Grant application review is now under way! The four Focus Area Committees are reviewing a total of 108 applications. Education has just over 30% of the applications on its docket; the remainder are fairly evenly divided among Health, Housing, and Economic Empowerment. The median applicant has an annual budget of $1.75 million, with around 20% reporting budgets under $1 million. Two-thirds of the applicants provide services in a single jurisdiction (39 in the District of Columbia, 16 in Maryland, and 17 in Virginia), while one-sixth serve residents of all three parts of the region, and one-sixth operate in two of the three.

Each Focus Area Committee will select one grantee, to be announced in May. Based on member votes, one organization will receive the 2022 Impact Grant of $100,000, and three will receive Partner Grants, which are projected to be at least $50,000 each. We continue to raise funds until the year's grants are made. If you'd like to contribute to the grant pool and help select the Impact Grantee, click here to find out more about becoming a Many Hands member or contact Lynne Battle and Wendy Gray at membership@manyhandsdc.org.

More information about the Many Hands grant process, including the 2022 eligibility criteria and focus area descriptions, is available on our website. Applications for the 2023 grant cycle will be accepted in the fall.

Save the Date! An Inside Look at Nonprofit Leadership - Tuesday, March 15

We look forward to reconnecting with two 2021 Many Hands grantees, Community Advocates for Family & Youth (CAFY) and Community Youth Advance (CYA), at our spring forum. CAFY Executive Director Arleen Joell and CYA Executive Director Jhae Thompson will join us to talk about the challenges and opportunities facing local nonprofit leaders as they navigate the ongoing pandemic, growing pressure for racial justice, and the never ending search for funding. This will be a special opportunity to see nonprofit life from the inside and learn more about the work that Many Hands funding is helping to support. The moderated discussion will take place on Zoom on Tuesday, March 15, in the evening, and are all are welcome. Keep an eye out for registration information coming soon!

Many Hands members are invited to join fellow Philanos affiliates on Tuesday, February 8, at 12:00 pm, to learn more about how two organizations--Impact100 Philadelphia and the Hyams Foundation of Boston--have reimagined ways to invest in the community. Last year, Impact100 Philadelphia piloted a Community Awards program that made grants of $5,000 or $10,000 to small community-based organizations with no application process. The Hyams Foundation has similarly been working to remove barriers to philanthropic support commonly faced by smaller nonprofits.

Click here for more details about the webinar and to register by Sunday, February 6. If you have questions about registration or other benefits you can receive through Many Hands' Philanos membership, please contact Melissa Dennis at info@manyhandsdc.org.

The coming weeks bring two more opportunities to share your thoughts on your Many Hands experience and suggestions for the future. Board members Wendy Gray and Anna Pfeiffer will be hosting informal small group conversations to gather member feedback on Thursday, February 10 and Wednesday, March 9. Both sessions will take place at 5:30 pm on Zoom. To register for a listening session, click here. Please contact Wendy and Anna at membership@manyhandsdc.org with any questions or if you have feedback to share and are unable to make either date.

Rita Shapiro joined Many Hands in 2020 and currently serves on the Membership Committee. She is the former executive director of the National Symphony Orchestra and has enjoyed a long career in arts management. She now works on assignments as interim executive director for nonprofit organizations in transition and does consulting projects.

Why did you join Many Hands? I had been interested in joining a giving circle focusing on women and children for a long time, and a colleague recommended that I consider Many Hands. I have been really impressed by the thoroughness of the vetting process for applicants, as well as the dedication of the members I have met to date. There is great power in the ability of Many Hands' membership to combine forces and resources to help effect change. Many small but important nonprofit organizations exist in this area, and it has been a profound learning experience for me to begin to understand some of the challenges they face.

Which focus area attracts you most? I served on the Housing Committee last year so that I could become more educated about these specific issues. Women need access to stable living environments in order to attain a sense of security for themselves and their children. The work that is being done by many different organizations across the DMV is simply incredible, especially given the challenges that COVID-19 has posed.

How do you stay inspired? My mother, whom we sadly lost very recently at the grand age of 95, was a lifelong volunteer for a number of organizations dedicated to helping women and children. Near the end of her life she received a commendation from the mayor for more than 60 years of volunteer service to our hometown. Her boundless energy, her generosity of spirit, and her willingness to "get the work done" inspire me every day.

In The End of Bias, science writer Jessica Nordell recounts her journey to discover ways to overcome discrimination, particularly implicit racial and gender bias. She explains the mechanics of bias, efforts to overcome bias using such techniques as cognitive behavior therapy, and finally, attempts to change the environment in which bias thrives. She concludes with the question: “Can we overcome biases that are unconscious, unintentional, or unexamined?” Her answer: “Yes.” The strategies and stories she shares can help us all, as we seek to counter biases in ourselves or in the world around us. To read member Shelley Stanfield's full review, click here.

This month we are featuring 2021 Partner Grantee La Cocina VA on our social media. Check us out on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about their work! In addition, Board member Robin Berkley recently caught up with founder and CEO Paty Funegra to talk about what inspired her to create La Cocina VA, the importance of receiving unrestricted funding from Many Hands, and how her team thinks about transformational change.

"We have seen a true transformation in the lives of our clients, especially women," Paty explained. "Most important, they gain confidence by gaining a skill and contributing to their community. They also gain economic power. Once they gain confidence and get a job where they are earning a living wage, they begin to see the future possibilities for themselves and their families. They learn to speak up and advocate for themselves and can pass that positivity onto others in their community."

Paty also identified numerous opportunities for Many Hands members and friends to support La Cocina VA as mentors and volunteers as well as through the Community Cafe. Click here to read the complete interview and learn more.

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.