Senior Program Officer Robyn Ellis spoke on a panel about sustainable funding models for mental health and wellness programs in higher education at the SHEEO-JED 2025 Convening titled “Building Resilience and Success”. Attended by college leadership from five states, the panel explored how different funders evaluate effectiveness, think about mental health program design and how it’s changed in the last five years, and strategies making impact now. With panelists from Crimsonbridge Foundation, Lumina Foundation, and Commonwealth Fund, funder approaches to this area featured examples of system-level and state-wide innovations as well as direct-service nonprofit programs that operate wellness programs with an opt-out approach so all students benefit. This convening was part of a two-year long leadership development experience and technical assistance pilot where participants collaborate on permanent solutions to persisting mental health concerns across campuses.

(Photo Source: JED Foundation)

One of the core tenets of how Crimsonbridge does its work is to find opportunities to participate, engage, listen, and learn with the communities we support. In recognition of the Foundation’s 10th anniversary, Crimsonbridge sponsored the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) annual gala and invited six fellow nonprofit leaders and community partners to join Crimsonbridge President & CEO Danielle M. Reyes and Director of Catholic Initiatives Caitlin Mayo for an evening of networking. LAYC was one of the Foundation’s first community partners through the Bridges Program, which focuses on building organizational capacity to reach and engage bilingual families in services and programs. Crimsonbridge’s guests for the event all represent local nonprofits that serve students and families in the Greater Washington region, and many of them have participated in the Foundation’s LeaderBridge program over the years. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect, hear about current challenges faced by many in the nonprofit sector, brainstorm solutions and responses, and build community.   

Montgomery College’s Achieving the Promise Academy celebrated graduates this May in a convening of students from all degree programs and their coaches that have supported them through their hardest-to-pass classes! Senior Program Officer Robyn Ellis met so many students and coaches and even connected with a coach who is also a LeaderBridge alum and nonprofit leader in the DMV. Achieving the Promise Academy staff member Andre Ferguson also delivered a moving speech about challenges that he overcame as a student and now program alum, with the support of his academic coaches. Coaches are both adjunct faculty and full-time faculty members at the college and recently received training and certifications on effective coaching techniques, especially through important milestones that force students to veer off their intended path to graduation.   

(Photo Source: Robyn Ellis)

In celebration of Earth Day 2025, Grants Manager Sarah Babins joined the EcoAction Arlington team at their EcoExtravaganza event in Falls Church. The celebration featured impact stories from local neighbors, students, government officials, and staff. In addition to learning about Tree Planting and energy efficiency programs, attendees were encouraged to take part in the collective community engagement in Arlington County. Because of the partnership between EcoAction, Arlington country government, volunteers, students, and community members, the local tree canopy has improved to 35.2% (up from 33% in 2018). 

Crimsonbridge Founder and Executive Chair Gabriela Smith and Director of Catholic Initiatives Caitlin Mayo joinedGeorgetown Visitation’s President Barbara Edmondson and a group of eight students for a shared meal and conversation. The students, all seniors graduating next month, spoke about highlights of their time at Visitation, what they are looking forward to as they graduate, and what gives them hope for the future. The students spoke eloquently about the many challenges faced by their generation and our world – increased polarization, climate change, violence and war, and a lack of unity. Despite these daunting problems, the students expressed profound hope for the future, and that they expect to be leaders in creating positive change. Gabriela, a former Visitation parent, and Caitlin, an alumna, left feeling inspired and hopeful about the potential of young people to see the world through a lens of compassion and working towards the common good. Gabriela will deliver the commencement address at Visitation in June. Visitation is a Bridges for Schools Award of Distinction partner.

Grantmakers for Education’s Postsecondary Funders Impact (also known as PSA2) Group hosted its first webinar of 2025 in April. This conversation presented insights from a cohort of institutions working to implement student success strategies and funding models at predominately Black community colleges. Senior Program Officer and Co-Chair of PSA2 Robyn Ellis introduced the discussion. Having previously led programming at University of the District of Columbia Community College, this topic was close to Robyn’s heart.  

(Photo Source: Grantmakers for Education)

Generation Hope hosted the HOPE Conference and its Night of Light gala in April! Crimsonbridge team member Robyn Ellis attended the celebration for student parent success, and was touched by the student testimonials shared from scholars in their DC, New Orleans, and Dallas programs as well as the stories of mentorship and finding community and supports and resources in Generation Hope’s team and programs. The evening even featured one of Robyn’s former students who earned college credits while in the 9th and 10th grade, went on to participate in Generation Hope’s program, and graduated from Trinity and is now a practicing nurse and researcher! The Generation Hope network of families is wide, and the event proved a great way to honor student parent success and share promising practices across the 15 institutions that the nonprofit advises.  

(Photo Source: Robyn Ellis)

For most foundations, grants managers are at the forefront of implementing proposal and report updates, improvements, and efficiencies. Supporting this community, the Public Welfare Foundation hosted a lunch & learn session for local foundations grants managers to share best practices. Topics included creating more user-friendly systems for stakeholders while balancing efficient internal processes. Grants Manager Sarah Babins made new connections with the Strada Foundation, Oak Hill Fund, Richard & Nancy Marriott Foundation, and other local peers.  

Partner RepresentWomen hosted their fourth annual Democracy Solutions Summit in March! Four Crimsonbridge team members joined in to learn more and noticed how important conversations like these are to crafting a future where women make up more than the current 30% of elected leaders in the country. Over three days, the summit featured women experts from across the political spectrum in local government policy, state-level strategies like ranked choice voting, state voting rights acts, and campaign funds for childcare, and national leadership to envision a democracy grounded in women’s voices. The third day of the series focused on building women’s power in Congress and featured 15 women working at the federal level to ensure that the voices and interests of women and girls are heard. The panels highlighted crucial gender equity topics such as election administration, childcare and paid leave policy, electoral reform, and bipartisanship. Conversations like these are an important part of crafting a future where women make up more than only 30% of elected leadership in the country. For a full debrief on the Summit, visit https://www.representwomen.org/democracy_solutions_summit

The Talent for Tomorrow Alliance hosted their second annual Multiplying Potential luncheon this winter, highlighting a panel of experts on youth development, workforce readiness, and education across the DC, Maryland, and northern Virginia area. The Alliance is a collaborative that combines the unique programming and staff capacity of Year Up, Per Scholas, New Futures, Spark the Journey, and Genesys Works into one customized program for students in the DMV. Formed five years ago, students are able to access a special blend of virtual and in-person learning that prepares students for their chosen career path, gives them relevant certifications and mentoring, and connects students to the job or internship they want. Senior program officer Robyn Ellis loved to see how this collaborative is partnering with institutions of higher education in the region, further simplifying the process of getting a degree or certificate or going back to school.

To learn more about the Talent for Tomorrow Alliance, visit https://www.talentfortomorrow.org/.

Grants managers play an essential role at foundations guiding the grantmaking process, compliance, and administration. In March, along with 1,300 peers seeking to connect, learn, and grow, Crimsonbridge Grants Manager Sarah Babins attended the 2025 PEAK Grantmaking Annual conference in New Orleans. For Sarah, highlights included sessions on AI in grantmaking, ideas for grant process simplification, strategies for impact learning and data, and centering equity in philanthropy. Sarah looks forward to engaging the Crimsonbridge team in this work and to remaining connected with the PEAK Grantmaking network.

DC hosted its 2nd annual Postsecondary Success Summit full of regional leaders in education. Senior Program Officer Robyn Ellis attended several sessions at the summit and spent time with this community of postsecondary practitioners working across the District and the area, even a couple of former students and school partners! The event helped make new connections and provided a space for sharing promising practices and for fellowship where the DMV has lacked one in recent years. Sessions featured innovative programming like the Talent for Tomorrow Alliance, DCPS’ expanded resources for preparing students for careers, a lunchtime exhibit hall space for networking, and a closing panel featuring student voices.  

(Photo Source: Robyn Ellis)

Members of Crimsonbridge Foundation’s staff and board, including Gabriela Smith, Danielle Reyes, Caitlin Mayo, Caitlin Banez, and Victoria Smith, attended FADICA Catholic Philanthropy Network’s Annual Symposium to build relationships and learn alongside other foundations and donors working on Catholic initiatives. This year’s symposium brought together FADICA members and partner organizations to discuss their work in environmental sustainability and justice, in honor of "Laudato Si'", Pope Francis’s papal encyclical on caring for the environment.

FADICA invited Danielle M. Reyes, Crimsonbridge President and CEO, to share the story of the Foundation’s Environmental Sustainability program, which partners with local organizations working to increase sustainability in the Greater Washington region and beyond. Director of Catholic Initiatives Caitlin Mayo spoke about the Foundation’s expanding partnerships with fellow FADICA members and dioceses across the country through Bridges for Schools. Crimsonbridge Founder and Executive Chair Gabriela Smith serves on the board of directors of FADICA.

At the conclusion of Catholic Schools Week 2025, Program Associate Caitlin Banez joined the parish and school community of St. Mary’s in Rockville, MD for their Multicultural Festival. An Archdiocese of Washington school, St. Mary’s welcomed families and community members for an evening of music, dance, art, and fellowship. Principal Debra Eisel spoke about the importance of celebrating the unique and diverse cultures that make up the St. Mary’s community. Students shared their talents on stage, which included singing, dancing, and poetry, along with featured activities such as arts and crafts. Many chose to wear traditional garments for the children’s parade by country. The vibrant event showcased the many talents and gifts of the school’s students and families and the impact of engaged school communities in Catholic education.

In celebration of Catholic Schools Week 2025, Director of Catholic Initiatives Caitlin Mayo and Program Associate Caitlin Banez joined staff from the Archdiocese of Washington's Catholic Schools Office at St. Jude Regional School's International Day event. Located in Rockville, St. Jude is a Bridges for Schools partner. St. Jude's annual International Day highlights the vibrant and diverse school community coming together to share cultural cuisines and showcase dances, music, and clothing from around the world. The celebration kicked off with a welcome from Principal Jeanne Donatelli, who has been at the school since 2000. In addition to learning about different cultures and trying cuisines from various booths hosted by parents and families, students from preschool through eighth grade participated in a performance where they sang, danced, and played instruments to traditional and modern dances from around the world. The event illustrated the power of family engagement and community-building in Catholic schools. 

"How are postsecondary-focused foundations collaborating?" Program Officer Robyn Ellis co-led a research project this year to answer this question. As a project of the Postsecondary Access and Attainment (PSA2) Impact Group at Grantmakers for Education, grantmakers responded to interview questions and a national survey of postsecondary education-focused foundation leaders to explore how funders are collaborating – from learning groups to collective action and pooled funds. The resulting resource is available to all education funders. This project was sponsored by Ascendium Education group and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and facilitated by Ankita Jhaveri of Re.Envision Consulting, with contributed expertise from leaders at the Raikes Foundation, Greater Texas Foundation, Lumina Foundation, ECMC Foundation, Stupski Foundation, Imaginable Futures, Trellis Foundation, Crimsonbridge Foundation, and more. Visit the full resource and learn more about who was involved here.  

In honor of Discover Catholic Schools Week, Senior Program Officer Caitlin Mayo and Program Associate Caitlin Banez joined St. Ambrose for their fall Open House. St. Ambrose, a Bridges for Schools partner located in the Diocese of Arlington, is the first Catholic dual language school in Virginia. The open house was an opportunity to meet the new principal, Dr. Aránzazu Ascunce; observe a lesson conducted entirely in Spanish; and learn from an informative panel of teachers and staff members about the academic and social benefits of dual language education. To learn more about this unique and welcoming school community, visit their new, fully bilingual website!

Crimsonbridge team members Caitlin Mayo and Robyn Ellis celebrated several local nonprofit organizations at partner Center for Nonprofit Advancement’s 45th annual awards breakfast. With a special emphasis on innovation in leadership this year, the Center selected EXCEL award winners and recognized their achievements in the areas of motivation, community building, ethical integrity, and strategic leadership. Several local organizations and Center nonprofit members received recognition for their long-time work in and advancement of the Greater Washington community, including Dr. Indira Henard of the DC Rape Crisis Center and Julie Fabsik-Swarts of Employee Assistance Professionals Association. Congratulations to Dawn Quattlebaum of Seabury Resources for Aging who won the 2024 EXCEL Award! Awardees receive funds for professional development programs for leaders and their teams.

The Crimsonbridge Foundation attended a partner event from Scholarship America who launched the nation’s first national emergency aid fund for single mother students, and highlighted how their scholarship funder members are reworking their scholarship programs to include more holistic supports for college students, especially in support of meeting basic needs. At the awards ceremony this month, fellow funder ECMC Foundation’s program officer Amber Angel also led a fireside chat to discuss the importance of partnership and the need for emergency aid for student parents and single mothers.

The Crimsonbridge Foundation team attended LeaderBridge partner Spur Local for their Community Changemakers event - a wonderful opportunity to network, connect, and learn even more about the DMV regional nonprofit landscape. CEO Danielle M. Reyes, Senior Program Officer Caitlin Mayo, Program Officer Robyn Attebury Ellis, and Special Projects Assistant Sarah Babins enjoyed the opportunity to speak with over 20 LeaderBridge alums and with leaders from Crimsonbridge partners including Carlos Rosario Public Charter School, City Blossoms, Georgetown University's Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership, Girls on the Run Montgomery County, Latino Student Fund, and Spur Local!

Washington Jesuit Academy is a unique Catholic school community for boys in 4th through 8th grade, located in Washington, DC. A Bridges for Schools partner, WJA offers a tuition-free model where students are at school 11 hours a day, 11 months a year. When they graduate from 8th grade, students are encouraged to return to WJA for support throughout high school and during the college preparation process. Senior Program Officer Caitlin Mayo enjoyed hearing from a student panel and a teacher who is also an alumnus. The smaller size of the school allows students to form relationships across grade levels, as evident from the interactions between the students on the panel. WJA staff also emphasized family engagement and open communication as pillars to the school’s success.

In October, Grantmakers for Education’s Postsecondary Access and Attainment (PSA2) impact group, of which Program Officer Robyn Ellis is a co-chair, convened fifty postsecondary funders from across the nation for an annual convening and dialogue. In its tenth year, this annual talk featured Dr. Rashne Jehangir, Director of the First Gen Institute and faculty at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Dr. Jehangir shone a light on higher education’s potential for supporting today’s 56% first-generation college students as we explored a national snapshot of who are first-generation college students today. In its tenth year, this annual talk introduced new and established postsecondary funders to research and opportunities to inform foundation strategies and the convening allowed exploration of aligning strategies to improve how institutions’ serve and graduate first-gen students.   

(Photo credit: Jeannette Appold Photography)

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.