Investing in Prince George’s County: $330K in New National Harbor Fund Grants

Our regional affiliate, The Community Foundation for Prince George’s County (CFPGC), has just announced its 2009 National Harbor Community Outreach Grant Fund grants, this year totaling $329,810 in support of 23 nonprofits serving residents of Prince George’s County, MD. Administered by the Foundation since 2008, the Fund is made possible by Milton Peterson and the Peterson Companies, chief developer of the County’s successful National Harbor complex.  National Harbor grants focus largely on youth development, adding another dimension to the Foundation's other grantmaking programs focusing on safety net services and advocacy, among other interest areas. 

Philanthropic investment in Prince George’s County traditionally has lagged behind that in other Washington-area communities, making National Harbor Fund grants both important and prestigious. This year’s grantees represent a wide range of nonprofit organizations, from health and education and employment to senior services.

The National Harbor Community Outreach Grant Fund is paving the way for more and more charitable giving in Prince George’s County. While our residents are remarkably generous, the needs are so great here. As the County continues to attract businesses and corporations, Peterson Companies is setting the example for good corporate citizenship,   says CFPGC Executive Director Desiree Griffin-Moore.

To learn more about the Peterson Companies and National Harbor, read this June 2009 New York Times article

Our New Website!

Have you visited www.thecommunityfoundation.org lately?
When you do, you’ll see our new website, redesigned with you in mind. Stay up-to-date on Community Foundation news, upcoming grant opportunities and special events, sign up for Donor Central, and join our online community via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and our blog, “Giving It Some Thought. “

Whether you’re a donor, financial advisor or nonprofit organization – or someone who just wants to learn more about giving and what's happening in our region – www.thecommunityfoundation.org is the site for you!

A complete list of 2009 National Harbor Community Outreach Grant Fund grantees follows.

Campfire USA Patuxent Area Council 
Bowie, MD
$15,000
To support services addressing the achievement gap for both youth and adults

CASA de Maryland
Takoma Park, MD
$20,000
To expand capacity to serve youth through the Youth Vocational Training Program in Langley Park, MD

College Summit
Washington, DC
$20,000
To support post-secondary planning tools to students in Prince George's County high schools

Foundation for the Advancement for Music and Education
Bowie, MD
$12,000
To support music education opportunities for personal and academic achievement to at-risk and low-income middle- and high school students

First Generation College Bound
Laurel, MD
$10,000
To support technology needs for college access and improvement of college retention services

GapBuster Learning Center
Silver Spring, MD
$7,600
To provide students with leadership training, and to conduct parent empowerment workshops

Latin American Youth Center
Washington, DC
$20,000
To provide support for the Maryland Multicultural Youth Center's Workforce Development Program by creating internship opportunities for the County's youth

Lincolnia Education Foundation/Leary School
Oxon Hill, MD
$25,000
To support special education students' vocational development

Living Classrooms of the National Capital Region
Washington, DC
$20,000
To support augmentation of the science curriculum and expansion of recreational opportunities for Prince George's County school students

Maryland Council on Economic Education
Towson, MD
$2,000
To provide students in low-income schools of Prince George's County with an opportunity to learn financial life skills by participating in the "Stock Market Game"

Mentoring to Manhood
Upper Marlboro, MD
$6,000
To support three group-mentoring events for African American males on character building, leadership development and anger resolution

Metropolitan Saturday Academy Science and Technology
Upper Marlboro, MD
$10,000
To conduct and implement the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine Program

National Children’s Museum
Washington, DC
$5,000
To support the Launch Zone, community outreach events and education programs

Patriots Technology Training Center
Seat Pleasant, MD
$24,810
To create and implement the Patriots Video Game Developers Club to increase confidence in the field of technology

Port Towns Cultural Development Corporation
Bladensburg, MD
$5,000
To support the Youth Murals Project

Robert T. Freeman Dental Society Foundation/Deamonte Driver Dental Project
Greenbelt, MD
$25,000
To support expansion of the Deamonte Driver Dental Project, providing dental screenings, health education and community health fairs

St. Ann’s Infant and Maternity Home
Hyattsville, MD
$10,000
To support the Teen Mother Baby Program, providing residential care and services to single pregnant and parenting adolescents

Take Charge Juvenile Diversion Program
Forestville, MD
$10,000
To promote and encourage high school completion by providing support services

The Training Source
Seat Pleasant, MD
$25,000
To support the Youth Leadership and Office Automation Programs, offering youth and adults employment training, career counseling and job placement

Trips for Kids Metro DC
Springfield, VA
$10,000
To expand opportunities for at-risk youth that foster personal and physical growth through visits to local parks and other venues

Walker Mill Community Development Corporation
Capitol Heights, MD
$18,400
To support the Youth and Family Empowerment HIV/STD Prevention Program

YMCA of Metropolitan Washington
Washington, DC
$25,000
To support the Zesty Trailblazers program, providing services to seniors living on fixed incomes

Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation
Bowie, MD
$4,000
To support the Writing Program for Teens

The Legacy of Deamonte Driver:  The Health of a Community Has to Be a Community Affair

In 2007, the unspeakable occurred. Deamonte Driver, a seventh grader at the Foundation School in Prince George’s County, died of complications from untreated tooth decay that abscessed and spread to his brain. His Medicaid coverage had lapsed and, even with help from social workers at the Public Justice Center, his mother was unable to find a dentist who would treat him. Routine dental exams and an $80 extraction could have saved Deamonte’s life.

 The health of a community has to be a community affair, says Dr. Hazel J. Harper, co-founder with Dr. Belinda Carver-Taylor of a nonprofit that serves as a memorial to the 12-year-old Prince George’s County youth.

Launched in 2008, the Deamonte Driver Dental Project is devoted to stamping out the silent epidemic of tooth decay in children by increasing access to dental care and providing early intervention.

Devastated by the news of Deamonte’s death, members of the Robert T. Freeman Dental Society (a local chapter of the National Dental Association) formed the nonprofit, launching a crusade to prevent future tragedies by increasing access, eliminating disparities and improving health literacy. In response, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, Sen. Ben Cardin, Rep. Elijah Cummings and State Sen. Ulysses Currie have made oral health a top priority for the state.

Recently, the project received a $25,000 grant from The Prince George’s Community Foundation’s National Harbor Community Outreach Grant Fund. (See related story.)  Previously, in its first year of operation, the Deamonte Driver Dental Project received funding from the State of Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Aetna Foundation and the American Dental Association Foundation Give Kids a Smile Fund. Additional funding has been received from Oral Health America ($20,000) and the DentaQuest Foundation ($5,000).

The organization also has received a groundswell of support from community partners including the Prince George’s County Schools, the Prince George’s Health Department, the County Executive’s Office, Howard University College of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Morgan State University, local practicing dentists, many civic organizations and the faith-based community.

Grants like the one from The Community Foundation for Prince George's County “help open doors—to businesses, to churches, to more dentists and other members of the community interested in creating a cavity-free zone in schools across Prince George's County,” said Dr. Harper. “Ultimately this will not only sustain the project, but also build a model that can be replicated in other counties throughout the state of Maryland and around the nation.”

What happened to a child as young as Deamonte in America is scandalous, but it’s gratifying that a community led by admirable dentists turned its grief into action,  said Marian Wright Edelman, the nation’s leading voice for children and families.

Giving in 2010: Decisions Ahead

The recession lingers on. What does this mean for charitable giving – and givers – in the New Year? We’ve assembled a selection of recent articles to help our donors navigate the waters ahead.

Terri Lee Freeman, “The Most Important Gift You Can Give,” The Washington Post, December 22, 2009.

“Hint of Optimism for Giving Sector,” Philanthropy Journal, December 2009.

“How to Continue Charitable Giving During a Recession,” National Business Association, 2009.

“In 2010, Expect Donors to Keep Giving Through Long-Term Pledges,” Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, December 2009.

Responding to Haiti:  Susan Wilder and the Make Change! Trust

Our donors’ grantmaking, while focused primarily in the Washington region, is by no means limited to a particular geographic area. Many donors give to their alma maters, for instance, or to national and international organizations they care about. In times of crisis, such as the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia and Hurricane Katrina, our donors have an impressive track record of giving to causes across the country and around the world.

Make Change! Trust (MC!T), one of the newest donor-advised funds working with The Community Foundation for Montgomery County, is a good example. MC!T is committed “to being responsive to challenges facing the Washington region as well asto  emergencies around the world,” according to its director, Susan Wilder, speaking one week after the tragedy in Haiti. With that goal in mind, Make Change! Trust donated $25,000 to Save the Children and $25,000 to Doctors Without Borders in support of earthquake recovery efforts in Haiti.

Established in 2005 by internet entrepreneur and philanthropist Michael Mann, MC!T’s core mission is to “use technology to improve the world.” In the past year, MC!T has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to technology-focused organizations serving others as well nonprofits fighting disease, homelessness, poverty, and supporting other humanitarian causes.

A native of Montgomery County, Mann also founded Grassroots.org, a global network providing nonprofits with the most current resources by leveraging modern technologies and best business practices.

Previously housed at Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, MC!T moved to The Community Foundation in 2009 because its directors wanted to be more connected to regional issues and other donors in this community.

Wilder’s introduction to The Community Foundation for Montgomery County came when she was invited to participate in the steering committee of the Neighbors in Need Montgomery Fund. Soon after, MC!T was one of the first funds to respond to a challenge grant from an anonymous $100,000 donor to the Neighbors in Need Montgomery Fund.

The Foundation also introduced Wilder, an attorney who specializes in affordable housing, to the Nonprofit Village Center, the only multi-tenant nonprofit center in Montgomery County providing affordable, attractive, shared office space accompanied by management and operational services. A grant from MC!T is providing the Center with technology services.

“The Community Foundation’s value is in the contacts it provides and the focus on giving locally,” said Wilder. “They not only maximize the profits from your fund, but take the time to understand your giving goals and provide excellent customer service.”

“‘Make Change! Trust’ is a great example of how our donors can benefit from being part of The Community Foundation network and get connected to pressing regional issues,” said Sally Rudney, director of The Community Foundation for Montgomery County.

Movin’ On Up

Two former Community Foundation trustees have been tapped for senior positions in the Obama Administration.

Congratulations!

Marie Johns, former President of Verizon DC, has been nominated as Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration. A successful entrepreneur particularly in the technology field, Johns will help ensure that the nation’s small businesses have the resources they need to thrive.

Venture capitalist Jonathan Silver has been named Executive Director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Loan Guarantee Program, where he will oversee the Department's Loan Guarantee Program as well as the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program.

Our Affiliates: Updated Names and Looks

We’re pleased to announce that our Montgomery County affiliate is now The Community Foundation for Montgomery County, and our Prince George’s County affiliate is The Community Foundation for Prince George’s County. Rest assured, donors and nonprofits alike can expect the same high level of service that we've always offered.

Learn more at www.thecommunityfoundationmc.org and www.thecommunityfoundationpgc.org.

Upcoming Events

In our blog "Giving It Some Thought," Community Foundation President Terri Lee Freeman and others share their perspectives on regional issues and philanthropy. Read it and sign-up for RSS feeds HERE.




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Community Foundation Donors: Go Green! Sign Up for E-Statements and Donor Central

If you're a Community Foundation donor, you now can receive your quarterly statements electronically.  It's the fast, easy, efficient, and earth-friendly way to keep track of your fund profile.  Registering only takes a minute. Sign up HERE.

Sign up for Donor Central!  This free, secure online service lets you recommend grants and check your fund activity 24/7.  Contact Starlet Hunter, Director of Development, at (202) 263-4763 or shunter@cfncr.org.

 

About The Community Foundation

Founded in 1973, The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region promotes charitable giving and plays a leading role in finding innovative solutions to the Greater Washington region's most challenging problems. The Foundation is a community of givers – individuals, families and corporations have joined with the Foundation; as a result, the Foundation provides sound management of some 700 funds and $320 million in assets. In FY2008, The Community Foundation and its donors awarded more than $91 million in grants to nonprofit organizations in the Washington, DC region and beyond. The Foundation has two affiliates – The Community Foundation for Montgomery County, and The Community Foundation for The Prince George’s County. For more information, visit www.thecommunityfoundation.org.

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Regional Affiliate – The Community Foundation for Montgomery County
8720 Georgia Avenue, Suite 202 | Silver Spring, MD 20910 | Phone: (301) 588-2544

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Regional Affiliate – The Community Foundation for Prince George's County
8181 Professional Place | Landover, MD 20785 | Phone: (301) 464-6706