Grantmakers for Education launched its third Equity Storytelling Fellowship this fall, and Crimsonbridge Program Officer Robyn Ellis participated in this six-week virtual seminar! Storytelling fellows learned how to create compelling stories, use their voices, and explore history, lineage, and identity as they relate to core values and work in philanthropy. As the culminating piece to this fellowship, participants wrote an original theatrical play that was performed by professional actors to an audience of the playwrights' colleagues, friends, and family! Facilitated by Marc Chun and Jessica Mele, this fellowship class made space to practice developing storytelling components like character motivations and internal and external barriers, and provided a space to reclaim their creativity. Congratulations to Robyn and the ten other foundation staff who crafted powerful stories! Visit here to learn more about this fellowship opportunity for education funders. 

Overlooking the Potomac River from the Kennedy Center's event space at the Reach, the Potomac Conservancy announced a new Clean Water - Healthy Communities Campaign to achieve ambitious goals for a fishable and swimmable Potomac in the next decade. Crimsonbridge CEO, Danielle M. Reyes, an avid paddler, angler, and river advocate attended the event. Hear about land-based conservation efforts, ways the Conservancy will engage all community members in healing the Potomac, and this new campaign through this new video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7VzmJjaGUg

"In order to be a people-first organization, you have to be trust-based." This was just one of many memorable one-liners from a recent Coffee & Conversation on Organizational Resilience hosted by ACT for Alexandria, a local philanthropy peer. Northern Virginia nonprofit leaders heard from panelists Whitney Parnell, Heather Jelks, and Barbara McLaughlin on how leaders can best care for themselves and their teams. A slew of best practices were shared, including monthly wellness time, sabbaticals, budgeting for professional development for staff, and flexibility. Senior Program Officer Caitlin Mayo joined the event on behalf of the LeaderBridge team to hear from local leaders on their top organizational opportunities and challenges.

Our Crimsonbridge team is excited to vote this November! We have received many resources and news updates from national grantee partners that are working to build women’s and girls’ leadership and civic engagement. We are sharing them with you here in hopes that you will consider using them and sharing with your networks. These resources include:

• A pledge to consider running for office and other actions you can take beyond voting (She Should Run)

• A declaration you can sign on to highlights the voices of women historically excluded from the political process in an update to the 1848 Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention RepresentWomen, She Should Run, and others). Register to attend their October 24th 21st Century Seneca Falls Virtual Town Hall from 2-3:30pm EST.

• A conversation on how Gen Z is civically engaged in 2024 (IGNITE) – tune in for up to date research on

• Get the election information you need (League of Women Voters) – Visit VOTE411 to see what’s on your ballot, print your ballot selections, check your voter registration, find your polling place, and become a poll worker.

These organizations champion women’s civic engagement year-round, not only during election time, and we support their advocacy, research, and leadership in this field!

As the organization celebrated its 20th year serving Latino students and demonstrating positive student outcomes this year, Excelencia in Education also recognized more Examples of Excelencia in higher education. Among the hundreds of organizations that applied for this recognition, each of them providing extensive proof of organizational effectiveness, four community-based organizations and 46 colleges received the national award this fall. Program Officer Robyn Ellis noted that the organizations receiving this recognition credited their students, teams, and co-founders, CEO Deborah Santiago and President Sarita Brown for helping leaders recognize the value of their voices. Some of the effective strategies shared included: building a supportive network, social connection opportunities embedded into academic programs, the space for positive storytelling, and events that offered belonging and community. For the full list of institutions or to learn more about the Seal of Excelencia, visit the announcement here.

Program Officer Robyn Ellis attended the annual Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness conference this fall to hear Janelle Clay, PhD candidate at Georgia State University and SREE researcher present findings from this summer’s project on college student belonging. As a part of a broader Grantmakers for Education initiative to increase investment in education research for its funder-members, Crimsonbridge partnered with SREE and Dr. Clay to answer research questions like: How is belonging defined in the postsecondary field? What belonging interventions have impacted college students? What outcomes can we see from these interventions over the last 20 years? In this SREE research showcase session, Dr. Clay shared how these interventions have been especially impactful for first-generation and other students underrepresented at college graduation. Crimsonbridge plans to share this new resource with our networks soon!  

Program Officer Robyn Ellis attended the Achieving the Dream Data and Analytics Summit in Maryland where over 300 community college leaders gathered for training on how to integrate their college and community data. With the support of a newly developed resource training and customized data workbooks showcasing their regional data and student outcomes, college leaders had the chance to work together on how to use this data to inform their program decisions, improve student supports, and fill in gaps in student services at their institutions. Achieving the Dream’s first cohort of 17 community colleges in 2023-2024 piloted this training and data workbook, and now all Achieving the Dream member colleges have access to this resource. For more information, visit the Community Vibrancy cohort page. This data training has been supported by Ascendium Education and Crimsonbridge Foundation.  

The Crimsonbridge Foundation team partnered with Philanthropy DMV to co-host How Funders Can Invest in the Development of BIPOC Nonprofit Leaders, a session that engaged 30 funders and four leadership development providers in informative panels and active networking. Crimsonbridge and Philanthropy DMV co-developed this gathering, focusing on leadership development investment in the region with ideas from Wells Fargo, the Micron Foundation, the World Bank, and LeaderBridge (an initiative of the Crimsonbridge Foundation). Crimsonbridge President & CEO Danielle M. Reyes proposed and offered new opportunities for foundations to increase funding for leadership development. The provider panel featured LeaderBridge partners Andre Samuels of Apogee Executive Coaching, Matt Gayer of Spur Local, Adam Levner of Access Coaching Collective, and Dana Pauley of Leadership Montgomery, who presented insights on the value, impact, and demand for services. The provider panel conversation, led by Senior Program Officer Caitlin Mayo, sparked interest and a lively discussion among attendees. A special thank you to Crimsonbridge Program Officer, Robyn Attebury Ellis and Celeste James of Philanthropy DMV for their event coordination expertise and bringing it all together.

Crimsonbridge President and CEO Danielle M. Reyes joined the first gathering of this fall's LeaderBridge Public Narrative cohort with the Inspire Leadership School's Sandy Dang and Nizar Farsakh. Public narrative is a storytelling technique that uses shared stories to inspire people to take action and create change. This nonprofit leader-focused program is structured around three parts: the Story of Self (the reason you are speaking about the issue), the Story of Us (shared values and experiences), and the Story of Now (urgent issues and strategies). Danielle had the opportunity to welcome nonprofit leaders to the program and into the LeaderBridge Network, through which more than 200 local nonprofit leaders have advanced their professional skills since 2016.

Crimsonbridge values opportunities to learn alongside nonprofit leaders in our network. When Liz Wainger of Wainger Group extended an invitation to the LeaderBridge Network for her "Ready, Set, Crisis." communications webinar, Crimsonbridge staff jumped at the opportunity to participate. Joined by several members from various LeaderBridge cohorts, Liz presented practical steps, important considerations, and useful tips to get leaders started on creating their own crisis communications plan. "All organizations experience internal and external crises." says Crimsonbridge CEO Danielle M. Reyes. "Having a crisis communications plan in place better positions a leader and their team to successfully address and work through challenges."

This Black Philanthropy Month, Nonprofit Quarterly hosted a virtual conversation that shared a history of philanthropic practices and featured the untold stories of several Black philanthropists in the US. Panelists showed how each leader's story reflects the innovations evident in Black philanthropy - including examples of giving through testimony, service, advocacy, strategic vision, responses to public health crises, and more. Featured leaders included Bishop Richard Allen, Madame C. J. Walker, Billy "Shakespeare" Brown, Henrietta Lacks, Patrisse Cullors, Bayard Rustin and others who exemplify an expansive vision of and practices in Black philanthropy. Program Officer Robyn Ellis appreciated hearing examples of the growing emphasis on communal giving practices and equitable stewardship and how more Black funders are driving capital toward impact investing and social entrepreneurship. Through these examples, it's clear that collective action is a powerful force in driving social change and an opportunity for funders to address systemic issues more effectively.

Partner Community College Research Center (CCRC) shared a call-to-action for higher education leaders and supporters in a webinar that Program Officer Robyn Ellis tuned into this summer. The webinar highlighted a symposium that CCRC convened in April, attended by 24 community colleges from 19 states and representatives of federal agencies who shared opportunities and challenges to responding to climate change. From this symposium, CCRC is sharing learnings from community colleges engaged in this work and talking points for college leaders to use. In the webinar, three senior college leaders and presidents - from Mountain Empire Community College in Appalachia, Hudson Valley Community College in upstate New York, and the Foundation for California Community Colleges - shared regional examples of preparing students for green jobs and investment opportunities for community colleges. Read the full call-to-action at https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publications/community-colleges-emerging-green-economy.html.

Getting people to lean in and learn more is a key element of storytelling for impact, and the national nonprofit member association Communications Network (ComNet) provides a new resource for communicators and practitioners to improve our strategic storytelling. This website - www.storytelling.comnetwork.org - was developed by ComNet and national communications experts and has broad applications across contexts and fields. The website helps you walk through a narrative framework, create a social impact story map for any issue, and learn about platforms where you can share your stories. In a webinar walk-through of this resource, Doug Hattaway explored examples of simple ways to frame stories that have proven motivating for multiple audiences. Program Officer Robyn Ellis especially appreciated the fillable PDF and downloadable workbook and plans to share this resource with the Crimsonbridge team and others in her network. ComNet provides this self-directed communications resource free of charge to all members and non-members, and an online course with more in-depth modules will follow from Hattaway Communications.

Program Officer Robyn Ellis tuned in to hear donors and authors Steve Phillips of Democracy in Color and Mark Kramer of FSG speak about their recent article “Where Strategic Philanthropy Went Wrong,” published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review. To learn more about the history of and new approaches to strategic philanthropy, Robyn heard how data and analysis have impacted the commitment of philanthropic dollars, as well as how government-philanthropy partnerships have been a powerful engine for social change over the years. As an example, about 1% of private funding goes to voter engagement, yet these types of investments supporting effective and innovative work have had a transformative impact in communities. To read the full article, visit https://ssir.org/articles/entry/strategic-philanthropy-went-wrong.

Crimsonbridge Special Projects & Executive Assistant Sarah Babins participated in Exponent Philanthropy's virtual training series on Becoming a Better Ally. Participants were led through a journey of self-discovery and empowerment, fostering connections with other members while gaining tools to become effective allies. Participants learned to identify areas of privilege and how to leverage them to promote positive change in the community and workplace. Exponent Philanthropy is a member-led community of lean funders, where foundation leaders and individual funders learn and inspire one another to make exponential impact.

Since 2015, Crimsonbridge has supported Catholic school vitality and enrollment efforts by partnering with schools and dioceses to be welcoming and inclusive of Hispanic families. Senior Program Officer Caitlin Mayo and Philanthropy Fellow Emily Fairbanks attended the second annual Hispanic Liaison Appreciation Day at the Archdiocese of Washington, in recognition of the incredible work that Catholic school educators, staff, and volunteers do to engage their communities in Catholic education. As “gente puente,” they provide vital translation and family liaison support services for current and prospective Latino families. The event kicked off with Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala celebrating Mass in Spanish. Afterwards, attendees gathered to discuss and collaborate on how to better serve the Hispanic students and families at their schools and parishes. For Crimsonbridge staff, the event was a heartwarming demonstration of the valuable roles that informed and engaged community members can play to foster welcoming and inclusive Catholic schools.

Program Officer Robyn Ellis joined a group of regional and national funders in DC in a conversation about partnering for first-generation student success with Maurice Jones, CEO of FirstGen Forward, formerly the Center for First-generation Student Success. Our partner FirstGen Forward launched a new brand and independent nonprofit status this summer to help grow their robust research agenda, national partnerships, and capacity-building expertise. In partnership with NASPA and the Suder Foundation, FirstGen Forward has become a trusted national nonprofit that supports hundreds of colleges across the US with up-to-date research, coaching, and programming. Learn more about their vision at https://firstgen.naspa.org/. 

Program Officer Robyn Ellis presented a primer on foundations to local nonprofit leaders in the 2024 Executive Preparation Institute (EPI) cohort. As a part of the Center for Nonprofit Advancement's programming to support nonprofit leadership, the EPI group meets monthly for seven months to engage with faculty, guest speakers, and peers to help take their leadership to the next level. With the common desire to step into an executive leadership role in the next three to five years, EPI cohort leaders come together to: learn more about board governance, organizational budgeting and finance, develop external partnerships, engage with coaches, and take a personal leadership assessment. 

Since 2019, Crimsonbridge has partnered with Leadership Montgomery (LM) to connect emerging nonprofit leaders of diverse backgrounds to its popular Emerging Leaders program. Emerging Leaders is a nine-month, dynamic program designed for professionals looking to develop and grow their leadership capabilities, enhance their knowledge of Montgomery County, and build their network. Operations & Grants Manager Danielle Verbiest had the pleasure of connecting with nonprofit professionals supported through the LeaderBridge program at LM’s Emerging Leaders closing session. LeaderBridge is a leadership initiative of the Crimsonbridge Foundation to meet the leadership development interests of leaders of color and of diverse backgrounds to foster a more connected and collaborative leadership network. We are excited to see the LeaderBridge Network grow with the addition of such talented emerging leaders in our local nonprofit community!

As President of the DC Bar Foundation Board, Crimsonbridge Foundation President & CEO Danielle M. Reyes hosted the annual President's Reception, an event that recognizes the support of individual donors who are members of the Foundation's 77 Society members. Held in space generously provided by the DC offices of WilmerHale, the event also provides those donors with an update on the Foundation's activities and the chance to hear directly from a community grantee presenter. DC Bar Foundation is the largest funder of civil legal aid in the District and a steadfast community partner, committed to protecting the basic rights of all people. Its support makes it possible for DC residents with low incomes to gain access to justice to protect and improve their lives, regardless of what they can afford. Danielle has been engaged with the DC Bar Foundation Board since 2002 and has served on its board since 2019.

President and CEO Danielle M. Reyes attended Running Start’s 18th Annual Young Women to Watch Awards event at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Running Start, a nonpartisan nonprofit, prepares young women across the United States to run for public office. A highlight of the event is the presentations of young women running to be the organization's next Ambassador. Danielle was joined at the event by her Running Start mentee, a student at Howard University currently interning at the White House. She also had a surprise encounter, reconnecting with Mrs. Linda Byrd Johnson Robb, who served as board chair of Reading is Fundamental in 1999, while Danielle worked there in her first national nonprofit job. Running Start is a partner in Crimsonbridge Foundation’s Women and Girls Leadership and Civic Engagement program area.

Sarah Babins, Special Projects & Executive Assistant, attended the English Empowerment Center's A Taste of Literacy event, celebrating their work of welcoming over 1,500 English language learners from 90 countries who speak more than 50 languages in Northern Virginia. Their mission is to teach adults the basic skills of reading, writing, and speaking English to access employment and educational opportunities and more fully and equitably participate in the community. The English Empowerment Center, a partner of the Crimsonbridge Foundation's adult English language initiative, also celebrated their recent $1 million gift from MacKenzie Scott through Yield Giving's Open Call process.

Crimsonbridge President and CEO Danielle M. Reyes has loved being outdoors, spending time in the woods, and learning about nature since she was a child. As the only brown girl in her outdoor adventure summer programs, it never occurred to her that there might be a career path for her related to the environment. This Women’s History Month, Danielle had the opportunity to meet a woman who forged a path at a special event hosted by Rock Creek Conservancy. In 1981 the National Park Service named Georgia Ellard assistant superintendent of Rock Creek Park, the country’s first and largest natural urban park. She became acting superintendent in early 1983 and then superintendent later that year. This appointment made her the first woman superintendent of Rock Creek Park and its first African American woman superintendent. At the event, Danielle sat with Mrs. Ellard, now in her 90s, who wanted to hear about programs that were currently engaging young people of color in environment and conservation programming in DC, as well as introducing them to possible career paths. For Danielle, hearing Mrs. Ellard’s continued passion for engaging young people of all backgrounds in the environment was both inspiring and a marching order. To learn more about the influential life of Georgia Ellard see this article on the NPS website. Rock Creek Conservancy is one of Crimsonbridge’s Environmental Sustainability partners.

The Talent for Tomorrow (T4T) Alliance is a four-year old collaboration of local and national nonprofits that serve high school, college, and adult learners in the DMV. Crimsonbridge Program Officer, Robyn Ellis attended their launch event in February, a reflection on the importance of community connectedness for college and career success and was inspired by how the Alliance organizations - two C3 partners, New Futures and Spark the Journey, and Genesys Works, Year Up, and Per Scholas - are co-developing programming and sharing space together in Northeast DC. This collective of complimentary nonprofits shared powerful impact stories and how their leaders have co-built processes that plug into available services and bridge existing gaps in support. Supported by Capital One, the T4T Alliance has nearly doubled recruitment numbers for each of their organizations and hopes to sustain this ecosystem powering the region's college and career capacity.

At the 2024 FADICA Catholic Philanthropy Network Symposium in New Orleans, Gabriela Smith, Founder & Executive Chair of the Crimsonbridge Foundation, participated in a panel discussion on “The Role of Community-Building in Catholic School Success.” Gabriela presented the Bridges for Schools Program Guide, a resource for Catholic schools to welcome, enroll, engage, and retain Latino students and families. Crimsonbridge CEO Danielle M. Reyes was also in attendance. Together, Gabriela and Danielle had the opportunity to connect with, share, and learn from other FADICA members also engaged in Catholic education.

Program Officer Robyn Ellis attended the DREAM 2024 conference hosted by partner Achieving the Dream this February in Orlando. A record number of attendees came together from community colleges across the country to share innovations and fellowship with practitioners focused on student success and whole college transformation. In addition to powerful plenary conversations, Achieving the Dream's President, Dr. Karen Stout highlighted learnings from their Community Vibrancy pilot with 16 community colleges, which is supported by Crimsonbridge. With her Grantmakers for Education Postsecondary Impact Group co-chairs, Robyn convened a diverse group of postsecondary funders and met with foundation colleagues at DREAM to brainstorm how we can add visibility to projects on basic needs support for college students. A special thank you to partners Generation Hope and the Community College Research Center for providing sessions and exhibit hall presentations to all of the community college leaders at the conference!

Philanthropy DMV (PDMV), formerly Washington Region Area Grantmakers started 2024 by hosting its annual kickoff meeting. With a leadership transition occurring, the event was an opportunity to vote in new board members, discuss and suggest programming topics of interest, and for philanthropic colleagues from across the region to connect. As a returning institutional member, Crimsonbridge’s President & CEO Danielle M. Reyes, Program Officer Robyn Ellis, and Special Projects & Executive Assistant Sarah Babins attended the event, eager to connect with other grantmakers interested in nonprofit leadership development and college success work. Lastly, special congratulations to Executive Director of HumanitiesDC and active #LeaderBridgeDC alum, Rebecca Lemos Otero who was voted as a new PDMV Board Member.

A unique aspect of our local region is our proximity to the federal government and opportunities to attend briefings, meetings, and other convenings in person. Crimsonbridge President and CEO Danielle M. Reyes was pleased to attend the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics public meeting of the President's Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics (Commission). The public meeting provided a platform for the leadership of several U.S. Departments to share policy developments, new initiatives, and future goals with Commissioners. These advisory commissioners seek to better connect and promote engagement and opportunities for Hispanics throughout the US. Danielle had the opportunity to connect with many of the diverse community members in attendance who work throughout the country to promote inclusion.

President & CEO Danielle M. Reyes was invited to be a guest presenter to the current Leadership Montgomery’s Emerging Leaders class. Her presentation, “Perspectives on Leadership and Philanthropy” offered ways emerging leaders could be both visionary and visible. Danielle offered tips and strategies for professional branding and network building and how these support building partnerships across sectors including philanthropy. The themes complimented and were part of a full day of training centered on the nonprofit sector. Emerging Leaders is a nine-month, dynamic professional development program that provides mid-level professionals between 25-35 years of age with the skills and connections necessary for success. LeaderBridge has supported the participation of nonprofit leaders in the Emerging Leaders program since 2019.

Crimsonbridge Foundation team members Danielle Reyes and Danielle Verbiest recently attended community partner Carlos Rosario’s Community Culinary Event held at their Sonia Gutierrez Campus’ Emilia Rivera Bistro. Students from the Culinary Arts Training Program prepared a delicious 10-course Taste of Asia meal, demonstrating their culinary and English language skills. Reyes, a former ESL teacher, and Verbiest, an English language learner and former Executive Director of a local adult English literacy organization, know firsthand that English language proficiency is a tool for success and enjoyed seeing the students in action. We congratulate the students and staff on their accomplishments and wish them great success as they go on to enrich the greater DC hospitality industry. Carlos Rosario is a partner in Crimsonbridge Foundation’s adult English language initiatives.

Every spring and fall, Girls on the Run of Montgomery County (GOTR MoCo) offers a 10-week program that culminates in a 5K for all the girls who participated in the program. Each girl is accompanied by a buddy – parents, family members, teachers, school staff, coaches, and community volunteers run or walk alongside the girls as they reach their goal of completing a 5K. The 5K is a celebration of achievement for thousands of girls living in Montgomery County. Senior Program Officer Caitlin Mayo serves on both the GOTR MoCo Advisory Council and the 5K Committee, and this year she volunteered as the Post-Race Refreshments Captain. As a former staff member of GOTR MoCo, Caitlin looks forward to the 5K each season as an opportunity to reconnect with a mission that she is passionate about – empowering girls to achieve their full potential!

Crimsonbridge’s Gabriela Smith, Danielle M. Reyes, and Caitlin Mayo attended a Catholic Schools Revitalization Convening, hosted by Leadership Roundtable in partnership with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The convening engaged bishops, Catholic education advocates and leaders, and education funders in vibrant discussions on the future of Catholic education, featuring innovative and successful models that addressed sustainability and enrollment. Crimsonbridge team members shared the importance of Spanish language communications capacity building and welcoming strategies that are successfully increasing Hispanic enrollment and engagement. Another highlight of the trip was reconnecting with Bishop Mario Dorsonville of Houma-Thibodaux, who worked closely with the foundation in his former role as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington.

The Washington Area Women's Foundation (WAWF) hosted an #AskHer discussion to discuss their new groundbreaking report titled "Thrive As They Lead: Advancing the Infrastructure to Support Black Women Leaders in the D.C. Metro Area Nonprofit Sector. As an organization that is advancing economic security for women and girls in the Greater Washington region, WAWF convened a dynamic group of Black women leaders who addressed the broad under-resourcing of leaders in this region as well as investment opportunities to better support leaders. The panelists raised specific strategies to promote executive leader retention, board support, wellness and healing, and fair compensation. The leaders highlighted in this conversation were: Tamara Wilds Lawson, President & CEO of WAWF; Indira Henard, Executive Director of the DC Rape Crisis Center; Tonia Wellons, President & CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation; and Koube Ngaaje, President & CEO of District Alliance for Safe Housing. Crimsonbridge staff Caitlin Mayo and Robyn Attebury Ellis tuned in, attentive to the call for philanthropy to listen to and support an ecosystem of support for Black women leaders so that more DMV nonprofit leaders can thrive. 

Partner IGNITE hosted a briefing on the release of new data on the political participation of Gen Z. Results featured in this national research came from a cross-section of 1,298 respondents from 49 states and DC. Program Officer Robyn Attebury Ellis tuned in to learn about the research, which highlighted changing demographics from previous years. Gen Z is now the most racially diverse generation in US history, more LGBTQIA (36% of survey respondents), and increasingly Independent in their political affiliations. Additionally, Gen Z Americans are calling for change in issue areas such as: mass shootings, healthcare, mental health, education, racial inequality, abortion, and climate change. Many young people are turning out to vote – with IGNITE alums noting a growing momentum for Gen Z college students. IGNITE CEO Sara Guillermo said, "Gen Z-ers are activated civically in a whole new way,” and shared the 8+ ways that Gen Z women are demonstrating their political engagement in 2024, including volunteering for campaigns, encouraging people to vote, running for office, attending community meetings, using social media to bring attention to an issue, and discussing public affairs with friends and family. 

The LeaderBridge team presented a 75-minute session titled "Actionable Ways to Support Nonprofit Leaders of Color" to a packed room of lean foundation peers attending the national Exponent Philanthropy Annual 2023 Conference in Baltimore. President and CEO, Danielle M. Reyes, Senior Program Officer Caitlin Mayo, and Program Officer Robyn Attebury Ellis had the opportunity to design and lead a session detailing short- and long-term strategies for funders interested in strategically supporting the leadership development goals of nonprofit leaders of color. Informed by feedback LeaderBridge alumni have shared with our team over the past 8 years, the LeaderBridge initiative has grown to support more than 170 nonprofit leaders in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, from over 130 locally serving nonprofits, and has partnered with twelve leadership development program providers to build welcoming and inclusive outreach and communications practices. 

At the 2023 EdFunders Annual Conference in Atlanta, President and CEO Danielle M. Reyes opened two funder snapshot sessions focused on first-generation college student research presented by Dr. Sarah Whitley of NASPA's Center for First-Gen Student Success. Program Officer Robyn Attebury Ellis also led a conversation with Dr. Whitley and Jonathan T. Reid of the ECMC Foundation, sharing insights and specific ways foundation leaders are using this research to inform grantmaking and engagement with institutions of higher education and community-based organizations. Throughout the conference, connecting with foundation members and nonprofit leaders and attending sessions focused on justice and thriving filled our cups. For Robyn, a highlight was the annual dinner hosted by the Postsecondary Access and Attainment (or PSA2) Impact Group where she was named an incoming co-chair of the steering committee, along with Jenny Achilles of the Trellis Foundation and Jonathan T. Reid of the ECMC Foundation. 

“It was a joy!” commented Senior Program Officer Caitlin Furey Mayo on joining Bridges for Schools partner St. Martin of Tours Catholic School for a mass celebrated by Cardinal Gregory in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. School staff planned a beautiful, bilingual mass that honored the many cultures represented in the school’s Hispanic community. In honor of the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, Cardinal Gregory spoke in his homily about the special devotions of Latino Catholics to Our Lady. He praised the diversity of St. Martin of Tours, saying, "our youthful Hispanic community lives in unity, in peace, and in love." After mass, Caitlin caught up with partners from the Archdiocese of Washington's Catholic Schools Office and Office of Cultural Diversity who were also in attendance for this celebratory occasion.

Special Projects & Executive Assistant Sarah Babins and President & CEO Danielle M. Reyes attended a virtual update from Rock Creek Conservancy on its Forest Resilience Framework. Executive Director Jeanne Braha and the RCC team presented a scorecard on the park’s natural resources and a park-wide framework for forest restoration and management that will offer a roadmap for equitable adaptive management of the forests. This plan will build on several existing elements to engage park visitors and community members in people-powered restoration, i.e., responsible recreation and active stewardship of Rock Creek’s forests. Rock Creek Conservancy is one of Crimsonbridge’s Environmental Sustainability community partners. 

Crimsonbridge President and CEO Danielle M. Reyes and volunteer Ava Neretic volunteered as representatives of Rock Creek Conservancy at a recent Community Care Day event in the Crestwood neighborhood of Washington, DC. The outdoor event created an accessible opportunity for nonprofits, DC agencies, and the Ward 4 council member's office, to share information about programs and services with community members steps from their homes. Loaded with handouts and QR codes, Danielle and Ava shared updates on the Conservancy’s work, its popular Summer in the Park series, the Carter Barron Alliance, and year-round volunteer opportunities. Rock Creek Conservancy is a 2023 community partner in Crimsonbridge’s Environmental Sustainability program.

Nature Forward hosted a Conservation & Environmental Advocacy 101 training. Over the course of the afternoon, President & CEO Danielle M. Reyes, Philanthropy Fellow Paige Collazo, and Special Projects Assistant Sarah Babins participated in this interactive, online event to become more informed advocates for Environmental Sustainability. Staff heard from local DMV-area organizations and private citizens who are working towards solutions to environmental issues, and learned how coalition building can be challenging but necessary to move solutions forward and achieve positive change. As a speaker shared during the training, “Protecting the environment is not a marathon. It’s a relay race. It’s important to pass on your knowledge and skills to others so that we can carry the work together, forward.” Nature Forward is one of Crimsonbridge’s Environmental Sustainability community partners.