to see that it’s carried out.”

Click here to see photos from the VoicesDMV Launch. For more information about VoicesDMV, visit www.voicesdmv.org

New Community Listening Survey Shows DMV Residents Are Significantly Less Optimistic Now Than They Were in 2020

Worries about being able to pay rent or a mortgage in the Greater Washington region have soared; fewer residents believe changes where they live will benefit them

A new community listening survey conducted by Gallup in partnership with the Greater Washington Community Foundation shows that DMV residents are now significantly less optimistic about the future of the region than they were in 2020. DMV residents have become less positive in their views about who will benefit from changes in the area, and a staggering 85% of residents believe they have little to no influence on local government decision-making.

The number of residents who expect living conditions in the Greater Washington region to get “better” in the next five years dropped by nearly half, from 29% in 2020 to 16% in 2023, while the number of people who think living conditions will get “worse” in the region has increased from 24% to 32%. In 2020, 27% of respondents said changes in the area would benefit “more people like me,” but this is now down to 19%.

“Our last survey, conducted just before the pandemic, documented wide disparities in income and opportunity that were preventing many residents from accessing the region’s economic growth and prosperity. Today, many of these hardships remain, and have been exacerbated by the health and economic trauma of the past few years,” said Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “Recognizing the challenges many people face, we’re redoubling our efforts to facilitate deeper engagement with residents and are investing in microgrants for individuals and organizations with ideas for improving neighborhoods to ensure every person has the opportunity to thrive.” 

The Voices of the Community (VoicesDMV): Community Insights survey is one of the only large-scale community listening and engagement tools in the region that seeks to understand how residents are experiencing key quality of life indicators across a wide range of topics: economic opportunity, wellbeing, safety, influence in our democracy, and general perceptions about livability in the region. Through VoicesDMV, The Community Foundation has committed to engaging our community every three years to help keep a finger on the pulse of the community by deeply and authentically listening to the voices, experiences, attitudes, and perceptions of people who are generally not heard from in philanthropy.

This year’s publication reveals that while the DMV is outpacing the growth of other northeast regions, and more than half of residents are thriving, many people still lack access to basic needs. Nearly one in five DMV residents say there were times in the past year when they didn’t have enough money to pay for healthcare or medicine or food for themselves or their family, while 11% say they were unable to provide adequate shelter. Black and Hispanic residents are more likely than other racial subgroups to report struggling to afford basic needs — including more than a third who say there were times in the previous year when they did not have enough money to buy food and more than a quarter who experienced not having enough money for healthcare or medicine.

“Economic precarity has been a consistent theme throughout Gallup’s and the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s research across pre- and post-pandemic measures, revealing inequalities that could persist or even expand if gone unaddressed as the DMV region continues to change,” said Camille Lloyd, Director of the Gallup Center on Black Voices. “These findings demonstrate the need for programs and services that help residents catch up and keep up financially, move up the economic ladder, and ultimately build wealth.”

Additionally, worries about being able to pay rent or a mortgage in the DMV have soared since 2020. The percentage of people who are “very” worried about not being able to pay their rent or mortgage has more than tripled – from 8% in 2020 to 27% in 2023. When asked which amenities are “good” or “excellent” in the region, across all geographies, the availability of affordable and accessible housing was ranked last. 

Results for the survey are based on a mail survey of adults living in Washington, DC, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Arlington County, Alexandria City, Fairfax City, and Falls Church City. Gallup mailed a total of 27,000 surveys, available in both English and Spanish, 2,832 of which were completed between May 5 and June 26, 2023. Previous iterations of the survey were completed in 2017 and 2020.

Along with the release of the new report, The Community Foundation will relaunch its Community Action Awards, a microgrant program for nonprofits, as well as the new VoicesDMV Fellowship, a leadership opportunity for residents. The full report and an online dashboard with further geographic and demographic breakdowns of the VoicesDMV survey data is available at VoicesDMV.org.

Top 10 Milestones to Remember: 2021 in Review

Now that 2021 is over, we’re reflecting on and celebrating our most impactful stories from the past year – from releasing our new strategic vision, to historic investments in Black-led change, to a $1 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott that boosted our recovery work for local arts groups. Here are some of our most meaningful milestones from 2021. 

Together, We Prosper: Launching a New Strategic Vision for Closing Our Community’s Racial Wealth Gap

In October, we shared the culmination of months of deep heart work: our 10-year strategic vision to close our region’s racial wealth gap. First unveiled at our annual meeting, the vision centers on three core leadership pillars: leading with racial equity and inclusion, aligning business with values, and closing the racial wealth gap. We envision a future where all have the opportunity to prosper – and know together, we can realize this vision as reality.

Celebrating Our Community’s Champions

View a recording of our Celebration of Community Champions program.

In May, our virtual Celebration of Community Champions lifted up our collective COVID-19 response efforts and the everyday heroes – local individuals and companies – who stepped up for our region in exceptional ways. We were proud to highlight Feed the Fight as our Community Hero; Food for Montgomery as our Collaborative Hero; CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield as our Corporate Hero; and Dr. Monica Goldson, Senator Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. (in memoriam), Steve Proctor, and Dr. Alvin Thornton as our Civic Heroes. The evening also featured special performances from Arts on the Block, DC Jazz Festival, the Prince George’s County Youth Poet Laureate, and Synetic Theater.

Historic Investments in Black Leaders and Black-Led Nonprofits

Jawanna Hardy, a US Air Force veteran, leads an outreach program providing resources to communities affected by youth homicide, suicide, and mental health illnesses.

We were proud to make several historic investments in Black-led change impacting our region. Through our Black Voices for Black Justice Fellows, an initiative launched in 2020 with Bridge Alliance Education Fund and GOODProjects, we selected 10 inspiring Black leaders and activists on the frontlines of advancing racial equity and social justice. Additionally, a generous gift from Facebook enabled investments of nearly $1 million in 17 Black-led organizations leading systems change work. These awards supported the immediate infrastructure needs of grantees, including staffing, strategic planning, marketing and communications, professional development, and more. 

Direct Cash Transfer as a Vehicle for Speed, Inclusivity, and Equity

During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Community Foundation and many of our philanthropic partners embraced giving directly—transferring cash to people—as an effective and efficient means of providing relief to those hit hard by the sudden economic and health emergency. Since the onset of the pandemic and in partnership with donors, nonprofit organizations, and local government agencies, we facilitated the administration of approximately $26 million in funds, distributed in increments of $50 to $2,500 to approximately 60,000 residents across the Greater Washington region. Urban Institute published a report chronicling the goals, strategies, and short-term achievements of our effort to develop and implement cash transfer strategies at the height of the pandemic. 

Advancing Housing Justice and Preventing Evictions

Housing Counseling Services received a grant to help tenants apply for rental assistance by meeting them where they live, learn, pray, and play.

Our Partnership to End Homelessness continued its critical eviction prevention work in response to the pandemic and economic crisis. Its work to advance housing justice included more than $300,000 in grants to address our region’s housing crisis and inequalities by funding seven nonprofits leading advocacy and organizing efforts. Hear from our Community Investment Officer Jennifer Olney on the Partnership’s eviction prevention work and her explanation of common misperceptions about homelessness – and how you can get involved in helping more people obtain and maintain stable housing during a crisis and beyond.  

Improving Equity and Economic Mobility in Prince George’s County

Jacob’s Ladder was selected by ELIF members to receive a microgrant for its Academic Enrichment Program that provides tutoring, basic literacy skills, and mentoring to students.

Our Emerging Leaders Impact Fund (ELIF), a new giving circle for young professionals in Prince George’s County, announced its inaugural grants to five Prince George’s County nonprofits working to combat chronic absenteeism in County schools. ELIF is currently recruiting new members for 2022; Interested candidates can apply here. While our Equity Fund, which works to eliminate social and economic disparities in Prince George’s County, awarded $440,000 in grants to help 19 nonprofits advance food security, affordable childcare, and workforce equity. These grants were made possible thanks to a generous gift from the Ikea U.S. Community Foundation. 

Increasing Food Security and Educational Equity in Montgomery County

Food for Montgomery received our Collaborative Hero Award for its public-private effort to coordinate and expand food distributions, support local farmers and small businesses, and improve food systems to combat food insecurity in Montgomery County.

Our Children’s Opportunity Fund was recognized by the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading as a 2021 Bright Spot community for its COVID-19 response work, including the launch of Educational Enrichment and Equity Hubs. Equity Hubs offered a safe place for low-income students to participate in remote learning during school closures, welcoming more than 1,400 students across 70 sites. Our Food for Montgomery initiative has marshaled the resources of nonprofits, faith communities, local businesses, farmers, and county agencies to increase food access and help families recover from crisis. It has raised and deployed over $2.1 million to double the number of food distribution sites, help sustain local farmers and small businesses, and improve the hunger relief system to meet today’s challenges and future crises. 

Gift From Mackenzie Scott Enables Additional Relief Funding For Local Arts Groups

Dance Institute of Washington received a grant to support its facility renovation and a program evaluation with a focus on racial equity.

Arts Forward Fund was established in partnership with The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation to help struggling arts and culture organizations to adapt their programming to survive and recover from the devastating effects of the pandemic. In 2021, the initiative was recognized by philanthropist MacKenzie Scott with a $1 million gift as part of a cohort of equity-focused efforts. Thanks to Scott’s generosity, we were able to award a second round of grants in September 2021, investing in nearly 90 local arts groups. In total, the fund has made nearly $2.7 million in grants to 130+ organizations – 60% of which are BIPOC-led or BIPOC-serving.

Turning Ideas Into Action for Community Change

Learn about several of our Community Action Awards supported projects in this video produced by our partners at Comcast.

As the last step in our three-part VoicesDMV community engagement initiative, we awarded our inaugural Community Action Awards microgrants to 50 local activists, artists, and advocates leading neighborhood-based projects which advance equity and inclusion. Projects included public murals in Brookland, Forest Bathing in Maryland, yoga and dance accessibility, and more. In December, our former Senior Advisor for Impact Benton Murphy reported back how grantees are doing – and the collective impact of these projects - read his post for several inspiring videos and photos. 

Aligning Our Business With Our Values: A New Partnership With SEI

Check out this video featuring our OCIO providing an update on your investment options and their performance.

We believe to truly affect change, our values must inform and drive our actions – and this was the impetus for partnering with SEI as our outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO). The leading global investment firm is known for its focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, values we wholeheartedly share. As an OCIO with 450+ clients worldwide – more than 170 of which are nonprofits – SEI serves as an extension of our staff, providing world-class investment expertise and constant focus on managing the charitable funds you have entrusted to us. Check out this new video featuring our OCIO providing an update on your investment options and the performance of our investment portfolio.

In Memoriam: Diane Bernstein, Jane Bainum, Milt Peterson, Senator Mike Miller, Waldon and Rhonda

As a member of our Partnership to End Homelessness Leadership Council, Waldon Adams was instrumental in our work to ensure everyone has housing they can afford.

Last year, we lost several special members of The Community Foundation family. We pay tribute to former Trustee, donor, and friend Diane Bernstein; Jane Bainum, co-founder of the Bainum Family Foundation and longtime philanthropic partner; Milt Peterson, trusted donor and founder of Peterson Companies; and the beloved Senator Mike Miller, one of our 2021 Civic Hero honorees. We also remember and honor our friends Rhonda Whitaker and Waldon Adams, two tireless advocates for ending homelessness who passed away unexpectedly in April. 

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From Crisis to Recovery: A Pivotal Year

You can also view our FY 2021 annual report for more highlights from our crisis to recovery work in 2020-2021.

Following up with our Community Action Award Winners

By Benton Murphy, outgoing Senior Advisor for Impact

Earlier this year, the Community Foundation issued $100,000 in small grant awards to community partners across the region through our Community Action Awards. The Awards were provided to a cohort of 50 activists, artists, and advocates leading neighborhood-based projects that would spark change in their communities. 

The Community Action Awards are part of our three-part VoicesDMV series, a powerful community engagement initiative launched in 2017 to explore our region’s most pressing challenges and opportunities. In 2020, VoicesDMV tapped into Community Insights through a regional survey and convened hundreds of residents from across the region to discuss ways to make our communities stronger through On The Table conversations.

While many of our Awardees are still working to finalize their programs, we are thrilled to share some highlights of some excellent programs that have taken place over the past year.

American University and EL Haynes Public Charter School received an award to support their Action Research for Community Change project. The project, sparked by a conversation that took place as a part of our On the Table day of dialogue in 2020, was an innovative and impactful partnership that paired AU college students and high schoolers at EL Haynes Public Charter School in conversations on race and equity. Students at both institutions participated in virtual classrooms together, co-learning and co-designing a community action research project. AU students developed a curriculum and guide for community action research. EL Haynes students conducted a bilingual survey of the student body with more than half of student responding. Based on student responses, the action researchers made a series of recommendations that yielded commitments from school leadership to hire a new social worker, offer two new elective courses focused on centering Black lives, and a commitment to using student surveys to inform future teacher professional development. What’s more—AU students developed a workbook on action research that the students can use in future years to continue to lift up student voices for change!

The Brem Foundation received an award to provide funding for its Wheels for Women program which helps connect women to breast care appointments. The District of Columbia has the highest death rate for breast cancer in the United States, and despite being diagnosed at the same rate, Black women have a 40% higher death rate from breast cancer than white women. Brem used funds to support 76 one-way rides for women to get to their breast care appointments, the majority of recipients were Black women. Brem also was able to use funds to expand from 8 to 9 community partners for rides, which will be useful for the many recipients who live very far from their health care provider.

IMPACT Silver Spring used its award to support its Sewing Academy for Latina Women. The Academy was the brainchild of IMPACT’s Women’s Empowerment Collective, composed mostly of parents of IMPACT’s youth programming or who became interested through direct outreach at local schools. The award funded the purchase of sewing machines and supplies, as well as compensation for experienced seamstresses who served as instructors in the program. Twenty women registered for the Academy over a six-month period. The women of the Academy both built their sewing skills as well as strong bonds and a new support network. Participants were also supported to participate in civic actions, including providing testimony at Montgomery County Council hearings on the importance of affordable vocational education. When the Academy students gathered with their family, friends, and IMPACT staff for their graduation in July they held a fashion show to showcase the students’ work, with one participant noting: “I made three dresses. I never thought I could do this. I’m making my dreams come true.”

This has been an especially meaningful program for me to take on as I wrap up a 17-year stint here at The Community Foundation to move on to other opportunities. Having led our inaugural Community Action Awards program, it is so wonderful to see how impactful these small-dollar grant awards can be. It is instructive for us as funders and individual donors that even a small gift can be meaningful for those who are striving to make the world a better place for everyone. I am hopeful that you will find our next crop of Awardees as inspiring as I have found this one!

View the Impact of Several Projects

Got You Covered Diaper Bag Project

Live It Learn It for Drew Elementary School

DC KinCare Alliance Relative Caregiver Community Board Outreach and Education Project

Zoom Pals, an intergenerational pilot project in a partnership between American University and Hyattsville Aging and Place

Mamas Together Mutual Aid Community Survey Project

Mamas Together Mutual Aid Community Survey Project

Baños de Bosque and Defensores de la Cuenca "forest bathing"

AALEAD Overcoming Gentrification in Chinatown

Book Club for Kids podcast

Young, Black and Giving Back Institute'sYoung, Black & Working from Home Community

Our 2020 - 2021 Year in Review

Over the past 18 months, we have all been impacted in some way by COVID-19. Although our experiences may be different, our community came together -– as neighbors helping neighbors -– to support each other through this crisis.

Since March 2020, we have mobilized over $40 million in community support to help our neighbors facing hardship. Thanks to the incredible donors, nonprofit partners, and community leaders who stepped up to meet this challenge, our collective response demonstrated the power of what our community can accomplish by coming together. 

Our Annual Report features the impact that The Community Foundation, our donors, and partners have had on this region from April 2020 – March 2021, and beyond.

Read our Annual Report

Learn more

Greater Washington Community Foundation Announces Community Action Awards Winners

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Community Action Award Winners

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Year of Impact: Top 10 Stories of 2020

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

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

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

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

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

 #3 Your Voices Matters: VoicesDMV On the Table Conversations

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

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

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

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

 #5: Back to School Means Facing the Digital Divide

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

#6: #MakeADifference Mondays

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

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

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

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

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

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

 #8: Celebrating Three Leadership Legacies

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

Read more about their achievements and success stories. 

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

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

#10: Celebrating the Power of Our Community

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

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

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.

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.”

This WDVM segment highlights how VoicesDMV On the Table conversations brought together residents throughout the DMV area both online and in small, face-to-face groups to talk about ideas for improving their communities.

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.

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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.

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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.

Greater Washington Community Foundation Announces Community Action Awards

Microgrants for Individuals, Organizations with Ideas for Improving Neighborhoods

After engaging hundreds of residents from across the Greater Washington region in small-group conversations to discuss and reimagine the future of their communities as part of VoicesDMV On the Table, the Greater Washington Community Foundation is offering Community Action Awards – small grants of up to $2,000 for individuals and nonprofits in Greater Washington who have ideas to make the region a more equitable place to live, work, and thrive.

“Everyone has a role to play in shaping a ‘new normal’ for the Greater Washington region. Yesterday’s On the Table conversations were an important first step,” said Tonia Wellons, president and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “The best way for us to overcome this time of crisis and uncertainty is by standing together – neighbors helping neighbors – to build a more equitable future for our region. Yesterday we were encouraged by the residents from across the DMV who gathered virtually, in parks, offices, around kitchen tables, and elsewhere to discuss the issues that impact their lives, and to work together to develop solutions.”

On the Table is part of The Community Foundation’s VoicesDMV initiative, which launched in 2017 as a way to explore the region’s challenges and opportunities related to housing, transportation, safety, economic security, race relations, and community well-being. This year, VoicesDMV returned as a three-part initiative that first tapped into Community Insights through a regional survey conducted by Gallup, then brought residents together to discuss the issues that matter in their communities through a series of town halls this summer and small-group On the Table conversations on October 1, and now will help fund ideas sparked during those discussions through Community Action Awards to move from ideas into action.

Through the Community Action Awards, The Community Foundation is interested in supporting and advancing neighborhood-level projects that will engage diverse communities and help grassroots leaders to implement their ideas. The Community Foundation is especially interested in providing resources to enable ideas and activities that were generated through On the Table conversations.  

“We are eager to hear the ideas our neighbors developed during yesterday’s On the Table conversations to make the region an even better place for all residents to live, work, and thrive. But any resident, including those who didn’t participate in On the Table but have an innovative idea, should consider applying for one of our Community Action Awards to help move those ideas from conversations into community change projects,” said Wellons.

The deadline to apply for a Community Action Award is November 2, 2020. To learn more and apply, visit www.thecommunityfoundation.org/community-action-awards. For more information about VoicesDMV and On the Table, visit www.VoicesDMV.org.

Greater Washington Community Foundation Invites Area Residents to Put the Future of the Region “On the Table”

Residents to Gather Through Virtual or Face-to-Face Small-Group Conversations on Thursday, October 1

WASHINGTON, DC – Residents from across the Greater Washington region will gather for virtual or face-to-face small-group conversations on a single day – Thursday, October 1, 2020 – to discuss and reimagine the future of our communities as part of VoicesDMV On the Table, presented by the Greater Washington Community Foundation.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing calls for racial justice in health, policing, and economy highlight how far we have to go to address the deep economic inequities and social challenges experienced by so many residents of the DMV region,” said Tonia Wellons, president and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “As a community foundation, it is central to our mission to have a finger on the pulse of our community in order to effectively respond to the most critical issues affecting our region. On the Table is an opportunity for our community to talk with, listen to and learn from each other as we work to build a more resilient community where racial justice is prioritized and everyone has equal opportunity to thrive.” 

Hosts can plan their conversations to take place any time on Thursday, October 1. Virtual discussions can be convened through The Community Foundation’s free interactive online platform, which includes easy-to-use, built-in discussion guides, or through another preferred video conference tool. Face-to-face conversations can be convened using proper social distancing at homes, offices, parks, community centers and other locations.

The topics, issues and ideas discussed during each of the On the Table conversations will be driven by the unique perspectives of participants, and the opportunities and challenges that are most important to them. The Community Foundation will provide discussion guides on important issues, such as racial equity, education, housing and homelessness, economic security, employment and workforce, and more, that were identified through a regional survey conducted this spring by the public opinion research firm, Gallup, to better understand the diverse experiences of the people who live and work in the Greater Washington region. Thousands of residents shared their feedback about the most important issues facing the Greater Washington region. The full report, along with summaries of survey responses by geographic region and a customizable data dashboard that helps participants to explore the report, are available at www.VoicesDMV.org.

“We are grateful to the thousands of residents who shared their insights through the survey,” said Wellons. “And we hope thousands more will join us to discuss what we can do to make our communities stronger through On the Table conversations. Together, we have the power to improve the quality of life for everyone in the Greater Washington region.”

On the Table is part of The Community Foundation’s VoicesDMV initiative, which launched in 2017 as a way to explore the region’s challenges and opportunities related to housing, transportation, safety, economic security, race relations, and community well-being. This year, VoicesDMV returns as a three-part initiative that, in addition to the regional survey and On the Table conversations, will help to fund ideas sparked during those discussions through Community Action Awards of up to $2,000 to move ideas from the discussions into action.

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.

American University will serve as The Community Foundation’s lead outreach partner in encouraging Greater Washington area residents and organizations to host and/or participate in these On the Table conversations.

For more information or to sign up to host an On The Table conversation on October 1, visit www.VoicesDMV.org.

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ABOUT THE GREATER WASHINGTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Since 1973, the Greater Washington Community Foundation has been a champion of thriving communities and a catalyst for change through local philanthropic engagement, effective community investment, and civic leadership. We work with donors and partners to enhance the quality of life in the District of Columbia, Montgomery County, Northern Virginia, and Prince George’s County by aligning resources and leveraging shared interests to amplify impact. As the region’s largest local funder, The Community Foundation has invested more than $1.3 billion to build more equitable, just, and enriching communities where all residents can live, work, and thrive.

Quarterly Community Update

Dear Community Foundation Fundholders,

I hope you and your family are safe and well. The past several months have been exceptionally challenging for our region—but the outpouring of support from our community continues to inspire me. Since the start of this crisis, our community has come together to commit nearly $8 million in support to help our neighbors in need—an incredible effort that would not be possible without the generosity and compassion of so many. Thank you for standing with us to support and strengthen our community.

At The Community Foundation, we remain focused on supporting our community’s evolving health and economic needs through the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. Last quarter, our work coordinating the region’s philanthropic response to this crisis included:

• Reviewing over 1,300 proposals from nonprofits and small businesses requesting over $60 million in funding, and making investments totaling $6.7 million in local nonprofits working on the frontlines of our region’s COVID-19 response efforts.

• Launching Get Shift Done DMV with Washington Nationals Philanthropies to help displaced hospitality workers earn an income while assisting local nonprofits with preparing meals/packaged food for families in need. So far, over 300 workers have clocked 8,452 cumulative hours to address food insecurity in our region.

• Partnering with Events DC and the Executive Office of the Mayor to administer the $5 million DC Cares Program, providing emergency cash assistance to help DC workers excluded from federal stimulus efforts.

• Partnering with the Montgomery County Council to launch the Montgomery County Food Security Fund to engage the public and private sectors around increasing food access and security for county residents struggling to feed their families.

• Preparing to launch a $1 million small business grants program in Prince George’s County.

The global pandemic has exacerbated many pre-existing inequities and had a disproportionate impact on low-income workers, immigrants, and communities of color. As we prepare for what’s next, we are committed to advancing racial justice and building a more equitable future for our region by using our voice, influence, programs, and initiatives to help end racial disparities. Our goal is not to go back to the way things were before, but to work together to build a new normal and a more equitable future for our region. You can read about our vision in an opinion piece that I co-authored for the Washington Post.

One of the ways we are examining the possibilities is through our VoicesDMV community engagement initiative. In June, we released the findings from our Community Insights survey and launched a series of Social Justice Town Hall conversations that will run throughout the summer. In the fall, we plan to bring neighbors together for virtual community conversations and then fund microgrants to help transform ideas sparked during these conversations into action. You can learn more about VoicesDMV and read the report at VoicesDMV.org.

Finally, the changes and uncertainty brought on by COVID-19 have encouraged us to find more efficient ways to serve our donors and nonprofit partners. We have set up a bank lockbox collection system to ensure faster and more secure processing of your gifts made by check. You can now mail checks directly to PO Box 49010, Baltimore, MD 21297-4910. Our office address has not changed - this PO Box is only for mailing gifts made via check.

Thank you for your continued partnership in serving our community’s needs today, and in building a better tomorrow for the Greater Washington region. 

Sincerely,
Tonia Wellons
President and CEO

How to reconstruct an equitable future for our region

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.