The Spirit of Giving 100, The Community Foundation’s newest giving circle, convened in early 2008 to make its first-ever round of grants totaling $120,000 to regional nonprofit organizations working in the areas of arts and culture, middle school education and workforce development.

The concept behind The Spirit of Giving 100 – members each contribute $10,000 over two years and meet regularly to collectively make grant decisions – is one of the newest trends in philanthropy. The number of giving circles is growing nationwide as donors find that pooling their resources and awarding grants in a group setting helps them make informed choices and strengthens the impact of their giving.

“One of the great things about The Spirit of Giving 100,” says Community Foundation Senior Vice President Kenny Emson, “is that members can draw upon our Community Investment team’s unrivalled knowledge of the region’s nonprofits, the communities they serve and the challenges they face. This is a terrific opportunity for donors to give smartly and strategically, and to learn about excellent organizations that they perhaps weren’t familiar with before.”

Below is a list of the six organizations selected for a Spirit of Giving 100 grant:

Grantees, February 2008

Middle School Education

Higher Achievement Program
Washington, DC
$20,000

Identity, Inc.
Gaithersburg, MD
$20,000

Arts and Culture

Cultural Development Corporation
Washington, DC
$20,000

Young Playwrights' Theater
Washington, DC
$20,000

Workforce Development

Alexandria Seaport Foundation
Alexandria, VA
$20,000

The Urban Alliance
Washington, DC
$20,000

Learn how you can be a part of this dynamic group by contacting Kenny Emson, Senior Vice President, Development and Donor Services, by calling (202) 263-4779 or via email at kemson@cfncr.org.

Kenny Emson
Chief Development Officer
(202) 263-4779
kemson@cfncr.org