SOCIAL SECTOR
Independent Sector conference winding up in Detroit – “Melody Barnes, President Obama’s domestic policy adviser: “We believe somewhere out there is the next Teach for America or Harlem Children’s Zone, and we want to find it.” Rosetta Thurman is at the conference and I’m not sure anyone’s covering it better. She passes on this quote from Margaret McKenna, President of Walmart Foundation:

“I’m not committed to any organizations, but to social change. I don’t think it’s bad that organizations change and go away. I’m astounded by the number of people who don’t know who else is working in the same space. We’ve given grants for collaborative work to four organizations, then after we leave, they just split up the money.”

PEOPLE | Ellen London will serve as interim President and CEO of DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation starting Monday, November 9, 2009.

HOMELESSNESS | Number Of Homeless Families In Need in DC Jumps (CityPaper, 11/5)

RECESSION | National unemployment rate jumps to 10.2 percent; highest since 1983 (WaPo, 11/6)

LITERACY | The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy announces 2010 Maryland grant competition.

RHEEFORM |
- Opinion: “How to get along with the council? …[A] program of preventive maintenance made up of regular conversations and a policy of ‘no surprises.’” (WaPo, 11/4)
- Opinion: Ms. Rhee wants competent teachers — of any age (WaPo, 11/6)
Anything the Chancellor can do to move the story back to “DC SCHOOLS” will probably be a move in the right direction.

Looking forward to seeing many of you next week. Have a great weekend!
- Nick

Foundation giving is expected to drop more than 10% in ‘09 (WaPo, 11/5) – “and to continue falling next year” according to a Foundation Center survey. “More than two-thirds of the foundations surveyed said they had cut operating expenses in the past year by reducing expenses, freezing salaries or laying off employees.”

> At next week’s “BIG Change” meeting (Nov. 12), Washington Grantmakers will release: 1) the results of a survey of local grantmakers about expectations for 2010, and 2) a report about how philanthropy can go beyond dollars to spur positive change.

EDUCATION | The Ford Foundation has pledged $100-million over seven years to support efforts to improve American public education. (Chronicle, 11/4)

HONORS | Sitar Arts Center honored as a 2009 Coming Up Taller award winner by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.

GIVING
- Bank of America unit cuts web-based charitable fund minimum to $5,000 (Bloomberg, 11/4) – “This allows people to get their feet wet in philanthropy” …and adds “ability for donors to create a customized donor-advised fund” (wire, 11/4)
- Immigrant, NFL star, and former Pr. George’s Co. resident gives $2M to UMD to create center for global health initiatives. (WaPo, 11/5)

JUVENILE JUSTICE? | Every single juvenile offender in the New Beginnings Youth Center is African American. (WAMU, 11/5)

HUNGER | “Local food banks say they are seeing longer lines, brand-new faces, and handing out less food.” (WAMU, 11/5)

HOMELESSNESS
- Hypothermia season underway for D.C.’s homeless (WaPo, 11/4) — and the rest of the region’s homeless, too.
- Shinseki cites plight, plan to help homeless veterans (WaPo, 11/4) – “The new VA commitment adds $400 million to its current efforts to prevent homelessness.” … “Shinseki invited thousands of government, nonprofit and faith-based homelessness experts and advocates to Washington this week to tackle the issue, which he vows to fix during his tenure.”
> Coming up on Saturday, November 21: 22nd Annual Help the Homeless Walkathon, sponsored by WG member Fannie Mae.

HEALTH REFORM | “A group of 44 members of Congress representing 22 states across the U.S. have signed a letter encouraging U.S. House leaders and the White House to include nonprofits in proposed health-care reform legislation.” (Philanthropy Journal, 11/4)

GIVING | Two more days left in the Case Foundation/Facebook Causes/Parade Magazine/W.K.Kellogg Foundation America’s Giving Challenge.

8 DAYS… | until the BIG day.

-Nick

• Administrative Assistant – The Montgomery County Community Foundation (Silver Spring, Maryland)

VOTE! | Polls open in Va. and a few localities in Md.

2050 | Coalition Sets 40-Year Goals For D.C. Region (WAMU, 11/3)

ONLINE FUNDRAISING | Network for Good… raised $47.5 million through September, an increase of 33% from the year-ago period. While the average size of contributions fell to $75 from $112, the number of individual donations rose by 73%. (USAToday, 11/3)

TWITTER & SANDWICHES | Because the fourth Earl of Sandwich was born on Nov. 3, today is National Sandwich Day, when we celebrate our ability to cram food into our mouths using one hand. On this day, Sara Lee Deli has decided to donate $1 per new Twitter follower to Share Our Strength. So… let’s put Sara Lee out of business! I keed, I keed. (And there’s a $25K limit.) In related news, Washington Grantmakers is on Twitter. We’re rolling it out slowly, but start following us now to see what amazing things we eventually do with it! Get in on the ground floor!

HUNGER | Wal-Mart “has increased its U.S. holiday donation by 28 percent this year, with part of the $32 million earmarked for hunger relief.” (Reuters, 11/3)

HOMELESSNESS | Estimate:  2,500 homeless veterans in Prince George’s County, and 2,500 in DC (Gazette, 11/3)

NAACP | Benjamin Jealous: “Colored people come in all colors.” (WaPo, 11/3)

RECESSION | Survey: Nonprofits plan to cut bonuses, freeze hiring (BizJournals, 11/2)  … bonuses? It seems I’ve been working for the wrong nonprofits.

COLLABORATION | Opinion: A Change-the-World Conference, And You’re Invited (Dan Pallotta, 10/28) – Pallotta will speak at WG’s annual meeting on Nov. 12. 9 days!
-Nick

PHILANTHROPY
- Arabella releases annual High-Impact Giving Opportunities (wire, 11/2) – read report – opportunities that “address urgent needs; lack the attention they deserve; and provide donors with the chance to have a significant impact.”
- “Galvanizing Philanthropy” (Harvard Business Review, Nov. 2009) – “three fundamental questions: How do we define success? What will it take to make change happen? How can we improve our results over time? “Getting clear, getting real, and getting better.”

PEOPLE | Ben Binswanger to Lead Skoll Foundation’s Program and Impact Group (wire, 11/2) – “Most recently, he served as chief operating officer of the Case Foundation”

MICHELLE RHEE
- Expert: “No schools leader… has moved with Rhee’s velocity or audacity.” (WaPo, 10/31)
- Opinion: McCartney: “part of any schools chief’s job is dealing effectively with the city’s elected representatives, and there, Rhee is coming up short.” (WaPo, 10/31)
- Opinion: WaPo: We’ve urged Fenty and Rhee to reach out, but “reaching out is of no use if the other side won’t hear you in good faith.” (WaPo, 10/31)

DROPOUTS | Opinion: Raise the dropout age in Md. (WaPo, 11/2) – “one reason students drop out is because they are permitted to”

HIV/AIDS | “When living is harder than dying“ – Joseph’s House executive director letter to WaPo. (10/31)

GIVING CIRCLE | The Cherry Blossom Giving Circle, the first Asian American Pacific Islander focused giving circle in the Greater DC area, is having a “Launch Happy Hour” tomorrow.

EDUCATION | Teacher evaluation is hard. Latest attempt: DCPS’ “IMPACT” (WaPo, 11/2)

FBI? | FBI examines spending by Md. nonprofit (WaPo, 11/2)

AFFORDABLE HOUSING | Pr. George’s says housing funds secure (WaPo, 10/31)

HEALTH | Could ‘medical homes’ bring order to health care? (WaPo, 10/28)

Halloween on a Saturday this year, so no fighting traffic to get home! Woo hoo!

RECESSION
- Nonprofit executives try to deliver despite dwindling resources (WBJ, 10/30):

After its founding in 1993, D.C. Action became a voice arguing that the D.C. government must do a better job meeting the health, education and safety needs of the city’s youth. Now D.C. Action has lost its office space on P Street NW in Dupont Circle and laid off its entire four-person staff. It has about $18,000 in the bank, which doesn’t make for much of a salary for [HyeSook] Chung.

But she said there is hope for the organization because one of its founders, philanthropist Diane Bernstein, is still willing to support it. Bernstein offered Chung space for a desk in the offices of her foundation. … D.C.’s youth still need a strong voice, given the smattering of advocates in the city, she said. “I know there’s so much potential. There is a void. There’s fragmentation, there’s competition, and there’s no leadership.”

- Hoop Dreams founder reflects on wins, losses (WBJ, 10/30)

EDUCATION COLLABORATION | Baltimore’s “ready to learn” rates skyrocket. What happened? “Jennifer Gross, a senior consultant with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, calls B-LAP ‘extreme collaboration’” (Urbanite, Nov., ‘09)

TEEVEE | “The Center for Nonprofit Advancement and DCTV will launch a new channel this fall to highlight the work of local nonprofits…”

CENSUS | DC seeks to boost census response, get federal funds (WaPo, 10/30)

AFFORDABLE HOUSING | Pr. George’s County “has till week’s end to earmark $5 million in federal grants,” for housing projects, or they lose the funds (WaPo, 10/30). Whoopsy!

13 days until the BIG meeting!

-Nick

Produced by RP3 Agency on behalf of WG member Washington Area Women’s Foundation.

Have a great weekend.

PEOPLE
- Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation names new Director (10/26) – Kevin R. Webb comes to the position after four years as the Foundation’s Program Officer, succeeding Rayna Aylward.
- Stewart Bainum, Sr. Honored for Decades of Charity Work in Montgomery Co., Md. (wire, 10/29) – founder of Commonweal Foundation.

GIVING | Foundation Giving: What Might the Future Hold? (Chronicle discussion, 10/27) – “[H]ow are grant makers coping with a diminished pool from which to give?”

GRANTS
- Bank of America to give $20M in grants to nonprofits (WaPo, 10/27) – “including $400,000 to two organizations in the Washington area”…”CASA de Maryland, a group helping low-income Latino communities with such services as education and job training, and Manna Inc., which works to provide affordable housing and help tenants collaborate to purchase or renovate buildings.”
- Kaiser Permanente gives $19 million in grants (DailyTell, 10/27) – “…Other grants will go to community groups in California, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta that promote healthy eating among low-income youth.”

AFFORDABLE HOUSING | Washington area is short 40,000 homes affordable to average earners (WaPo, 10/29)

ARTS | Recent WaPo article highlighted the work of the Emergence Community Arts Collective (WaPo, 10/17)

This week, WG Daily hasn’t been very, oh how should I put this…daily. That’s because there are ***14 days until the BIG meeting!*** and we’ve all been hustling to get ready. (Will we see you there on the 12th? We really hope so. You are our favorite.)

- Nick

PEOPLE
- Millicent Williams is leaving D.C. Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation to lead DC’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. “Over the next few weeks, the [CYITC] Board of Directors will announce its plan for the transition of leadership.”
- Mike Curtin: Expanding the kitchen (WBJ, 10/23) – CEO of D.C. Central Kitchen
- Sergey Brin aids charity that aided him (NYTimes, 10/24) – Google co-founder.

EDUCATION | Gates Foundation taking unprecedented steps to influence education policy (AP, 10/25)

GIVING
- Charities forecast a 9 percent drop in giving this year (NPR Marketplace, 10/26)
- In recession, the philanthropist next door balks (AP, 10/23) – This article meanders all over the place, but I thought you should know it’s out there.

RACE | Teleconference, Wednesday, 10/28: “Race and its Impact on Social Justice Philanthropy” (RosettaThurman.com)

DC SCHOOLS
- WaPo: “D.C. officials must get beyond partisan interests to focus on education.” “Ms. Rhee needs to correct misconceptions about her actions and, we hope, clear the air.”
- Major changes at two troubled schools (WaPo, 10/26) “At their insistence, Rhee installed classroom walls at Dunbar, whose open-space design was considered insane by everyone.” Surprised it survived the editor, but I love that sentence.
- Rhee elaborates on firings (WaPo, 10/26)
- Council demands answers on failed database (WaTimes, 10/24)

GRANTS | WG member “Fight For Children recently awarded grants to 16 organizations that deliver high quality services that expand access to quality education options, improve student achievement, and address the critical link between good health and a quality education.”

17 days until the BIG meeting!
-Nick