Grants Manager Sarah Babins attended Casey Trees' State of the Canopy webinar, celebrating the organization's 25th anniversary and the release of its 2025 Tree Report Card, earning an A- grade overall. Over a quarter century, Casey Trees has helped grow Washington, D.C.'s tree canopy to 37%, representing more than 750 acres of new trees, roughly twice the size of the entire National Mall. The webinar also highlighted a persistent challenge: neighborhoods experiencing hotter surface temperatures have one-third the canopy coverage of cooler parts of the city, underscoring how much work remains to reach the District's goal of 40% coverage by 2032. DC residents can request up to 25 free trees through Casey Trees.

Founded more than 20 years ago, Spur Local supports over 500 nonprofits in the DMV. Their annual Give Local event this month was a moment to highlight and reflect on the critical role nonprofits play in moving our region forward and supporting this community of leaders and change-makers. Spur Local’s program showcased nonprofits across the region, including those focused on creative arts, violence prevention, mentorship, civic participation, and more. The program also led the audience in creating their own illustrated storybook with expert facilitation from student leaders. Crimsonbridge Senior Program Officer Robyn Ellis also had the chance to catch up with Elizabeth Madjlesi (Upwardly Global), who completed a LeaderBridge cohort-based leadership development program early in her nonprofit career and now leads a national nonprofit team. Congratulations to Spur Local on surpassing its goals for this connection event! Crimsonbridge is grateful to partner with Executive Director Matt Gayer and the Spur Local team in imagining a future where all nonprofit leaders have access to high-quality leadership development. To learn more about Crimsonbridge’s partnership with Spur Local and current LeaderBridge and other leadership development opportunities, visit https://www.spurlocal.org/cfpdc/what-we-do-for-nonprofits.php. 

For 20 years, Catholic Climate Covenant has worked to inspire and mobilize the U.S. Catholic community to care for creation and achieve climate justice through the lens of integral ecology. Crimsonbridge's Environment & Stewardship Partner Bill Reig and President & CEO Danielle M. Reyes had the honor of attending a reception that recognized the organization's faithful leadership in caring for creation, advancing climate justice, and protecting the dignity of communities most impacted by climate change. The gathering highlighted the importance of working in collaboration. One example, the recent and rapid development of its Catholic Energies program, which seeks to help Catholic institutions turn faith into action through practical, mission-aligned climate solutions.

In her third year as co-chair, Senior Program Officer Robyn Ellis has been actively engaged as a Grantmakers for Education member. As a part of the co-chair triad of the Postsecondary Access and Attainment (PSA2) Funder Impact Group, she has worked with 14 steering committee members from postsecondary education funders across the country and supported a membership of over 300 postsecondary funders. PSA2 is a decade old now, and it has been an important place for program officers and senior leaders to learn from ongoing work, collaborate on research, fund projects together in aligned areas, plan and implement convenings and member connection events, and lift up nonprofit leadership and innovations across the country from members’ grantee partners. PSA2’s opening webinar in GFE’s Postsecondary Spotlight series drew a large audience and shared insights on a topic of interest, men in postsecondary education.

Amidst the backdrop of American Rivers naming the Potomac River as the 2026 Most Endangered River in the United States, President & CEO Danielle M. Reyes, Senior Program Officer Robyn Ellis, and Grants Manager Sarah Babins joined representatives from more than a dozen foundations for a Town Hall style briefing on the historic sewage spill in the Potomac River. In an effort to facilitate philanthropic engagement, the Chesapeake Bay Funders Network organized, the virtual event which featured Betsy Nicholas with Potomac Riverkeeper Network, Hedrick Belin of Potomac Conservancy, and Sadie Drescher of the Chesapeake Trust. Each shared their expertise and the actions of their organizations as they work at the forefront of determining how to protect the river from ongoing threats. The Potomac River is the primary drinking water source for over 5 million people in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Crimsonbridge encourages residents to follow and join the Potomac Riverkeeper Network and Potomac Conservancy as they continue to lead independent water quality monitoring, advocate for long-term restoration of the Potomac, and work to keep the public informed while rebuilding public trust for this vital and beloved waterway.

This Postsecondary Spotlight series was launched three years ago by the Postsecondary Access and Attainment (PSA2) Funder Impact Group as a complement to Grantmakers for Education’s annual conference sessions. This topic was high-interest for funder-members and features one of Crimsonbridge’s Career Pathways partners, the American Institute for Boys and Men.

Today, young men have lower academic outcomes and earn fewer college degrees than their female peers, with especially large gaps for men of color. Social attitudes are also in flux, with increasing numbers of younger men believing that men today face more discrimination. These trends reveal not just an educational challenge but a potential pipeline to grievance and disengagement that demands urgent attention. This session brought together leading researchers and practitioners to examine these alarming trends and their far-reaching implications for education and society. Presenters explored how supporting male educational success can simultaneously advance multiple philanthropic priorities including civic engagement, mental health and wellness, school and campus climate, workforce development, and violence prevention – making this a strategic funding opportunity that delivers compound impact.

Watch the full recording here.

In its third year, the DC Postsecondary Success Collaborative held its Summit, hosted by Trinity Washington University, bringing together area education, workforce, and community partners in the area. While DC has convened several postsecondary and workforce-related groups over the last twenty years, this Collaborative remains a connected postsecondary ecosystem, many of whom are leaders at nonprofits, city agencies, research organizations, school districts, and other experienced practitioners working together for clear pathways, coordinated support, and adults who are ready to lead with purpose. This year’s sessions focused on six themes: partnerships that matter, how AI is transforming postsecondary, sustaining work in lean times, coordinating data, research, and policy, creating safety for youth in challenging times, and designing equitable, high-quality career pathways. At the Leader Lunch, facilitated by the Opportunity Network, Senior Program Officer Robyn Ellis learned about the gaps leaders are facing (i.e. shifting philanthropic support, the need to connect trainings, degree options, and real-time job outcomes, in identifying employer partners, and more). In a discussion on artificial intelligence, more organizations talked about seeing an immediate opportunity to build out programming to build more human critical thinking people skills. To learn more about the Collaborative and opportunities to support its momentum, visit here.

In 2026, FADICA - Catholic Philanthropy Network celebrated its 50th Anniversary in Washington DC at its Annual Symposium and Meeting. Founder & Executive Chair Gabriela Smith, President & CEO Danielle M. Reyes, and Sustainability & Stewardship Partner Bill Reig represented the Crimsonbridge Foundation, who connected with funder peers and shared learnings and updates on the Laudato Si' movement. Bill shared: "I was deeply inspired by the chance to learn from Sister Helen Prejean and her extraordinary journey from Catholic nun to death penalty abolition activist. Her latest adaptation of 'Dead Man Walking' as a graphic novel captures her testimony in a vivid and compelling way. It was a powerful reminder of the lasting impact one person can have on the lives of so many." As FADICA begins its second half-century, this milestone reflects the strength of its mission and the lasting role it plays in the lives of its members and partners.

In a climate of uncertainty, how can storytelling build empathy? Partner Georgetown University Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership hosted a series of panels called "Lift Your Voice: Leading with Courage, Purpose, and Story" that assembled national leaders to offer insight on this question. During this two-day convening, President and CEO Danielle M. Reyes, Senior Program Officer Robyn Attebury Ellis, and Philanthropy Fellow Lauren Kim connected with other nonprofit and philanthropic organizations for dialogue on cultural narrative and strategies for building and sustaining stories that talk about the issues of today and spur action. Speakers Michelle Alexander, Clint Smith, Judy Belk, Rinku Sen, and others taught attendees about the concepts of narrative oceans, revolutionary love, and how to catalyze narratives that move us forward. Together, leaders hosted breakout sessions sharing communications strategies like op-eds, film, podcasts, and more as tools for action.

Photo credit: Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership, Georgetown University

Crimsonbridge Foundation’s Stewardship and Sustainability Partner, Bill Reig, joined 19 diocesan leaders from across the country at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) headquarters in Washington, DC. The cohort learned how to design and implement a Laudato Si’ Action Plan to address environmental sustainability in their diocese. Alongside the Catholic Extension Society and FADICA - Catholic Philanthropy Network, these leaders shared what truly moves their communities. A key takeaway? Transformation happens through relationships built around shared goals—in this case, caring for our common home.

The Student Conservation Association (SCA) is devoted to building access to nature, providing green job opportunities for young people and teaching members how to become environmental stewards. In honor of MLK Day, Grants Manager Sarah Babins joined SCA's DC team and over 100 volunteers for a morning of invasive vine removal and refuse clean-up work at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. Learn more about SCA's Washington D.C. region work here.