We are delighted to report that the 2022 grant fund exceeds $225,000, and year-end checks continue to arrive. Two dozen new members have joined Many Hands so far this cycle, and nearly 200 women have renewed their membership.

It's not too late to join Many Hands and support outstanding local nonprofits serving women, children, and families in socioeconomic need! We continue to raise funds and welcome new and returning members right up until the annual meeting in May, which introduces the year's four grantees. Following the annual meeting, based on the vote of the membership, one grantee will receive the 2022 $100,000 Impact Grant, and three will receive Partner Grants of more than $40,000 each.

For more information about membership, please visit our website or email Lynne Battle and Wendy Gray at [email protected].

Join us virtually on Sunday, January 9, at 3:00 pm for Coffee & Conversation about the ABCs of FACs (Focus Area Committees). This is the perfect opportunity for members to learn more about the FAC process before signing up for a committee. In addition to an overview of the application review process, the event will include an opportunity to meet the chairs of this year's FACs in small groups. Bring your coffee and your questions! To register for the virtual coffee, click here.

If you made your membership gift by December 31, look out for an email on January 10 with a link to sign up for a 2022 Focus Area Committee. The signup form will remain open for 48 hours, beginning at noon on Monday, January 10 and concluding at noon on Wednesday, January 12. You may complete the form at any point during this window by ranking your committee preferences and indicating any committees on which you cannot serve. No priority will be given to early signups. All members will be informed of their committee assignments by email on Friday, January 14.

For more information about plans for this year's committees, including schedules and policies for in-person meetings, click here. Unfortunately, due to the current outbreak of COVID cases, we have made the difficult decision to begin the in-person committees via Zoom and will transition to in-person meetings when safety permits.

Please contact Kathryn Zecca and Charis Keitelman at [email protected] with any questions about the FAC process.

Please contact Margaret Vassilikos at [email protected] if you would like to confirm that we have received your membership gift. Gifts made by check or donor advised fund toward the end of the year are sometimes delayed in transit, and we want to ensure that all members who gave before December 31 receive the FAC signup link.

All members are warmly invited to participate in an upcoming listening session with Board members Wendy Gray and Anna Pfeiffer. These informal small group conversations are intended to gather feedback to inform Many Hands' strategic planning. Two dates are currently scheduled--Wednesday, January 12 at 10:00 am and Thursday, January 13 at 7:30 pm--and both sessions will take place on Zoom. To register for a listening session, click here. Please contact Wendy Gray and Anna Pfeiffer at [email protected] with any questions.

This month we are thrilled to get to know Many Hands member Ritta McLaughlin. Ritta is the Board President of Women in Public Finance and the Investor Education Community Outreach Director at the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. The FINRA Foundation empowers underserved Americans with the knowledge, skills, and tools to make sound financial decisions throughout life.

Why did you join Many Hands? A dear colleague/mentor who deeply believes in the difference women coming together can make in communities introduced me to Many Hands. As a native Washingtonian, I am delighted that Many Hands provides an opportunity to directly support and serve organizations committed to having all people in our region share in the possibilities that it has to offer.

What focus area attracts you most? The adage "Many hands make light work" not only embraces the spirit of being of service to our communities, but also recognizes that with collective contributions and teamwork, achievement is possible. The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened awareness of systemic racial and gender disparities and laid bare resource gaps that uniquely impact underserved communities. The Economic Empowerment Committee's focus on post-secondary education, financial capability building, and entrepreneurship promotes women, children, and families having dominion over their lives. Supporting women to achieve their economic goals is essential to have thriving communities and families. Many Hands' commitment to supporting nonprofits engaged in making a difference in the lives of women and fostering economic agency speaks to my personal commitment to have an impact and acknowledge the dignity of all people.

How do you stay inspired? Before there was the 4G network, my grandmother would say, "There are 4 Gs to ground yourself in this life, if you are committed to making a difference in this world: God, Grace, Gratitude, and Generosity." Then she would ask, "So, where are you standing?" Her words and that question are at the source of my commitment to contributing to others in ways that have a tangible positive impact. It is not only the memory of her words and life that inspire me: Now I ask myself the question, "Who are we, at this moment in time, if we chose not to use our gifts and talents to benefit the communities where we live and work?" Every time I ask that question I not only remember the 4Gs, but I am also reminded of what is possible.

January is National Mentoring Month--the perfect time to catch up with 2021 Education Partner Grantee Community Youth Advance (CYA). Established in 2018 through the merger of Community Tutoring, Inc. and Mentoring to Manhood, CYA delivers year-round academic enrichment, mentoring, and college and career readiness activities to more than 600 students in grades K-12 in Prince George's County, MD and Washington, DC. Board member Charis Keitelman sat down with CYA's new Executive Director, Jhae Thompson, to learn more about CYA's signature mentoring programs, the ongoing impact of the pandemic on their students, how CYA is using Many Hands funding, and more.

Jhae explained how CYA's mentoring programs, Mentoring to Manhood and Lily Sisterhood Girls Mentoring, work together with tutoring and academic enrichment to keep students engaged and motivated, promote civic engagement, and provide college, career, and life skills that will enable students to "identify ways they can take action and make a difference in their community." She also talked about the challenges facing CYA's families midway through the third year of schooling affected by the pandemic, including "unfinished learning" and the toll COVID-19 has had on mental health and social emotional and developmental growth. CYA is infusing mental health throughout their programming, but there is no substitute, she pointed out, for the learning experiences that have been lost. To read the full interview with Jhae, click here.

Many Hands is a women's grantmaking organization committed to making a lasting impact on the lives of Washington, DC area women, children, and families in socioeconomic need and to helping its members become well-informed donors. Many Hands is a 501(c)(3) organization. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. EIN: 51-0486987. Mailing address: Many Hands Inc., PO Box 15048, Chevy Chase, MD 20825.