Many Hands members--past, present, and prospective--are warmly invited to join us on Zoom on Tuesday, September 28 to kick off the 2022 grant cycle. The kickoff is a great opportunity to celebrate our collective impact and learn about plans for the year ahead and how to get involved.

Two recent grantees will headline the program: Paty Funegra, founder and CEO of 2021 Partner Grantee La Cocina VA, and Brett Meyers, founder and executive director of 2020 Impact Grantee Nourish Now. They will speak about their work addressing food and economic insecurity and the impact of Many Hands funding. There will also be time for audience Q&A.

When: Tuesday, September 28, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Where: Zoom webinar

Who: Current/former members and anyone interested in learning about membership

If you have questions about the kickoff or about becoming a member, please email Lynne Battle at membership@manyhandsdc.org.

RSVP T0day! Get to Know Many Hands at a Fall Meet & Greet

Following the kickoff, we are offering new and prospective members two informal opportunities to get to know Many Hands. Bring your questions and chat with current Board members at one of our Meet & Greets. The first will be held on Zoom on Wednesday, October 6 at 11:00 am. The second will be an outdoor gathering (with a covered option in case of rain) in Cleveland Park, DC on Wednesday, October 13 at 5:00 pm. We'd love to meet you if you're thinking about joining Many Hands or if you joined last year and would like to connect with more members. Click here for more information and to RSVP.

Many Hands supports locally based nonprofits serving women, children, and families in socioeconomic need in the District of Columbia, Montgomery County (MD), Prince George's County (MD), Arlington County (VA), Fairfax County (VA), Alexandria City (VA), Fairfax City (VA), and Falls Church City (VA).

We make four grants each year, one each in economic empowerment, education, health, and housing. One grantee receives the $100,000 Impact Grant; each of the others receives a Partner Grant, the value of which is determined by the year's fundraising. 2021 Partner Grantees each received $72,500.

We will accept applications for grants to be awarded in May 2022 from Friday, October 1 through Friday, November 5. All applications must be submitted through our online portal.

Click here for more information about our eligibility criteria, application, and grant process and to register for our applicant webinar on Tuesday, October 19 at 10:00 am.

In 2020-21, Many Hands offered members a dozen events to enhance their understanding of local issues and philanthropy, began working with a consultant to deepen our commitment to racial equity, created a quasi endowment to invest in future sustainability--and provided a record total of $317,500 in funding to four outstanding nonprofits. Click here to download the 2021 Impact Report and learn more!

RSVP Today! Members-Only Racial Equity Learning Series

We invite all members to take part in a special three-part learning series on racism and racial equity led by Conditioning Leaders consultants Brianna Boggs and Cheryl Harris.

"Head, Heart, and Hands" is foundational to our efforts to build a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable organization and to support racial equity through our grantmaking. The design of the series is rooted in the belief that meaningful conversations about racial equity begin with an understanding of key terms and definitions, an exploration of the deeply entrenched systems of oppression that have enabled racial inequities to persist for generations, and personal reflections about our own racial identities and our roles in perpetuating or undoing those systems of oppression.

We hope that after participating in these interactive sessions, members will feel encouraged and empowered to learn more about racism and to apply their learning in their grantmaking and their daily lives. We also hope this shared experience will build stronger connections among fellow members.

The racial equity learning series is limited to Many Hands members, including members from the previous grant cycle, to promote engagement with difficult issues in a supportive space.

When: October 28, November 4, and December 2 (all Thursdays), 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Where: Zoom

Who: Many Hands members from the 2022 and 2021 grant cycles

Please email Mary Kwak at president@manyhandsdc.org with any questions.

Many Hands is committed to becoming a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable organization in which all members feel a sense of belonging and empowerment. To this end, we have engaged Conditioning Leaders to conduct an assessment of Many Hands' organizational culture (values, beliefs, policies, and practices), with a focus on belonging, equity, inclusion, and diversity (BEID).

We respectfully (and urgently!) ask that all members complete the survey that serves as the first step in this process. Your feedback is vital for identifying areas where Many Hands is doing well and where we need to improve. Conditioning Leaders will compile and share the results in a report later this fall that will help inform future BEID work.

We will email a link to the survey to everyone who was a member in 2020-21 on Thursday, September 23. The survey will remain open until Friday, October 8. This survey is completely anonymous. Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your perspective and support this important project.

Volunteers Needed! Join the Racial Equity Working Group

The Racial Equity Working Group is looking for members to help develop guidance and resources to support effective dialogue about racial equity within Focus Area Committees (FACs). Experience on a FAC or with nonprofits is preferred. The group will meet four times from early October to January, with some work to be completed between meetings. For more information, please email Dianne Rudo at rewg@manyhandsdc.org by Monday, September 27.

Make time this weekend for a good book! Member Shelley Stanfield recommends The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather C. McGhee, which recounts the author's three-year journey across the country documenting the ways in which racism has led many white people to oppose policies that are in their economic self-interest. Despite this sobering evidence, the book ends on a note of hope. “We have not allowed our diversity to be our superpower, and the result is that the United States is not more than the sum of its its disparate parts,” McGhee writes. “But it could be.” Click here to learn more.

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.