[News 6/29] Advocacy victory! House votes to lift needle funding ban

For nine years, D.C. government has been unable to spend tax dollars on life-saving needle exchange programs (NEPs), but the U.S. House of Representatives voted yesterday to lift the funding ban. (WaPo, 6/29) Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and Rep. Jose E. Serrano (D-N.Y.) lobbied extensively to make this happen, drawing on support from advocates and the grantmaking community:

WaPo (June 5): “[In her lobbying efforts, Eleanor Holmes Norton] can point to significant backing within the city. Serrano and Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), chairman of the subcommittee that initially handles the D.C. budget, received a letter last month endorsed by representatives of more than two dozen medical, public health, social service and philanthropic organizations.” … “Please help us battle the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the District,” it urged… J. Channing Wickham, who signed the letter as executive director of the Washington AIDS Partnership, sees the timing as propitious…”

The funding bill containing the needle-exchange item now heads to the Senate, where no significant changes are expected. 

This is a huge victory because IV drug users account for about a third of D.C.’s new AIDS cases each year. WG’s Washington AIDS Partnership has long provided funding to PreventionWorks!, the only D.C. group working on needle-exchange, having helped the group form in 1998 after the ban went into effect. Now it looks like E.D. Paola Barahona and program manager Ron Daniels will be able to expand: The Post reports that ”D.C. Health Director Gregg Pane is promising $1 million for NEPs in 2008,” and a significant portion is expected to go to PreventionWorks. 

AFFORDABLE HOUSING
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass) introduces legislation to establish “the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which would receive an infusion of funds from mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.” (Reuters, 6/28)

PHILANTHROPY
Susan Raymond, Ph.D., analyzes the GivingUSA philanthropy numbers. (onPhilanthropy, 6/27)

[News 6/28] Goal: More HIV screenings for youth

D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and health director Gregg Pane have announced an initiative to increase by 25 percent the number of D.C. youth who know their HIV status (WaPo, 6/28). The announcement meets a June 30 deadline set in an April planning session between Fenty and Pane. No word yet on specifics for the new initiative, including funding. Follow-through was the problem for a similar testing effort announced one year ago, and which ended in December “with limited success.”

The newly-elected Fenty administration is working to achieve “A” scores on report cards from D.C. Appleseed, a nonprofit that is tracking the government’s HIV/AIDS response. The 2005 D.C. Appleseed report (right), commissioned by WG’s Washington AIDS Partnership, has become the city’s ”blueprint for change” for addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

During yesterday’s National HIV Testing Day, several of the Washington AIDS Partnership’s nonprofit partners offered extended hours of free screenings and education.

GLOBAL PHILANTHROPY
Merrill Lynch’s 11th annual World Wealth Report finds that 9.5 million people control about a quarter of the world’s wealth.  Looking at philanthropic giving for the first time, the report finds that “individuals worth $1 million or more donated an estimated total of $285 billion in 2006. Charitable giving has become more important in millionaires’ overall investment strategies in recent years…” (EITB, 6/28)

IMMIGRATION
“Immigrants pay tax share,” says a recent study underwritten by the Washington Area Partnership for Immigrants, a funding collaborative of the Community Foundation (WG member). (WaPo, 6/5) 

Members: Last day for survey!

Don’t forget to respond to the Year of Engagement final survey by today. Mosaica emailed you a link on June 13. If you didn’t receive it, please email ana@mosaica.org. Thanks!

[News 6/27] Helping area families escape poverty

POVERTY
Wider Opportunities for Women introduces the D.C. Metro Area Self-Sufficiency Calculator, an online career and financial counseling tool for helping the region’s most vulnerable families escape poverty and gain financial independence. Created with a grant from the Freddie Mac Foundation (WG member), the site features info on “available, high-wage, local jobs which don’t require a 4-year degree and will support families.”

PHILANTHROPY
“Charity made efficient” (Forbes, 6/25) - New technologies and service providers are changing the sector. Forbes profiles Foundation Source, a company that runs back-office tasks for small foundations.

HIV/AIDS
Today is National Aids Testing Day. The blog Fight HIV in DC links to local events.

DC VOTING RIGHTS
Ilir Zherka and the DC Vote team “blitzed 21 Senate offices last week (WaPo, 6/27) and found a few additional Republicans ‘leaning yes.’” DC Vote’s editorial outreach is bearing fruit (LATimes, NYTimes).

NONPROFIT TOOLS
Google is giving nonprofits free licenses for the Google Earth Pro mapping tool, “making it easier for non-profits to use Google Earth to tell compelling stories about their work.” (ITwire, 6/27)  I’ll try this out soon and report back.

[News 6/26] Foundation to public: You pick the grantees

PHILANTHROPY
Foundation Lets Public Help Award Money (NYTimes, 6/26) - Through the Make It Your Own Awards, the Case Foundation (WG member) will search out great ideas online and allow voters to pick grant recipients. Applications will be accepted from today through August 8.

CHILD WELFARE
[Va.] The Annie E. Casey Foundation (WG member) will work with Virginia state and city leaders on child welfare reform, in partnership with Virginia First Lady Anne Holton’s “For Keeps” foster care initiative. Gov. Kaine: “This partnership will help the state and the city to develop models that will improve the outlook for Richmond youth – models which we then can replicate statewide.” (6/26)

AFFORDABLE HOUSING
[D.C.] An Urban Institute study funded by WG member Fannie Mae confirms what you thought: Low-income families can’t afford houses in the District. “Ten years ago, 17 percent of District home buyers were low-income… In 2005, that rate had slipped to just over 4 percent.” (WaPo, 6/26)

Region’s grantmakers and governments partner to solve health problems

The national capital region’s grantmakers and governments are now working together to find gaps in regional health services. Planning began earlier this month at a meeting between Washington Grantmakers’ Health Working Group (HWG) and The Metropolitan Washington Regional Council of Governments’ (COG) Health Officials Committee.

HWG and COG met to discuss how the public sector and private philanthropy can build synergy and leverage each others’ work to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities in the region. As a result of the meeting, HWG will research the region’s private sector health foundations to determine funding priorities, current initiatives, and grants made in the past year. Meanwhile, health officers from each local government represented by COG will create a matrix summarizing the roles and functions of each municipality’s health department. The two groups will reconvene in September to choose priority areas for deeper collaboration.

Officials and grantmakers also discussed the need for better, more accessible regional health data to help identify service gaps, inform programs, and track progress. A committee of health officers and funders will soon form to look closely at regional data needs and means for obtaining better data.  

Grantmakers interested in becoming involved in this partnership as it evolves, or just learning more about it, should contact WG’s Director of Public Policy Carolynn Mambu, or one of the HWG co-chairs: Margaret O’Bryon (mobryon@consumerhealthfdn.org), Mardell Moffett (mmoffett@cafritzfoundation.org)

[News 6/25] Absence of disasters affects giving

PHILANTHROPY
- Absence of Major Disaster in ’06 Affected Giving (NYTimes, 6/25)
- Private Foundations Should Consider PR (BusinessWeek, 6/18)
- AAPIP Study: Foundations lag in giving to Asians (SGVTribune, 6/22)

NONPROFITS
Nonprofit groups run national franchises for income (WSJ, 6/25 - subscription required). Share Our Strength (WG member) is preparing to open a WineStyles shop near Dupont Circle.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING
“Putting Faith in Affordable Housing” (WaPo, 6/23) - “Activists, Entrepreneurial Pastors Push Renewal of D.C. Churches’ Efforts”

The Gaithersburg City Council votes to include $300,000 in next year’s budget to help residents whose affordable housing is set to be replaced by upscale development. (WaPo, 6/22)

ENVIRONMENT
The TKF Foundation’s (WG member) “rainwater park” is a stormwater model for Annapolis and the nation. (Baltimore Sun, 6/22)

CHILD CARE / EARLY EDUCATION
And finally, my wife and daughter make the front page of the Post (!) in an article on how providers at Infant Toddler Family Day Care impart language and culture to young children. (WaPo, 6/24)

[News 6/21] Don’t call it a soup kitchen!

D.C. Central Kitchen founder Robert Egger spoke to community leaders in Wisconsin yesterday about changing the charity model, and the need for collaboration between nonprofits and local governments. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinal, 6/21) DCCK is a national leader in addressing the interconnected problems of poverty, homelessness, and hunger. The organization’s sponsors include WG members Bank of America, World Bank, Fannie Mae Foundation, and Marriott. Learn about giving your time or money to help DCCK address hunger and poverty.

EDUCATION
Study: Teacher turnover costs area school systems millions (WaPo, 6/21) - The National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future estimates that it costs D.C. $16.6 million annually to recruit and train new teachers. In Prince George’s: $23.3 million; Fairfax: $28.4 million. Nationally, half of all rookie teachers leave their jobs within five years.

YOUTH
[D.C.] Early summer curfew for D.C. Youth? (WaPo, 6/21)

SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
[Va.] N.Va. residents can attend town hall meetings to discuss the workings of the N.Va. Transportation Authority. The new authority will raise roughly $300 million annually through taxes and fees.

The news round-up will return on Monday.

[News 6/20] Nurturing community college talent

EDUCATION
Scholarships from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (WG member) help students “make the leap from a community college to an elite university.” (NYTimes, 6/20)

[D.C.] “The D.C. Public Charter School Board has approved six new charter schools.” (WaPo, 6/20)

HOUSING
[Md.] Montgomery County’s Housing Opportunity Commission “celebrated the purchase of a 175-unit Gaithersburg apartment complex that will now be able to retain subsidies for its low-income senior tenants.” (Gazette, 6/20)

[News 6/19] Quality child care pays off

EARLY EDUCATION/CHILD CARE
A new study shows that quality child care pays off–literally. In response to the report showing the economic benefits of early education, funded in part by the CityBridge Foundation (WG member), D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray (D) is promising more pre-k programs and new incentives for constructing child care facilities. (WaPo, 6/19) 

ENVIRONMENT
Air quality poor enough for ya? WG member MWCOG reports that today is Code Orange–high ozone levels, low air quality. Sensitive groups (including children) should limit their outside time. Learn about regional efforts to improve air quality here and find the daily forecast here.

HUNGER
D.C.’s Come to the Table program will serve meals to more children this summer. (WaPo, 6/19) Learn about giving your time or money to D.C. Hunger Solutions.

MENTAL HEALTH
[Va.] Lawmakers call for more mental health funding in Virginia, which received a D grade from NAMI in 2006. (WaPo, 6/19)

HEALTH
Doctors and nurses needed for community health clinics in the national capital region, and nationally (WaPo, 6/19)