Tag: Patricia Mathews

Friday Roundup

Friday roundup – June 6 through June 10, 2016

THIS WEEK IN THE WRAG COMMUNITY 
Today is Deloitte Impact Day – a nationwide day of service in celebration of Deloitte’s year-round commitment to local communities. See how they are making an #ImpactThatMatters on this #ImpactDay over on Twitter.

THIS WEEK IN VIRGINIA
– The Northern Virginia Health Foundation and the Virginia Commonwealth University Center on Society and Health released a new report examining the disparities in life expectancy among Northern Virginia’s richest and poorest residents. While the area often tops rankings for happiness, health, etc, many residents are falling behind based on factors like education, income, and race. (WaPo, 6/7)

THIS WEEK IN HOUSING
– In their Matters@Hand thought leadership series sponsored by Enterprise Community Partners, HAND put a spotlight on the Roadmap for the Region’s Future Economy and efforts toward regional collaboration on affordable housing. (Helping Hands Blog, 6/6)

THIS WEEK IN THE WORKFORCE
– With more than 90 percent of transgender people experiencing some form of harassment in the workplace, the D.C. Office of Human Rights and the National LGBTQ Task Force created a first-of-its-kind guide for employers for making work environments more accommodating. (WCP, 6/6)

– On Consumer Health Foundation‘s blog, former board member Liz Ben-Ishai interviewed Ron Harris of the the Twin Cities-based group Neighborhoods Organizing for Change, and discussed the intersections of race and the growing fair job scheduling movement. (CHF, 6/9)

– The Brookings Institution looked at some of the challenges and opportunities ahead for the economic security and employment prospects of young people. (Brookings, 6/7)

THIS WEEK IN POVERTY/CHILDREN
– Opinion: Two experts discussed how the constant stress placed on children in poverty can take a toll on their mental and physical health, creating the need for better collaboration between schools and health providers. (WaPo, 6/6)

– The Families That Can’t Afford Summer (NYT, 6/4)

– The big problem with one of the most popular assumptions about the poor (WaPo, 6/8)

JOBS

Senior Manager, Programs | Grantmakers for Effective Organizations
Program Officer | Washington Area Women’s Foundation
Associate | Innovation Network, Inc.
Research Assistant | Innovation Network, Inc.
Grants Manager | The Norman & Ruth Rales Foundation
Community Impact Director | Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing
Senior Communication Consultant | Kaiser Permanente
Part Time Bookkeeper/Accountant | ACT for Alexandria
Associate Director | Arabella Advisors
Associate Director (Conservation Focus) | Arabella Advisors
Director, Corporate Philanthropy | Council on Foundations
D.C. PrEP for Women Project Coordinator | Washington AIDS Partnership

Visit WRAG’s Job Board for the latest job openings in the region’s social sector.

WRAG’S COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Click the image below to access WRAG’S Community Calendar. To have your event included, please send basic information including event title, date/time, location, a brief description of the event, and a link for further details to: myers@washingtongrantmakers.org.

 

Here’s a guide to kick off your summer reading.

– Ciara

WRAG's "In the News"

New report examines Northern Virginia’s disparities in life expectancies

VIRGINIA/HEALTH
A new report from the Northern Virginia Health Foundation and the Virginia Commonwealth University Center on Society and Health looks at the disparities in life expectancy among Northern Virginia’s richest and poorest residents. While the area often tops rankings for happiness, health, etc, many residents are falling behind based on factors like education, income, and race. (WaPo, 6/7)

In Fairfax County alone, life expectancy ranges by as much as 10 years between western Lorton and eastern Lorton census tracts separated by four miles. In western Lorton, where the median household income is $133,413 and 12 percent of the population is black, the life expectancy is 89. In eastern Lorton, where the median income is $77,901 and 37 percent of residents are black, life expectancy drops to 79, according to the report.

[…]

“It’s about city planning, zoning and transportation issues,” said Patricia Mathews, the president of the health foundation.

Read the full report, A Study in Contrasts: Why Life Expectancy Varies in Northern Virginia.

HOUSING | In their Matters@Hand thought leadership series sponsored by Enterprise Community Partners, HAND shines a spotlight on the Roadmap for the Region’s Future Economy and efforts toward regional collaboration on affordable housing. (Helping Hands Blog, 6/6)

EDUCATION
– The U.S. Education Department has released the latest data from the Civil Rights Data Collection survey covering the 2013-2014 school year for more than 95,000 public schools. Check here for a quick glance at the numbers. (NPR, 6/7)

Related:  This data reveals deep racial inequities in the education system, including in how discipline is administered (for instance, that black preschoolers are 3.6 times more likely to be suspended than white preschoolers). Education funders are invited to join us for the next session in our Public Education Speaker Series on July 7, which will focus specifically on racial and gender disparities in school discipline and strategies for addressing them. More information can be found here.

– Opinion: Two experts discuss how constant stress placed on children in poverty can take a toll on their mental and physical health, creating a need for better collaboration between schools and health providers. (WaPo, 6/6)

–  Homework Inequality: The Value of Having a Parent Around After School (Atlantic, 6/6)

WORKFORCE/LGBT | With more than 90 percent of transgender people experiencing some form of harassment in the workplace, the D.C. Office of Human Rights and the National LGBTQ Task Force have created a first-of-its-kind guide for employers for making work environments more accommodating. (WCP, 6/6)

SOCIAL PROFITS | The Center for Nonprofit Advancement is accepting nominations for the Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman 2016 EXCEL Award until Friday, July 15, at 5:00 pm. The award recognizes outstanding leadership among Washington-area social profit organization chief executives.

Quiz time! How much do  you know about Africa?

– Ciara

WRAG's "In the News"

The ups and downs of D.C. arts funding

ARTS/PHILANTHROPY
A new study examines data from arts and cultural social profit organizations in several cities, including the District. According to the study, individual giving to the arts in D.C. is up, as government and foundation funding to the arts is down (DCist, 10/28):

D.C. was one of three cities, along with Boston and Cleveland, that actually saw an increase in individual giving during the timespan, boasting a 42 percent change in revenue. Along with Boston, the District is the only area that coupled that bump with an increase in Board giving.

A less positive bucking of the trend was the change in foundation funding. While most cities saw a boost, D.C. dealt with the second-largest decline—a nearly 48 percent decrease.


COMMUNITY | Patricia N. Mathews, WRAG board chair and president and CEO of the Northern Virginia Health Foundation, was recently honored by NOVA ScriptsCentral with the Inspire Award, presented to an individual or organization that helps those in the community make a difference in the lives of those impacted by health inequality. Congratulations!

 

 

EDUCATION/EQUALITY | Most advocates for education reform likely agree that greater education access can lessen inequality in the U.S. Historically, however, increased educational opportunities have been slow to bring about true equality. (Atlantic, 10/29)

HOUSING | 38-Percent of DC One-Bedrooms Rent for Above $2,000 (Urban Turf, 10/28)

HEALTH 
– New data from the American Cancer Society show a sharp rise in the incidence of breast cancer among African American women. Researchers remain concerned about persistent disparities in health and access to quality care for African American women as survival rates for white women have improved over the last few years. (NYT, 10/29)

– Community Health Workers Can Reach Some Patients That Doctors Can’t (NPR, 10/29)

JOBS | Fauquier Health Foundation is hiring for a Program Officer. To learn more about the position, click here.

Finally…research that puts sibling rivalries to rest once and for all.

– Ciara

WRAG's "In the News"

Meeting unmet needs for a better healthcare system

HEALTH
Over on the Consumer Health Foundation blog, Dr. Rajiv Bhatia discusses how data on the unmet needs (food, employment, housing and transportation) of patients could help the health care system further calculate risk factors in order to provide a more comprehensive experience that would include connecting people with the proper community resources. (CHF, 4/1)

According to a recent national survey, 85% of primary care doctors say that unmet needs for food, housing, employment, and transportation contribute to poor health for their patients. These doctors recognize that they lack the time, tools, and resources to support all of their patients’ health needs and want health care systems to do more. Sadly, few health care systems measure unmet needs as risk factors in the populations they serve or take steps to address these needs.

Quality health care matters a great deal when we are sick, but protecting and maintaining our health requires a foundation of basic human needs. Insecure work, the lack of nutritious food, and unstable shelter are increasingly common experiences in our society that result in high costs for health and healthcare.

PHILANTHROPY | More and more grantmakers are committing to “get on the map!” Foundation president/CEO and chair of WRAG’s board of directors, Patricia Mathews, shares why the Northern Virginia Health Foundation is excited about the interactive mapping tool and sharing their grants data with colleagues. (Daily, 4/6)

HOMELESSNESS
– Opinion: As the District’s homelessness crisis persists, David Bowers of Enterprise Community Partners offers his thoughts on how the city must use a broader approach to tackle the problem and bring about lasting change. (WaPo, 4/3)

– According to a report from the National Alliance to End Homelessness, federal funding for programs to end homelessness in the U.S. is at its highest level ever. The study also found significant declines in homelessness nationally among sub-populations over the past few years. (HuffPo, 4/3)

The unprecedented funding is “probably in part” to credit for a decline in net homelessness: 578,424 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2014 — down 2.3 percent from the year before.

What’s more, improvements were tracked within every major sub-population, such as the chronically homeless, families and unsheltered persons. Veteran homelessness, for example, has dropped 33 percent in the past five years.

YOUTH/DISTRICT | In this special film, DC Teens: Progress & Promise, made by Stone Soup Films for the Summit Fund of Washington, District teens and leaders working to lower rates of teen pregnancy speak on what is being done to create a better future for young people in the city and why that work is so vital. Check out the video here.

Related: Dr. Isabel Sawhill of the Brookings Institution, who makes an appearance in the film above, will be the featured speaker of our first Brightest Minds event of the year. On April 30, she will explore the growing trend of unwed and unplanned motherhood, its impact on child poverty and wellness, and how the social sector can effectively support efforts for change. This event is open to both WRAG members and nonmembers. More details here.

NONPROFITS
– On April 15, United Way of the National Capital Area (UWNCA) is offering a free training to support any area nonprofit that will participate in the Do More 24 Day of Giving to be held this year on June 4. Nonprofits interested in participating do not need to be members of UWNCA, but must serve the D.C. metro area. Click here to learn more and to register by April 13.

– Opinion: Simple Steps to Promote Diversity at Nonprofits (Chronicle, 4/3)

WORKFORCE
– McAuliffe ‘bans the box’ on state job applications (WaPo, 4/4)

Who’s ready for some baseball?! Take this quiz to see how much you know about the sport.

– Ciara

 

WRAG member announcement

Why We’re Getting on the Map: The Northern Virginia Health Foundation

Lately we’ve been highlighting some of the reasons why WRAG members are committing to “get on the map” by e-reporting their grants data to the Foundation Center. The data will populate WRAG’s Foundation Map, a data mapping and visualization platform that will allow members to explore who is giving to what and where across the Greater Washington region.

The Northern Virginia Health Foundation signed on to this initiative from the start. Says Patricia Mathews, foundation president and CEO and chair of WRAG’s board of directors,

“The Northern Virginia Health Foundation is pleased to participate in this important effort to improve the data infrastructure of the WRAG community. As a health funder, it is critical for us to understand how our investments intersect with our colleagues’ funding toward other issues that impact the health and wellness of Northern Virginians, like housing affordability, education, and the environment. We anticipate that WRAG’s Foundation Map will be an important tool in our efforts to align our grantmaking in support of creating healthier communities across Northern Virginia. We encourage all of our fellow WRAG members to contribute their data to make this tool as powerful as it can be. This could truly be a way to work toward achieving a healthy region.”

Get on the Map is an initiative to improve the quality, timeliness, and availability of grants data for and about funders. WRAG Members: To learn more about the platform and how to contribute your data, watch this recent webinar or sign up for the next webinar on April 9.

WRAG's "In the News"

Northern Virginia Health Foundation asks, “How Healthy is Northern Virginia?”

HEALTH | A new report from the Northern Virginia Health Foundation (NVHF) reveals some startling facts about the health and wellness of northern Virginians. While the area is home to some of the most affluent counties in the country, and many people are in very good health, people of all income levels across the area are affected by issues including obesity, lack of dental care, depression, and other mental health problems.

Among the more concerning findings: over a half of adults are obese or overweight; over 25 percent of adults haven’t seen a dentist in two years; and more than 25 percent of youth “reported feeling sad or hopeless for two or more weeks in a row.”

Says Patricia Mathews, NVHF president and CEO (and vice chair of WRAG’s board),

This is a call to action for the region…Improving access to medical care is important, but it’s not enough to make meaningful change in people’s lives. We must work together to address the socioeconomic factors that we know influence how healthy we are, such as improving access to high-quality education, job opportunities, safe neighborhoods, healthy foods, and regular opportunities for physical activity.

Here’s the full report, and coverage from the Post.

LEGAL AID | On the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy blog, Mary McClymont, president of the Public Welfare Foundation (and a WRAG board member), writes about why grantmakers concerned about justice and equity should fund civil legal aide. (NCRP, 5/28)

Related: Mary McClymont on how funders can help the low-income population fight injustice (Daily, 4/1)

BUDGETS | Prince George’s County Council passes budget with no furloughs, education reductions (Examiner, 5/31)

EDUCATION | The Gray administration is working to create a unified lottery process for both charter and traditional public schools for the 2014-15 school year. (WaPo, 5/31)

DISTRICT | This is why you stand in line so long to buy lunch downtown. (Examiner, 5/31)

PHILANTHROPY | Small Foundations Increased Assets and Grants Last Year (Chronicle, 5/29)

I wonder why this never caught on?

-Rebekah