The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation’s program staff participate at the executive level and on committees of regional funding collaboratives, as well as issue-specific working groups.

Funding Collaboratives

Composed of foundations, corporations and local government agencies, funding collaboratives provide an opportunity to leverage grants and invest in specific areas. The Foundation supports and participates in the following funding collaboratives:

Community Development Support Collaborative (CDSC) - Revitalizes and stabilizes low-income neighborhoods in the District of Columbia. A project of Washington Grantmakers, the CDSC is the first major private community development funding effort of its kind in DC.

Washington AIDS Partnership - Addresses the growing need for HIV/AIDS education. The Partnership is involved with national funders, local service providers, and all levels of government to give grantmakers the ability to impact the HIV/AIDS crisis in our area. The Partnership is a project of Washington Grantmakers.

Initiative to Strengthen Neighborhood Inter-group Assets - Works to build cross-racial and cross-cultural relationships on the neighborhood level by supporting partnerships that bring immigrants and long-time residents together to address common issues and challenges. The Initiative is a project of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region’s Bridging Differences Program.

Washington Area Partnership for Immigrants - Seeks to strengthen local immigrant organizations to serve newcomers in the Washington, D.C. region. The Partnership for Immigrants is a project of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region’s Bridging Differences Program.

Working Groups

Washington Grantmakers coordinates six Working Groups that connect funders who study and act on issues of concern to the region. The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation’s program staff participates with each of the six working groups listed below.

The Arts & Humanities Working Group convenes around the theme of "art as a vehicle for community building." The focus is on arts stabilization, technology and its impact on the arts, regional cultural planning, and the connection between youth, the arts and community development.

The Children, Youth & Families Working Group unites grantmakers wanting to make a difference in the lives of children, youth and families in our area. The group promotes awareness and action, strengthens the knowledge and use of available resources, and serves as a point of contact for those seeking collegial and collaborative relationships with other grantmakers.

The Health Working Group brings funders together with nonprofits, government officials and consumers to educate each other about key issues affecting reform of the safety net health care system in the National Capital Region and to work on building partnerships to push a common health agenda.

The Organizational Effectiveness Working Group serves as a repository of information about nonprofits for funders and grantees. The group promotes learning and dialogue about the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations, the wide range of strategies, and the constructive and catalytic roles grantmakers can play in encouraging and supporting nonprofits.

The Public Education Working Group promotes awareness of public education, and positions grantmakers to play a role in influencing educational policy. It focuses on issues such as charter schools, standards of learning, school reform, teacher and leadership training and out-of-school time programs.

The Sustainable Communities Working Group promotes community development, regionalism, and "smart growth," leading to better-planned, less-costly and more environmentally-sensitive growth. The group encourages the consideration of the region-wide impact of sprawl and the potential for a smart growth approach to development. Members of the group include grantmakers, government representatives, community planners and researchers.