Six Wishes for 2008

Despite the cold and grayness typical for this time of year, I have always looked forward to January. For me, the first month of the New Year is a time of great hope and optimism. We get to start over. We have another chance to get it right. As I think about what getting it right means in 2008, I have six wishes for our region:

• ... for improved education in DC and throughout the Region
• ... for healthier children and families
• ... to reduce crime committed against and among children and young people
• ... for inclusivity: embracing and adapting to shifting demographics
• ... for increased economic opportunity
• ... that politicians put children and families first More »

Forbes.com Names VPP, Mario Morino

VPP and Chairman Mario Morino were highlighted in a December 23 article on Forbes.com. More»

Six Wishes for 2008

Despite the cold and grayness typical for this time of year, I have always looked forward to January. For me, the first month of the New Year is a time of great hope and optimism. We get to start over. We have another chance to get it right. As I think about what getting it right means in 2008, I have six wishes for our region:

A Wish for Improved Education in DC and throughout the Region
We all know education is the building block of the future. Anyone who has read journalist Tom Friedman’s book The World is Flat can’t help but be concerned about how well we are preparing our children for the global, interdependent world of tomorrow. Those who will do best in this world must have high levels of skill and be able to think critically. We have to educate our children to meet not just the challenges of today but be prepared to solve problems and address issues that don’t yet exist.

We must be sure our schools are up to the task, but educating our young people to succeed isn’t just a responsibility of schools. Parents, educators, government officials, business leaders, and all citizens alike must be involved. Together we must invest in our youth. And we must support school systems like DC Public Schools and Prince George’s County Public Schools as they continue the hard course they have charted to make themselves better so all students, especially those living in low-income families, can achieve and thrive in the future.

A Wish for Healthier Children and Families
All children and families should have access to excellent health care. Seeing a health care provider shouldn’t be reserved just for those fortunate enough to be able to afford it. I wish that no child should be impaired or worse die, like the Prince George’s County seventh grader whose tooth infection spread to his brain because his family couldn’t access good primary care—in this case, a dentist who would accept Medicaid to perform an $80 tooth extraction. We know from numerous studies that people living in neighborhoods with medium to high poverty rates are more likely to have chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, and hypertension and be hospitalized for conditions that could be treated and managed in a primary care setting. Fewer are insured and they are less likely to have a regular doctor or source of health care besides hospital emergency rooms.

My wish for health isn’t just about improving access to care; it’s also empowering people to take better care of themselves. Children and families need to learn better health habits earlier in life to prevent obesity and other issues that can lead to more serious conditions. We have to help people learn how to be advocates for themselves and their children in obtaining care. And finally, as we think about healthier children and families, our focus should be on the effective integration of primary health care and behavioral health. We know from numerous national studies that there is a direct correlation between the lack of primary health care and mental health problems.

A Wish to Reduce Crime Committed Against and Among Children and Young People
Too many children in our region grow up in communities where the sound of gunfire is normalized, where far too many of their friends and relatives are murdered before their 18th birthday, where drug dealers stand on the street corner luring young people away from school and onto the streets. We must support gang prevention programs and other youth programs that work to provide young people with positive alternatives to what they may see around them. We have to teach young people social and problem solving skills so they can find means other than violence to deal with pain, anger, boredom, and self-doubt.

A Wish for Inclusivity: Embracing and Adapting to Shifting Demographics
The Greater Washington Region is changing. Instead of erecting barriers between ourselves, I hope we instead find ways to acknowledge and recognize our common humanity while at the same time learning about and from our differences. We must not fear how our region and its people are changing. We must welcome newcomers as we have in the past, tapping into their talents and energies. We should never forget that the strength of our country is in our diversity, in all of its dimensions.

A Wish for Increased Economic Opportunity
The fulfillment of my next wish—that more people in our region will have chance to lift themselves out of poverty and contribute their talents to our region and our society—is intimately tied to my first four wishes. People can’t find meaningful work if they don’t receive the education and training to develop skills. They can’t contribute fully if they are sick. It’s hard to stay on a positive track when violence and crime are all around you. And if we erect barriers to people who are different from us, we don’t give them an opportunity to participate fully in our society.

A Wish That Politicians Put Children and Families First
My last wish is that, in this election year, our politicians and candidates make children’s and family issues a national priority. I hope that they are able to move beyond rhetoric to develop smart and sensible policies that really serve children and families. In today’s more challenging economic environment, there will be belt-tightening and all too often services and programs for children and families are among the first casualties. Unfortunately, children don’t have powerful lobbies, they aren’t big contributors to campaigns, and they don’t have a vote. But we must never forget that they are our future. They will be our workforce, they will be our taxpayers. We simply can’t afford to leave any more children behind. The baby boomers are retiring and the next generations are smaller. We need every mind, every pair of hands to give every person in this region an opportunity for a rich, happy, and healthy life.

Some of you might say that I am a hopeless dreamer; that fulfilling all of these wishes is next to impossible. But I’ve seen the commitment of VPP’s investment partners who have developed practical solutions to many of the challenges I’ve discussed. These organizations are making a positive impact. And I’ve seen the commitment among our investors to bring to bear their talents and resources to support our investment partners as well as to journey with us as we explore bold, new approaches to tackle what seem to be intractable problems. I do believe that wishes can come true but we all have to have the will—political and moral—to work together to make it happen.

- Carol Thompson Cole

Forbes.com Names VPP, Mario Morino

VPP and Chairman Mario Morino were highlighted in a December 23 article on Forbes.com. Senior Editor Richard Morais provided a sneak peek into philanthropy in 2008. He predicts "a profound gain in philanthropic productivity is under way across the do-good universe."

Mission & Goals

Keys to Success: Leadership, Best Practices, Relevance

Editor’s Note: In a first-person account, Executive Director Cynthia Robbins discusses SFF’s goals and aspirations for its Oak Hill Academy.

Recent hearings focusing on the work of the District of Columbia Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) have afforded our community an important chance to evaluate supports and services to juvenile offenders. As evidenced in a recent op-ed piece written by SFF/MAPCS Co-Founder James Forman and SFF Board Member Reid Weingarten, it is imperative that we remain steadfast to our commitment to making a difference through consistent leadership, best practices, and relevant programming that will support Oak Hill scholars, while at the correctional facility and during their transition back into our communities.

See Forever’s management of the Oak Hill Academy has helped our organization return to its roots. In 1997, See Forever started working with 20 teens, all of whom had been through Oak Hill. David Domenici, SFF/MAPCS co-founder and principal at the Oak Hill Academy, said, “Our aim is for the school at Oak Hill to be the best school the young men have ever attended. This project is a critical component of our mission and fits with our long-term goal of providing high quality education for our City’s most needy students.”

Indeed, creating a climate of academic achievement while offering educational programming and activities that greatly improve upon the life prospects of our Oak Hill scholars and work to reduce their risk of re-offending are the keys to success. We are confident that with the support of city government, a promising reformer at DYRS, and a commitment to educational excellence from SFF/MAPCS we can rebuild the school at Oak Hill and the lives of some of the most at-risk youth in the District of Columbia.

- Cynthia Robbins

Board Changes

CFNC Welcomes Two New Board Members
Thanks to Eric Boven, Development Manager, for this update.

The Child and Family Network Centers (CFNC) welcomes Eric Pearsall and Shonna Dreier to its Board. Both individuals approached CFNC after being introduced to the organization through the Greater Washington Board Leadership Program offered by Greater DC Cares. They bring expertise in key areas of information technology and strategic planning.

Pearsall is the Managing Director of US Operations for Acumen Solutions. He has been with the company since inception. Prior to Acumen Solutions, he was an associate at Booz Allen Hamilton and has experience managing large telecommunication system integration and development projects, including evaluating and analyzing information technology (IT) systems and developing recommendations for implementing IT solutions, business process reengineering programs and process modeling efforts and the implementation of various information systems.

Dreier is a Program Officer at Winrock International, focused on social enterprise development and sustainability in our domestic food system. She holds an MBA from the Wharton School and has 15 years of for-profit experience, predominantly in healthcare, including five years with the Boston Consulting Group and Booz Allen Hamilton advising for-profit executives in strategy, growth, cost-cutting/efficiency, and enterprise development. Over the past year, she has transitioned to nonprofit management and social enterprise development and joined COMPASS, a pro bono management consulting firm, and the CFNC Board.

Management Changes

CMHS Appoints New Interim Executive Director
Thanks to Sarah Beglarbegui, Special Projects Manager, for this update.

The Board of Directors of the Center for Multicultural Human Services (CMHS) appointed Barbara Laur of Silver Spring as Interim Executive Director at its November 27 meeting. Laur will provide continuity for CMHS during its transition from the leadership of outgoing Executive Director, Dennis J. Hunt, to the hiring of a permanent Executive Director.

With 25 years of experience in nonprofit management, Laur has served as Executive Director of the Young Women’s Resource Center in Des Moines, Iowa, and Florence Crittenton Services of Greater Washington; and Interim CEO of Women Empowered Against Violence (W.E.A.V.E.), Ayuda, Good Shepherd Ministries, and the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs. These leadership positions have enabled her to build expertise in a variety of areas, including board development, fundraising, strategic planning, program administration, personnel, and financial management.

Laur described the role she plays during organizational transitions, “The more I do it, the more I believe in interim executive work and its value. I can bring an organization new energy and insights; at the same time I offer organizational development and management skills that apply across nonprofits. Working with staff, I can assure that deadlines are met and priorities addressed, help build a stronger platform for the new leader, free the Board to focus on the search process, and open the door to the possibilities and promise of change.”

LAYC Hires Communications Specialist
Thanks to Lori Kaplan, Executive Director, for this update.

A flurry of media events and Cheryl Aguilar coming onboard as Communications Specialist occurred in December 2007:

• Patti Santucci, program coordinator for Focus on Kids, was interviewed by local Univision, the top-rated station for Latinos in DC, MD, and VA.
• The Wall Street Journal article "Doing Due Diligence on Your Donations" described LAYC’s efforts to track outcomes and quoted Director of Learning and Evaluation Isaac Castillo, who said: “Fear of finding that something is not working" is what keeps more charities from investing in research about what works.
• LAYC’s Art + Media House’s Winter Exhibition, where students proudly displayed paintings, fashion designs, and graffiti art, was featured in DC’s Spanish language weekly Los Tiempos USA.

Aguilar understands the challenge of communicating to multiple stakeholders about a multi-cultural, multi-service, multi-site, community-based organization such as LAYC. At the Center for Community Change, she managed media outreach to ethnic media, conducted outreach to mainstream media, and supported the media efforts of local grassroots groups. She has also worked as a reporter for a Spanish language newspaper and as researcher for People en Español magazine. She graduated from Rutgers University, with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Media Studies.

“As an immigrant myself, I am thrilled to be working in an organization that supports diverse youth,” Aguilar said.

Announcements of Note

College Summit Named “US Entrepreneur of the Year”
Thanks to Georgia Gillette, Director of Marketing, for this update.

College Summit was named the 2008 US Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. As part of the Schwab Foundation's commitment to recognizing and supporting a global network of social entrepreneurs, College Summit's CEO and Founder, J.B. Schramm will join a global audience of world leaders, CEOs, university presidents, and social change activists at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, from January 23 to 27.

In conjunction with the annual Social Capitalist Awards managed by Fast Company and The Monitor Group, the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship partners with both organizations to identify one winner that will become part of the Schwab Foundation's world-wide community of top social entrepreneurs. The Schwab Foundation annually recognizes leading social entrepreneurs in each of 22 countries, spanning four continents for their application of business principals and the creation of innovative solutions that result in social impact on a grand scale.

At the root of College Summit’s social change model is the recognition that getting first-generation students to and through college is one of the most cost-effective ways to break the cycle of poverty in the United States. “Education is the civil rights issue of our generation. This award is a credit to the innovative educators in high schools that launch young people to success in college and career and, of course, to the students themselves,” said Schramm.

The award was formally recognized in Washington, DC, at the Fast Company Social Capitalist Awards dinner on January 8. Pamela Hartigan, Managing Director for the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, also visited the College Summit National office to meet staff and discuss innovations in social change.

CentroNía Hosts Experience Corps Recognition Event
Thanks to Isabel Barranzuela, Communications Manager, for this update.

CentroNía, home to Experience Corps in Washington, DC, hosted a member recognition event and holiday celebration for more than forty members, CentroNía staff, and Experience Corps friends on December 14.

“We asked our site coordinators to distribute flyers to three or four people at their sites and make sure those people spread the word,” said Experience Corps site director Michelle Clark. “People were excited. They knew this was a time for them to be appreciated.”

Sarah Priestman, Director of Communications for Experience Corps National Office, described the event: “We gathered in the children’s art room at CentroNía – a big space – and nearly every chair was filled. CentroNía had planned an ‘inter-generational dialogue’ as part of the event. The dialogue bounced from discussing technology to recognition of the value each generation brings to community service. It ended with an 81-year-old tutor jumping up from her seat and showing us a dance she choreographed to help her EC students learn the alphabet.

“This was followed by door prizes—always a hit—and a delicious catered chicken dinner, served by CentroNía staff to each EC member. There was a feeling of good will and high spirits throughout the event.”

AALEAD Celebrates Winter Season with Annual Party
Thanks to Rick Chen, Development Associate, for this update.

While snow had yet to fall during the chilly afternoon of December 8, AALEAD was busy making sure other signs of the holiday season were alive at its student holiday party at Asbury United Methodist Church. Holiday decorations, trees adorned with ornaments, and even Santa himself made a welcome appearance during the festivities. More than 100 people were in attendance, including students, parents, and volunteers. Youth participants enjoyed the afternoon by playing games and receiving gifts. Parents were treated to a special caroling performance by the students. And for refreshments, a variety of delicious Asian food items were available for everyone to savor.

Investment Partner Opportunities

College Summit’s first Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will lead and manage its increasingly complex financial management function. A hands-on strategist, the CFO will partner with the Chief Executive Officer, President, and Board of Directors to develop and implement strategies and systems for effective and responsible financial management and sophisticated data analysis. The CFO will play a prominent role in influencing organizational strategy, planning, growth, and operations with respect to the utilization of financial resources and data. This is a highly visible position that requires strong financial management and analytical skills as well as exceptional interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with diverse functional teams across the organization. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10 years of senior financial management experience in a corporate or non-profit environment, with demonstrated success building systems and tools to support growth. College Summit has partnered with Commongood Careers, a nonprofit search service, to conduct the search. To apply, please email a resume and thoughtful cover letter to Steve Scheier at CollegeSummit@cgcareers.org, subject line “Chief Financial Officer.”

The SEED Foundation seeks an experienced Manager of Major and Planned Gifts to work on all aspects of a comprehensive major gifts program from prospect identification through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. This individual will also direct the organization and operation of a planned giving program, serving as the resource on the tax and estate planning aspects of charitable giving for The SEED Foundation and The SEED Schools.

Specific tasks will include establishing a plan, including specific goals and timetables, to raise major gifts required within the scope of special projects, campaigns or ongoing fund-raising needs as well as finalizing specific strategies for the cultivation and solicitation of major donor prospects. The Manager will also initiate and maintain relationships with the Foundation’s major gift prospects and donors and engage in a level of planned cultivation/solicitation activity to assure achievement of major gift fund-raising goals.

If you are interested in joining The SEED Foundation, please submit your resume, cover letter, and salary history by email to Loretta@seedfoundation.com or by fax to 202-785-4124.

See Forever Foundation has an immediate opening for a Director of Information Technology. The incumbent will oversee a network which links See Forever and its four academic campuses for purposes of collaboration, information-sharing, and data analysis. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the incumbent will be involved in making a number of decisions that will enhance the framework for See Forever’s information management and technology infrastructure going forward. Examining the existing information management, networking, software, and staffing/support strategy with an eye toward enhancements and innovation will be a critical aspect of the job. The ideal candidate will possess a bachelor’s degree and have at least five years of management experience in an information system and/or technology department, preferably in an educational setting. To apply for this position, please send a detailed cover letter and resume as email attachments to hr@seeforever.org. See Forever is also still recruiting for a Chief Operating Officer.

Hudson Institute Panel Acknowledges Venture Philanthropy at 10

The Hudson Institute’s Bradley Center for Philanthropy and Civic Renewal hosted "Social Venture Philanthropy at 10: Problems, Promises, Prospects" on November 27. The panel discussion, moderated by William Schambra, included VPP President and CEO Carol Thompson Cole, VPP Board member Ed Skloot, Paul Shoemaker, and Stanley Katz. The edited transcript is now available online as a 30-page PDF.