Lesley-Jane Dixon: Cultivating the Future of Female Leadership

The Community Foundation is excited to continue our Leaders of the Future series, highlighting the work and experiences of incredible individuals and organizations from across our community of philanthropic, community, professional advisor, corporate, and nonprofit partners.

Not the least of these are the incredible members of The Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees, who work tirelessly to champion and facilitate the work that we do. Lesley-Jane Dixon has served on The Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees since 2019 and will be completing her service on the Board at the end of this month.

From the early days of her career, Lesley-Jane Dixon was used to being one of the only women in the room.

A finance major who grew up in New Jersey, Lesley-Jane began her career at the epicenter of the global financial industry – the American Stock Exchange on Wall St.

“From the moment I saw the trading floor, I was completely and utterly hooked,” Lesley-Jane recalls, as she witnessed the hustle and bustle of traders,  floor brokers, and  market makers – mostly White men – conducting the trades that fuel the U.S. Economy.

Breaking the Glass Ceiling

Although the numbers have been steadily increasing over the years, Women on Wall St – and in most of the financial sector – are still in the minority. Studies show that just about a third of Certified Financial Planners (CFP) in the US are women – and even fewer (about 18%) are in financial leadership positions.

However, Lesley-Jane did not let that bother her as she spent three years at the Stock Exchange, another year at the investment giant Lehman Brothers, and a distinguished career at Lord, Abbett & Co – one of the oldest money management firms in the US – where she eventually became a portfolio manager and partner.

From Wall St to Main Street

In 2007, Lesley-Jane left her position at Lord, Abbett & Co in New Jersey and began a new career as Chief Investment Officer at Clark Enterprises – A private investment firm founded in 1972 to manage Clark family wealth.

While her new environment differed greatly from the Stock Market Floor, Lesley-Jane enjoyed working with the Clark family to guide their investment strategy and learn more about the Greater Washington region she now called home.

Before long, Lesley-Jane was introduced to The Community Foundation, joining the Montgomery County Advisory Board in 2016 and serving on the Sharing Montgomery grants committee.

“I have truly benefited from the unique perspective the Community Foundation has given me through ongoing education opportunities on the needs and priorities of the region, which mirror those of the nation,” Lesley-Jane shared. “I am forever grateful to the Community Foundation for opening my heart and eyes; my time on the board has been a profoundly transformational experience.”

Lesley-Jane with Anna Hargrave, Executive Director for Montgomery County; Marcus Braxton, Chief Operations Officer; and Juliana Mitrojorgji, Chief Financial Officer at the 2023 Annual Meeting.

In the Room Where it Happens

It didn’t take long for Lesley-Jane to catch the attention of fellow financial planner and advisory board member, Mary Pat Alcus who also served on the Board of Trustees as Chair of The Community Foundation’s Investment Committee. The Investment Committee is responsible for overseeing the management of the more than $500 million in assets under The Community Foundation’s purview. By 2019, Lesley-Jane was invited to join the Board of Trustees and the Investment Committee – which she would later Chair.

Within months, Lesley-Jane and Mary Pat helped onboard a new CEO – Tonia Wellons – the second Black Female CEO in the The Community Foundation’s history. Together, with Juliana Mitrojorgji – the organization’s Chief Financial Officer, The CommunityFoundation boasted an all-Female Investment Committee with a combined 75 years of investment, partnership, and financial management experience.

“What I love about working with a strong female leader like Tonia is that she spends more time listening than speaking. ” Lesley-Jane shared. “As an effective communicator, Tonia encourages diverse perspectives, is open to differing opinions and believes in collaboration.  Her commitment to the vision and goals she has set for herself, the organization, and the staff contributes to a culture of respect and success.

Together, the women set out to reevaluate the organization’s investment strategy – eventually seeking out and onboarding a new Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) to manage The Community Foundation’s assets and generate stronger returns for fundholders and the community. They also initiated annual onsite visits between The Community Foundation and the OCIO (SEI), to promote strategic alignment and greater transparency around investment priorities.

Lesley-Jane and the Investment Committee were also heavily involved in the adoption and implementation of The Community Foundation’s 10-Year Strategic Vision to close the racial wealth gap – particularly as it related to making socially and financially responsible investments to execute the organization’s goals.

“I thoroughly enjoy working with Tonia, Juliana, Rachel and The Community Foundation team,” Lesley-Jane shared. “They are passionate about what they do, bringing unique strengths, robust skills, and an unmatched dedication to advancing the organization’s mission and vision. Throughout my tenure, I’ve felt valued, appreciated, and part of the team, a rarity in the for-profit and nonprofit worlds.  Tonia has built an enduring culture of inclusion and innovation, enabling her to attract and retain the best and the brightest.  Spending time with them felt like my second home.

Supporting Strong Female Leaders Abroad

Zulnette Garcia Ramos, Executive Director of Albanisteria en la Brega - a nonprofit organization in Puerto Rico that Lesley-Jane advises through How Women Lead.

Lesley-Jane’s leadership impact goes beyond The Community Foundation. In 2023, she was invited to join the Board of Advisors for How Women Lead, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping women influence change in the workplace. (Jill Landefeld, fellow Community Foundation Trustee and member of the Investment Committee, is also a Board Member).

How Women Lead provides outlets for female executives to support women by activating individual and collective power to influence change through leadership advancement, investment, coaching and philanthropy.

Through one of the programs, Lesley-Jane has worked with nonprofit leaders in Puerto Rico and Kenya – helping to support women as they build organizations providing much needed services from access to school libraries to support for victims of domestic violence.

When asked what she enjoys most about the program, Lesley-Jane shared that she enjoys seeing women empowered to change their community and become examples of leadership that future female leaders can follow.

“When we uplift one another, we create networks of encouragement and collaboration that can break down systemic barriers that limit potential,” Lesley-Jane concluded. “Moreover, women supporting each other sets a powerful example for future generations, inspiring them to carry forward the legacy of unity.”

“Strong female leaders can drive positive change and make significant improvements --Not just to an organization, but to a whole community!”

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!

Brilliant Futures Launches in Prince George's County

On September 10, parents, teachers and friends of the graduating class of 2037 gathered at Bradbury Heights Elementary School in Capitol Heights to celebrate the launch of Brilliant Futures. The pilot – which was launched in partnership with Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) and Reid Community Development Corporation – is the first children’s saving pilot program in Prince George’s County.

“We are pleased to announce our partnership with Bradbury Heights for our Brilliant Futures Program to invest in the future of your children,” President & CEO Tonia Wellons shared with parents – some of whom were hearing about the program for the very first time.

Announced earlier this year, Brilliant Futures is a children’s savings pilot program that will provide kindergarten students at two schools with up to $1,000 in savings each year from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Members of the Class of 2037 perform a special musical number to kick off the program.

The Community Foundation has partnered with Prince George’s County Public Schools to launch the pilot program for all kindergarteners currently enrolled at Bradbury Heights Elementary School in Capitol Heights, MD in Prince George’s County. The program also launched in June for the rising kindergarteners at Jackson Road Elementary School in the White Oak neighborhood of Silver Spring, MD in Montgomery County.

The Community Foundation has committed to funding the program for two consecutive kindergarten cohorts at each school — specifically the future graduating classes of 2036 and 2037 at Jackson Road Elementary and classes of 2037 and 2038 at Bradbury Heights Elementary schools. The program is expected to enroll up to 400 students. The participant population is 90% Black, Latinx, and Hispanic with all students eligible for free and reduced meal service (FARMS).

The schools were selected in alignment with The Community Foundation's strategic focus on high opportunity priority neighborhoods across the region where residents are experiencing the deepest disparities in homeownership, income, and life expectancy, according to several data sources.

Superintendent Millard House II handing out certificates to Brilliant Futures participants at Bradbury Heights Elementary

“We’ve seen the transformative impacts of well-executed programs that provide savings for young people and adults alike,” said Millard House II, superintendent of Prince George’s County Public Schools. “We hope that by supporting students with a down payment on life, whether that goes toward funding a college tuition, starting a small business, or buying a house, this program will level the playing field, promoting racial and financial equity in the Greater Washington region.”

“Brilliant Futures isn’t just about the money,” Dr. Lynnette Walker-Crayton, Principal of Bradbury Heights Elementary School added. “It’s about nurturing our youngest learners and setting them up with the confidence and agency to build their own life.”

That confidence rang through the air, as members of the graduating class of 2037 opened the program with a special musical number -- twenty bright, smiling faces belting out the refrain:

““I’m brave, I’m strong, I’m loved…and I’m unique!” ”

— Brilliant Futures Students, Bradbury Heights

The pilot program will be funded using $10 million of contributions raised by The Community Foundation’s “Together, We Prosper Campaign for Economic Justice” and through investments from generous donors. Upon completing high school, the goal is for each student to have access to at least $13,000, plus any investment earnings, that they can use to seed their future aspirations. 

Brilliant Futures parent Joann Brent and her future scholars.

The Greater Washington Community Foundation will work with the schools as well as with community partners Reid Community Development Corporation in Prince George’s The Greater Washington Community Foundation will work with the schools as well as with community partners Reid Community Development Corporation in Prince George’s County and Parent Encouragement Program in Montgomery County to manage the program. 

“Thank you for intentionally sewing a seed into these scholars; these future business owners – our future leaders through the Brilliant Futures program,” expressed Dr. Kenneth Harris Vice Chair of the Prince George’s County School Board. “There’s no better place to start than right here in Bradbury Heights in District 7.”

“This is something I was not expecting this year,” Joann Brent, one Brilliant Futures parent shared. “It’s simply magical – thank you for giving us this boost to fuel us through the next 12 years of our children’s educational journey.”

If you’d like to find out more about how you can support programs like Brilliant Futures, visit our website to learn more about our Together, We Prosper Campaign or contact Chris Howie, Managing Director of Development at chowie@thecommunityfoundation.org  

Brilliant Futures Principal Recognized as 2024 Bethesda Magazine Women Who Inspire

On August 28, Bethesda Magazine announced the 2024 Women Who Inspire Recipients - six women who are making change in Montgomery County and beyond.

The Following is an excerpt from the Bethesda Magazine profile written on Rosario ‘Paola’ Velasquez, Principal of Jackson Road Elementary School and a key figure behind The Community Foundation’s Brilliant Futures program which launched this past Summer.

Authorship Credit - Amy Halpern, Bethesda Magazine

As soon as Paola Velasquez opens the classroom door, a swarm of kindergartners drape their arms around her in a tight embrace. Little girls with box braids and pigtails, little boys with cornrows and close-cropped Afros—some with shy smiles, others with excited laughs—they quickly pile on, and the hug circle around their principal grows bigger and bigger. The same thing happens in nearly every classroom she enters.

It’s been five years since Velasquez, 44, took over the reins of Jackson Road Elementary School in Silver Spring’s White Oak neighborhood. It’s a Title 1 school with a minority population of more than 95%, where more than 75% of the students qualify for free meals. She started in the role only months before the pandemic hit. Since she’s been at the helm, the school rose from a 3-star rating to a 4-star, according to the Maryland State Department of Education, making it one of only four Title 1 elementary schools in the county (out of 40, according to Velasquez) to earn a 4-star rating for the 2022-23 school year, the most current rating year available. “Many schools throughout the state decreased a star, but we increased,” she says. 

The school now offers free evening English language classes for parents and guardians (along with free child care); a soccer program; two private-practice therapists who administer one-on-one mental health services to students at no charge; a dentist who cleans students’ teeth for free; and an optometrist who provides complimentary vision checks and eyeglasses, says Chris Callisto, Jackson Road’s Community School Liaison.

During the 2023-24 school year, Jackson Road opened a food pantry, and it began sending bags of food home on Fridays to 80 families. “When you are a child … and your basic needs aren’t being met because of poverty, you’re not thinking so much about going to college … you’re more worried about getting something to eat or clothing or making sure that you’re not going to be homeless,” Velasquez says.

Velasquez knows what it’s like to grow up poor in Montgomery County. She came here from Peru with her parents and three brothers when she was 8. All six lived in the basement of a relative’s house in Germantown while her dad worked as a janitor and painter, and her mom cleaned houses. Her parents saved enough money to move into an apartment, and eventually to buy a small home in Germantown.

When Velasquez graduated from Seneca Valley High School in Germantown in 1998, she watched as other students went off to college. She hadn’t been instructed how to sign up for SATs, fill out college applications or plan for her future. Instead, she took a job as an aide at a day care center, saved money to buy a car, then to pay for classes at Montgomery College, and then to earn her bachelor’s degree in elementary education at the University of Maryland, College Park…..

…….“Sometimes, you know, we have kids who … are having a hard time, they’re going through … a crisis, basically [and] it can take … hours out of my day for me to talk to that child,” Velasquez says. “They’re not ready to learn.”

But her goal is to keep them learning and all the while feeling confident and supported. After all, she says, “they’re going to be the ones who are going to be leading us in the future.”…..

Click here to read the full article.

To learn more about Brilliant Futures and how you can get involved, visit https://www.togetherweprosperdmv.org/brilliant-futures

The Black-Led Project: A Guide to Understand the Opportunities and Challenges for Black-led organizations

The Community Foundation is proud to support Service Never Sleeps (SNS) as they release their Black-Led Project Report. The report engaged 117 Black leaders directly about their unique needs and challenges, as well as their approaches to serving the community based upon their lived experiences. 

Whitney Parnell and Samson Girma, co-founders of SNS, sat down with our Chief Program Officer, Dawnn Leary, to share some of their major takeaways, ahead of the report’s release.

What can you tell us about the Black-Led Project research process?

We originally started the Black-Led Project after being told by multiple foundations that we didn’t qualify as “Black-led” when we applied for their funding in response to the 2020 Black Lives Matter uprising. Knowing that Black people are best equipped to define ourselves, we launched a pilot in the Spring of 2022 by interviewing 27 Black leaders–Executive Directors, Deputy Directors, Race Equity Officers, and Race Equity Consultants–about the question, What does it mean to be Black-led?

Gratefully, the Greater Washington Community Foundation funded our continued research, and we engaged a total of 117 participants by the end of 2023 through interviews, cohort discussions, and surveys. Through the process, we were encouraged by the affirmation of our original findings and were enlightened by additional takeaways from the larger participant pool.

What were some of the main themes from the Black-Led Project research that stood out to SNS?

There were dozens of takeaways from the research, but there were several major themes that clearly stood out:

1. Black leaders are uniquely positioned to lead in transformative and liberatory ways because of their experiences and perspectives.
   Black leaders’ proximity to the community issues and experiences in the workplace allow for effective and innovative approaches to their missions – thus expanding the traditional notion of “good leadership.”

   One participant said: “Black folks tend to have a specific sort of lived experience that allows them to have an expansive view on solutions to particular social issues. Bringing that lived experience to the table actually helps produce better outcomes for all people…particularly in the nonprofits and social sector space because there’s a much better understanding of what’s actually happening in communities, and what we’re trying to support.”
   

2. Black led organizations can benefit people of all identities, due to their tendency to create “people-first” cultures that guide internal and external priorities.
   Black led organizations prioritize cultures of community, joy, and wellness in order to ensure that they support employees as full people, which in turn allows staff to show up effectively to their important missions.

   “Everyone gains when you can breathe, when you are in community, when you care about how people show up with their whole selves,” one participant shared. “When it’s pro-Black and Black-led, those things are centered, and everyone benefits in an organization.”
   

3. Black leaders face many unique challenges, including disrespect, insufficient funding, and unreasonable expectations amidst barriers.

   As part of taking on difficult leadership situations – which often come with unfair and unrealistically high standards, many Black leaders face challenges that impact their health and ability to successfully lead their organizations.

   “Many Black leaders are put in impossible situations where no leader would be expected to succeed,” one Black leader shared. “When they fail, this reinforces stereotypes.”
   

4. Black leaders need support from all directions to lead their organizations.
   There are so many ways that Black leaders and their organizations can be invested in to ensure that their powerful work can continue. Some specific needs that were mentioned included Black leaders’ needs for community with other Black leaders and operational funding to sustain the organizations and themselves. A thriving leader is best positioned to lead a thriving organization and drive community impact; so it should be everybody’s responsibility within and proximate to the organizations to ensure that Black leaders thrive.
   
   “[With funding] you are telling Black people that you trust us enough to lead,” one participant remarked. “You trust us enough with the grants, with the budgets, with the money. But you also trust our experiences and our perspectives.”

What will SNS be offering as a result of what it heard and learned from Black leaders?

Service Never Sleeps Whitney Parnell, Founder & CEO and Samson Girma, COO

The two years of research equipped us to write a robust report, and to create a supplemental training to accompany it.

Beyond a descriptive outline of the definition of Black led organizations, both resources provide a detailed spotlight on Black leaders’ experiences and insights, an extensive guide of equitable practices and effective leadership by centering Black leaders, and a charge to fund and support the sustainability and thriving of Black leaders and Black-led organizations.

The report is free to access on our website  – where you can also sign up to participate in the supplemental training course.  The training is meant to dive deeper into the report’s content, including providing opportunities to reflect in community, and develop next steps relative to participants’ individual identities and roles within institutions.

What do you hope for how the space will evolve to better recognize and support Black leaders based on what you heard and learned?

First and foremost, we hope that Black leaders will be trusted for the fantastic visionaries and deliverers that we are. Anti-Blackness is pervasive, and Black leaders face numerous barriers that prevent us from leading effectively and driving our important missions. We hope that Black leaders will be supported more.

If we say we care about Black led organizations, then we must care about Black leaders; and if we want to sustain Black organizations, then we must sustain Black leaders. It’s all intertwined, and sustainability is key.

Black led organizations should not only be championed during particular political climates or in response to egregious headlines; rather, the support should be consistent. Black led organizations have so much to offer communities and their people, and they can only live into that full potential with the adequate backing and resources to do so.

As The Community Foundation seeks to implement ways to center and operationalize equity within its grantmaking, this research will inspire ways The Community Foundation can transform its grantmaking practices to better center and support BIPOC leaders while reducing unintended barriers these leaders are experiencing.    

We are so excited to dig into this report, participate in the SNS offerings and learn how The Community Foundation can become a better philanthropic partner to Black led organizations in our community. We invite our philanthropic peers and donors to read this research, learn from these visionary leaders, and identify opportunities for you and your organizations to better center and support the work of BIPOC leaders.

Benefactors: A Black Giving Collective

The First Two Members of f Benefactors A Black Giving Collective, Marlissa Hudson (L) and Rahnesia Best (R)

The Greater Washington Community Foundation has partnered with the Young, Black, and Giving Back (YBGB) Institute to launch and co-lead Benefactors: A Black Giving Collective. The national giving circle aims to empower Black-led and Black-benefiting nonprofits by building community and mobilizing individual philanthropy for maximum impact.

“Black Giving is Magic,” Ebonie Johnson Cooper, founder of YBGB shared. “Benefactors is about catalyzing the giving capacity of Black people who want to invest funds into our communities in a meaningful way.”.”

The Giving Collective was inspired by a similar movement, Black Benefactors, which convened more than 60 donors to distribute tens of thousands of dollars in grants to Black-led nonprofits between 2007-2022. Two years later, Benefactors aims to continue the legacy of Black Collective Giving.

“Together, as Benefactors, we aim to support Black-led and Black-Benefiting nonprofits and invite individuals to journey alongside us,” stated Melen Hagos, Chief of Staff at The Community Foundation and one of the lead facilitators for Benefactors. “Together, we’ll discover the power of philanthropy and deepen our engagement – both with impactful causes and with other fellow changemakers.”

Ebonie Johnson Cooper and Melen Hagos announce the launch of Benefactors at a special ABFE event in April 2024.

 Members of Benefactors will have access to an extensive network cultivated through the YBGB Institute’s successful Give 8/28 day of giving - which serves as a hub for over 1000 organizations and counting. This network forms the backbone of the groups collective efforts, providing a springboard for changemakers to come together to directly support Black-led and Black-benefiting nonprofits across the country.

Changemakers like Chelsea Brown, founder and principal of The Black Mill. Brown was among the first members to join Benefactors when the initiative first launched back in April 2024 at ABFE’s annual conference. A seasoned philanthropist with over eight years of experience, Brown shared her excitement at being part of what she considers an innovative next step in Black philanthropy.

“To me, Benefactors represents the future of Black philanthropy,” Brown shared.

“The future of Black philanthropy is powerful and transformative,” she added. “It is marked by increased visibility, intentionality, and impact, with a focus on building generational wealth, amplifying Black-led organizations, and driving systemic change.

“As more Black philanthropists, organizations, and collectives take ownership of narratives and resources, Black philanthropy will continue to challenge traditional funding models, advocating for equity, trust-based giving, and community-led initiatives.”

“Black philanthropy is important because our donating power as Black people can and does move mountains,” added fellow Benefactor member, Leslie Jefferson, an Adjunct Professor in the University of Maryland’s School of Policy.

“I am excited for the chance to invest in the Black-led and Black benefiting nonprofits through Benefactors because we’ll be able to help organizations that are typically severely underfunded and face daily barriers to access the funding they need to deliver their missions.”

“When no one else is there for Black-led organizations, we are and must be there for our own. It is the philanthropy from our own that sustains and continues to sustain us.”

In addition to Brown and Jefferson, the Collective currently boasts 27 members. Members pay $500 in annual dues, which are payable in up to four monthly installments.

The Collective is made possible through a generous grant from former members of Black Benefactors, , and a matching grant from the Greater Washington Community Foundation.

Benefactors: A Black Giving Collective is actively recruiting new members to join us in making a difference for Black-led nonprofits! For more information, contact Melen Hagos at mhagos@thecommunityfoundation.org or visit our website to join!

Aimee Griffin - Building Black Intergenerational Wealth Through Estate Planning

The Community Foundation is excited to continue our Leaders of the Future series, highlighting the work and experiences of incredible individuals and organizations from across our community of philanthropic, community, professional advisor, corporate, and nonprofit partners.

In honor of National Make a Will month, we’re pleased to feature Aimee Griffin, a member of our Professional Advisors Council and a valued member of our Prince George’s County Advisory Board.

For Aimee Griffin, Principal of Life & Legacy Counselors (formerly The Griffin Firm PLLC), estate planning is more than just part of her career – it’s part of her mission.

“Estate planning isn’t about the money,” Griffin explained. “It’s about deciding to care about the people we care about – whether we know them or not – preserving our legacy, especially for those who will come after us.”

“I Can’t Prosper if Others Can’t Prosper”

The daughter of two Civil Rights activists, Griffin’s passion for serving other people – specifically the Black community -- was instilled in her from an early age. Her parents both participated in the famous March on Washington and often took their daughter to community meetings in her hometown in Massachusetts.

Aimee Griffin’s parents at a Civil Rights March

“My parent’s life mantra was ‘I can’t prosper if others can’t prosper,” Griffin explained. “If God opens my eyes to fill a need and I am uniquely positioned, than I should do that.”

On one particular occasion, while working at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, overseeing Contracting and Procurement at the Department of Disability Services, Griffin became aware that the Black community wasn’t being given access to growth opportunities within her department.

“I realized that if I, as a woman who is conscious of this barrier, wasn’t able to help people overcome it and have access to opportunity, that meant that there was something systemically wrong.”

Building Black Legacy – From Entrepreneurship to Estate Planning

Griffin decided to take action. At age 40, Griffin enrolled in law school at Western New England University. She founded the New England Black Chamber of Commerce – which she led for seven years before moving to the DC area to serve as the General Counsel for the National Children’s Center. She also served as General Counsel and Incorporator for the US Black Chamber of Commerce.

Through her time at the Black Chamber of Commerce, Griffin enjoyed working closely with Black entrepreneurs and small businesses. She provided legal and business advice to help hundreds of businesses explore new opportunities for growth and development.

But amidst the success stories, Griffin also witnessed heartbreaking and powerful stories of entrepreneurs whose legacies were sadly cut short due to lack of resources, information, and expertise.

“I remember one small business I worked with lost everything when the owner passed away unexpectedly, without establishing an estate and succession plan for his business” Griffin recalled. “Whether he just didn’t know how or never really thought about it, it really opened my eyes to the importance of estate planning.”

Aimee Griffin with one of her estate planning clients

A short time later, Griffin attended the Heckerling Institute of Estate Planning – one of the country’s largest conferences for estate planning professionals. Out of more than 3,000 participants, Griffin said she was only one of a few dozen Black estate planners at the event.

“It was such an insightful conference, with awesome information,” Griffin recalled. “But it was also painfully clear that very little of it was going to find its way to my community.”

Tackling the Estate Planning Gap

Estate planning has long been a field that studies show few Americans give proper attention to. A 2021 poll by Gallup found that less than half of adults in US have a will – the essential documentation that provides the roadmap for estate planning.

Recent polls by Consumer Reports found that those numbers are even more striking for communities of color. Nationwide, just 23% of Black adults and 18% of Hispanic adults have wills. Griffin points out that this lack of planning plays a significant role in widening the racial and multi-generational wealth gap.

Members of the Association of Black Estate Planners post with President and CEO Tonia Wellons at The Community Foundation's 50th Anniversary Celebration.

“We have 400 years in which we have invested in the dominant culture’s wealth instead of investing communally in the Black community,” Griffin points out. “It’s a lack of capital; it’s a lack of opportunity; but it’s also about a lack of institutional knowledge – of helping people realize why this is important.”

In 2017, Griffin founded the Association of Black Estate Planning Professionals to empower generational wealth in Black families and communities. The group works with organizations nationwide to promote estate planning in Black communities including churches, veteran’s groups, and neighborhoods at-risk of gentrification.

“If you do something in estate planning, you can change the world,” Griffin shared. “It may not overcome the impact of institutional racism, but it’s an important step to shaping what our future and our children’s future will look like.”

Life & Legacy Counselors hosts a free weekly workshop on estate planning at Oxon Hill Library.

Griffin also founded her own law firm, Life & Legacy Counselors (formerly The Griffin Firm, PLLC) which primarily focuses on intergenerational wealth transfer through estate and succession planning.

Griffin explains that one of the most common misconceptions in estate planning, especially in Black and Brown communities, is the idea that estate planning is only necessary for those who are older or inherently wealthy.

“Estate planning isn’t about the money —  It’s about setting goals about what we want to happen with our assets and how we want to do it.”

“Estate planning is for anybody who has somebody that loves them and that they love,” Griffin continued. “We do so much in our lives for those that we care for. Providing a clear and specific estate plan is the least we can do for them.”

Griffin explained how the lack of a clear estate plan often causes unrest in families, leading to lawsuits and discord among surviving members. Defaulting to the legal system doesn’t help, as it prioritizes expediency over the well-being of family members.

“It’s not about today; it’s about tomorrow,” Griffin said. “If we can preserve that which we have through estate planning, we can build a better future for our posterity.”

The Community Foundation is proud to partner with estate planners and professional advisors like Aimee to promote estate planning and help clients fulfill their philanthropic legacies. For more information on how to partner with The Community Foundation, contact our Senior Philanthropic Advisor, Tiffanie Purvis at tpurvis@thecommunityfoundation.org.

Meet Our Prince George's County Small Business Partners

In April 2024, The Community Foundation, with funding from the PNC Foundation, announced the Small Business Support Program - an initiative to support small businesses located along the Purple Line and Blue Line corridors.

In support of our Small Business Partners, The Community Foundation is excited to highlight the work and mission of these incredible organizations and the impact that they've had in empowering and uplifting their respective communities.

• MMC Consulting

  Tell us briefly about your business (where is it located, how long have you been in operation, what services do you provide)

  MMC Consulting is headquartered in Mitchellville, MD, and has been fully operational since October 2019. We provide professional services in federal acquisition, program management, organizational change management, and staff augmentation. Our goal is to deliver tech-enabled solutions that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our clients.
  
  In 2-3 sentences, please share with us the ways your business works with and contributes to your community

  MMC Consulting actively engages with our community through partnerships with local organizations, providing training and career development opportunities. In March of 2024, we founded and launched a local chapter of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) Metro Maryland Chapter. We further contribute to the community by offering resources and leadership to foster growth and development in the federal contracting community supporting small businesses by offering consulting services to help them navigate federal contracting processes and secure government contracts.

  How has construction in the Blue/Purple Line Corridor Impacted your Business?

  The construction in the Blue/Purple Line Corridor has provided MMC Consulting with new avenues and opportunities for collaboration with local businesses and community projects.

  What excites you about receiving the Small Business Grant?

  Receiving the Small Business Grant is exciting because it enables us to further our mission of empowering small businesses and delivering innovative solutions. It provides us with the resources to expand our services, invest in technology, and create more job opportunities within our community.

  What are your dreams for the future of your business?

  We want to become a leading provider in the federal acquisition sector and achieve annual revenues of $100 million by 2030. We will continue innovating and expanding our service offerings to meet the evolving needs of our clients and to continue contributing to our local community.

  What are your dreams for the future of your community?

  We envision a future where our community thrives with robust support for small businesses, equitable opportunities for all, and a strong network of partnerships that drive economic growth and development. We aim to contribute to a community where businesses and individuals are empowered to reach their full potential.

• Xcelent Meals

  Tell us briefly about your business (where is it located, how long have you been in operation, what services do you provide)

  We are located in Hyattsville, MD. We have been in business for 2 years as a meal prep delivery service. We provide catering, drop off service, meal prep, and cooking classes and travel to our clients to meet their needs.

  In 2-3 sentences, please share with us the ways your business works with and contributes to your community

  We cater to seniors who are unable to cook for themselves. We deliver food to them and also cater special holiday meals for them. We also have done free events for the homeless in Washington, DC. We also support college students through our half price Sunday brunch, for those who may not have somewhere to go for a nice Sunday meal.

  How has construction in the Blue/Purple Line Corridor Impacted your Business?

  The construction and road closures have caused a lot of traffic, making it harder to receive deliveries from our suppliers. It also makes it hard to get clients to come out to our location, which has impacted our business.

  What excites you about receiving the Small Business Grant?

  I’m excited about the chance to purchase better quality supplies and products for my business. It will also allow me to do the things I needed to get done far as advertising, and purchasing equipment and small wares for my kitchen.

  What are your dreams for the future of your business?

  To open multiple locations thought out PC County.

  What are your dreams for the future of your community?

  My dream for is to use my business and reputation in PG County to continue to teach others and help our community grow.

• irok consulting

  Tell us briefly about your business (where is it located, how long have you been in operation, what services do you provide)

  We are based in Prince George's County and were formally established in April 2020. We help people without computer or corporate experience build careers in business and IT.

  In 2-3 sentences, please share with us the ways your business works with and contributes to your community

  We help citizens of Prince George's County qualify for better opportunities in the business and IT sector. We work with community colleges and other community organizations to deliver training programs that teach the career development process and strategy. Through our services, we are able to increase the pool of qualified candidates for local businesses.

  How has construction in the Blue/Purple Line Corridor Impacted your Business?

  Construction has limited the number people who can attend our in-person events on the campus of Prince George's Community College.

  What excites you about receiving the Small Business Grant?

  I’m excited about the marketing opportunities that allow my business to reach and impact more people.

  What are your dreams for the future of your business?

  To expand into prisons, half-way houses, and re-entry programs.

  What are your dreams for the future of your community?

  To see marginalized communities no longer shut out of the business/IT world due to a lack of education, knowledge, and resources.

• Cynthia Cephas Photography

  Tell us briefly about your business (where is it located, how long have you been in operation, what services do you provide)

  Based out of Bowie/Mitchellville, Cynthia Cephas Photography was established in 2016 to provide high volume, professional headshots on-location for corporate/organization executives, teams & groups. We specialize in Headshot Booth Activations for attendees at conferences, conventions, trade shows, sales meetings, job fairs & networking events. Cynthia Cephas is an Executive Headshot & Commercial Brand photographer & Corporate Event photographer. I serve as the photographer for the Maryland Black Chamber of Commerce (MBCC) Prince George's County Advisory Board & as the MBCC Photographer.

  In 2-3 sentences, please share with us the ways your business works with and contributes to your community

  In the past, we have provided headshots for small business owners at networking events and partnered with other small business owners. For the past 5 years, we’ve also provided affordable photos with a Black Santa at a local town center.

  What excites you about receiving the Small Business Grant?

  I am excited about receiving the Small Business Grant to provide resources to level up my business, to grow and to scale.

  What are your dreams for the future of your business?

  My dream is to be the go-to headshot photographer in Prince George's County, the state of Maryland, and the DMV.

  What are your dreams for the future of your community?

  To see the community continue to thrive and grow with small businesses being an integral part.

• Brighter Beginnings 4 Kids, Inc

  Tell us briefly about your business (where is it located, how long have you been in operation, what services do you provide)

  Founded by Makalay Turay in 2004, Brighter Beginnings 4 Kids Inc. began as a small center located in Laurel, Maryland. The company recently acquired property and will soon be moving to a new location in District Heights, Maryland. The center is licensed by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) as a childcare center for children 2 to 12 years of age and will have a capacity of 50 children.

  Our mission is to create success, confidence, and a lifelong love of learning for young children. Our programs will provide full-time and part-time childcare services for Maryland families – in addition to before and after-school services for school age children. We utilize Creative Curriculum -- a research based pre-school curricula and assessment system that supports teaching through creativity and project-based learning. The center will operate from 6:30am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday - with observance of all major holidays.

  In 2-3 sentences, please share with us the ways your business works with and contributes to your community

  The goal of Brighter Beginnings 4 Kids, Inc is to challenge achievement gaps in education; an issue that plagues our public school system and leads to generational poverty and lack of opportunity -- especially for students of color. Brighter Beginnings 4 Kids Inc. strives to create better opportunities for minority students by providing high-quality child-care programs. By doing this, the program helps to decrease the number of children below level in literacy and math entering the school system.

  How has construction in the Blue/Purple Line Corridor Impacted your Business?

  Brighter Beginnings 4 Kids Inc. has been hit hard due to the ongoing construction of the Blue/Purple Line Corridor project. The areas of construction have created congestion, leading to new traffic patterns in the surrounding area. People are cramped onto major routes; specifically, those within a 2–3-mile radius of the construction sites, creating congestion and traffic problems.

  Our business is taking longer to generate revenue due to the loss of visibility from the new traffic patterns being created. The construction traffic causes parking issues and makes it difficult for people to see the business storefront from the main road. Accessibility to the childcare center has become harder due to the traffic from the main road, especially during busy times of the day.

  What excites you about receiving the Small Business Grant?

  With the help of the Small Business Grant, Brighter Beginnings 4 Kids is creating a blueprint for high quality affordable childcare for working class Maryland families. Thanks to our new location, Brighter Beginnings 4 Kids will be able to provide 50 new daycare slots.

  Maryland families are in dire need of affordable high-quality daycare programs. Many childcare centers were forced to shut down due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Brighter Beginnings 4 Kids Inc. nearly shut down after multiple years of lost revenue from the global COVID-19 pandemic.

  The new program in District Heights, Maryland will help to provide much needed daycare services. The financial support provided by this grant will give us the necessary tools to keep staff employed, utilities and rent paid, and undergo much-needed renovations to expand the program into the new location.

  Not only that, but this grant will help to build and sustain a vibrant community in the Prince George's County, District Heights area, by allowing us to offer products and services which are vitally important and necessary for working families and growing communities in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

  What are your dreams for the future of your business?

  Brighter Beginnings 4 Kids Inc. believes that the first years of a child’s life are critical to the development of positive self-esteem, confidence, happiness, independence, and creativity. We are here to establish, build, and maintain long lasting partnerships with parents of the children enrolled in the center and families in the surrounding communities.

  Systemic and progressive achievement is best acquired by implementing early learning programs that provide students with the requisite tools and skills needed to become successful competent adults in society. The dreams for the future of the business will be to continue the legacy of uplifting Maryland's young learners, knowing that all children can succeed.

  What are your dreams for the future of your community?

  Brighter Beginnings 4 Kids Inc. is committed to supporting and providing before and after school care for Title 1 Schools and schools with high FARMS Rates (40% or higher) located in the District Heights area. Students in the program will improve scores and have a renewed and deeper confidence in their academic abilities. We are committed to helping Maryland children and youth excel in pre-school, elementary school and beyond.

  Through this grant, we are expanding access to high quality early childhood education which will generate a significant future return on investment for our society and for children and families across the state of Maryland.

• flavors

  Tell us briefly about your business (where is it located, how long have you been in operation, what services do you provide)

  Our venture, Flavors®, is centered around our maker and artisan workspace, the Culinary Hub®, which launched in 2021, a 3,000 square foot cutting-edge facility located in Hyattsville, MD.

  Flavors Culinary Hub acts as a crucial resource for culinary professionals, offering them a platform to start, develop, and scale their food and beverage businesses within a certified commercial kitchen facility. We also serve corporate and government clients who come to us to spearhead hospitality training, including food, beverage, safety, and customer service, as well as concept management within their commercial spaces, venues, and their public and private events.

  In 2-3 sentences, please share with us the ways your business works with and contributes to your community

  Flavors® is a catalyst for culinary growth in our community, offering under-resourced food entrepreneurs access to state-of-the-art commercial kitchens, health department licensing, and specialized training programs. Our unique membership model removes the financial barriers to launching and scaling a business, fostering a vibrant ecosystem that benefits local professionals, corporate clients, and government agencies alike.

  How has construction in the Blue/Purple Line Corridor Impacted your Business?

  The Purple Line construction has created challenges such as reduced foot traffic, business closures, and decreased accessibility, all of which have impacted our food and beverage members' ability to connect with potential customers.

  To counteract this, we’re investing in new programming at our facility, including a business café offering breakfast, lunch, dessert, and mocktail beverages, promoting responsible socialization without alcohol. We're also launching a private dining club that will not only host various events for the community to learn about our offerings and local culinary artisans but also provide our artisans with a dedicated space to host their private events. These initiatives are designed to foster community engagement and support local talent despite the construction disruptions.

  What excites you about receiving the Small Business Grant?

  We are thrilled about receiving the Small Business Grant because it will provide essential support for managing the upcoming increase in our commercial kitchen facility's rent. This grant will allow us to effectively allocate funds towards our rent expenses, ensuring we can maintain our operations and continue supporting our culinary community. It’s an exciting opportunity to strengthen our financial stability and invest in the growth and development of our programs and services.

  What are your dreams for the future of your business?

  My dreams for the future of Flavors® involve expanding our culinary hubs nationally and internationally to fill gaps in business and leadership training often overlooked by traditional culinary schools. These facilities will include small to mid-size manufacturing capabilities, logistics management, local procurement initiatives with farmers and growers, and centralized retail spaces where local food, beverage, and agricultural artisans can sell directly to their communities.

  Strategically located in suburban regions, where major cities may be saturated or inconveniently distant, our hubs will provide accessible, safe, and diverse spaces for engaging with the local community. This expansion aims to support culinary professionals, enhance Business-to-Government (B2G) and Business-to-Business (B2B) opportunities, foster community connections, and offer showcasing opportunities in areas that are underserved and often overlooked, with fewer barriers to entry.

  What are your dreams for the future of your community?

  My dreams for the future of our community center around creating a vibrant, inclusive hub where culinary innovation thrives and where local food and beverage entrepreneurs have the resources and support to succeed. I envision a space that not only fosters diverse, scalable brands with regional, national, and international potential but also provides a dedicated learning environment specifically tailored to adult professionals. This space would offer affordable, high-quality education focused on business and leadership skills for those who are heads of households and balancing family responsibilities. It would include amenities similar to those found in traditional colleges but designed for adult learners who can't commit to full-time, on-campus programs.

  By addressing the gap of being underfunded but over-mentored, we aim to drive economic growth, create lasting legacy brands, and enhance the quality of life for those that have chosen the hospitality sector to be of service.

• TANTV

  Tell us briefly about your business (where is it located, how long have you been in operation, what services do you provide)

  Founded in 2019, TANTV is a news media publishing and technology company based in Maryland dedicated to serving the underserved African and Black multicultural diaspora communities in the DMV area. Our mission is to elevate the inclusion of these communities in American society by providing informative, inspiring, and educational content that reflects their daily lives.

  Recognizing the rich cultural heritage and the growing importance of the African diaspora in various sectors such as culture, politics, and entrepreneurship, TANTV was created to offer a platform where Africa and its descendants can interact, engage, and stay informed. We identified a significant gap in the representation and coverage of these communities in U.S. media, particularly in accessing local information that empowers them economically. Our focus is on addressing this gap, supporting the diverse cultures within the Black experience, and ensuring that our community is heard and represented.

  In 2-3 sentences, please share with us the ways your business works with and contributes to your community

  TANTV serves a multi-generational audience, including first-generation immigrants, African-Americans, and allies of African culture, by filling the media void that reflects their lived experiences. We chronicle and document stories that impact our audience through journalism, storytelling, and commentary on current events, local news, business, politics, lifestyle, entertainment, and technology. Our local newsrooms produce high-quality, equitable journalism and need-to-know information that directly addresses community needs, such as affordable housing, applying for benefits, and voting. We collaborate with organizations across tech, media, entertainment, consumer goods, and the nonprofit sector to enhance connections with the diaspora community, equipping people with skills and resources, and fostering critical public conversations.

  How has construction in the Blue/Purple Line Corridor Impacted your Business?

  The construction in the Blue/Purple Line Corridor has led to a decline in income, particularly from reduced advertising revenues from businesses in the corridor. We’ve faced challenges in accessing local clients and businesses, especially as some have shut down or become difficult to reach, making it harder to connect with underserved communities most affected by the construction.

  What excites you about receiving the Small Business Grant?

  This grant empowers us to continue shining a light on our local community and businesses, addressing the persistent underrepresentation of Black communities in mainstream media while promoting authentic, community-driven journalism. It strengthens our mission of elevating the inclusion of underserved communities through impactful local journalism, sharing resources and information they might not otherwise have access to. It also enables TANTV to engage in workforce development partnerships and build a sustainable future for local journalism that reflects underserved communities.

  What are your dreams for the future of your business?

  At TANTV, we have long advocated for the inclusion of multicultural audiences in American mainstream media. The Greater Washington Center Foundation recognizes the importance of representation and supports our mission of connecting multicultural companies with funding.

  Our vision is to create a media and television network dedicated to serving these underserved communities, ensuring they see themselves represented in media. We aim to expand the reach and sustainability of media outlets serving communities of color through partnerships and support from foundations and donors alike.

  What are your dreams for the future of your community?

  Our dream is for our community to have a seat at the table in matters of policy, economy, and beyond. We strive to advance inclusion and social justice for the underserved and underrepresented Black diaspora, particularly African migrant and immigrant communities.

  Our goal is to close longstanding inequalities, strengthen the broader African immigrant diaspora, and prioritize community listening and engagement to produce news and content that directly addresses their needs.

• Sidnae Global Research (SGR)

  Tell us briefly about your business (where is it located, how long have you been in operation, what services do you provide)

  Sidnae Global Research (SGR), located in Upper Marlboro/Springdale, Maryland, champions healthier communities by securing strategic funding and enabling impactful collaborations. We guide U.S. health centers in obtaining corporate, foundation, and government grants, with a focus on federal agencies like SAMHSA, CDC, Department of Justice, HRSA, and ACF. Since 2017, our expertise has helped nonprofits raise over $13 million and secure more than 80 awards, enhancing their community impact.

  In 2-3 sentences, please share with us the ways your business works with and contributes to your community

  SGR is committed to serving the community in Prince George's County, Maryland. To assist nonprofits in enhancing their grant-writing skills, we offer grant-writing training, nearly 100 learning resources on our website, and free training sessions at local libraries. Furthermore, we collaborate with local churches and business organizations to provide support to small businesses and the community.

  How has construction in the Blue/Purple Line Corridor Impacted your Business?

  Due to being a primarily remote business, Purple Line Construction has had somewhat limited impacts on our company. However, it has affected our ability to travel to community spaces and visit with clients quickly. We also have had to carefully consider where we can host events so that they are accessible to customers.

  What excites you about receiving the Small Business Grant?

  We are excited to announce that we will be using the Small Business grant funds to hire a Grant Team Leader and expand our team's leadership. The grant funds will help us grow our company, make a positive impact on more communities, and provide deeper mentorship, support, and communication to our dedicated team of healthcare writers. We are looking forward to hiring locally and to increasing our presence in the community through county events. We are also eager to take advantage of the business support offered to the grantees and to foster community connections.

  What are your dreams for the future of your business?

  We aspire to grow into a seven-figure organization renowned as the top 'Grant Writers for Health Centers.' We aim to establish our company as a leader in securing funding for important public health community projects within the County and beyond. As an employer, we are committed to providing a welcoming space where all are valued and can make meaningful contributions, fostering an inclusive and supportive environment.

  What are your dreams for the future of your community?

  As lifelong residents of Prince George's County, we want our county to be the ideal place for everyone to live and aspire to. Our vision includes better air quality, more green spaces, and access to top-notch healthcare, shopping, and education within our community. We dream of Prince George's County becoming a hub for businesses, work, and leisure activities. Securing grants to fund these initiatives is our small way of working towards making these dreams come true.

• WEFIX, LLC

  Tell us briefly about your business (where is it located, how long have you been in operation, what services do you provide)

  WEFIX, LLC provides repair services for phones and computers. We also provide tech support to those who need it – providing quality service, guaranteed. We are located at 1401 University Blvd, Suite G27, Hyattsville MD 20783

  In 2-3 sentences, please share with us the ways your business works with and contributes to your community

  We offer tech support, repair telephones and computers, and help people to get the most out of their technology.

  How has construction in the Blue/Purple Line Corridor Impacted your Business?

  The construction has caused us to lose a lot of our clients. We have lost more than 50% of our clients due to backups and the constant traffic caused by road closures. Many clients decided to leave us and look for other places that were more accessible to get the services they need.

  What excites you about receiving the Small Business Grant?

  This is such a huge help, that we feel so grateful for. This will help us lessen the impact of our losses so we can continue our operations. We look forward to using these funds to settle with our creditors, as well as getting access to more merchandise, machines, and material to continue to grow and create more job opportunities for the community.

  What are your dreams for the future of your business?

  My dream is to expand and create more job opportunities. We have been trying to do so for several years, but had to make cuts because of the economic downturn. This grant gives us the faith that we continue to expand and help our community by providing more jobs.

  What are your dreams for the future of your community?

  My dream is to help my community; that as my business grows, I’ll have more opportunities to create new jobs for my neighbors and support my local economy.

Greater Washington Community Foundation Awards $330,000 in Grants to Support Prince George's County Small Businesses

With Funding Made Possible by PNC Foundation, 17 Small Businesses Along Blue and Purple Line Corridors Receiving Grants, Coaching, Technical Assistance

The Greater Washington Community Foundation has awarded over $330,000 in grants from the Prince George’s County Small Business Support Program to invest in small business infrastructure and development in Prince George’s County. The program was made possible by funding from the PNC Foundation.

17 small businesses operating along the Purple Line and Blue Line corridors will receive up to $20,000 in grant funding, plus additional business coaching and technical assistance. The grants and assistance will enable businesses to harness the economic benefits of development along the transit corridors. All grant recipients are small businesses with 10 or fewer employees and have operated out of a location within Prince George’s County targeted corridors for more than three years.

The grant program was designed with insight and guidance from several leading business groups in the county – including LISC, Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce, Purple Line Coalition, Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation, FSC First, and Bowie BIC – to support the growth and sustainability of small businesses as key employers and economic drivers in the county.

“95-percent of all businesses in Prince George’s County are small businesses and they contribute nearly half of all jobs in the county,” said Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “We are proud to work with the PNC Foundation to enhance small business infrastructure and connect business capital to the region’s economic anchors to help individuals and families in Prince George’s County build wealth and set a new paradigm for economic development in the county.”

Small businesses along the Purple Line and Blue Line corridors in Prince George’s County face significant challenges while these transformational infrastructure projects are under development. Due to disruptions caused by construction, as well as the ongoing effects of the pandemic, small businesses require increased access to resources and support for operational costs, technical upgrades and other assistance to retain and grow their customer base and workforce.

“PNC is excited to partner with the Greater Washington Community Foundation to provide capital and technical assistance to small businesses in Prince Georges County,” said Jermaine Johnson, PNC regional president for Greater Washington. “The grants will advance economic opportunity for small business owners, their employees and the surrounding community. Although the transportation improvements will positively impact this corridor in the long term, the disruption during construction will temporarily delay progress. This much-needed capital and technical support will serve as a bridge.”

The grant funding will help cover operational costs (payroll, rent, utilities, etc.), equipment or technology, renovations, and training/certifications to build business capacity for sustainability and strategic growth. Grants were awarded to companies supplying critical goods and services across multiple industries including IT, business services, restaurants and catering, health, childcare and beauty. Two-thirds (67%) of grant recipients identify as women-owned or Black-owned, while nearly a quarter (22%) are Latino/a-owned.

Below are a few examples of small businesses that received girants and how they play a crtical role in our community.

Chapina Bakery 

In business for 20 years, Chapina Bakery is a Guatemalan-style bakery that provides customers with a taste of their homeland. For Chapina, construction of the Purple Line has caused traffic and other issues near the bakery, which has resulted in fewer customers and lower sales. This grant will support operations (wages, rent, utilities) and costs to repair bakery equipment.

Oral Health Guardians

In business for three years, Oral Health Guardians is a pediatric dentistry practice and one of the few dental practices in Maryland that is a Medicaid provider in the Healthy Smiles program ensuring all children have access to care. This grant will help offset the operating expenses of salaries, equipment, and rent to help expand capacity to hire additional staff and increase efficiencies.

Perfect Harmony II 

In business for nine years, Perfect Harmony II is a licensed childcare center that provides full day, year-round childcare. This grant will support rent payments and the purchase of computer equipment to help teachers implement the Maryland State Early Learning Assessment. This will allow Perfect Harmony II the financial flexibility to purchase more accessible outdoor play equipment required to pursue the highest Maryland EXCELS rating and become accredited.

The Full List of Selected Program Participants:

• Brighter Beginnings 4 Kids

• Chapina Bakery 

• Cocineros

• Cynthia Cephas Photography 

• Enterprise Dental Care 

• Flavors

• Gina S Duncan Insurance Agency dba LiveScan \ MD Fingerprinting Services 

• Infinity Mental Health

• IROK Consulting

• Junction Catering and Jerk Center

• MMC Consulting 

• Oral Health Guardians dba Camp Springs Pediatric Dentistry 

• Perfect Harmony II 

• Sidnae Global Enterprises 

• TANTV 

• WEFIX 

• Xcellent Meals 

Click here to learn more about our Prince George’s County Small Business Partners

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PNC Foundation

The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through PNC Grow Up Great®, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $500 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life.

Greater Washington Community Foundation

For over 50 years, the Greater Washington Community Foundation has ignited the power of philanthropy to respond to critical community needs and build a thriving region where every person prospers. A galvanizing force for economic justice, The Community Foundation partners with generous individuals, families, and businesses, making it easy and effective for our donors to identify impactful nonprofits and support the greater good in the communities we call home. As the region’s largest local funder, the Greater Washington Community Foundation has invested $1.7 billion in building equitable, just, and thriving communities across DC, Montgomery County, Northern Virginia, and Prince George’s County. To learn more, visit thecommunityfoundation.org.

Introducing Kirby Gaherty, Senior Fellow, Community Safety & Harm Reduction

In June, The Community Foundation shared our continued commitment to building an ecosystem for community safety in the District of Columbia through ongoing investments in youth violence prevention and new strategic partnerships to develop long-term strategies for community safety.

As part of that commitment, we’re excited to introduce our new Senior Fellow of Community Safety & Harm Reduction, Kirby Gaherty, an experienced convener in the realm of community safety who will be spearheading The Community Foundation’s efforts around this important initiative. In this post, Kirby shares her insights and perspectives on how philanthropy can help build a stronger and safer community.

Q: Welcome to The Community Foundation, Kirby! We’re so excited to have you on the team. Can you share with us a bit about your background? Where are you coming from and what inspired you to join The Community Foundation?

Thank you, I am excited to join the team at The Community Foundation. While I am originally from Massachusetts (Go Celtics!), for over fifteen years, I have been working in the safety and justice space in a variety of capacities and in both local and national contexts. Most recently, I led the Justice Initiatives team at the National League of Cities, where I was lucky enough to work with city leaders from across the country in their efforts to reduce jail populations, interrupt violence, and reimagine community safety. Additionally, I built an incredible network of truly remarkable people doing the hard work to create safe communities nationwide.

Prior to that, I was involved in local efforts in both Philadelphia, PA and Camden, NJ in the reentry and young adult justice space. As a part of the team leading the reentry efforts under Mayor Michael Nutter, I was able to work alongside returning citizens and community partners to support those returning from jail and prison in their transition home. That work included supporting the replication of a successful AmeriCorps program for young adults (PowerCorpsPHL) in the City of Camden, NJ.

After spending almost five years working on national issues, I’m excited to dig deeper into the community safety space here in DC. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to accelerate the efforts in Washington, DC to build a collaborative table through the philanthropic lens. The Greater Washington Community Foundation’s commitment to a safer DC is inspiring and I’m excited for the challenge and opportunity ahead.

Q: What does it mean to you to reimagine community safety? What does a community-centered approach to safety look like?

In reimagining community safety and centering people -- particularly those most impacted by systemic harm and violence- we have an opportunity to create what Cities United calls ‘Safe, Healthy & Hopeful’ communities.

Traditionally, when we talk about safety and justice – nationally – the conversation focuses on policing, courts, and carceral systems. However, these narratives often overlook decades of work by Black and Brown community leaders – Black women in particular-- who have tirelessly been advancing community safety solutions without proper investment or support. The impact of the work of these incredible leaders is immeasurable and too often understated, under resourced, and undervalued.

However, over the last several years, increased awareness, investment, and support of alternatives to traditional safety efforts has allowed for a reimagined vision of the safety ecosystem to emerge – one that is truly community-led and community-focused—and emphasizes appropriate response models and community violence intervention initiatives. This approach is imperative to reimagining safety and building effective city safety ecosystems-- a collective effort to build, support, and sustain relationship-based prevention and intervention models that is led by trusted and credible professionals from the communities that they serve. This recent realization of the longstanding work of community leaders is promising as we look to the future of safety and justice.

Q: How does racial justice factor into a community-centered approach to community safety? How can a more conscientious approach address past obstacles/barriers, while capitalizing on future opportunities for growth?

Racial justice factors into just about everything. In this case, areas where gun violence is more prevalent, are also often areas of historical and systemic divestment, increased police violence, mass incarceration, and redlining. These areas are also disproportionately communities of color. As I mentioned, leaders in these communities have been working tirelessly to address safety in their neighborhoods, but with little support. By adopting a more community-centered approach to safety, the voices and work of these leaders becomes integral to a city’s approach.

Amplification of community-based prevention and intervention efforts is an important step towards a more equitable system of safety. The pervasive distrust of government – formed after years of ongoing harm and trauma -- requires repair and recovery to heal. As we collectively pursue an opportunity for forward movement, it is important to do so intentionally and with great care so we can right past wrongs and build a stronger, more racially equitable community.

Q: In your opinion/experience, what role can philanthropic organizations play in this work? How can this role be more effective and community-centered?

Philanthropy often steps in to support where public dollars fall short. Through investments in research, violence prevention, and more recently, violence intervention, philanthropy has provided the opportunity for community-based safety work to both exist and expand

That being said, the movement toward community safety requires buy-in and support from everyone. If philanthropy in the DC region comes together around a strategy that lives beyond political administrations and creates safer spaces for people to thrive, it will not only be more community centered, but also more sustainable and more effective in the long run.

Q: You’ve spent a lot of your career focusing on returning citizens and engaging justice-impacted young adults. Why do you feel it’s important that community safety initiatives make a concerted effort to invest in and empower these groups?

A big part of embracing new visions of safety requires the ability to know when to listen and uplift others as opposed to leading with your own voice and ideas.

Traditionally, we consider ‘expertise’ as something built by education or professional experiences. While that type of expertise is important, the real subject matter experts on safety and gun violence, are the people that have been directly impacted.

There is no way to advance safety without youth, young adults, returning citizens, and directly impacted people at the table. They need to be leading and driving the work to reimagine community safety. Investing in and empowering these leaders has the ability to shape a more inclusive and impactful ecosystem of safety.

Q: What excites you about the future of this work? What are you most looking forward to?

I am excited to be working on an initiative that is focused on the city I live in. Since moving to DC in 2019, I have wanted to be part of something that impacts my neighbors and community directly. I know that there are incredible local leaders that tirelessly work to reduce violence and uplift community that I cannot wait to see flourish with adequate support and investment.  

Like many cities, DC has a very small percentage of people driving most of the gun violence. But, the impacts and trauma are felt by entire communities. By bringing together leaders from philanthropy, nonprofits, communities, businesses and city entities, we have an opportunity to impact the lives of those most likely to be on either side of a gun and beyond that, the entire city - and that gives me hope for community safety and harm reduction in the region.

Sustainable DC Project: Unleashing the Power of the Green Economy for Communities of Color

DC’s flag may be red and white. However, if you talk to the Washington Area Community Investment Fund (WACIF) or the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing & Economic Development (CNHED), they’ll tell you that the future of DC is green –specifically green economy.

“The green economy presents an incredible opportunity for our community – not just to help our planet; but also to help the people who live in our communities,” explained Shannan Herbert, CEO of WACIF. “We want to make the planet greener, but we also want to help put more green [dollars] in the hands of communities of color who need and deserve this investment.”

Riding the Green Wave –The Economic Windfall of Net-Zero Energy

Over the past decade, as conversations around environmental and climate concerns have grown increasingly urgent, local governments across the country have made investing in green infrastructure an increasing priority – one that comes with a significant economic impact.

In DC alone, a former Director of the Department of Energy and Environment, predicted that the green economy could grow to become a $8-10 billion industry – as contractors and developers work to not only construct, but also update and retrofit the city’s existing infrastructure to meet its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045.

Implementing those plans is expected to create thousands of new jobs in green energy, construction, building maintenance, and other industries — including innumerable opportunities for entrepreneurship and self-employment.

Overcoming the Racial Energy Investment Gap

However, studies show that historically, very few of these opportunities have gone to women or people of color. According to a recent study by the Brookings Institution, less than 20% of workers in clean energy production are women and less than 10% of them are Black.

The study cited a number of barriers including a lack of awareness of the green energy field, but also limited access to the training and resources —such as certification courses, workforce development opportunities, and seed investment—that these groups need to succeed.

“Green energy represents a tremendous economic opportunity,” Steve Glaude, CEO of CNHED shared. “But it requires a lot of money, a lot of resources, and a lot of specialized knowledge to get things started, which is something that many small businesses – especially those owned by women and communities of color – simply don’t have access to.”

“In the push towards net zero emissions, sustainability, and climate resilience, BIPOC-owned and women-owned small businesses are at a competitive disadvantage.”

The Birth of the Sustainable DC Project

From an early stage, CNHED recognized the importance of harnessing the economic impact of the city’s Net-Zero Energy agenda for women and communities of color. A coalition of 180+ nonprofit and mission-driven organizations, CNHED has been actively engaged in community-informed budget and policy advocacy for more than two decades.

“[After DC announced the Net-Zero Energy initiative], my team kept coming to me for the better part of a year – asking for us to get involved in the green economy,” Glaude shared. “But we kept waiting because we wanted to ensure our efforts would have maximum impact.”

The opportunity finally arose when The Community Foundation’s Health Equity Fund put out a call for “innovative and disruptive ideas to increase the economic mobility and community wealth of DC’s most marginalized communities.”

“We purposely wanted to keep the application open-ended,” Dr. Marla Dean, Senior Director of the Health Equity Fund shared. “We are not trying to tell our partners what they should do; we are trying to tap into their creativity and innovation to build new partnerships to transform our communities.”

Within a few weeks, WACIF – a leading community development financial institution in the region – reached out to Glaude to brainstorm ways that they could join forces to impact their community. Over the next few months, WACIF and CNHED began to lay out the framework for a new partnering initiative called the Sustainable DC Project.”

“Sustainable DC is designed to help BIPOC and women-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs harness the power of our region’s green economy,” Herbert explained.

The multimillion-dollar project follows a three-pronged approach:

1. Access to Capital – Sustainable DC will provide up to $300K in grants and $2 million in flexible, non-predatory loans to help entrepreneurs obtain the certifications, equipment, and supply chain adjustments to meet rising demands. Sustainable DC will also ensure entrepreneurs can access catalytic ‘green’ investments, including the EPA’s $27B Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and other local and federal resources.

2. Addressing the Readiness Gap – Sustainable DC will provide advisory services to help small businesses navigate the everchanging landscape of regulations, resources, and buyer expectations surrounding the Net-Zero Energy Initiative and the green economy. This information will allow them to quickly adapt their business model and stay at the forefront of economic growth and opportunity.

   Small businesses can also participate in a cohort-based accelerator – giving them access to thousands of hours of business advisory services and technical assistance, as well as a network of their peers.

3. Connecting Businesses to New Opportunities – Sustainable DC will connect small businesses to new local and federal investment opportunities, as well as green supply chains and other major customers that can take their business operations to the next level.

“It’s not enough to invest in the green energy,” Herbert continued. “We need to make sure that small businesses – especially those owned by women and communities of color – are set up for success, by providing them the resources, the knowledge, and the opportunities they need to thrive.”

In addition to investing in small businesses in the green energy and infrastructure space, Sustainable DC will also serve small businesses looking to promote and implement more sustainable business practices, such as the use of sustainable packaging and eco-friendly cleaning products – opening the door for small business owners and entrepreneurs from across the spectrum to participate in this innovative program.

Herbert and Glaude hope that Sustainable DC will become an economic model that can be implemented in cities across the country.

“We want this project to be catalyst for economic growth,” Herbert shared. “The dream is that through Sustainable DC, these small businesses will hire more women; more people of color, and we’ll be able to see a ripple effect of economic growth that will transform our communities.”

“Ten years from now, people will do studies about the impact of Green Energy,” Glaude shared. “I hope that – as a result of what we’re doing here - they can cite Sustainable DC as a model – not just for strategic execution, but for inclusivity and economic justice.”

The Community Foundation is proud to support Sustainable DC and its work through the Health Equity Fund.

The Health Equity Fund was created to improve the health outcomes and health equity of DC residents. The fund is governed by a seven-member Health Equity Committee in partnership with the Greater Washington Community Foundation. The seven-member committee includes Nnemdi Elias, MD, MPH; Dr. Tollie Elliott; Wendell L. Johns; Lori Kaplan; Juan M. Jara; Kimberly Harris; and Courtney R. Snowden.

For more information about the Health Equity Fund and available funding opportunities, please visit our website!

The NorthStar Institute – Opening the Window of Opportunity for DC’s ALICE Population

For teachers at Academy of Hope and the LAYC Career Academy (Career Academy) – two of the best-known adult charter schools in DC – helping their students succeed in life is about more than just helping them learn; it’s about helping them thrive.

“Ultimately what we want to see is that our students can progress in life,” Lecester Johnson, CEO of Academy of Hope shared. “From getting the degree, to getting the job, to getting stability for their families and – ultimately – getting them into the middle class.”

Unlike some schools, most students enrolled at Academy of Hope and the Career Academy are over the age of 18 – entering the classroom with a wealth of experience and knowledge from their communities. Both schools provide career training and certifications to help students secure jobs in healthcare, IT, and other fields of work.

However, Nicole Hanrahan, co-Founder and Executive Director of the Career Academy says that even with a degree, most of her students are still living on the edge and doing whatever they can to get by.

“It takes more than an entry-level job and an education to get ahead in this city,” Hanrahan explained. “Our communities need access to financial resources and financial advice and guidance to do things like pay off debt, buy a house, or save for retirement, someday.”

Without the resources and knowledge to accrue additional wealth, Hanrahan and Johnson shared that many of their students have been stuck on the proverbial edge – doing just well enough to get by, but not quite well enough to truly get ahead.

The ALICE Barrier

Reports say that the Career Academy and Academy of Hope students aren’t the only ones stuck in this situation. An annual report by the United Way of the National Capital Area (UWNCA) found that nearly 20% of DC’s Residents are considered part of the ALICE population – an acronym for “Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed.”

Those within the ALICE population live above the Federal Poverty Line, but below the basic cost of living for their neighborhoods. This often means that they are ineligible for federal assistance programs and are forced to live paycheck to paycheck to make ends meet.

The ALICE population includes 20% of DC’s registered nurses and nearly 40% of the city’s office clerks – and a large percentage of the Career Academy and Academy of Hope’s graduating class. Many of these students may also be struggling with credit card debt and low credit scores – which can impact their ability to access credit with favorable conditions and achieve financial milestones like buying a house.

The ALICE population also includes a sizeable portion of the region’s immigrant population – including many who came to this country from successful careers in medicine, law, and business – but have been unable to obtain the proper certifications or education to continue work in their field.

“The sad thing is that, right now, a lot of our students are stuck in survival mode,” Johnson explained. “They’re not necessarily looking for a career or a dream job – they’re looking for stability – something that will keep a roof over their heads and food on their tables.”

“What we want to do is empower them to dream bigger – to not only provide for their families but also to provide for their future.”

The Power of Financial Well-being

For Jua Williams, a financial services expert with more than 20 years of experience in Corporate Financial Services, the scenario is one he’s seen time and time again. As the co-Founder of NorthStar Institute, Jua works to empower DC residents through expert advice and guidance to build wealth by attaining assets.

“There is power in being able to say ‘I know the system of money and understand how it works’,” Williams shared. “With the right resources and proper planning, you can take a good income and turn it into intergenerational stability.”

“The problem is that most ALICE families don’t have access to the knowledge or the capital to make that happen.”

An opportunity finally arose when The Community Foundation’s Health Equity Fund put out a call for “innovative and disruptive ideas to increase the economic mobility and community wealth of DC’s most marginalized communities.”

“We quickly recognized that this was an opportunity to build new partnerships that could transform our community,” Williams explained.

Within a few weeks, NorthStar Institute reached out to the Career Academy and Academy of Hope to brainstorm how they could increase access to financial resources for the students they serve. Over the next few months, the three organizations laid the framework for a new financial well-being partnership aimed at closing the racial wealth gap by helping members of the ALICE population turn income into assets.

The multimillion-dollar project follows a multi-faceted approach, which includes:

1. Access to Professional Advisers – Through the partnership will operate onsite at the Career Academy and Academy of Hope to provide financial education programs and access to wealth advisers directly within the academies. This will allow students to ask questions of certified professionals, while learning essential tips for financial planning.

2. Access to Legacy Planning Resources – Whether due to its complexity or a lack of resources, Legacy Planning is often overlooked by ALICE residents – especially those of color. The partnership will allow students access to qualified professionals who will help them navigate the process and retain an asset and build generational wealth.

3. Education Credit and Training Recovery Services – The partnership will provide access to domestic and international studies to help students obtain credits at an institution of higher learning. This will allow students with international degrees to obtain credits towards a new degree or certification.

4. Direct Financial Investment – The partnership will provide direct financial investment to help students achieve their goals. The amount and type of investment will vary depending on the goal of the individual and can include credit card payments, a down payment on a home, or other form of investment. In addition, all students will receive a stipend to provide them with some financial stability while they finish their studies.

One unique aspect of this project, Hanrahan says, is that it will not only serve past and current students at both the Career Academy and Academy of Hope, but also staff members – many of whom are also living in the ALICE population.

“Financial wealth building is something that should be accessible to everyone,” she added. “That includes many members of our staff, as well.”

She pointed out how some of her staff are immigrants with professional certifications in different countries but due to systemic barriers, they are unable to practice in the US.

“This program will provide us an opportunity to right that wrong and help them progress in their respective careers.”

Building a Legacy

“Having this kind of service come from us – two trusted organizations working in this community – will go such a long way towards helping our students, who may not have had the opportunity to learn these valuable lessons at home,” Lecester Johnson added, speaking from personal experience.

Born into a family of Southern farmers, Johnson shared how, growing up, her father harbored a deep distrust of financial and banking institutions – a protective reaction to decades of racial discrimination and discriminatory banking practices that were common during the Jim Crow era. As a result, Johnson was forced to learn the ropes of financial investing on her own – relying on trusted friends and mentors to help her plan financially for her future.

“Trust is one of the biggest barriers to helping people take that next financial step,” Williams shared. “You have to really connect with the individual – hear their goals, their dreams, their aspirations – and then take these financial principles and explain them in a way that is relatable and culturally competent but also see where it all fits in the bigger picture.”

Part of that bigger picture includes legacy planning – a major area for improvement amongst the ALICE population – especially communities of color. According to a recent survey, less than 30% of Black Americans in the US have a current will. Countless others may be named as beneficiaries and inherit but feel overwhelmed by the legal complexities and tax requirements to take full advantage.

“When you inherit, it can sometimes be seen as more of a burden than a blessing,” Williams added. “This partnership will provide students with access to professional legacy planners who can help them navigate the experience and set themselves up for success.”

However, partners say the factor they expect will have the biggest impact is the direct financial investment.

“Money really does matter,” Johnson shared. “We’re excited to offer investment at a level where it will make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. Over the next three years, we look forward to tracking the outcomes and seeing how far people are able to progress.”

“I believe this partnership will have a significant impact on DC residents and shifting the ALICE population into the middle class – not just in DC,” Williams added. “One day, we’ll hopefully be able to see this initiative become a blueprint that can be modeled in cities across the country.”

The Community Foundation is proud to support The NorthStar Institute and its work through the Health Equity Fund.

The Health Equity Fund was created to improve the health outcomes and health equity of DC residents. The fund is governed by a seven-member Health Equity Committee in partnership with the Greater Washington Community Foundation. The seven-member committee includes Nnemdi Elias, MD, MPH; Dr. Tollie Elliott; Wendell L. Johns; Lori Kaplan; Juan M. Jara; Kimberly Harris; and Courtney R. Snowden.

For more information about the Health Equity Fund and available funding opportunities, please visit our website!

Greater Washington Community Foundation Announces $8.7 Million in Grants to Transform Health Equity in DC

The Health Equity Fund at the Greater Washington Community Foundation has announced $8.7 million in multiyear investments in two transformative projects focused on collaborative approaches to increasing economic mobility and wealth building. These investments will support innovative community-based projects working to advance health equity and create better outcomes for more DC residents.

Given that 80 percent of DC’s health outcomes are driven by social, economic, and other factors, compared to just 20 percent by clinical care, the Fund adopted an economic mobility strategy to address the root causes that are causing health challenges in the first place. Its strategy is designed to achieve health equity for all DC residents by addressing the social and structural determinants of health that impact health outcomes including education, employment, income, housing, transportation, nutrition, environmental safety, medical care, culture and recreation, and more.

“Mindful that health and wealth are inextricably linked, we believe that achieving health equity requires more than improving individual health outcomes and expanding access to services,” said Tonia Wellons, President & CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “Our intent is to disrupt the societal factors shaped by centuries of laws, public policies, and practices that have worked together to produce the disparate outcomes we see today. With this announcement, the Health Equity Fund is taking a bold step toward reshaping how philanthropy can help address long-standing health inequities.”

“At CareFirst, we understand that health is shaped by factors outside of clinical settings. That's why we are dedicated to supporting local organizations that are working to reduce health disparities and promote equity," said Brian D. Pieninck, President and CEO of CareFirst. "The Health Equity Fund, in collaboration with the District, exemplifies our commitment to addressing the social drivers of health impacting individuals and communities in Washington, DC. With this latest round of grants, we aim to empower these organizations to continue their essential work, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to live a healthy life, regardless of their socioeconomic status."

The $95 million Health Equity Fund is one of the largest philanthropic funds of any kind focused on community-based nonprofits that serve District residents. Since 2022, the Fund has awarded nearly $22 million in grants to 52 nonprofit organizations with a focus on programs that increase economic mobility and wealth building, advance health advocacy, policy, and systems change initiatives, and support community-based strategies to prevent gun violence and increase public safety.

"This $8.7 million Health Equity Fund award represents an innovative advancement in our mission to foster economic mobility and wealth building. By channeling resources into projects that prioritize these goals, we are directly supporting Mayor Bowser's vision to empower District residents and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive and succeed,” said Karima Woods, Commissioner for the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking.

The Fund’s latest investments will support five nonprofit organizations working collaboratively over a three-year period to implement innovative and disruptive demonstration projects. The intent is to strategically invest in bold new methods or types of services to demonstrate feasibility and determine the potential for scaling evidencebased strategies to build wealth for people and communities with the greatest economic and health disparities.

The projects were reviewed and selected by Community Foundation staff, external reviewers with subject matter expertise, and members of the Health Equity Committee. Additional funding for several other transformative demonstration projects will be announced in the fall.

Selected projects include:

WASHINGTON AREA COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND AND THE COALITION FOR NONPROFIT HOUSING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Wacif and CNHED have partnered on a 3-year strategy to help BIPOC and women-owned small businesses grow and build resilience while combating climate change, by participating in the region’s burgeoning green economy. The project will help small businesses implement sustainable practices by offering 1,000 entrepreneurs with access to flexible capital through a mix of grants and loans, capacity building and technical assistance, and one-on-one business advising and group training. Entrepreneurs will participate in new accelerator programs tailored for green economy businesses and designed to connect businesses with sustainability-focused procurement opportunities with DC area anchor institutions.

NORTHSTAR INSTITUTE, LATIN AMERICAN YOUTH CENTER CAREER ACADEMY AND ACADEMY OF HOPE ADULT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

NorthStar, AoH, and LAYCCA have partnered on a 3-year integrated program for 2,500 students who are asset-limited, income-constrained, and also employed (A.L.I.C.E.) to set them on a path to financial independence. The program will offer high-quality education and job training for adult learners to pursue industry credentials and career advancement, combined with courses on Financial Well-Being and Money Management. Participants will receive dedicated access to a wealth advisor and financial planner for expert advice and guidance on homeownership, entrepreneurship, savings, investments, and legacy planning. The program will provide additional cash assistance to ensure participants can achieve their goals of savings, homeownership, business startup or investment capital.

About the Health Equity Fund

The Health Equity Fund was created to improve the health outcomes and health equity of DC residents. The fund is governed by a seven-member Health Equity Committee in partnership with the Greater Washington Community Foundation. The seven-member committee includes Nnemdi Elias, MD, MPH; Dr. Tollie Elliott; Wendell L. Johns; Lori Kaplan; Juan M. Jara; Kimberly Harris; and Courtney R. Snowden.

For more information about the Health Equity Fund and available funding opportunities, please visit our website!

Patrice Brickman – Empowering Entrepreneurs by Bridging the Investment Gap

From left to right - Tonia Wellons, Patrice Brickman, Leah Brickman, and Anna Hargrave enjoy each other’s company at a July 2024 Table Talk gathering with donors and friends in Montgomery County.

For Patrice Brickman, giving back to the community has always been about more than just signing a check – it’s about working to make a difference.

“It’s not enough for us to simply throw money at something,” Patrice shared. “We need to be intentional and purposeful about investing in initiatives that will build community and change people’s lives.” 

As a long-time resident of Montgomery County, Patrice has been involved with The Community Foundation for more than a decade. In 2012, Patrice was honored as the Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year and joined The Community Foundation’s Montgomery County Advisory Board in 2017. Later, she was among the earliest investors in The Community Foundation’s impact investment offering through Partnership to End Homelessness. She also served on the boards of a host of local nonprofit organizations including the Washington Area Women’s Foundation, Children’s National Hospital Foundation, Halcyon, and Ascend at the Aspen Institute.

At a recent Table Talks luncheon event, part of a new series of small group conversations for Community Foundation donors to break bread while building common purpose, Patrice and her daughter Leah shared how they have shifted their philanthropic strategy in recent years to harness both their investments and grants toward achieving their goal of greater equity and opportunities. Patrice shared that arguably the family’s biggest impact has been felt not in the board room but within the world of venture capital and entrepreneurship.

Tackling the Gender & Racial Investment Gap

Patrice was first exposed to the world of venture capital in 1998, when her family business took on their first private equity partners. Over the next few years, she witnessed firsthand how fundamental venture capital is to helping any business scale and grow. 

Inspired by this experience, she decided to start her own venture capital firm and set out to learn more about the field – enrolling in prestigious Executive programs at Stanford and Harvard University. However, upon arriving for her classes, she quickly noticed something about the diversity -or lack thereof – within the classroom.

“Out of 100 participants in the program, only nine of us were women,” Patrice remembered. “I realized that if there were this few females in the classroom, there probably weren’t a lot of them getting funded either.”

The racial and gender gaps in the venture capitalist field are among the starkest in the country. Just 18% of venture capitalists are female. Less than 5% are Black or Latino.

At the same time, female entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color receive very little venture capital funding – less than 3% of all venture capital funding goes to female entrepreneurs – and just 1% for Black entrepreneurs – compared to their primarily white, male counterparts (76% of funding in 2023).

Recognizing the need for more equitable capital investment, in 2015, Patrice launched Inspire Capital LLC, a capital investment firm with the mission of investing in predominantly women and minority-led businesses and became a co-founder of WE Capital – which focuses exclusively investing on women-led startups.

Unlocking the Power of Donor-advised funds

Moved by the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Patrice and her team felt a strong urge to find ways take their work to the next level.

“We needed a new avenue to shift the financial meter and invest more significant resources into communities of color,” Patrice shared. “After some research, we realized that donor-advised funds represented a huge opportunity.”

Donor-advised funds (DAFs) represent a large percentage of private philanthropic capital in the United States – roughly $229 billion in 2022. In 2022, DAFs accounted for $52.16 billion in grantmaking to nonprofit organizations across the country. Patrice wanted to find a way to leverage the remaining $177 billion to help entrepreneurs.

In January 2024, Patrice and her daughter Leah launched Inspire Access, a nonprofit that invests philanthropic dollars to funds and companies led by female and diverse founders.

As a 501(c)(3), Inspire Access is eligible to receive contributions from DAF’s and invest them directly in start-ups led by women and entrepreneurs of color. After a certain period of time, any returns made on the investment are reinvested in the original DAF – allowing the fund to continue operating and generating capital to support even more entrepreneurs.

“We’re trying to get people thinking about the possibilities,” Leah shared. “Both in the philanthropic world and in the business world – we need to reimagine what is possible by making the most of the tools we already have.”

Within a few short months, the nonprofit has already gotten off to a great start – investing in exciting environmental impact projects like Everybody Water and Bold Reuse, and Black-led venture capital projects like the Black Star Fund.

In addition to providing their founders with access to DAF capital, Patrice and Leah say they also strive to be a network builder for entrepreneurs.

“We want to be more of a connector than a provider,” Patrice and Leah explained. “Whether it be financial capital, business relations, or community connections -- our goal is to connect our founders to the resources they need to succeed.”

For more information on how to make an investment through your donor-advised fund at The Community Foundation, visit Inspire Access or contact our Donor Services team at donorservices@thecommunityfoundation.org

Crafting A New Narrative: An Agenda for Economic Justice in Prince George’s County

On June 25, 2024, The Greater Washington Community Foundation held its second of three convenings on the subject of “An Agenda for Economic Justice in Prince George’s County.” Building on the discussion from the first convening, the gathering brought together community leaders and activists from across the region to advance the discussion about the social and economic future of Prince George’s County, and how we might curate a narrative that inspires our community to pursue economic justice together. 

The Regional Racial Investment Gap – Diving into the Numbers

Over time, the stark level of chronic underinvestment of public and private dollars   in Prince George’s County as compared to our neighbors has created a racial investment gap.

A recent study by the Urban Institute found that – across the region – neighborhoods with the highest percentages of Black and Latino residents received the lowest levels of public and private investment compared to neighborhoods with higher percentages of White residents.

The study found that, on average, households in Prince George’s County – which has historically been home to some of the highest concentrations of Black and an increasing number of Latino residents in the region -- received just $17,973 in investment per household – compared to households in Loudon County, VA that received nearly three times the amount of investment ($44,257) per household.

Of the nine jurisdictions from the DMV region included in the Urban Institute’s study, Prince George’s County received the lowest amount of investment.

The Six Pillars of an Economic Justice Agenda

The second convening was to spark conversation and glean insights that inform a new narrative supporting efforts to secure greater public-private investments for the county, close the racial investment gap, and advance the cause of economic justice. 

1. New Narrative- Creating a story and vision that can inspire collaboration and aid the movement for economic justice.

2. People Power- Center around those in the county who are struggling the most.

3. Resource Development- Identifying, acquiring, and utilizing resources in a strategic manner to achieve specific goals or objectives.

4. Field Building- Identify resources and organizations that lead and advance economic justice work.

5. Disruption and Innovation- Pull and align funds to support disruptive and innovative projects.

6. Impact- Create a scoreboard that holds accountable our commitment and goals.

In the second convening, the group utilized a visioning approach called “Transformative Scenario Planning” – a globally recognized and utilized approach that helps communities reflect on the current state of a problem they are facing, name multiple visions for their future together, and choose a preferred vision for a future that requires collaboration and collective action.   

Participants were organized into break-out rooms to discuss one of three topics that are central to the work of framing a new narrative: economic justice, economic identity, and social identity.

Economic Justice as a Process and Outcome

“Justice will take a long time to turn around, it is not an overnight process, and the foundation is what matters.”- Michael A. Echols, Prince George’s County Chair

This break-out room discussed whether Prince George’s County is prepared to pursue an economic justice agenda, and what critical factors should be considered in crafting a narrative for the County’s success.

The conversation touched on several controversial aspects that must first be addressed, such as the role of institutions (education, government, and corporations) and ways that they may have contributed to the economic injustice and disparities we see in the County.

The group also explored whether Prince George’s County is ready to aggressively name and confront those who have created the injustices that residents are contending with in their communities. 

Participants recognized that these questions are particularly relevant and must be courageously addressed, considering the County’s traditionally moderate political identity has been prevalent over the course of its history. 

The group generated four important key takeaways from the conversation:

1. Action-Oriented Approach: Emphasis should be placed on taking action to disrupt and dismantle practices that produce to economic injustice. 

2. Long-Term Perspective: Acknowledging that achieving economic justice is a gradual process that requires sustained effort and commitment over time.

3. Community Engagement: It is necessary to advocate for community involvement and innovation to drive positive change.

4. Challenges and Considerations: Identify potential backlash, vulnerabilities, and threats that may arise from implementing economic justice initiatives. 

Economic Identity 

The second break-out room discussed four potential economic futures for Prince George’s County's and how they might impact possibilities for economic justice and shared prosperity.

Summaries of the four futures they considered included: 

1. Stay the Course: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  This approach involves a continuation of the vision and strategies that have made Prince George’s the County it is today.

2. What’s Trending:  This approach involves adopting best practices for economic progress and development that are being implemented in other jurisdictions—i.e. transit oriented development, tax abatements, competing for large corporate and institutional employers, and job creation.

3. The Market Decides: This approach advocates against efforts to unduly influence or predetermine the County’s economic future-instead opting to rely on the market to decide the best path for Prince George’s County.

4. Quantum Leap: This approach suggests that people are ready to pursue big ideas and a big vision for the future and includes reinventing and reimagining the economy so that it produces shared prosperity for everyone.

When asked about the best strategic course for investment, participants rejected the status quo, i.e. staying the course, and instead pushed for a bold, new approach (Quantum Leap) that sets the tone for the pursuit of economic justice.

Participants expressed interest in leveraging emerging trends and market dynamics in sectors like quantum computing and research and development—but also acknowledged the need for additional investment to prepare the existing infrastructure and workforce for this great “leap” forward. 

Key points that emerged included the sustainability of current economic strategies and the readiness to embrace this specific change. There was also debate over the impact of demographic shifts, economic competitiveness with neighboring counties, and the adequacy of local services like education and healthcare. 

The dialog during this break-out session yielded three main points:

1. Strategic Priorities: Identifying and capitalizing on market trends to drive economic success, such as the resurgence of the U.S. electronic chip manufacturing, cautioning though that the County may not have the workforce to support this manufacturing initiative. 

2. Identify Roadblocks and Threats: Issues like the lack of resources in schools and the healthcare system, increased tax rates, risk that comes with persistent economic disparity compared to neighboring jurisdictions. These challenges will require collaborative efforts and political will to be effectively addressed. 

3. New Narrative Proposals: The need for messaging that redefines Prince George’s County in ways that attract investment, promote local talent, and build generational wealth within the community. 

Social Identity 

The topic of the third break-out room revolved around selecting and prioritizing a scenario related to the social identity of Prince George’s County. Each scenario highlighted possibilities for how people in the county foresee their relationships with each other, and how they will relate to their peers in the region and around the nation. 

This group was tasked with carefully evaluating and ranking the three following scenarios:

1. A Tale of 2 Cities: An approach that emphasizes socio/economic divides and disparities, highlighting winners (those who have) and losers (those who don’t have). 

2. Wakanda Meets Taloken: Inspired by the popular film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, this approach focuses on community building between Black and Latino communities and leveraging Prince George’s County's status as the largest Black-Latinx community in the region. 

3. Power Concedes Nothing Without A Demand: An approach that openly and energetically confronts systematic racism and the racial investment gap.

Most of the group favored prioritizing “Wakanda Meets Taloken” --acknowledging the need to strengthen relationships within the Black and Latino communities.

Others advocated prioritizing “Power Concedes Nothing Without a Demand Political” -- arguing that addressing systematic racism and the racial investment gap should be prioritized to call to account the people, histories, and interests that have worked to drive a wedge between Black and Latino communities. The group agreed that aspects of this work are necessary to build community and solidarity between these two groups in the County. 

After further discussion, the group concluded with three key takeaways from the conversation: 

1. Majority Consensus: Despite the differing perspectives, the majority ultimately reaffirmed their agreement on “Wakanda Meets Taloken” as the top priority, followed by “Power Concedes Nothing Without a Demand Political”, and “A Tale of 2 Cities” last.

2. Focus on Community Building: There was a recognized need to strengthen relationships within the Black and Latinx communities to serve as a foundational step toward achieving broader economic and social goals.

3. Resource Recommendation: A book recommendation, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, was suggested as a resource to further inform discussions on community collaboration and addressing racial disparities. 

Takeaways and Next Steps

It is clear that Prince George’s County faces significant challenges in achieving economic justice and closing the racial investment gap. However, despite the challenges, we are driven to pursue the key pillars of this work and compelled by insights that were identified during this second convening.

We are excited by the consensus that was reached on the importance of long-term commitment and community engagement to drive sustainable change.

Even with a vast diversity of opinions, this convening demonstrated that our community is focused and committed to fostering economic justice. We look forward to gathering with all of you in our final convening as we shape the agenda for economic justice in Prince George’s County.

Welcoming New Faces to The Community Foundation

The Community Foundation is excited to welcome a number of new Board and Team members to The Community Foundation family.

THe community Foundation Board of Trustees

Jill Landefeld, Principal & Portfolio Manager, Brown Advisory

Jill Landefeld specializes in investment management, asset allocation and portfolio construction for a client base that includes foundations, endowments, cultural institutions, trusts, families and private individuals. She has more than 15 years of financial industry expertise, with work experience in four cities and two continents.

Prior to Brown Advisory, Jill was a Vice President at Stifel providing broad investment management services to a selection of institutional and private clients. She joined Stifel in 2015 following its acquisition of Barclays Wealth and Investment Management in the Americas. Prior to her roles in wealth management, Jill provided balance sheet advisory and public sector bond origination services for national treasuries and government agencies with Barclays Investment Bank in London. She also assisted supranational organizations with structuring debut bond transactions in local currencies in frontier markets.

Jill earned a bilingual (English/ Spanish) Masters of Business Administration from IESE Business school in Barcelona, Spain in 2012. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia in 2004.

Jill has lived in Washington DC for many years. She is a current Ambassador and former Board Member for an international charity that works to increase the quality and availability of education for girls in developing countries. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for the DC History Center, which is an educational non-profit that seeks to deepen awareness of our city’s past to connect, empower and inspire.

Montgomery County Advisory Board

Angela Graham, Quality Biological, Inc.

Angela Graham assumed strategic leadership of the Quality Biological, Inc. in 2012, following 15 years of experience in various commercial leadership roles at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, and UCB Pharma. Returning to her family business, she spearheaded the company’s transformation from a prominent supplier to government and academia into one that also supports the diverse R&D needs of the highly regulated bio-pharmaceutical sector.

As the founder’s daughter, Angela is deeply committed to upholding the core values that have shaped the company into the niche manufacturer it is today in the life sciences. Her expertise lies in business development, leadership, and change management.  Angela is a graduate of the University of Virginia.

Quality Biological, situated within the BioHealth Capital Region in Montgomery County, Maryland, has earned acclaim not only for producing top-quality products but also for fostering a strong commitment to community engagement. Guided by unwavering principles of ethics and integrity, Angela and her team prioritize giving back to the community. They actively support local charities and nurture close industry partnerships.

Angela currently serves on the board of PIC-MC at Montgomery College as well as Montgomery and Prince George’s Hospice. Previous board experience includes the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation and industry group Diversity Alliance for Science.

Carolyn Leonard

Carolyn Leonard, Ph.D, has worked in the field of early childhood mental health and education for over 40 years. She is retired from Montgomery County Public Schools where she worked primarily with the Head Start Program and state funded PreK for under-resourced children and families. As a school psychologist she designed, implemented and evaluated interventions to address factors interfering with students’ learning and school success.  While working as a community psychologist, she was involved with community needs assessment and program planning.  She also had responsibility for assessing the impact of interventions which targeted young children’s development and learning, parenting, and family stability.

In Carolyn’s work with a variety of nonprofit organizations, she has focused on improving the mental health, education and well -being of under-resourced children and families. Addressing needs and access to resources have been goals guiding her work at the individual, program and policy levels.

During her career, Carolyn has served on numerous boards and advisory councils. These have included The Montgomery County Commission for Children and Youth, Early Head Start, Starting Early Starting Smart, Community Kids, the Early Childhood Mental Health Consortium, the National Advisory Council for the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University, Apple Tree Institute for Education and Innovation and The Strathmore Music Center.  While on the board of Strathmore, she chaired the Education Committee, which focused on expanding programs for low-income children and families. Her philanthropy has focused on “giving where you are living” and supporting organizations committed to serving those typically not able to access educational and cultural opportunities.

Carolyn has a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Rutgers University, an MS in Human Development and Family Studies from Penn State University, and a BS in Child Development and Family Relations from the University of Connecticut. She is also a Nationally Certified School Psychologist.

Dusty Rood, Rodgers Consulting

Dusty Rood is the President and CEO of Rodgers Consulting, Inc., headquartered in Montgomery County, MD. Founded in 1957, Rodgers Consulting’s mission is to provide industry-leading land use and real estate development consulting services for clients who demonstrate integrity and who recognize the importance of community responsibility, with a commitment to excellence in planning and design.

 In addition to serving as the CEO of Rodgers Consulting, Dusty is engaged in other community affairs. He currently serves on the Leadership Group of Montgomery Moving Forward and the Advisory Board of the Universities at Shady Grove. He is a member and past participant of Leadership Maryland, and he previously served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce.

Joan Schaffer

Joan Schaffer  is a proud third-generation native of the DC area, and she has called Montgomery County home for most of her life. After earning her MBA at Georgetown, she held progressively significant roles at Price Waterhouse and Freddie Mac, ultimately serving as Managing Vice President and Business Information Officer at Capital One.

Following an early retirement, Joan turned her focus to providing enhanced opportunities for Montgomery County’s underserved residents. Her efforts included consulting for various local nonprofits, board service, and active participation in the County Council’s Grants Advisory Group. Evolving from this involvement, she accepted the role of Council Grants Manager overseeing the entire grants process and collaborating with the Advisory Group to evaluate up to 400 grant applications each year and recommend appropriate Council funding.

Joan's commitment to our nonprofit sector continues as she provides pro bono consulting and serves on multiple boards within the community. Presently, she lends her expertise to organizations such as the Food Council, MCAEL, the Children’s Opportunity Alliance, and the Imagination Library, underscoring her dedication to serving the diverse needs of Montgomery County's residents. She is especially passionate about providing equitable support and opportunities for all of our county’s children.

Prince George’s County Advisory Board

Keisha Hawkins, MBA, PMP

Keisha Hawkins is a dynamic leader in operations and project management, with a proven track record of over a decade. As the Director of Operations at Wayne Enterprises, she not only leads operational policy implementation and growth directives but also spearheads client support services, showcasing her ability to manage diverse responsibilities and teams.

In addition to her role at Wayne Enterprises, Keisha is the owner-operator of Rita's Water Ice of Oxon Hill. She has previously served as a Program Manager at Cambio Consulting, where she effectively planned, organized, and managed various projects for the USDA’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, enhancing quality control and communications support.

Her extensive background includes significant achievements such as overhauling administrative and operations management at Federal Advisory Partners, leading to increased oversight and efficiency. At Highlight Technologies LLC, she excelled as a Program Analyst III, implementing quality control measures and improving program deliverables' timeliness.

With a strong focus on strategic planning, risk mitigation, and data management, Keisha has consistently demonstrated her ability to handle complex operational overhauls and refine administrative systems. Her expertise spans operational efficiency improvement, resource allocation, and event coordination, making her a valuable asset to any organization.

Keisha holds an MBA from the University of Massachusetts and multiple certifications, including a PMP from the Project Management Institute and a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University. She is married and has three children who excel academically and are talented in sports.

Keisha's commitment to community development is a cornerstone of her professional values. Her robust problem-solving capabilities and dedication to enhancing organizational performance align perfectly with the mission of the Greater Washington Community Foundation Prince George’s Board. She eagerly looks forward to contributing to nonprofit initiatives and positively impacting the community.

Aimee Griffin, Esq, Principal Attorney, Life & Legacy Counselors of The Griffin Firm PLLC

Aimee is the principal attorney of Life & Legacy Counselors of The Griffin Firm PLLC, an estate and business succession firm committed to the creation, protection and transfer of wealth serving District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Florida.

Aimee is the Board President and Founder of the Association of Black Estate Planning Professionals, Inc., a collaborative economic empowerment organization with a mission to bridge the racial wealth gap. With a commitment to strategic community economic development for Black people, Aimee serves as Corporate Counsel for the US Black Chambers, National African American Insurance Association, (NAAIA) and the BOW Collective.

Aimee is committed to supporting community growth through education and speaks regularly at national, regional, and local forums to educate other attorneys and the community. Aimee is an adjunct professor at the Western New England University, School of Law, and a monthly contributor to the Washington Informer newspaper. She strongly believes “when we know better, we can do better.”

Aimee has been recognized and received awards by local and regional associations including the Small Business Administration as a Minority Business Champion. Aimee was just awarded the 2024 Women in Business Champion of the Year Award by the DC Chamber of Commerce.

Aimee steadfastly believes we are better together!

The Community Foundation Staff

Mandi Koba, Program Officer, Economic Mobility

Mandi Koba joined the Greater Washington Community Foundation in February 2024 as the Program Officer, Economic Mobility. In her role, Mandi provides management and guidance to programs such as Thrive Prince George’s and Brilliant Futures.

Mandi joins us from Fairfax County, VA where she helped launch their guaranteed income pilot program. Prior to that, she worked at Bread for the City supporting two cash transfer programs: THRIVE East of the River and DC Cares. She also previously worked as a case manager and advocate serving youth and adults across a range of vulnerable circumstances.

Mandi holds a bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies and a Master of Social Work from George Mason University. As lived experience professional, her work is centered in equity, community voice and individual self-determination.

Bridget Hanagan, Senior Manager, Development Operations

Bridget joined The Community Foundation (for the second time) as Senior Manager, Development Operations in May 2024. Bridget’s career in philanthropy started in 2012 when she joined The Community Foundation for the first time as Donor Services Officer supporting the local Mongomery County office in donor support and development, communications, and event planning. For the past 12 years, she has worked closely with families and individuals to develop and execute their charitable giving goals, managed impactful philanthropic partnerships, and built development systems to drive organizational success.

Prior to returning to The Community Foundation, Bridget managed Philanthropic Partnerships for PSI, a global health NGO that makes it easier for all people to lead healthier lives and plan the families they desire. At PSI, Bridget supported Maverick Collective members to engage deeply in the work of PSI through an experiential philanthropy approach that gave members hands-on learning experiences with the projects they funded. She also managed PSI’s relationships and communications with wealth and philanthropic advisors.

Bridget holds a BA from Simmons University in International Relations and Economics with a French minor. A New Englander at heart, she resides in Washington, DC with her fiancé and their rescue dog, Rue. Outside of work, you can find Bridget hiking with Rue, planning her next ski trip, checking off a bucket list travel destination, trying out new recipes, or searching for the best dumpling in the DMV.

Emani Brooks, Summer Intern, Development Team

Emani Brooks is currently a Junior attending Bowie State University majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. Upon graduating with her Bachelor's degree, Emani plans to attend Graduate School and get her Master's degree in either Communications or Public Relations and pursue a career in Social Media Management/Marketing. Emani is a previous employee at Bank of America as a Financial Center Intern and also has experience in Social Media Marketing and Journalism. In her pastime, Emani enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family and friends. 

Leaders of the Future: Building & Empowering Safer and Stronger Communities

In March 2024, The Community Foundation awarded $1 million in grants to organizations from across DC to help promote peacemakers who are working to empower children, youth and adults to build stronger, safer communities. These investments were made in partnership with the DC Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Neighborhood Safety & Engagement.

In honor of Gun Violence Prevention Month, The Community Foundation is excited to highlight the work and mission of these incredible organizations and the impact that they've had in empowering and uplifting their respective communities.

• Horton's Kids

  1) Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  We currently serve the Wellington Park, Stanton Oaks and Hunter Place communities.

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

  Horton’s Kids empowers children growing up in DC’s most under-resourced communities so that they graduate from high school ready for success in college, career, and life. We serve 600 children and their families living in Wellington Park & Stanton Oaks – neighborhoods that have been profoundly impacted by decades of disinvestment and barriers to opportunity.

  3) How does your organization help build a stronger, safer community?

  Horton's Kids has a close partnership with the property management company of both properties that we serve and we have biweekly meetings that have a strong focus on the safety of the residents. Members of property security as well as MPD are also present during these meetings.

  4) How does your organization involve and empower community members in the work that you do? Please help us understand how this is important to your work.

  Horton's Kids is committed to involving and empowering community members in various ways. We understand that the perspectives, experiences, and feedback of community members are invaluable for creating a safe community for them. Some of the ways we involve the community members in the work we do is by creating opportunities for them to volunteer as well providing job opportunities. We also have an active Parent Advisory Council that assists us in making sure our parent's and community member's voices are heard and well respected. We understand that by involving community members in our processes, we build trust and accountability. Community involvement fuels innovation by tapping into the collective expertise and creativity of diverse stakeholders. By empowering community members to contribute to our work, we unlock new ideas, approaches, and opportunities for positive societal impact.

  5) What excites you about the future for youth in your community?

  We're excited about the process. A lot of times people fall in love with the outcome whereas we've learned to fall in love with the entire process because there are so many learning opportunities for us all to learn from but that only comes when you go through the entire process.

  6) As a leader, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  Horton's Kids' dreams and aspirations for the future is for our participants, their parents and other community members to have a safe environment where everyone feels connected and everyone is moving on one accord toward the goal of peace and prosperity.

• Negotiation Works

  1) Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  We provide our services in the metropolitan Washington, DC area and surrounding areas in Virginia and Maryland. We serve individuals living in all eight Wards of DC, with a particular focus on Wards 7 and 8.

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

  Negotiation Works provides negotiation and self-advocacy training for people emerging from difficult and often traumatic situations–such as incarceration, homelessness, addiction, and domestic violence–so they develop the skills to navigate everyday challenges and live the next chapters in their lives confidently and productively.

  3) How does your organization help build a stronger, safer community?

  We help build a stronger, safer community by teaching negotiation skills classes to people coming out of homelessness, incarceration, domestic violence, and other challenging life situations. Our curriculum addresses foundational negotiation strategies and self-advocacy skills, such as perspective-taking, identifying both parties’ interests, brainstorming potential solutions, crafting alternatives to negotiated agreements, active listening, and communicating effectively. The individuals who complete the Negotiation Works classes become better equipped to work through the daily frustrations that might otherwise fester and then escalate into gun or other violence. More broadly, when community members have the confidence and commitment to listen to one another, learn each other’s perspectives, and work alongside one another, they can--collectively--sort through their differences in a non-violent manner and contribute to the upward trajectory of the community as a whole.

  4) How does your organization involve and empower community members in the work that you do? Please help us understand how this is important to your work.

  We engage all our participants in shaping our curriculum. We solicit feedback from program participants about how the role plays and scenarios we use resonate with them and what uses they find in their own lives to implement negotiation strategies. We examine this input with an eye toward either making modifications to our existing scenarios or developing new ones.
  
  Participants who complete the Negotiation Works program are invited to become Ambassadors, an ongoing learning and service community for former class participants with opportunities to serve as informal advisors to Negotiation Works, problem-solving consultants to one another, and role models in the community as effective conflict resolvers and self-advocates. The Ambassadors influence the content, scope, and reach of our work. Their lived experience and stories offer invaluable contributions to how we shape the curriculum, leading us--for example--to provide more scenarios dealing with how returning citizens might negotiate for housing, or work through difficult situations in the workplace. Finally, they are beginning to develop their own dispute resolution programs for youth, through which they seek to teach negotiation strategies to youth, using their experiences to model how to work through conflicts by engaging in conversation, rather than by arguing or, worse, picking up a gun. Their influence is limitless as they spread their problem-solving skills in their families, workplaces, and broader communities.

  5) What excites you about the future for youth in your community?

  We see unlimited potential in youth in our Negotiation Works community. They want to play a role in strengthening their communities, and we are excited about supporting them on their journeys.

  6) As a leader, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  My dream is to foster stronger, more resilient communities by sharing conflict resolution, problem-solving, and self-advocacy skills everywhere. When the members of a community have the tools to advocate for themselves and negotiate with each other, they are better able to achieve shared goals, create lasting relationships, and improve the stability of the community as a whole.

• BEST Kids

  1)  Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  We primarily serve at-risk youth residing in Wards 4, 5, 7, and 8.

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

  BEST Kids empowers youth who are in foster care and at-risk to build healthy and successful futures through mentoring, college and career readiness, and life skills programs. We aim to ensure that youth who are in foster care or at-risk are meaningfully connected to positive adults and provided with the tools to feel confident and valued and placed on a path to achieve success as adults.

  3)  How does your organization help build a stronger, safer community?

  Through regular engagement with positive adult mentors, access to academic resources, career readiness skills, cultural and recreational experiences, leadership opportunities, and mental health support, as well as providing that key stability to support our youth over the long term, BEST Kids addresses the systemic challenges and mitigates the risk factors associated with violence. Our program provides evidence-based solutions to equip our youth with the tools necessary to thrive as successful adults and become youth violence prevention advocates, which in turn will help to build stronger families and create safer communities.

  4)  How does your organization involve and empower community members in the work that you do? Please help us understand how this is important to your work.

  Community engagement and centering the voice of our youth is a critical element of our organization. We understand that involving the youth we serve in our decision making and programming is vital to the long-term sustainability of our program. The BEST Kids mentor relationship is set up to encourage our youth to name their goals, develop their unique identity, and explore their own potential. In 2020, we created the Youth Leadership Council, a group of mentees who meet bi-monthly to share ideas on how to improve programming and amplify the impact of our organization. Their participation and input have helped us to glean the issues and services that matter to them the most, allowing us to identify improvements and additions to our program. In addition, YLC members build their confidence and leadership skills by speaking and advocating before community leaders charged with making decisions that affect youth experiences in the child welfare system. By providing them with the opportunity to be better and do better, then we are succeeding in our mission of helping to build healthy and successful futures for foster and at-risk youth in the Washington, DC community.

  5)  What excites you about the future for youth in your community?

  The foster and at-risk youth we serve are incredibly resilient people. They face tremendous challenges and trauma on a daily basis, yet by equipping them with the necessary tools, resources and exposure to positive opportunities that may not otherwise be available to them, we are placing them on a path to thrive and become the best version of themselves. Through our interaction and engagement with our youth, we see them taking the limits off what they thought was possible and embracing their futures with confidence, resilience, and tenacity.

  6) As a leader, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  As a leader, my dreams and aspirations for the future revolve around creating a safer, more peaceful community where every individual feels secure and valued. I envision a world where our collective efforts to prevent violence result in tangible, lasting change, fostering environments where our children can grow up without fear and our neighborhoods can thrive with mutual respect and support. I am committed to empowering our community with the resources, education, mentorship, and support needed to break the cycle of violence. By providing mentorship, we can guide and inspire our youth to reach their full potential and become positive role models for others. Through continued collaboration and innovation, I hope we can build a foundation of hope and resilience that will inspire future generations to cultivate a place of peace and unity.

• The T.R.I.G.G.E.R. Project

  1)  Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  We serve all of DC

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

  We are preventing gun violence through the intersectionality of positive youth development and public health.

  3) How does your organization help build a stronger, safer community?

  We provide economic opportunities to all youth that we serve and encounter as the CDC reports that economic opportunity is a protective factor that lessens the likelihood of youth violence victimization and perpetration.

  4)  How does your organization involve and empower community members in the work that you do? Please help us understand how this is important to your work.

  The T.R.I.G.G.E.R. Project recognizes that the communities that we serve already possess the power necessary to prevent the spread of gun violence. In this light, we include them in our vision and strategy as experts. We inform our people on how to address gun violence through a public health lens as education is the first step to transformation and systemic reform.

  5)  What excites you about the future for youth in your community?

  We are most excited that our youth are the long-term plan and approach to preventing future gun violence from spreading. Working with our youth, as leaders of today, equips them to design and implement the sustainable strategies necessary to see a world present in health equity and absent from gun violence.

  6)  As a leader, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  We envision a world absent from the disease of gun violence led by public health voices.

• Mother's Outreach Network

  1) Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  We serve residents citywide, with a special focus on communities with high concentrations of poverty in wards 5, 6, 7 and 8.

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

  Our mission is to engage Black mothers in the struggle for family preservation through transformation of family and government laws, policies and practices from punitive to empowering.

  3) How does your organization help build a stronger, safer community?

  We use the following power building strategies for system’s transformation: Community engagement, research, and mobilization; policy advocacy; and legal information, representation and other programs.

  4) How does your organization involve and empower community members in the work that you do? Please help us understand how this is important to your work.

  Our organization engages community members through training, engagement in policy advocacy, and uplifting their voices to speak truth to, and push the levers of power. Our community engagement, research, and mobilization center the expertise of the community. We show up to support community members in visioning change, crafting solutions and advancing them in the local legislative and executive branches as we seek to defend them and shrink carceral systems that ensnare their families.

  5) What excites you about the future for youth in your community?

  We believe strong families build strong futures for youth and their communities. We are excited about building a guaranteed income with a future of economic security for families where youth can grow and thrive and focus on supporting one another. If we pass policies like guaranteed income for youth, which is possible in the capital of the wealthiest nation on earth, their futures and those of their communities, will be secure and free of violence.

  6) As a leader, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  I want to see the elimination of poverty in the District of Columbia through a guaranteed income. We’d like to strengthen the existing safety net and to build new ones. we seek to do so through continued power building and strategic partnerships and execution!

• Paso Nuevo - GALA Hispanic Theatre

  1) Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  Paso Nuevo serves youths from DC, with most students coming from the Columbia Heights neighborhood where the theatre is located, Mount Pleasant, Adams Morgan, Petworth, U Street, Brightwood, and Sixteenth Street Heights.

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

  Paso Nuevo is a community-based performing arts program that provides low-income and multicultural youth with critical life and job skills in a creative, bilingual environment. Through Paso Nuevo, Latino youth ages 14-19 have a safe space in which to explore and take pride in their linguistic and cultural heritage, improve literacy and communication skills in both English and Spanish, discover their creative voice, gain valuable academic and job skills, and develop the tools necessary to engage more successfully in their schools and communities.

  3) How does your organization help build a stronger, safer community?

  GALA Theatre provides a safe space for students to gather after school and during the summer, offering various performing-arts classes, technical training, and mentoring. Through participation in the arts, students in Paso Nuevo explore their cultures and identities and grow their academic skills and self-confidence. After training in several areas of theater, including artistic and technical fields, students engage in volunteer and work opportunities, gaining the leadership skills they need to advocate for themselves, their families, and their community. With internships and stipends, Paso Nuevo provides students an immediate economic benefit, as well as the experience and life skills to improve their short- and long-term career prospects, while imbuing in them a sense of commitment to the surrounding area. Students also learn techniques to manage day-to-day issues that may arise at home, school or in the community through conflict resolution sessions and meet with MPD officers to foster improved relations with the police. Three times a year participants present a free bilingual performance for the surrounding community.

  4) How does your organization involve and empower community members in the work that you do? Please help us understand how this is important to your work.

  GALA Hispanic Theatre’s free Paso Nuevo afterschool program draws in students from around DC to participate in arts classes, technical training, and mentoring. GALA also invites community members to free Paso Nuevo performances on its mainstage at the end of the Winter, Spring and Summer sessions. The public is engaged in a talkback with students, who share their experiences in the program. The theater also opens its doors to families in January for Three Kings Day, with a nativity procession and play, music, dance, live animals, and free gifts for all children. Additionally, Paso Nuevo students lead the community in a free public celebration of Day of the Dead in the Columbia Heights green.

  In the area of community safety, Paso Nuevo students survey and interview community members about their experiences of crime and violence and their opinions on solutions, while sharing safety information through podcasts and social media. GALA also collaborates with other community organizations throughout the year, and hosts free community events. Sharing Latino theater and the arts with the youth in our afterschool programs and the surrounding community is central to GALA’s mission of promoting and preserving Hispanic culture and heritage.

  5) What excites you about the future for youth in your community?

  It is thrilling to see how this generation of youth is so actively engaged in social issues and understands that the problems that affect any group impact us all. Their passionate pursuit of information and their persistence in holding power to account are promising indicators of the progress toward equity and opportunity they will spearhead in DC.

  6) As a leader, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  I hope to see GALA Theatre and the arts continue their role in deepening our youths’ understanding of themselves, their empathy with others, and their pride in their culture and its place in the wider community.

• DC Police Foundation

  1) Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  The Foundation supports and coordinates the Washington Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) youth and community outreach programs taking place throughout the city. We are especially proud of our DC PAL programming, taking place in Wards 5, 6, 7 and 8. Our DC PAL football team currently serves: Benning Park Deanwood Marshall Heights Lincoln Heights Projects Clay Terrace Projects

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

  The D.C. Police Foundation (DCPF) works to provide resources for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in support of their mission to make D.C. a safer place to live, work, and visit. DCPF seeks to accomplish their mission by: I. Maintaining and spearheading youth programs in D.C.’s most challenging neighborhoods to enhance police and community relationships. II. Supporting the unmet needs of the MPD, identified by the Chief of Police, through both in-kind and financial assistance.

  3) How does your organization help build a stronger, safer community?

  Our organization helps build a stronger and safer community through our unique offering of varied youth programming. For example, by engaging youth as young as 4-5 years old in programs like Officer Friendly and the Side by Side Band, we are encouraging them to have open conversations with law enforcement officers, to share their stories and to ask questions. By engaging with youth in this open manner, the kids learn from the officers, but the officers learn even more from the youth. Officers learn the needs of the community and can better serve each neighborhood based on what they hear from their mentees. By working together and creating that relationship, everyone feels more comfortable and can better communicate in times of need as well. We have also had many youth become MPD officers over the last 10 years, wanting to make a positive difference in their own neighborhood.

  4) How does your organization involve and empower community members in the work that you do? Please help us understand how this is important to your work.

  Our organization works directly with community members, schools, businesses, youth and the police department to develop and enhance programming that is felt to be most needed and beneficial to the community. The Youth Advisory Council is incredibly important, where youth meet regularly with the Chief of Police, sharing their visions and goals for police-community partnerships. All programs also include a component of financial literacy, so that we can teach youth and their families how to open bank accounts, budget, save and even invest. We feel that this is incredibly important to build a strong workforce and set all program youth up for success and financial independence.

  5) What excites you about the future for youth in your community?

  The youth who participate in our programming are so passionate about making the city a better place and about creating positive change within their neighborhoods. Listening to their ideas, dreams and then watching them work collaboratively with their law enforcement officer mentors on next steps to realize their goals has been incredibly exciting.

  6) As a leader, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  We hope to continue to build out and expand our youth engagement programming, building positive relationships between law enforcement and the community. This will allow for the continuation of the youth program pipeline into career paths not only in public safety, but with partner organizations within the city. We hope to inspire those who live in the city to work hand in hand with law enforcement to make the city a safer place for everyone to live, work and visit.

• Network for Victim Recovery of DC

  1) Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  All communities/neighborhoods in DC!

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

  We create equitable healing and dignified experiences for survivors of crime by providing free, trauma-informed advocacy, therapeutic, and legal services in conjunction with strategic litigation, policy advocacy, and education to transform existing responses to harm.

  3) How does your organization help build a stronger, safer community?

  Survivor-defined justice is the bedrock of NVRDC and guides everything that we do. This means that justice does not look the same for every survivor. NVRDC staff support each survivors unique vision and their chose path towards that goal. We do not say or believe that "we did what was best for our client" That assumes that NVRDC know what is best for them and not themselves.

  4) How does your organization involve and empower community members in the work that you do? Please help us understand how this is important to your work.

  NVRDC believes that we empower folks by providing them with the tools they need to succeed such as learning how to be trauma-informed. By bringing trauma training to as many diverse sectors as possible, we are one step closer towards ensuring every crime victim has a dignified and empowered experience wherever they may turn for help.

  5)  What excites you about the future for youth in your community?

  Youth in our community seem to stand up and be a voice for those who are receiving any sort of injustice. They are not scared to speak up and put actions in place to fight for what they believe in.

  6) As a leader, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  NVRDC's goal is to create trauma-informed spaces everywhere possible.

• Life Pieces to Masterpieces

  1) Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  Life Pieces To Masterpieces serves Black and Brown boys and young men, ages 3 to adulthood, in Wards 7 and 8 of Washington, DC.

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

  Life Pieces To Masterpieces develops character and leadership, unlocks potential, and prepares Black and Brown boys and young men to transform their lives and communities, with creative expression and “each one teach one” mentoring at the core. In a world that devalues and threatens the lives of Black and Brown men young and old, LPTM provides refuge for boys to break through negative self-images, tell authentic stories of their life experiences, and build strong bonds of brotherhood.

  3) How does your organization help build a stronger, safer community?

  LPTM provides over 1,200 hours per year of comprehensive out-of-school-time programming after school, during the summer, and on Saturdays. All programming supports the social-emotional, academic, emotional, physical, and civic development of our boys and young men. LPTM programming is entirely free for all youth and families and includes nutritious meals/snacks and door-to-door transportation in LPTM-owned vehicles between youths’ schools, LPTM’s programming site, and home each day, removing the two most frequently-cited barriers to accessing out-of-school-time programming nationwide: cost and safe transportation (Afterschool Alliance, 2022). Youth at LPTM–from age 3 into adulthood–have a safe, loving environment to express themselves; teach and uplift others as mentors; navigate societal barriers; and contribute positive change in their communities. Our boys see their futures beyond how society attempts to define them, surrounded by mentors–many of whom look like them, grew up in their neighborhoods, and understand their challenges and aspirations. Through their storytelling, self-expression, arts, leadership, and advocacy, our boys and young men change the world’s understanding of our shared humanity. LPTM boys and young men regularly speak up and speak out about issues important to them.

  LPTM is a part of three major coalitions: the DC OST Coalition, which advocates for public and private local investment for community-based out-of-school-time programs; the DC Arts Education Alliance, which advocates for funding and access to the arts for all DC youth, and especially those from marginalized communities; and the Black Coalition for Health, which began as the Black Coalition Against Covid, fighting to get more resources and better, more trustworthy information into Black communities. LPTM’s authentic community relationships enabled us to aid families with important questions, while our commitment to always having a young person in every coalition meeting brought important insights to the coalition’s national leadership. LPTM’s coalitional work allows us to share ideas, best practices, youth voice, and advocacy strategies with 35+ local community-based organizations. Through this work, LPTM has been connected with two additional national organizations, Afterschool Alliance and MENTOR, where our young people have consistently reached national audiences to share the authentic stories of their live, become thought leaders advancing the importance of mentorship and safe afterschool spaces, and build a new narrative about Black and Brown boys and young men.

  4) How does your organization involve and empower community members in the work that you do? Please help us understand how this is important to your work.

  LPTM’s growth as an organization has been co-designed by our first seven boys, and subsequent Apprentices over 28 years, together with families, schools, and neighborhoods in our communities East of the River. Black-led since our 1996 founding, our staff and leadership team have strongly reflected the DC neighborhoods that we serve. Our team has lived experience that helps our young people connect, feel understood, and develop a sense of belonging within our programs. LPTM youth are planners, decision-makers, and active partners in their own learning. As they grow in the program, they play a part in helping to shape each other’s lives as they become mentors and role models for their peers.

  LPTM’s unique "each one teach one" mentoring model–woven throughout our programming continuum–both fosters leadership skills in mentors and provides a nurturing and relatable support system for mentees: Older peers serve as exemplars to their younger peers, providing social-emotional and academic support in classrooms in which they themselves were once enrolled as young boys. As mentors who share many of the same experiences, challenges, and aspirations as their mentees, and supported by their own peer and staff mentors, our young men develop confidence in their innate goodness and a foundation of self-belief. Through these practices, LPTM youth grow to understand their innate potential and continue to guide the work of LPTM in new ways. LPTM youth and alumni also co-facilitate our signature “Color Me Community” interactive workshop series, which guide participants to explore equity, inclusion, and implicit biases in a safe environment that opens the way to experiencing themselves and others as integral and valued parts of shared humanity.

  5)  What excites you about the future for youth in your community?

  At Life Pieces To Masterpieces, we have always believed that it is not about us giving power to our boys and young men, but, rather, we believe that they have the innate creative ability to transform their lives and to enact positive change in their communities and their world. What excites me is that every single one of our boys and young men, when given the right opportunities, have the wherewithal to change challenges into possibilities. All that’s needed is a safe place and space for them to realize their own innate power.

  6) As a leader, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  My dream is captured in the vision of Life Pieces To Masterpieces. It is that our boys and young men become catalysts for positive change throughout their communities, their country, and the world, and that they ultimately have the self-determination and confidence to chart out their own course in their lives.

• Access Youth

  1) Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  Access Youth serves at-risk middle and high school students in DC’s wards 6, 7, and 8.

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

  Access Youth’s mission is to keep vulnerable youth in school and out of the justice system through mediation, restorative justice, and positive youth development.

  3) How does your organization help build a stronger, safer community?

  For 15 years, Access Youth has helped build a safer community with restorative justice-based interventions to prevent violence among at-risk students. Access Youth delivers transformative programming to mitigate the impact of unresolved trauma, systemic racism, gender disparities, and cyclical poverty on student attendance, behavior, and academic performance. Access Youth’s full-time on-site Program Managers deliver individualized supports to 1000+ students yearly across our eight partner schools.

  4) How does your organization involve and empower community members in the work that you do? Please help us understand how this is important to your work.

  Access Youth’s core programs––Restorative Justice in Schools and Truancy Prevention–– keep students engaged in their school communities and empower them with critical life and leadership skills. Our programs are rooted in equity––we lift up the voices and choices of the youth we serve. We meet each individual student where they are, with evidence-based supports and a trauma-informed approach that works to empower each individual to become the role models they deserve.

  5) What excites you about the future for youth in your community?

  Access Youth sees the potential in each and every one of our students. Their exciting accomplishments show the impact of our programs. Just last year we had 200+ Access Youth students on Honor Roll, ALL of our seniors graduated, and two of our students served as President and Vice President of the student body. We are inspired by their dedication and excited for their ongoing accomplishments.

  6) As a leader, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  Every day, Access Youth actively works toward our dream: an equitable education system where every student receives the support they need to stay in school, learn to manage their emotions, and resolve conflicts without violence. We envision our middle and high school conferences growing into an integrated network of students that encompasses students across all DCPS schools and empowers students to advocate for themselves and restorative practices throughout their communities.

• Building Futures

  1) Which Communities/Neighborhoods do you serve?

  Ward 8 & Ward 1

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

  Building Futures is a year long youth empowerment program designed to equip young individuals with the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to thrive in the modern workforce and become future leaders in their communities. Through a carefully structured three-phase approach, participants will engage in educational, practical, and entrepreneurial activities that foster personal growth, professional development, and community impact.

  3) How does your organization help build a stronger, safer community?

  Our youth co-op program can help build a stronger, safer community in a number of ways: Building Futures programs provide young people with valuable skills and experiences that will help them become more responsible and engaged members of the community. By providing young people with positive outlets for their energy and creativity, our program can help reduce the likelihood of them engaging in risky behaviors or criminal activities. Engaging in meaningful activities and building positive relationships can steer young people away from negative influences and towards a more positive path. Youth who participate in co-op programs often become more engaged in their communities. They may volunteer, participate in community events, or take on leadership roles, all of which contribute to building a stronger and safer community. Engaged youth are more likely to care about the well-being of their community and take action to improve it. Lastly , building future leaders. Our program can help identify and nurture the leadership potential of young people. By providing opportunities for youth to take on responsibilities, make decisions, and solve problems, these programs can help develop the next generation of community leaders who will work to make their communities safer and more vibrant. Overall, youth co-op program play a valuable role in building stronger, safer communities by empowering young people, fostering social connections, reducing crime, promoting community involvement, and developing future leaders.

  4) How does your organization involve and empower community members in the work that you do? Please help us understand how this is important to your work.

  By actively involving and empowering community members in their work, a youth co-op program can build stronger connections, foster collaboration, and create a more vibrant and inclusive community that benefits both youth participants and residents alike.

  5) What excites you about the future for youth in your community?

  The future is exciting for youth because of the opportunities for technological advancement, global connectivity, social change, entrepreneurship, education, diversity, inclusion, and climate action. With their energy, creativity, and passion, young people have the potential to shape a brighter and more sustainable future for themselves and generations to come. Lastly, Building a solidarity economy by participating in the cooperative movement to transform our perspectives and practices in economics.

  6) As a leader, what are your dreams or aspirations for the future?

  Creating intentional spaces for healing is essential to empower us to generate prosperity for the benefit of future generations. Safe communities with minimal crime.

Greater Washington Community Foundation Launches Children’s Savings Pilot Program to Address Racial Wealth Gap

The Brilliant Futures program will provide up to $1,000 per year from kindergarten through 12th grade to students at Bradbury Heights and Jackson Road Elementary Schools

The Greater Washington Community Foundation is excited to announce the launch of Brilliant Futures, a children’s savings pilot program that will provide students at two schools with up to $1,000 each year from kindergarten through 12th grade. Upon graduating high school (or equivalent by age 24), the students will be able to put their savings toward ongoing education and training or to pursue other income- or wealth-generating opportunities, such as buying a home or starting a business.

The Community Foundation has partnered with Montgomery County Public Schools and Prince George’s County Public Schools to launch the pilot program for all kindergarteners currently enrolled at Jackson Road Elementary School in the White Oak neighborhood of Silver Spring, MD in Montgomery County and next year’s kindergarteners at Bradbury Heights Elementary School in Capitol Heights, MD in Prince George’s County. 

The Community Foundation has committed to funding the program for two consecutive kindergarten cohorts at each school. The program is expected to enroll up to 400 students. The participant population is 90% Black, Latinx, and Hispanic with all students eligible for free and reduced meal service (FARMS). The schools were selected in alignment with The Community Foundation's strategic focus on high opportunity priority neighborhoods across the region where residents are experiencing the deepest disparities in homeownership, income, and life expectancy, according to several data sources.

“Expanding the possibilities not just for one, but for an entire community of young people can move us toward our vision of narrowing the racial wealth gap in our region,” said Tonia Wellons, president & CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “We are confident that children’s savings will help us reshape how and where resources flow in our communities so that we can build more equitable systems which lead to a more resilient and prosperous region for all.”

The pilot program will be funded using $10 million of contributions raised by The Community Foundation’s “Together, We Prosper Campaign for Economic Justice” and through investments from generous donors. Upon completing high school, the goal is for each student to have access to at least $13,000, plus any investment earnings, that they can use to seed their future aspirations. 

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"We are proud to be a part of such a transformative and innovative program that provides an investment that every student in the nation deserves," said Interim Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools, Dr. Monique Felder. “When these young people graduate high school, they will immediately have a strong cornerstone upon which to build a prosperous life whether they choose to go straight into the workforce, higher education or entrepreneurship."

Researchers for the Annie E. Casey Foundation have found, through economic modeling, that having an asset such as a children’s savings account can close the racial wealth gap in a community by as much as 28%.

“We’ve seen the transformative impacts of well-executed programs that provide savings for young people and adults alike,” said Superintendent Milliard House II from Prince George’s County Public Schools. “We hope that by supporting students with a down payment on life, whether that goes toward funding a college tuition, starting a small business, or buying a house, this program will level the playing field, promoting racial and financial equity in the Greater Washington region.”

“At Jackson Road, we recognize the need to address the whole child—in and out of the classroom,” said Ms. Rosario Paola Velasquez, Principal of Jackson Road Elementary School. “We take a community-centered approach and wrap our arms around this community.”

The Greater Washington Community Foundation will work with the schools as well as with community partners Reid Community Development Corporation in Prince George’s County and Parent Encouragement Program in Montgomery County to manage the program.

To learn more, visit www.thecommunityfoundation.org/brilliant-futures.  

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