Presenting "An Inside Look at Nonprofit Leadership" - March 15 @ 7:00 pm

Please join Many Hands for a special conversation with the leaders of two recent grantees: Arleen Joell, founder and CEO of Community Advocates for Family & Youth (2021 Partner Grant, Housing), and Jhae Thompson, executive director of Community Youth Advance (2021 Partner Grant, Education). They will share their perspectives on what it takes to run a successful nonprofit, especially during the pandemic, the challenges and joys that come with the job, and the demands of fundraising, including applying for grants. They'll also discuss the impact Many Hands funding has had on their work.

This is a unique opportunity to learn more about the work that goes on behind the scenes to provide high-impact programming and build enduring organizations. Following the moderated discussion, there will be ample time for Q&A. Bring your questions!

When: Tuesday, March 15, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Where: Zoom

Who: All are welcome. Bring a friend to learn more about the work of Many Hands and our grantees!

It's not too late! Join Many Hands at any time before the Annual Meeting and you can help select the recipient of the 2022 Many Hands $100,000 Impact Grant. Mark your calendar for the evening of Thursday, May 12 and get ready to hear from the four grantees and vote. To learn more about membership, visit our website or email Lynne Battle and Wendy Gray at membership@manyhandsdc.org.

Not yet ready to become a member? Your gift of any size will go directly to this year's grantees to help support and empower women, children, and families in socioeconomic need in the greater Washington region.

There's one more chance on Wednesday, March 9 at 5:30 pm to share feedback on your member experience in an informal, small group format. Board members Anna Gunnarsson Pfeiffer and Wendy Gray will lead a listening session on Zoom to learn more about what you want to get out of Many Hands, what you love, and what you'd like to see improve. Click here to sign up or share your thoughts with Anna and Wendy at membership@manyhandsdc.org. Many thanks to all the members who have already taken the time to help us learn and grow!

Do you have a way with words? Love creating images? Enjoy talking to people and finding out what makes them tick? Do you have experience in email marketing, social media, website management, video production, graphic design, journalism, public relations, or any related fields? Then please consider joining the Communications Committee! This group will oversee Many Hands' communications strategy and produce material for the different channels we use to connect with our community and to support grantees. The time commitment is flexible, and discrete projects are available. To find out more, email Mary Kwak at president@manyhandsdc.org.

Philanos, the leading national network of women's collective giving circles, offers monthly webinars to promote peer-to-peer learning on a broad range of topics related to grantmaking and organizational strategy.

Last month, Impact100 Philadelphia co-founder Mary Broach joined Hyams Foundation senior program officer Nahir Torres to discuss efforts to support and empower smaller nonprofits, including Impact100 Philly's new Community Awards. To access the recording and slides, click here.

Next up, on Tuesday, March 8 at 12:00 pm, leaders from Philanos affiliates in Boston, Boise, and Bowling Green will share their experience with tiered membership models. Click here to register by March 6. If you have not previously registered with Philanos, please email Melissa Dennis at info@manyhandsdc.org in order to receive access to registration links and recordings.

Rachel Li Wai Suen has been a Many Hands member since 2018. She is Senior Counsel at Buckley LLP, specializing in white collar criminal defense and investigations.

Why did you join Many Hands? I would say I joined Many Hands despite myself! A friend invited me to a Many Hands event one evening. I was feeling tired, maybe a little crabby, so I was not 100% enthusiastic about going out--but I went anyway because it was right after work and just down the street from my office. I'm so glad I went because the event was terrific. Not only did I meet thoughtful and interesting people, but the event featured three speakers from organizations that had received Many Hands grants: Greater DC Diaper Bank, Horton's Kids, and Reach, Inc. It was such a powerful experience to hear them describe the direct and positive impact Many Hands had on the communities they served. After that incredible introduction, it was a no-brainer to join.

Which focus area attracts you most? I have a preteen and serve as the chair of our school board, and so I think I tend to gravitate toward education because a lot of my spare time these days is spent thinking about schools. The pandemic has underlined the importance of a supportive, stable educational environment for children and their families. Day cares and schools not only provide child care and academic instruction, but they also serve as a second family or support network. Every single person can probably name a teacher they had when they were young who guided and inspired them. The values and lessons you pick up in your educational journey--you often carry those around with you the rest of your life. Needless to say, I was delighted when The Homeless Children's Playtime Project won last year's Impact Grant. We need to support the places that are helping to grow little people!

How do you stay inspired? There's a lot that inspires me. First, my family: my husband is truly my co-parent and partner in life, and my kid is so interesting--nearly every day he asks me a question or says something that makes me stop and think. I'm lucky to have them; I don't make a move without our little gang of three. I'm also fortunate to be friends with several women of different ages and backgrounds who are total powerhouses: smart as a whip, disciplined, hard-working, and kind. And funny, too! It's a joy to know them. Finally, it probably sounds corny, but I'm inspired by fellow women of color. Whether it's just someone I come across in my daily life or an author who has come out with her new novel or a politician who is trying to enact positive change--I'm always just so glad to see them out there doing their thing. It brightens my day.

Do you know a member we should feature in an upcoming newsletter? Click here to share your suggestions!

Throughout March, we are highlighting the work of 2021 Impact Grantee The Homeless Children's Playtime Project. Founded more than two decades ago by social worker and child advocate Jamila Larson, Playtime cultivates resilience in children experiencing family homelessness by providing and expanding access to transformative play experiences.

As Jack Shonkeff, director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, explained in a recent episode of The Brain Architects podcast, "Play is one of the most important vehicles for having some sense of mastery and control over the world that you live in, which is getting us very close to the definition of what resilience is all about." A 2018 report from the American Academy of Pediatrics reached similar conclusions, recommending that pediatricians write a "prescription for play."

But it's a story shared by Playtime that makes the strongest case for the power of play: “It was the first week back at Playtime after the holidays, and two new children had joined the group in the playroom at one of our DC shelter partner sites. When Site Manager Victoria asked five-year-old ‘Sara’ about her day, she responded that she wanted to be with her dad, but her dad had died. Victoria decided to take the young girl aside for some one-on-one play. After doing a developmentally appropriate suicidality assessment, making sure she did not want to harm herself and was not having suicidal thoughts, Victoria brought Sara to the Playtime storage closet and took out some pipe cleaners and beads. The two sat together, and as Sara placed beads on the pipe cleaner, Victoria prompted her to share a memory of her dad or a place that made her think of him or a person she could talk to about her father, each time she strung a bead. Afterwards, they shaped the pipe cleaner into the shape of a heart, and Victoria told Sara she could hold it and think of her happy memories about her dad. Sara responded that when she looked into the center of the heart, she could see her memories of him.”

To learn more about how Playtime reaches and serves children in need of play, follow us on Facebook and Instagram for weekly features throughout the month. If you missed it earlier, read Robin Berkley's interview with Jamila Larson on our website. And visit playtimeproject.org to find out how you can support Playtime's work as a donor, volunteer, or advocate.

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.