The Community Foundation Weighs in on Newly Proposed IRS Regulations

Over the past year, philanthropy – specifically, donor-advised funds – have faced increased levels of public and political scrutiny. The most recent example of this came in November 2023, when the IRS issued proposed regulations related to donor-advised funds. The regulations included several critical changes aimed at reenforcing transparency and avoiding the abuse of philanthropic funds.

While acknowledging the underlying intent and purpose of these proposed changes— The Community Foundation and a coalition of more than 25 community foundations from across the country have voiced concerns about unintended consequences that these regulations could have on our donors and the nonprofit sector, writ large.

On May 6, The Community Foundation’s President and CEO Tonia Wellons testified in front of the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council (IRSAC) and share her perspective on the impacts these regulations could have. She spoke candidly as to how these newly proposed Internal Revenue Service and US Treasury regulations would impact the work of The Community Foundation, disrupt the structure of our funds, and – most importantly – severely limit the philanthropic potential of our many generous donors and community partners.

The following post includes extensive excerpts from that testimony, as well as donor-relevant insights provided by our Director of Fund Administration & Special Project, Benton Murphy.

Galvanizing Philanthropy into Action – A Tribute to Our Donors

One of the driving factors behind these regulations is to ensure that fund advisors -- and the philanthropic entities they work with -- disburse funds to charitable causes in a way that is both efficient and effective.

The Community Foundation is proud of our institutional payout rate (the percentage of our funds paid out as grants annually), which lies in the range of 15-20%+. Compare this to the average annual payout rate of our private foundation peers, which usually rests at 5%. These numbers are a testament to our community of givers here at The Community Foundation and the tremendous generosity of our donors and fundholders!

Our community of givers helped The Community Foundation rise to the challenge brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, resourcing our ability to provide more than $90 million in funds to local organizations by providing personal protective equipment for frontline medical and community organization staff, ensuring essential food delivery to people in need, addressing the mental health needs of frontline workers and nonprofits whose staff members have been deeply impacted by COVID-19, and supporting parents and educators working to address the negative impact on the schools and students.  

Our donors have been at the forefront of our community response not only to disasters but in support of the day-to-day operations of thousands of local, national, and even international nonprofits. On an annual basis, our donors provide $70-90 million in grants to qualified nonprofits, offering a lifeline to many organizations that would struggle to make ends meet otherwise.

Simply put, our donors make our region a better place for its residents. This is why we are so concerned about the unintended consequences that the proposed regulations on donor-advised funds will bring.

“As place-based, community-led hubs for philanthropy, community foundations form the backbone of our nation’s regional response to an almost infinitely broad set of issues and priorities.

We represent and support communities of givers that would be irreparably harmed by these regulations, putting solutions to community problems out of reach for many donors. ”

— Tonia Wellons

The Repercussions of Redefining Donor Advisors

One of the proposed shifts in regulations includes re-categorizing wealth advisors who help advise our fundholders with Separately Managed Accounts as Fund Advisors. The Greater Washington Community Foundation offers fundholders with $500,000 or more in charitable assets in their fund to hold these assets in a separately managed investment account. We offer this service to donors who wish to be more actively involved in the investment strategy that oversees their funds.

As Fund Advisors cannot be paid from donor-advised funds as a matter of law, this proposed regulatory shift would mean that a donor’s personal investment advisor and The Community Foundation would likely incur significant excise taxes in a Separately Managed Account arrangement.

As a public charity, we take our responsibility seriously to our donors and the community we seek to serve. We hold active conversations with donors at all levels to encourage them to give through their donor-advised funds. We host learning opportunities, site visits to community-based organizations, and manage significant projects seeking to tackle issues ranging from homelessness to maternal health.

We also offer Philanthropic Advisory Services, where our staff serve as in-house consultants or advisors to fundholders, including our Separately Managed Account holders, to encourage more giving around the issues that matter to the donor with a high potential for impact in the community. This community connection and orientation toward giving back to the region is unique to community foundations which is not always feasible for our for-profit or private foundation peers.

At the Greater Washington Community Foundation, our Separately Managed Funds represent 46% of our assets that, in our most recently completed fiscal year, had an effective payout rate of 19.5%, granting more than $48 million to qualified grantees.

Should the proposed rules come into effect, these funds would be irreparably harmed, making it likely that they may elect to become private foundations with a minimum 5% payout rate, equating to a loss of $36 million in grantmaking to the community.  

Reclassification of Fund Types as Donor-Advised Funds

The second major proposed regulatory shift in our advocacy with the IRS is related to reclassifying various fund types as donor-advised funds. The Community Foundation offers our donors a wide array of fund types, each with unique attributes supporting different charitable objectives.

Field-of-interest funds would potentially be reclassified as donor-advised funds under the proposed rule change. Our family of more than 130 field-of-interest funds support a wide array of programs and initiatives, from community wealth building, housing and homelessness to disaster relief for victims of natural disasters.

These funds, all backed by community-based advisory committees that help to ensure all investments through the fund go toward the stated field-of-interest, are a vital part of The Community Foundation’s and our donor’s impact in the community. More critically, field-of-interest funds can support a more comprehensive array of services that cannot be sustained through traditional DAFs, such as funds that can directly support individual persons within the field-of-interest.

Taking disaster relief as an example, our donors have historically been at the forefront of our region’s response to COVID-19, the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon and rural Pennsylvania, and the Navy Yard mass shooting that claimed the lives of 12 people in the District in 2013. Currently, we house several employee disaster and emergency hardship funds on behalf of corporations. Our three most significant funds alone collectively provided $12.7 million to individuals in need over the past five years to support hardships due to COVID-19 and various natural disasters, including major hurricanes.

If these funds were re-categorized as DAFs, making grants to individuals in need would be much more challenging. Under IRS regulations, DAFs cannot be earmarked to benefit any specifically designated individual. Subjecting field-of-interest funds to the same substantiation requirements as DAFs would require significantly greater oversight from The Community Foundation -- a process that would ultimately make many of these programs untenable due to the cost of implementation.

Our foundation also hosts more than 30 fiscal sponsorships, which could be reclassified as DAFs under the proposed rule change. Fiscal sponsorships are a vehicle for programs and donors who want to do good in the community but lack the infrastructure to do so, and work with The Community Foundation to provide this infrastructure to help facilitate community impact. Our fiscal sponsorship funds support programs including maternal health, food justice, and work to combat violence in Washington, DC. Only a handful of organizations in our region offer this service.

These funds also support youth enrichment through opportunities for students from around the country to support internship opportunities in Washington, DC, exposing students to global careers. The fund pays for their stipend, travel expenses, and housing.  If the fund were reclassified as a DAF, the fund would potentially no longer be able to pay for programmatic expenses, severely limiting the opportunity for students who would unlikely be able to afford such an opportunity otherwise.

In Conclusion

In her testimony offered at the IRS hearing, our President and CEO Tonia Wellons urged the Treasury and the IRS to consider the unintended negative consequences that these regulations would create. As place-based, community-led hubs for philanthropy, community foundations form the backbone of our nation’s regional response to an almost infinitely broad set of issues and priorities. We represent and support communities of givers that would be irreparably harmed by these regulations, putting solutions to community problems out of reach for many donors.

As more than 40 organizations testified at the hearing, there is universal need to better understand how community foundations work before changing the regulatory environment in which we exist. We are encouraged to know that the Treasury and the IRS are listening and receptive to our input. We will keep our community of donors and fundholders in the loop as these conversations proceed.  

With Equity & Economic Justice for All: The Community Foundation Hosts the 2024 Health Equity Summit

On April 30, The Community Foundation hosted the 2024 Health Equity Summit at the beautiful Riverside Baptist Church in Southeast DC. The event brought together more than 200 changemakers from across the area for a day of music, speakers, and deep conversations around the pursuit of health equity, economic justice, and liberation in the Greater Washington region.

“We are here today to imagine a world where everyone can experience physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing,” The Community Foundation’s President & CEO Tonia Wellons shared in her introduction to the Summit. “A world where everyone can thrive in a non-extractive economy and a world where harm has been repaired and everyone can be made whole.”

“It’s easy to step into a space and merely provide healthcare,” added Dr. Tollie Elliott, CEO of Mary’s Center and member of the Health Equity Fund governance Committee. “However, if we want to create a truly impactful, innovative system, we need to start doing things differently -- departing from the traditional route and enacting truly transformational work to make lives better in the District of Columbia.”

The Summit was organized by The Community Foundation’s Health Equity Fund – a $95 million fund designated to improving health outcomes and health equity for DC residents. Since September 2022, the fund has disbursed more than $22.8 million in funding to promote economic justice and health equity in the District.

“Our vision for the health equity fund – and for this summit -- is to advocate for change to address the root causes of the deep health inequities and disparities that exist in DC,” Dr. Marla Dean, Senior Director of the Health Equity Fund shared.

The event – which was open to the public – attracted a diverse audience of participants from across the spectrum – including policymakers, government and philanthropic partners, and nonprofit and community leaders. Click here to view the program booklet from the event 

“Health & Healthcare are not the same thing,” Dr. Anthony Iton, Senior Vice President for Healthy Communities at The California Endowment shared. “Only 20% of health outcomes are shaped by the health delivery system. That means that most of health has nothing to do with what we do, as doctors.”

Dr. Anthony Iton and Dr. Damon Francis discuss their recent essay Envisioning a New Health System Rooted in Equity and the importance of investing in an equitable, people-centric approach to healthcare.

Dr. Iton and Dr. Damon Francis, Director of Homeless Health Center in Oakland, California, are co-authors of Envisioning a New Health System Rooted in Equity - an essay published by the Urban Institute last December. In it, they explore the shortfalls of the American health system – including its history of racial discrimination and why it’s critical to invest in an equitable, people-centric approach to healthcare moving forward.

“Our healthcare system today is a predatory, extractive system,” Dr. Iton shared. “It is the single largest source of bankruptcies in this country. Most are built around a corporate model – selling services to paying customers – which has little to do with the needs of the population. And the worst part is it’s getting more expensive, for everyone.”

“The poorest Europeans have better health status than the wealthiest White Americans,” Dr. Francis added, pointing to international data comparing health outcomes from around the world.

In their essay, Dr. Francis and Dr. Iton explain how the devastation caused by World War II in Europe lead many countries to adopt Universal benefits such as childcare and health benefits, which led to better overall health outcomes for their populations. Meanwhile, in the US, healthcare was built increasingly on a corporate model that disadvantaged everyone, especially Blacks and communities of color who suffered discrimination and underinvestment.

“When we talk about the need for universal healthcare, we so often overlook the universal component,” Dr. Iton explained. “It’s a signal of solidarity. It requires that we work to really see each other’s needs and gaps that exist between us.”

“Until we acknowledge that and enshrine it in policy, we will continue to see these disparities.”

“We need to build collective power,” Dr. Francis added. “You cannot explain behaviors based on access to healthcare alone; you can explain it based on political power.”

“Health is political – and it requires political action; people coming together to hold systems accountable for delivering equitable outcomes.”

Dr. Iton concluded the panel by outlining his ABC model for building health equity – promoting Agency (or collective power), strengthening Belonging, and rebuilding our social Contract.

From left to right: Temi F. Bennett, Sohrab Kohli, Jennifer Bryant, and Professor Anthony Cook discuss community wealth-building and cooperative ownership.

The next panel focused on economic justice and creating prosperity for all. The conversation was moderated by Temi F. Bennett, co-CEO of if, a Foundation for Radical Possibility and featured thought leaders in the space of individual community wealth-building and cooperative ownership.

“Creating economic mobility means building opportunities,” Sohrab Kohli, Senior Manager of the Aspen Institute’s Financial Security Program explained. “It also means looking at our systems in a reparative lens and finding ways to ‘balance the scales’ (referring to the theme of the Summit) so that everyone wins.”

“Shared or cooperative ownership is a critical part of building economic mobility,” Jennifer Bryant, Program Manager of the Black Employer Ownership Initiative at Project Equity shared. “We’re building economic democracy -- allowing Black and Brown people to benefit from and have a say in the direction of the organizations they work for.”

In her role at Project Equity, Bryant explained how she works with Black business owners to help convert their businesses to employee ownership – allowing their employees and communities to benefit from their legacy in perpetuity.

“If all the businesses that employ Black workers were employee owned, the median wealth of Black workers would increase from $20,000 to over $100,000,” shared Professor Anthony Cook, Professor at Georgetown Law School.

Professor Cook is the founder of Gatebridge Community – an organization working to transform cooperative low-wealth communities by fostering a culture of cooperative ownership. The organization recently announced plans to launch Rosie’s Grocery – a resident and worker owned grocery initiative that will provide access to fresh produce to low-income, low-access (LILA) neighborhoods in the DC metro area.

“We are prototyping that with community support and industry and sector expertise, we can do what other people have refused to do – and that is stepping up and engaging the community, as part of the solution – giving them ownership of the processes that will impact their lives for the better.”

From left to right: Reverend William H. Lamar IV, Dr. Stacey Patton, Dr. Raymond Winbush and Dr. LesLeigh D. Ford discussed the pursuit of liberation and the case for reparations.

The final panel of the day was moderated by Reverend William H. Lamar IV and featured a panel of experts who discussed the pursuit of liberation and the case for reparations.

“It is estimated that more than $380 Billion in Black Wealth has been lost, as a result of slavery,” Dr. Stacey Patton, Research Associate Professor at the Institute for Urban Research at Morgan State University shared. “Our bodies still hold those memories; the psychological trauma and impact of slavery.”

Dr. Patton and Dr. Raymond Winbush, Director of the Institute for Urban Research at Morgan State University, shared their insights from studying African American communities over time. They explained how reparations represent not only an important economic milestone, but also a social and cultural turning point to true equity for Black communities.

“It’s not enough to converge the racial wealth gap,” Dr. LesLeigh D. Ford, Associate Director of Race and Equity Research at the Urban Institute shared. “We have to reimagine and reconstitute the system that created it. Without reparations, that level of systemic change simply isn’t possible.”

The program included live Q&A sessions with each of the panels, as well as live and video presentations from community and nonprofit partners with the Health Equity Fund, who spoke about the work they are doing to advance health equity and economic mobility in DC.

In addition to the presentations, participants were treated to powerful performances from local creative artists, including Camilo Montoya, a talented spoken word performer and Pianist Virtuoso Dana Kristina-Joi Morgan – which added an electric atmosphere to the day’s program.

“We thank you all for being a part of this event and this movement to bring health equity and economic mobility to all residents within the District of Columbia,” Dr. Marla Dean shared at the close of the event. “We look forward to partnering with all of you, as we continue to invest and work towards a more equitable and prosperous future for all.”

Click here for more photos from the 2024 Health Equity Summit! For more information about the Health Equity Fund and available funding opportunities, visit our website.

Partnership to End Homelessness Awards $375,000 in Grants Through Waldon Adams Housing Justice Fund

The Partnership to End Homelessness (The Partnership) is pleased to announce $375,000 in grants awarded to eight organizations and coalitions leading systems change efforts in DC through the Waldon Adams Housing Justice Fund. Selected nonprofits receive up to $50,000 in funding to support work to end homelessness and increase the supply of deeply affordable housing.

Named after a fearless advocate for those experiencing chronic homelessness in DC, the Waldon Adams Housing Justice grants are designed to invest in organizations making the greatest impact towards ending homelessness in DC.

Since the Partnership awarded our first grants to advance housing justice, together with tenants and people with lived experience, our community partners led efforts to secure:

• Over 4,o00 Permanent Supportive Housing vouchers to end homelessness for 3,106 individuals and 1,217 families;

• $794 million for the Housing Production Trust Fund to create affordable housing;

• $155 million to repair and preserve public housing;

• $129 million for emergency rental assistance to prevent evictions; and

• More just and equitable housing policies.

This fourth round of grant funding will support work to advance housing justice using multiple strategies, including public will building, narrative change, policy advocacy, and budget advocacy.

Learn more about previous Waldon Adams Housing Justice Grantees

Here’s what some of our grantees have shared about their work and their plans for the coming year:

Fair Budget Coalition

Partnership funding is helping us create and advocate for our FY25 budget priorities to increase safe, affordable housing for DC’s most marginalized residents. We are excited about new strategies we are implementing to build the power and voice of impacted community members in our work. We are creating more space for people with lived experience of homelessness and housing insecurity to draft budget recommendations, voice their concerns, and tell their stories. Currently, there is an unprecedented number of constituents leading and engaging in our issue groups, including the revenue and public deals issue group and the housing security issue group. This ensures that those who are closest to the challenges are leading us on what solutions need to be enacted.

ONE DC

Our goal for Homes for All DC is systems change through political education and leadership development. We proactively work with tenant associations to build their capacity to liberate their properties for collective ownership by residents, while simultaneously raising awareness and building tenant power. Partnership funding will allow us to continue to build and organize a united front of 10,000 to 15,000 renter households to push for the level of political change we need to secure control of housing for a significant portion of Washingtonians. We are disrupting paternalistic narratives and demonstrating that the very people most often displaced by gentrification, racist housing policies, and racialized capitalism are the same people who are effectively organizing their neighbors, asserting their rights, and collectively owning their buildings.

These grants were made possible thanks to generous partners and donors to the Partnership’s Grantmaking Fund.

2024 waldon adams HOUSING JUSTICE GRANTEES

• DC Jobs with Justice

• DC Fiscal Policy Institute

• Empower DC

• Fair Budget Coalition

• Miriam's Kitchen

• ONE DC: Organizing Neighborhood Equity

• People for Fairness Coalition

• The Washington Legal Clinic For The Homeless Inc.

Kicking Off The Conversation on An Agenda for Economic Justice in Prince George's County

On April 23, The Community Foundation and the Partnership for Prince George's held the first of three convenings around "An Agenda for Economic Justice in Prince George's County". The event brought together community and cross-sector leaders for the purpose of shaping a new narrative focused on economic justice and a vision for shared prosperity in Prince George’s County. 

“Now more than ever, it’s essential that we come together as a community to discuss how we can build the future that we all want for Prince George’s County,” shared Tonia Wellons, President & CEO of The Community Foundation and a long-time resident of Prince George’s County.

Wellons is one of the prominent leaders that make up the Partnership for Prince George’s – a collaboration of philanthropic and corporate funders who are committed to promoting economic justice, economic mobility and more equitable strategic investment in Prince George’s County. The Partnership recently collaborated with PG Suite Magazine to produce a special edition of “Prince George’s County Dialogue – A Conversation and Exchange of Ideas around the Case for Economic Justice in Prince George’s”. The goal of the publication is to grow public will and momentum in the pursuit of economic justice in the county and to spark community conversations that to seed visionary ideas and strategic solutions.

Ronnie Galvin outlines data from the Urban Institute highlighting the disparities in economic investment across the region. Prince George's County receives less than half of the level of investment compared to other jurisdictions.

“Prince George’s County can no longer make the claim of being the highest income and wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation,” Ronnie Galvin, Senior Fellow at The Community Foundation and moderator for the event pointed out. “We’re in a moment of tremendous opportunity where we get to reimagine who we are and who we want to become—with economic justice as our frame. “

“There are many avenues that we can take to achieve economic justice in the County, none perhaps as important though as underinvestment of public and private resources that have contributed to persistent racial investment gap.”

“We’re tired of being ‘by-passed’,” Bishop Anthony Maclin of Sanctuary of Kingdom Square shared, speaking of the disparity and challenges of obtaining economic investment in the county compared to other jurisdictions. “Why can we not have the same opportunity for investment in our community amongst our people?”

“The story of us is the story that we will craft ourselves,” he continued. “Others may think that we are not capable of handling this kind of development, but if we have the same resources that other communities are receiving, we will leave our legacy – not only for ourselves, but for future generations to follow.

“The story of us means we have good jobs, good public schools that everyone wants to send their children to, exceptional medical care, safe communities in affordable homes and opportunities for small businesses,” shared Jennifer Epps, Executive Director of the LIFT Fund. “That should be our story, because that is what we as a county deserve.”

“African Americans and Latinos make up 91% of the population in Prince George’s County,” Former Prince George’s County Councilmember Derrick Leon Davis, shared. “And that number is still going up!”

“As a minority-majority community, there’s so much we can gain if we band together as Black and Brown folks to build a stronger Prince George’s County.”

Participants also heard from Dr. George L. Askew, President & CEO of the Meyer Foundation.

As the former Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Health, Human Services, and Education in Prince George’s County and a long-time Prince Georgian, Dr. Askew shared his experience serving in the Alsobrooks administration, watching as county officials fought “tooth and nail” for federal resources necessary to help the county succeed in the aftermath of the pandemic. Dr. Askew shared that leaders in the County all too often were contending with racist undertones and outright structural and systemic racism in pursuit of health and human services resources for the County. 

He also acknowledged the role that philanthropy has played in underinvesting in the county, historically, and shared his commitment to working alongside The Community Foundation and other funders to collaborate to bring Prince George’s forward, as part of The Partnership for Prince George’s.

After Dr. Askew, Ronnie Galvin opened the floor to questions and comments from the audience, which sparked conversation on a range of topics from the importance of a cohesive investment strategy to the need for more investment in nonprofit organizations and reforms to public policy and tax code.

“If you aren’t in the room, you aren’t in the conversation,” Artis Hampshire-Cowan, Advisory Board member for The Community Foundation in Prince George’s County added. “Part of our purpose in having this event is to open a dialogue so that you all can be a part of the conversation.”

“We need this conversation, so we can continue to carry it forward and move this dialogue into action,” Tonia Wellons concluded. “Action that will build a stronger Prince George’s County for everyone.”

The next convening of An Agenda for Economic Justice in Prince George’s County will take place on June 13, 2024 from 10 a.m. to noon. To register for this event, please contact Eliza Tolbert-Howard at etolbert-howard@thecommunityfoundation.org.

For more information, please read the special edition of Prince George’s County Dialogue – A Conversation and Exchange of Ideas around the Case for Economic Justice in Prince George’s.

Ignite Change: Join Us for the 2024 Health Equity Summit!

Join the Greater Washington Community Foundation in Washington, DC on April 30 for the 2024 Health Equity Summit. This year’s summit will convene local and national thought leaders, practitioners, policy makers, and community organizations for conversations around the theme: With Equity and Economic Justice for All: Balancing the Scales So Everyone Wins. 

Our Vision

Our time together will  be guided by 3 core vision statements:

• In Pursuit of Health Equity - Well-being for All

  We imagine a world where everyone can experience physical, mental, and social well-being.

  Why it Matters: If mortality rates of Black Americans were equal to white Americans over the course of the 20th century, there would be 8.8 million more Black Americans alive today.

  Source: https://harvardpublichealth.org/equity/reparations-will-save-black-lives/

• In Pursuit of Economic Justice - Prosperity for All

  We imagine a world where everyone can thrive in a non-extractive economy.

  Why it matters: In the Greater Washington, DC region, the racial wealth gap is 81:1, Blacks to whites, and the income gap is 3:1.  This pattern persists through the United States of America.

  Source: https://www.urban.org/research/publication/color-wealth-nations-capital

• In Pursuit of Liberation: - The Case for Reparations

  We imagine a world where harm has been repaired and everyone can be made whole.

  Why it matters:  To date, the only class of people who have received federal reparations for slavery are white slaveowners who lived in DC.  Under The District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act, the federal government paid 900-odd slaveholders an average of $300 in reparations for each of their slaves.

  Source:https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/civil_war/DCEmancipationAct_FeaturedDoc.htm

Don't Miss This Opportunity to Be a Part of Positive Change!

Space is limited, so be sure to RSVP at your earliest convenience to secure your spot.

---

Meet our participants

---

Summit Itinerary

9:00 a.m. Participant Check-In

Complimentary Continental Breakfast Bar

9:30 a.m. Summit Opener

• Meditation and Movement by Chianti Lomax

• Remarks by Tonia Wellons, President and CEO, Greater Washington Community Foundation

• Remarks by Dr. Tollie Elliott Sr., CEO, Mary's Center and Health Equity Committee Member

• Poem by Camilo Montoya

10:00 a.m. A Conversation In Pursuit of Health Equity: Well- being for All

• Dr. Marla M. Dean

  Moderator

  Senior Director of Health Equity Fund

  Greater Washington Community Foundation

  Read Bio

• Damon Francis, M.D.

  Medical Director, Homeless Health Center

  Alameda Health System

  Read Bio

• Anthony Iton, M.D., J.D., MPH

  Senior Vice President of Healthy Communities

  The California Endowment

  Read Bio

11:00 a.m. Notes from the Field

Featuring Lessons From Our Nonprofit Partners

11:20 A.M. Remarks

• Ayanna Bennett, M.D., MSPH, FAAP, Director of DC Department of Health

• Dr. C. Anneta Arno, MPH, Director of Health Equity, DC Department of Health

• Rev. Mia Michelle McClain, Pastor, Riverside Church at the Wharf

11:35 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Lunch on Your Own

A list of nearby options will be provided

12:45 p.m. Community Poem

12:55 p.m. A Conversation In Pursuit of Economic Justice: Prosperity for All

• Temi F. Bennett

  Moderator

  Co-Chief Executive Officer if, A Foundation for Radical Possibility

  Read Bio

• Prof. Anthony Cook, J.D.

  Reynolds Family Endowed Service Professor; Special Advisor to the Dean for Community and Justice

  Georgetown University

  Read Bio

• Sohrab Kohli

  Senior Manager & Benefits21 Initiative Lead, Financial Security Program

  Aspen Institute

  Read Bio

• Jennifer Bryant

  Program Manager, Black Employee Ownership Initiative

  Project Equity

  Read Bio

1:55 p.m. Notes from the Field

Featuring Lessons From Our Nonprofit Partners

2:25 P.M. Performance

Performance by Dana Kristina-Joi Morgan, Pianist Virtuoso 

2:35 P.M. Notes from the Field

Featuring Lessons From Our Nonprofit Partners

2:40 p.m. A Conversation In Pursuit of Liberation: A Case for Reparations

• Rev. William H. Lamar IV

  Facilitator

  Senior Pastor

  Metropolitan AME Church

  Read Bio

• LesLeigh Ford

  Associate Director, Office of Race and Equity Research

  Urban Institute

  Read Bio

• Dr. Raymond Winbush

  Research Associate Professor, Institute for Urban Research

  Morgan State University

  Read Bio

• Dr. Stacey Patton

  Research Associate Professor, Institute for Urban Research

  Morgan State University

  Read Bio

3:40 p.m. Grant Partner Presentation: A Call To Action

Featuring Lessons from Our Nonprofit Partners

3:55 p.m. Summit Closing Remarks

Closing Remarks by Dr. Marla M. Dean, Senior Director, Health Equity Fund

4:00 p.m. Networking Happy Hour

held at the Wharfside Patio at Canopy by Hilton with complementary food and beverages

Sounds by Vybe King the DJ 

---

Check Out Our Summit Playlist

The late Dick Clark of American Bandstand fame said, “Music is the soundtrack of our lives.” This playlist was curated to commemorate the key messages of the Summit.

The first 10 songs, selected by Dr. Marla M. Dean, correspond to each segment of the Summit. From the prelude to meditation & movement to each panel and the performances in between and ultimately the call to action (postlude), each song seeks to connect the topics discussed at the Summit to their musical muse. The remaining songs just keep the vibe going because there is so much work left undone.

And since this Summit is all about community, we invite you to add to the playlist.

We also have a Spanish-inspired playlist curated by our colleague, Yorman De La Rosa. You are also encouraged to contribute to this playlist.

Faces of Sharing - Getting to Know Sharing Montgomery's Ana Morales

Ana Morales has been a proud member of Sharing Montgomery for the past three years – including serving as Chair/Co-Chair of the committee for the past two years.

“I love learning about the needs in our county and admire the incredible efforts of so many people and organizations in our community who are dedicated to addressing them,” Morales shared of her experience. 

For Morales, Sharing Montgomery’s work has also been a way to grow closer to a community she knows and loves.  Born in Guatemala, she immigrated to the United States at the age of 9 and has called Montgomery County home for most of her life. She attended Montgomery County Public Schools and vividly recalls taking ESOL classes in elementary school at a time when the county’s immigrant community was growing rapidly.

Morales now serves as Senior Vice President and Director of Treasury Management at Founders Bank.  She started her banking career in Embassy and International Banking but has predominantly focused on Commercial Banking within local community banks.

Morales says that while her career provided her with opportunities to participate in fundraisers and events for various nonprofits – including serving on the board of several influential nonprofit organizations -- Morales felt like she was not getting the complete picture.

“I think it’s easy for many of us to stay within our bubbles and not know what’s going on outside of the world that we live in,” Morales shared. “I’ve always wanted to learn about the county I’ve lived in for so long and better understand what some of the challenges are, so I can better support the people who are in support of those in need.”

Ana at an event for NAMI-Montgomery County, where she serves on the Board of Directors.

That’s when her friend Steve Hull, a long-time supporter and member of The Community Foundation Advisory Board in Montgomery County invited her to learn more about The Community Foundation and the Sharing Montgomery initiative.

The invitation came about a year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic – a critical time for nonprofits which continued to struggle to meet growing needs across our region.

“I was really impressed with The Community Foundation’s response and involvement during and following the COVID pandemic,” Morales shared. “It was inspiring to watch them build bridges between nonprofits and empower these organizations to mobilize and meet needs in the community – putting all the pieces together to build people up.”

Morales joined both the Montgomery County Advisory Board and Sharing Montgomery Grants Committee in 2021. She quickly gained an appreciation of The Community Foundation’s vision to close the racial wealth gap.

“As an immigrant working in the banking industry, I really connect to the importance of promoting economic mobility,” Morales shared. “Through The Community Foundation and the Sharing Montgomery initiative, I’ve been able to see how my contributions can play a role in that.”

On one occasion, Morales recalls being introduced to a nonprofit partner which works to help Latino and immigrant students in Mongomery County maximize their potential.

“The more I heard about the work they do and attended their events through Sharing, the more I could see my experience mirrored in the kids they serve,” Morales shared. “I know what it’s like to be a young person in a foreign place and all the challenges that come with it. Seeing them helped me realize that I could do more for my community.”

Morales went on to join the board of directors of that Sharing Montgomery grantee organization, while continuing her leadership work of inspiring more people to give and join in the Sharing Montgomery learning journey. 

Ana with team members from The Community Foundation in Montgomery County after announcing the Sharing Montgomery 2023 cohort of nonprofit partners.

“Sharing Montgomery is a place where you can see all of the various needs that there are in a county that many consider to be very affluent,” Morales shared. “I love that Sharing Montgomery is a platform for us to have a candid look at our county’s needs and challenges in an organized, methodical, and analytical way while focusing on the mission of empowering local nonprofits to do more.”

In addition to her board involvement, Morales says that being a part of Sharing Montgomery has inspired her to be more intentional in her personal philanthropy of giving back to her community, making it a bigger part of her long-term plans and life-goals.

“No matter what touches your heart, The Community Foundation will guide you to find not only the right causes and organizations to support, but also the right ways that you can support them and make a difference in your community.”

Want to get involved? The Sharing Montgomery Fund Committee welcomes new members. Contact Olivia Hsu (ohsu@thecommunityfoundation.org)  to find out more about how you can be a part of this impactful fund!

Faces of Sharing - Getting to know Sharing Prince George's David & Keisha Hawkins

“What I love about Sharing Prince George’s is that they are humans in service of humans,” Keisha Hawkins shared when I asked her about her Sharing Prince George’s experience.

“I think sometimes in life, we lose sight of our humanity,” she added. “Sharing Prince George’s helped me see the beauty and humanity in my community.”

As long-time residents of Prince George’s County, Keisha and David Hawkins joined Sharing Prince George’s in 2022 – bringing with them a tremendous amount of energy and experience in community engagement.

“I am the Community, He’s the Foundation,” Keisha said when describing the couple’s approach to giving back. “I’m passionate about getting my feet on the ground and getting involved in the logistics of community work in action. He is great at the critical, work behind-the-scenes like networking and connecting people.”  

David and Keisha met while studying at Howard University. Early on in their relationship, the couple enjoyed making time to get involved in community through volunteer work with organizations like the Red Cross and Capital Area Food Bank, while pursuing their respective careers – David in Banking Investments and Keisha in project management. Both have enjoyed finding ways to leverage those careers to give back to the community they love.

David provides monthly workshops with Medicare to educate people on how to manage their finances and achieve their financial goals, while Keisha is heavily involved with Meadows House Foundation – an organization that teaches aviation to youth through youth empowerment, workforce development, and STEM trainings in College Park. Both share a passion for helping others obtain valuable experiences and perspective beyond their current circumstances– helping them broaden their horizons and access their fullest and brightest potential for their future.

“It bothers us that people are forced into environments and situations where they don’t have the resources to change their circumstances,” the couple shared. “We believe it’s important to step up and be the change we want to see in our community.”

The couple was first introduced to The Community Foundation in 2016 through David’s colleague, Virginia Chueng -- a Trustee on The Community Foundation’s Board of Directors and a former member of the advisory board for The Community Foundation in Montgomery County.

At the time, David was working in Montgomery County and was often asked to attend events for nonprofits doing work in the area, including events for The Community Foundation. However, when he was invited to join Sharing Montgomery in 2019, he quickly realized that the initiative was a whole different story.

“I’d never seen this level of organization and collaboration in grantmaking,” David shared. “I was introduced to so many great organizations through the Sharing initiative that were doing incredible work in the community. It really made me want to be more involved.”

Over time, David realized that what he really wanted was to give back in the community where he and his family live – in Prince George’s County.

“Neither of the banks I work for have a presence in Prince George’s County,” David explained. “So I don’t get as many chances to learn about the people who are doing the work in my own backyard.”

So when David had an opportunity to join Sharing Prince George’s a few years later, he was excited to bring Keisha in on the action. Now in their second year on Sharing Prince George’s, the couple say they have thoroughly enjoyed being able to use their knowledge gained through Sharing Prince George’s to benefit their community.”

“We love contributing to these local organizations, however we can,” David shared. “Just knowing about the work that they do helps us to strengthen our community.”

In addition to making monetary and in-kind donations, David and Keisha have also referred friends and family members to some of the nonprofit partners – allowing them to access much needed services that they otherwise might not have known about.

“Sharing Prince George’s helped me to understand the larger scale impact of philanthropic work through a community lens,” Keisha shared. “It allowed me to interact with people from across my community, coming together to give back to the community they live in.”

“I believe in the ‘community’ part of the ‘The Community Foundation’,” she continued. “Sharing Prince George’s allowed me to see that in action.”

Keisha recently joined the advisory board for The Community Foundation in Prince George’s County, where she says she’s excited to be a force for change and an advocate for change in her community – in addition to continuing her involvement in Sharing Prince George’s with David and many of her fellow advisory board members.

“If you live in Prince George’s County and want to see improvements in your community – this is the organization to be a part of.”

Want to get involved? The Sharing Prince George’s Fund Committee welcomes new members! Contact Eliza Tolbert-Howard (etolbert-howard@thecommunityfoundation.org) to find out more about how you can be a part of this impactful fund!

Faces of Sharing - Getting to Know Sharing DC's Fonda Sutton

For Sharing DC Member Fonda Sutton, participating in the Sharing DC initiative has been a labor of love for the city she is proud to call home.

“I love Washington, DC,” Sutton shared. “I’ve lived in this city longer than my own birthplace. For me, this work is not only necessary – it’s personal.”

Born in a rural town in Eastern North Carolina, Sutton fell in love with DC as a young girl visiting relatives who had moved to the nation’s capital to pursue government jobs. Growing up, Sutton eagerly looked forward to spending time over the summers in “Chocolate City”.

After high school, Sutton moved to DC to attend Georgetown University – becoming the first member of her family to earn a college degree (and later a law degree – also from Georgetown). Following graduation, Sutton began a long and prestigious career within DC’s education system, working with some of the city’s early charter school founders and as a leader at DC Public Schools. She currently serves as the Partner of Public Engagement and Advocacy at Education Forward DC – an organization that provides grants to support  more high-quality educational opportunities for students.

Sutton says that while she loves some of the changes that she’s seen in the city over the years, she is mindful of DC’s ever-changing legacy for its Black and Brown residents – particularly the need to make increased investments to reduce inequities and build wealth.

“I’m super excited about the network of organizations that Sharing DC is building – especially those who are working to serve Black and Brown residents in the city,” Sutton shared. “It is so important that we highlight and support the work that they are doing.”

As a seasoned grant maker and community advocate, Sutton is no stranger to funding community work. However, Sharing DC was one of her first glimpses into donor-advised grant making – a process that she says is a win-win scenario for everybody.

“The organization I currently work for is an intermediary grant maker – we raise funds and then make investments to support and improve the education ecosystem,” Sutton explained. “It’s been heartening to instead rub shoulders with individual donors – people who really care about their community and are thinking about the grassroots level impact of their giving.”

Sutton’s experience and perspective – both in grant making and in the community – have been invaluable to the Sharing DC committee, as members work together to decide how to best use collective funds to have the greatest potential impact on the community.

“It’s a beautiful view into private philanthropy,” Sutton said of her experience on Sharing DC. “It’s a great give and take opportunity to work with other donors to strengthen the community around you.”

“It’s also a great opportunity for smaller organizations to get funding – support that makes a big difference for the work that they do in their communities,” she added. “I’ve had the privilege of observing and working with some of these organizations, and I can tell you that it means the world to them.”

Sutton says she has also enjoyed meeting with smaller nonprofit organizations that she was not previously familiar with, some of which she has been so impressed with that she has sought out ways to support them outside of Sharing DC in small and personal ways – like holiday donations through her personal book group.

“I think that many of us are very aware of the larger organizations doing good work on the issues that we relate to, based on our own experience,” she added. “But there are so many smaller organizations really hustling to serve in our community – and if they just had a little more support, it would go so far for the work they are doing.”

When asked about her future plans for participating in Sharing DC, Sutton had this to say.

“It’s important work, and I love to be a part of it – I will be there, as long as they will have me.”

Want to get involved? The Sharing DC Fund Committee welcomes new members! Contact Isabel Spake (ispake@thecommunityfoundation.org) to find out more about how you can be a part of this impactful fund!

Thrive Prince George’s Guaranteed Income Pilot Begins Monthly Cash Payments

The pilot will provide $800 per month for 24 months to seniors and youth who have aged out of the foster care system.

The public-private partnership behind Thrive Prince George’s, the county’s first-ever guaranteed income pilot program, are pleased to announce that cash distributions will begin this month as part of a two-year, $4 million pilot that seeks to provide greater economic stability and mobility for families in the region. The program will provide monthly cash payments of $800 to 50 youth (age 18-24) who have aged out of foster care and 125 seniors (age 60+) for a 24-month period with no strings attached.

“Studies have shown that modest guaranteed basic income pilots can decrease poverty by as much as 40%,” said Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “We strongly believe that this program will improve the lives of many in Prince George’s County and will reduce the racial wealth gap in a way that makes it viable for the county to consider providing guaranteed basic income for years to come.”

The pilot program application period opened on December 11, 2023, and received over 5,000 inquiries for 175 slots before closing in mid-January 2024. The partners determined eligibility requirements to ensure that limited resources would be directed towards participants residing in high poverty zip codes (according to ACS and Census), representing ALICE households (earning above the Federal Poverty Level but less than the basic cost of living), with preference given to caregivers and returning citizens.

Thrive Prince George’s is funded through a public-private partnership leveraging both public and private philanthropic resources from the Greater Washington Community Foundation, Prince George’s County Executive and County Council, and the Meyer Foundation. 

"This initiative is an innovative example of how we find solutions through public-private partnerships," said Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. "Thanks to this collaborative pilot program, we're weaving a stronger social fabric and helping people improve their quality of life."

While several pilots are currently operating around the region – including in Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, DC, and Montgomery County – and the country, this is the first guaranteed income program to exclusively serve residents of Prince George’s County.

“I’ve championed the guaranteed basic income program for years because I know it provides an opportunity to tackle poverty and create better quality of life for our residents,” said County Council Member Krystal Oriadha. “My hope is with more jurisdictions moving to implement programs like this, we will see an investment at the state and federal level that will allow these pilots to become permanent. I am excited about partnering with organizations like the Greater Washington Community Foundation to make this dream a reality.”

Guaranteed income programs have proven to be one of the most promising approaches to increasing financial stability. The positive impact of guaranteed income has been studied for decades, with evidence indicating that monthly cash payments can reduce income volatility and support recipients in attaining full-time employment, greater housing stability, improved health outcomes, and more.

“The Meyer Foundation is glad to partner in the growing local movement for economic justice by investing in efforts that honor the humanity and self-determination of individuals in our region,” said Meyer Foundation President and CEO George L. Askew, MD. “The positive impacts of guaranteed basic income programs like Thrive Prince George’s County have been well researched and ultimately create greater momentum toward the policy and systems change we hope to see throughout Greater Washington and beyond.”

The Community Foundation will administer the pilot program as part of its Together, We Prosper Campaign for Economic Justice, which is focused on investing in economic strategies that will increase economic mobility to help close the region’s racial wealth gap.

It has also partnered with Court Appointed Special Advocate Prince George’s County (CASA) and United Communities Against Poverty (UCAP), two community-based organizations in Prince George’s County that led the recruitment, selection, and onboarding of participants, and are distributing the cash payments.

"One's quality of life should not decline due to the privilege of age. The ability to thrive should also not be contingent upon one's socioeconomic status in their community. UCAP is privileged to have the opportunity to take a role in a pilot program that will immediately and positively impact the life of the participant...THRIVE Prince George's,” said Rasheeda Jamison-Harriott, President & CEO, United Communities Against Poverty, Inc. (UCAP).

“Youth who have experienced foster care are more likely to experience hardships such as unemployment, health issues, increased rates of incarceration, and many become unhoused. Thrive Prince George's allows Court Appointed Special Advocates/CASA to help disrupt cycles of generational poverty, create a continuum of care, and increase the likelihood of long-term stability for young people as they adjust to independence. These are our emerging adults. We want them to know that we see them, and we are honored for the opportunity to stand with an ecosystem of organizations committed to their long-term success,” said Yolanda Johnson, Executive Director, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Prince George's County.

Other program partners include Prince George’s County Department of Social Services; Prince George’s ChangeMakers, an advocate for the adoption of a guaranteed income program in Prince George’s County; and Capital Area Asset Builders, which will offer technical assistance based on its experience operating several similar programs.

The Community Foundation has also partnered with Urban Institute to measure how the economic status of participants improves over time and implement an evaluation program that balances quantitative and qualitative measures that have historically demonstrated client progress and program viability.

For more information about Thrive Prince George’s, visit www.thecommunityfoundation.org/thrive-prince-georges.  

Learning Together: Launching the Community Impact Forum Series

On April 18, The Community Foundation kicked off our Community Impact Forum series at Imagination Stage in downtown Bethesda. The event (formerly known as the Funder roundtable) is set to be the first in series of Impact Forums that The Community Foundation will host across our region to bring together fundholders, board members, corporate funders, and leaders from local private foundations.

The events – which have a strict no-solicitation policy – are designed to help participants learn more about the region and exchange ideas with other people who share a passion for strengthening the local community. 

“The Impact Forum is designed to bring us together to better understand the needs we’re experiencing in communities, look at the lessons we’ve learned from the past, and discuss the strategies we can collaborate on to solve for the future,” shared Tonia Wellons, President & CEO of The Community Foundation.

Following the warm welcome from our CEO, guests heard from Darius Graham, Managing Director of Community Investment at The Community Foundation about the soon-to-be-released VoicesDMV Community Insights report.

The VoicesDMV Community Insights report is part of a comprehensive civic engagement initiative originally launched by The Community Foundation in 2017. This year, The Community Foundation has partnered with Gallup to conduct a regional survey to uncover how residents are doing, what challenges they are facing, what their hopes and dreams for the future are, and how they view important issues.

“Effective community work starts with hearing the voices within our community,” Graham explained as he shared some exclusive findings from the report. “That’s why we are excited to share this critical resource with all of you. Together, we can use these findings to not only drive future dialogue, but also future investments.”

To learn more, be sure to register for VoicesDMV’s official release event on Tuesday, May 21 at 10 a.m. More information about the event is available on our website.

Following the presentation, Anna Hargrave, Executive Director for Montgomery County, moderated a conversation with Alan Berube, Interim Vice President and Director of Brookings Metro and co-author of the book Confronting Suburban Poverty in America.

“We are at a point in this country where poverty is more pervasive in the suburbs than it is in big cities,” Berube shared when asked to respond to insights from the VoicesDMV report. “When we talk about how we address poverty in suburbs – like Montgomery County – we have to talk about the systemic barriers that are contributing to it.”

Berube explained that most suburban communities in America were not originally designed with the infrastructure necessary to serve families living below the federal poverty line.

As more families from diverse racial and socio-economic backgrounds have migrated to the suburbs in recent decades, many jurisdictions have been struggled to develop systems such as public transportation systems, scalable wrap-around services, and other basic aspects of anti-poverty infrastructure that are often more readily accessible in larger cities.

“The pandemic magnified these needs all around the country but especially in the suburbs,” Berube outlined. “The number of people living below the Federal Poverty Line in the suburbs is now three times higher than those living in larger cities.”

“Fortunately, many community foundations have played a huge role at stepping in and mobilizing to meet those needs.”

Berube applauded the Greater Washington Community Foundation for collaborating with local leadership to establish community partnerships that have allowed nonprofits to expand into Montgomery County, begin to address some of these infrastructure gaps, and push for systemic change that will help the entire community. He encouraged donors and community leaders to continue to seek out and fund organizations – especially smaller community-led nonprofits -- that see and treat the “whole family”, as opposed to solving for isolated issues.

Attendees left the event feeling energized to continue the conversation and work together to address our community’s most pressing needs.

If you’d like to learn more about future convenings, please contact Anna Hargrave at ahargrave@thecommunityfoundation.org.

Sharing NoVA: Building Community, One Grant at a Time

The small but mighty team behind Joyful Hands - a first-time nonprofit partner with Sharing NoVA that works to provide education, literacy and access to community resources in the Richmond Highway Corridor.

For Yolonda Earl-Thompson, making a difference in the community has always started in one place – in the community.

“Community-led efforts are important because they bring humanity and trust into the change that the community seeks,” Earl-Thompson shared.

“When change happens from within the community, it is a seed planted that takes root and encourages future community members to value and evolve the work.”

Currently the founder and Executive Director of mental health advocacy nonprofit, LAZERA Ministries, Earl-Thompson has more than a decade of experience in community-based advocacy and nonprofit work in the Richmond Highway Corridor in Southeast Fairfax County – one of the priority neighborhoods identified by The Community Foundation in its 10 Year Strategic Plan.

So when The Community Foundation decided to launch its Sharing Northern Virginia initiative, this past year, they asked Earl-Thompson to help facilitate -- ensuring that the new initiative would have the greatest possible impact on communities in Northern Virginia.

“Sharing Community Funds are designed to connect donors to the organizations that are doing the most good in their community – no matter how big or small they are,” shared Benton Murphy, Director of Fund Administration and Special Projects at The Community Foundation. 

First launched in Montgomery County and later in neighboring DC & Prince George’s County, The Community Foundation’s Sharing Community Funds are designed to bring together donors who share passion for building more equitable, just, and thriving communities. 

A community event with Loving Hands Touch Ministry, Inc, a nonprofit partners with the new Sharing Northern Virginia initiative that provides essential human services to underserved communities.

Facilitated by The Community Foundation’s staff and partners like Earl-Thompson, Sharing donors learn first-hand about the challenges facing their specific community. Together, they meet with and make impactful grants to visionary nonprofits working on the frontlines of our region’s most pressing needs.

Across the region, the initiatives have already had a tremendous impact -- distributing more than $2.7 million to dozens of nonprofit organizations in DC, Montgomery County and Prince George’s County since 2022 alone. 

For the inaugural launch of Sharing Northern Virginia, The Community Foundation convened a small group of community leaders and professional advisors like Lindsay Shetterly to be a part of this exciting initiative. Shetterly is a wealth advisor who works with clients to help them maximize the impact of their charitable giving.

“Through the Sharing NoVA program, I learned from local leaders about the diversity and depth of needs in our community,” Shetterly explained. “While many of these organizations are young and still building their foundations, their work is incredibly meaningful and crucial to many.  They are changing lives.” 

“I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of this initiative.  I am now more aware of how I can support and serve the organizations that are bridging the gaps, creating pathways for success, and inspiring people to make their dreams a reality.”

Working with Earl-Thompson, the Sharing Northern Virginia committee met with several nonprofit organizations based in The Community Foundation’s priority neighborhoods in Richmond Highway and Bailey’s Crossroads. Committee members learned about the history of the communities, as well as ongoing issues of food insecurity, accessibility of transportation and educational opportunities, and other pressing community issues that nonprofits are working tirelessly to meet in their communities.

“It’s important that we take the time to not only meet the people doing the work, but also to understand the community where the work is being done,” Earl-Thompson shared. “The better we can understand the community, the more impactful our investments can be.”

Hardemon Dynasty, Inc a nonprofit partners with the Sharing Northern Virginia initiative that provides affordable housing and wrap-around services to young adults aging out of foster care.

At the end of the process, the Sharing Northern Virginia Committee awarded a total of $100,000 in multi-year funding to eight different nonprofit organizations. The grants were awarded towards general operating costs – allowing organizations to invest in their infrastructure and sustainability. What is especially exciting is that many of these organizations were receiving a grant from The Community Foundation for the very first time. 

“What makes Sharing Funds unique is that we have an opportunity to fund organizations that haven’t yet received the funding or recognition that they deserve,” Benton added. “A lot of them are younger, innovative organizations that are doing incredible work, but don’t have the capacity, staffing or connections to go after big grants or media opportunities.”

Organizations like Joyful Hands – a small nonprofit that has been providing access to school supplies and nutritious food to over 300 school-age children in the Richmond Highway corridor. 

“We are incredibly enthusiastic about the opportunity to increase our service capacity in our community,” Founder Elizabeth T. Rainey shared. “This multi-year funding will help us expand our reach, deepen our impact, and enhance our community programs.”

The Community Foundation plans to use the multi-year funding as a platform to create a cohort with the eight nonprofit partners – allowing them to learn from each other and collaborate in order to have an even greater impact on the community. The cohort will also provide a forum for The Community Foundation and future Sharing Northern Virginia committees to learn more about community needs and discuss ways to make more innovative and impactful investments in future funding rounds.

Click here to Meet the 2024 Sharing Northern Virginia Nonprofit Partners!

Want to get involved in Sharing Northern Virginia and find ways to make meaningful investments in your community?

New committee members are always welcome! Contact Benton Murphy at bmurphy@thecommunityfoundation.org