There's still time to join us for our remaining fall Meet & Greet. On Wednesday, October 13 at 5:00 pm, we will gather in person outdoors in Cleveland Park, DC. (There is an outdoor covered option in the event of rain.) Come meet members of the Many Hands Board in an informal setting to ask questions or just get to know us and one another. Please join us if you're thinking about becoming a Many Hands member or if you joined recently and would like to connect with other members. Click here for more information and to RSVP.

We are accepting applications for 2022 grants through November 5, exclusively through our online portal. New this year, potential applicants can learn more about our grant process, eligibility criteria, and application system and ask questions of our Grants Committee via a Zoom call on Tuesday, October 19 at 10:00 am.

Potential applicants are also invited to send written questions to grants@manyhandsdc.org by October 15. We will post answers to submitted questions in the News section of our website on October 21.

Click here for more information about Many Hands grants and register for the applicant call.

Those of you who joined us on September 28 for the kickoff of the Many Hands 2022 grant cycle were treated to a lively and inspiring discussion with Paty Funegra, founder and CEO of 2021 Partner Grantee La Cocina VA, and Brett Meyers, founder and executive director of 2020 Impact Grantee Nourish Now. Many Hands Board member Katy Moore moderated the conversation and Q&A session, which focused on issues of food insecurity and food waste recovery and the creative ways these organizations are striving to forge solutions. If you were unable to join the kickoff, click here to watch the video.

Take 10 Minutes Today! Last Chance to Complete the DEI Survey

Our sincere thanks to the nearly 100 members who have already taken the time to complete the belonging, equity, inclusion, and diversity survey designed by our consulting partner, Conditioning Leaders. Your feedback will help us understand where we are in our journey toward becoming a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable organization and support us in planning next steps.

We emailed the survey to all 2021 Many Hands members on September 24. If you have not yet done so, we ask that you take 10 minutes TODAY to click on the link in the email and please complete the survey before midnight Friday. Responses are completely anonymous and will be seen only by Conditioning Leaders, which will compile and share the results. If you did not receive the link or if you have any questions about the survey, please email Mary Kwak at president@manyhandsdc.org.

Please join us for "Head, Heart, and Hands," a three-part interactive series on racism and racial equity led by Conditioning Leaders consultants Brianna Boggs and Cheryl Harris. This series will engage and connect us on many levels. Through large and small group discussions, videos, and self-reflection, we will learn together and, even more important, make meaning together--about what racial equity work means to Many Hands and how it might be expressed in our work. Unlike other learning programs in which you may have participated, the primary goal is not to receive new information, but to process critical information as a community, so that together we can decide how we want to move forward.

Participation in the series is limited to Many Hands members, including members from the 2021 grant cycle. For more details about the series, including an outline of the content for each session, please visit our website at manyhandsdc.org/events.

Participants are strongly encouraged to attend all three sessions.

When: October 28, November 4, and December 2 (all Thursdays), 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Where: Zoom

Who: Many Hands members from the 2022 and 2021 grant cycles

Please email Mary Kwak at president@manyhandsdc.org with any questions.

In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which is observed in October, Board member Robin Berkley sat down (virtually) with Arleen Joell, founder and CEO of 2021 Partner Grantee CAFY (Community Advocates for Family & Youth) to talk about CAFY's mission and how the Many Hands grant has helped CAFY scale up delivery of housing stability for women and children in Prince George's County looking to restore their lives following homelessness and domestic violence.

CAFY channeled most of its Many Hands funding into the Begin Again and Thrive Program, which provides emergency housing and wrap-around assistance (including financial literacy education, mental health services, and legal assistance) to victims of domestic violence. The 2021 grant was particularly timely because, as Arleen noted, client referrals have increased by 18% since the start of the pandemic.

In addition, Arleen observed, receiving the Many Hands grant has enabled CAFY to connect with other community stakeholders and funders.

To read Robin's interview with Arleen, click here. To support CAFY's Domestic Violence Awareness Month event, CAFY S.L.A.M., on October 21, click here.

We love to highlight our grantees' work--and are equally thrilled to be highlighted in turn. Our thanks to 2020 Partner Grantee Generation Hope for featuring Many Hands in their summer 2021 newsletter and to Many Hands member Julia Malone for articulating what made Generation Hope stand out to Education Committee members, how our values and missions align, and what excites us about the future of our partnership. To read the article, click here.

Many Hands is a women's grantmaking organization committed to making a lasting impact on the lives of Washington, DC area women, children, and families in socioeconomic need and to helping its members become well-informed donors. Many Hands is a 501(c)(3) organization. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. EIN: 51-0486987. Mailing address: Many Hands Inc., PO Box 15048, Chevy Chase, MD 20825.