Join Many Hands for a timely look at DC's maternal mortality crisis with Andria Cornell (Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs) and Ebony Marcelle (Community of Hope, a 2004 Many Hands Partner Grantee). The maternal death rate in the District of Columbia is more than 50% higher than the average for the United States, which in turn has the worst maternal health outcomes in the developed world. Former Many Hands Board member and award-winning journalist Jill Rosenbaum Meyer will moderate the discussion, which will examine the forces driving this crisis and ask how we can improve outcomes for DC women and their newborns.

When: Thursday, November 12 @ 7:00 pm

Where: Zoom link will be provided to registered attendees.

Join Many Hands on Giving Tuesday for a special conversation about the role that philanthropy can play in advancing racial equity with Tamara Lucas Copeland, former president of the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers, and Kathy Kretman, director of the Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership at Georgetown University. The wide-ranging discussion, moderated by Board member Katy Moore, will address the difference between charitable giving and working for racial justice, explore how funders and nonprofits are working to promote racial equity, and highlight the challenges and opportunities facing grantmakers as they reexamine their work through a racial equity lens.

When: Tuesday, December 1 @ 7:00 pm

Where: Zoom link will be provided to registered attendees.

New! Introducing Installment Payment Plans

Many Hands is pleased to announce that you can now make your membership contribution in installments. There are two payment plans, which can be fulfilled by check or credit card. Payments under the two-installment plan are due December 15 and April 15. Payments under the four-installment plan are due November 15, December 15, February 15, and April 15. You will receive an email reminder before each due date. Members must be current on payments as of December 31 in order to be eligible to serve on a Focus Area Committee. Members must pay their contribution in full by April 15 in order to be eligible to vote for the 2021 Many Hands $100,000 Impact Grantee. To sign up for an installment plan, please click here. (No financial information will be collected through the form.) If you have any questions, please email Wendy Gray at treasurer@manyhandsdc.org.

On October 15, nearly 100 women attended the Many Hands Zoom event to kick off the 2021 grant cycle. The evening included the inspiring testimony of our two special guests, Kris Thompson, CEO of 2020/2012 Partner Grantee Calvary Women's Services, and Kenneth Ward, executive director of 2012 Impact Grantee College Bound. Many Hands Board member Katy Moore moderated the thought-provoking Q&A, and Robin Berkley shared her experience with Many Hands as executive director of Horton's Kids and as a member of the Many Hands Board. If you were unable to attend the kickoff, click here to watch highlights from the evening.

Join Many Hands and special guest Tammi Houton (Nourish Now) for our first Coffee & Conversation--an informal virtual get-together to connect with fellow Many Hands members and friends.

Tammi will update us on the important work Nourish Now, the 2020 Impact Grantee, is doing to respond to the sharp increase in food insecurity caused by the pandemic. Following her brief presentation, we will have an opportunity to ask questions or chat about whatever is on our minds.

We can't gather in person now, but let's enjoy our coffee together and connect with one another!

When: Tuesday, November 17 @ 11:00 am 'til noon

Where: Zoom link will be provided to registered attendees.

Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn! It's a great way to keep up to date on all that's happening at Many Hands and learn more about the work of our grantees.

Congratulations to two-time Partner Grantee Homestretch as they celebrate 30 years of giving families experiencing homelessness the skills, knowledge, and hope they need to achieve their goals. Since 1990, Homestretch has helped over 2,000 families achieve permanent housing and self-sufficiency.

According to Executive Director Christopher Fay, over 90% of Homestretch graduates never return to homelessness, a record of success that is unparalleled nationwide. Fay notes, "The Homestretch model proves that given the right support, homeless families can turn their lives around in dramatic ways. We hope in the years to come to inspire others to follow our example and adopt our model, as they battle homelessness in their own communities. We are very grateful for Many Hands, whose generous grant allowed us to serve more families in need." Homestretch received Many Hands Partner Grants in 2020 and 2016.

It has been a busy fall for Horton's Kids. On October 29, the 2014 Impact Grantee opened a second Community Resource Center in the Stanton Oaks area of Washington, DC, just up the road from their current Wellington Park location. The new location will allow them to support more families and children in DC's Ward 8, where the poverty rate for families with children is nearly 150% higher than the citywide average.

Horton's Kids works to ensure that every child has the opportunity to graduate from high school ready to succeed in college, career, and life. Throughout the pandemic, in addition to their ongoing efforts, they have focused on providing kids with the technology and Internet access they need to support distance learning. In October, ABC7's Helping Hands surprised Horton's Kids with a $1,500 check in recognition of their work. Click here to watch the clip.