Arts and Humanities

3,887,500  (21%)

Community Services

8,307,500  (45%)

Education

3,793,000  (21%)

Health

2,145,000  (12%)

Miscellaneous

      93,076  (  1%)

Total Amount Awarded

              $18,226,076           

Classification of grants by size shows the following:

UNDER $10,000

64

$  10,000 to $49,999

275

$  50,000 to $99,999

76

$100,000 or more

    27

Total Number of Grants

442

       During the past year, the Foundation marked the 10th annual Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Awards for Distinguished DC Government Employees. With a grant from the Foundation in 1999, this program was originally created by DC Agenda and the George Washington University Center for Excellence in Public Leadership (CEPL) to recognize outstanding District municipal employees. The awards, which are currently administered by CEPL, acknowledge the committed District of Columbia professionals who, often working behind the scenes, demonstrate the best in public service.

       As you know, we concentrate on several specific funding areas: Arts and Humanities, Community Services, Education, Health and Environment.

       In the current sluggish economic environment, the Foundation is actively working to increase services to DC-area residents. Also, we are providing support to grantees asking for guidance with strategic planning, capacity building and other forms of infrastructure assistance.

       Among those grantees recently requesting help with strategic planning are: Capital Fringe, The Child and Family Network Centers and Safe Shores – The DC Children’s Advocacy Center.

       The Foundation has supported many intermediary organizations that supply capacity-building services to nonprofits or offer leadership development programs for their staff and boards. Included are such groups as 501CTech, Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Funders Network Capacity Building Initiative, Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Washington and a new program for nonprofit leaders, The Leadership Sanctuary.

       Last year, the Foundation provided direct assistance so that several organizations could explore the feasibility of merging. Most often, these conversations were initiated by a small nonprofit wishing to find a home with a larger nonprofit in order to continue an important program. The Foundation helped to support a number of successful institutional unions, including: Adventure Theatre and Musical Theater Center, Community of Hope and Family Health and Birth Center, Jewish Council for the Aging of Greater Washington and Interages, as well as N Street Village and Miriam’s House.

       Our funding has also supported research and evaluation, often building on earlier or larger efforts. Americans for the Arts released two studies this year — Local Arts Index and Arts and Economic Prosperity IV — which document the impact that arts-related activity is having on the region. The latter research has shown that the greater Washington area generates $1.51 billion in total economic activity, including $563.7 million in event-related spending by audience members. Moreover, the nonprofit arts and culture industry supports the equivalent of 29,000 full-time jobs and delivers $141.1 million in local and state government revenue.

       The Foundation’s arts and humanities grantees are now participating in the Cultural Data Project. This comprehensive database, which is used by twelve states and the District of Columbia, captures organizational activity and cultural trends over time. The database streamlines the reporting and application processes for grantees who seek foundation support.

       In addition, we are part of a new national initiative: the Arts Education Funders’ Coalition, organized by Grantmakers in the Arts. This group of arts and education funders, including the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Wallace Foundation, is conducting research and identifying federal policy opportunities to promote equitable access to arts education in all public schools. While the funders’ effort is addressing federal policy, local jurisdictions — including the Washington area — will benefit from the unified strategies and vision that the coalition is developing.

       In the arts area, a number of strong organizations based in DC have recently been honored for their contributions to youth. The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities has given its National Youth Program Awards to the Sitar Arts Center, Young Playwrights’ Theater, Dance Institute of Washington, and most recently to GALA Hispanic Theatre (all Cafritz grantees).

       We are pleased to be working with other funders on a number of endeavors, including a regional approach to addressing growth and community needs. With the Community Foundation of the National Capital Region, the Foundation is supporting a new housing security research project and reform of safety-net systems for residents. We have contributed $150,000 outright and $100,000 as a one-to-one match over two years to help the Community Foundation leverage additional support. This project will map housing needs and compare them with existing service-delivery resources in the region, in order to identify overlaps, duplication and gaps.

       Our grants in education range from early care to lifelong learning. We recognize the key role that education plays in positive youth development and the building of a strong workforce.

       See Forever/Maya Angelou Public Charter School, with the renovation of its Evans School building, is reaching increasing numbers of youth who have not been able to succeed in traditional school settings.

       KIPP DC, which is one of the highest-performing college preparatory charter school networks serving the most under-resourced communities in Washington, asked for assistance this year in expanding its Capital Teaching Residency (CTR). This initiative trains participants to become excellent educators as they work alongside outstanding teachers in high-performing schools. CTR offers an economically viable career path by providing low-income and mid-career professionals with a full first-year salary, a DC teaching certification in their content area and an opportunity to earn credits toward a graduate degree in education.

       Among our projects in the area of health, Community of Hope combines its health programs with a resource center in its new facility in Ward 8. The Washington AIDS Partnership, a funding collaborative of the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers, primarily supports nonprofits in the region that are helping combat AIDS/HIV. The Partnership has developed a new program called Positive Pathways, which trains community residents to provide much-needed health services and helps them earn a living wage.

       In summary, this has been a busy year for the Foundation as we expanded our impact on the metropolitan Washington area.

       To our Board of Directors and Advisory Board, I extend my deep thanks for their sage counsel and thoughtful service. I would also like to express my appreciation to the staff for their insights and dedication.