After carefully considering a total of 80 grant applications and completing a smaller number of site visits, Many Hands' Focus Area Committees are meeting this week to select the 2024 grantees. Look for a grantee announcement on Monday, May 6! The four grantees will make presentations at the Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 16, and following the presentations, members will vote to select the recipient of the 2024 $100,000 Impact Grant. The three remaining organizations will receive Partner Grants of at least $60,000 each.

If you're not yet a member, there are still two weeks to join Many Hands and support the 2024 grantees. To cast your vote in this grant cycle, please ensure that we receive your mailed membership check by Monday, May 13 or your online gift by Thursday, May 16. We are also happy to receive your gift at the Annual Meeting. Click here to learn more about membership or email Lori Sostowski at membership@manyhandsdc.org.

RSVP Today! 2024 Annual Meeting - Thursday, May 16

The Annual Meeting is the biggest night of the Many Hands year. All members and their guests are invited to hear presentations by the four grantees chosen by the Focus Area Committees. Following the presentations, members will receive an electronic ballot to vote on the allocation of the grant fund.

We warmly welcome members and their guests to gather in person at Chevy Chase Village Hall to celebrate the completion of this year's grantmaking process. We will live stream the meeting for those unable to attend in person. If you have questions about the Annual Meeting, please contact Charis Keitelman at grants@manyhandsdc.org.

WHEN: Thursday, May 16 | 6:30 pm - 8:45 pm | Doors open at 6:30 pm for mingling and light refreshments | Program begins at 7:00 pm

WHERE: Chevy Chase Village Hall | 5906 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD

WHO: Many Hands members and their guests. The Annual Meeting is the perfect time to invite a friend to discover collective giving!

We were thrilled to have so many members and friends join us to celebrate Many Hands' first twenty years. Many thanks to Hogan Lovells for hosting the event and to Flowers at 38 for the beautiful arrangements. Among the program highlights, Susie Berenson recalled how she worked with six like-minded women to create Many Hands, award-winning journalist and longtime children's advocate Barbara Harrison spoke about her work with Kids Speak Out and paid tribute to the power of women working together, and our anniversary video showcased the voices of founding Many Hands members and recent grantees.

To sustain and strengthen our collective impact over the next twenty years, we invite you to make a gift to the Fund for the Future, a board-restricted fund that supports Many Hands' grantmaking operations. Income from the Fund is used to defray our operating costs, allowing us to maximize the share of annual fundraising that goes to grantees. By supporting the Fund for the Future, you will enhance our ability to support local nonprofits for years to come. Click here to learn more and make a gift.

Join leaders from Philanos and Philanthropy Together on Tuesday, May 14 at 12:00 pm ET to learn about the work they're doing, with support from the Fidelity Charitable Catalyst Fund, to expand collective giving and move more funding to local nonprofits, particularly in underserved regions. Participation in Philanos webinars is free to all Many Hands members. Set up your Philanos account by emailing Karen Murrell at info@manyhandsdc.org and then click here to register by Sunday, May 12.

The latest study of collective giving describes a movement that has tripled in size since 2016. In Abundance: An Analysis of the Thriving Landscape of Collective Giving in the U.S., a report issued last month by the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy, Colmena Consulting, and Philanthropy Together, counts nearly 4,000 giving circles across the country, with more than 370,000 members who have collectively given more than $3 billion over the past five years.

Dollars granted are only one measure of giving circles' impact. Collective giving is an important arena for women's leadership: 60% of groups are entirely composed of women, and 84% have a majority-female membership. Collective giving also expands the funding available to organizations that mainstream philanthropy has traditionally overlooked. Eighty-three percent of members said their groups prioritize giving to organizations supporting marginalized communities, and more than half support organizations with budgets under $1 million. In addition, nearly three-quarters of giving circles provide general operating support.

Members also reap personal benefits from engaging in collective giving. More than three-quarters of respondents noted a positive impact on their understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and more than 90% reported that being part of a giving circle had increased their sense of belonging to a community. Click here to read the full report.

Many Hands leverages the power of collective giving to support nonprofits serving and empowering Washington, DC area women, children, and families in socioeconomic need. Many Hands is a 501(c)(3) organization. EIN: 51-0486987.