Open Call for Board Nominations!
Due Sunday, July 11, 2021
For the first time in WRAG’s history, we are hosting an open call for nominations to our Board of Directors! We hope this effort encourages our membership to nominate people who have the lived experience and work expertise that will advance WRAG’s mission of developing a more equitable National Capital Region.
The board seeks candidates who represent the full diversity of our region, our work, and foundation types. This year, the nominating committee is especially interested in candidates with expertise in racial equity or justice, advocacy & systems change, fiscal sponsorship, and audit & finance.
Self-nominations are welcome! Learn more and nominate here.
Only 1 day left to register!
CSR Professional? Nonprofit responsible for corporate engagement? Consultant designing CSR strategies? Apply for the Institute for Corporate Social Responsibility Class of 2021!
Regional Housing Stability Series
Long Term Housing Affordability
Friday, July 2, 2021
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Register Here
Though there have been notable improvements in reducing family homelessness, the DMV has one of the nation's highest rates of unhoused residents. The unhoused population is primarily young and single people and disproportionality Black. Recent homeless census results found that regionally, 88% of homeless families are black. High housing costs and limited affordable housing stock have been significant drivers in housing instability.
Join us to explore housing as a human right and investments needed to increase the supply of affordable housing for the lowest-income households and transformative approaches to housing security to improve health and social outcomes.
- MODERATOR | David Bowers, Enterprise Community Partners
- PANELIST | Amanda Misiko Andere, Funders Together to End Homelessness
- PANELIST | Patty Fugere, Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless
- PANELIST | Jaline Gilliam, Pathways to Housing DC
- PANELIST | Michelle Krocker, Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance
Regional Housing Stability Series
Legal Aid as Housing Justice Intervention
Friday, July 9, 2021
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Register Here
The region faced an eviction crisis even before the pandemic. Now, while greater rental assistance is coming through federal and local dollars, thousands of local residents still face the real possibility of navigating the legal eviction process alone. The risk of evictions is greater for Black and Brown renters who are more vulnerable due to existing disparities. Civil legal aid is an essential part of the region’s safety net, and as we turn to the monumental task of an equitable recovery, we must prioritize access to justice for all residents. Legal services providers are on the front lines now providing critical services to renters and are well-positioned to do more as the region emerges from the pandemic. Join us for a discussion with regional civil legal aid leaders on how investing in legal services is an important tool in ensuring tenants receive the benefits and protections they are entitled to, as well as opportunities for philanthropic partnership.
- MODERATOR | Kirra Jarratt, DC Bar Foundation
- PANELIST | Beth Mellen, Legal Aid Society of DC
- PANELIST | Dipti Pidikiti-Smith, Legal Services of Northern Virginia
- PANELIST | Frank Vitale, Maryland Legal Aid
Regional Prosperity Through Racial Equity Series
Racial Inclusion & Economic Justice
Friday, July 16, 2021
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Register Here
Black and Brown communities across the region disproportionally comprise the low-wage workforce. Systemic barriers include unstable hours, underemployment, limited benefits, predatory lending, and limited access to capital. COVID-19 has exacerbated these pre-existing disparities and has pushed communities deeper into vulnerability. Advancing a more just and inclusive economy requires economic stability and access to opportunity in part through wealth distribution.
This panel will explore how the region can remove racial barriers to economic opportunity—including redistribution of wealth, equitable labor markets, bolstering growth sectors, and workforce development. We'll also discuss how philanthropy can lead to creating a racially inclusive ecosystem of fair economic growth.
- MODERATOR | Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, National Community Reinvestment Coalition
- PANELIST | Sarah Keh, Prudential Financial
- PANELIST | Dawnn Leary, Greater Washington Community Foundation
- PANELIST | Marjorie Nemes-Galarza, Latino Economic Development Center
New Member Alert!
WRAG is proud to welcome the ProMedica Foundation to the WRAG Family!
Wells Fargo Invests $10 Million in DMV CDFIs
Wells Fargo has selected five community development financial institutions (CDFIs) to receive grants from its Open for Business Fund. The initiative will bring nearly $10 million to the District to help underserved, small businesses stay open and preserve jobs.
The funding will enable these organizations to provide short- and long-term COVID-19 recovery efforts, technical assistance and micro-lending programs for diverse, small business owners. The Open for Business Fund represents a roughly $420 million small business recovery effort across the US to help entrepreneurs recover and rebuild. Learn more about the project in this article from the Washington Informer.
Did you know that WRAG members can post
jobs on our website for free?
Post your job and see current listings here.
Thousands March on Saturday for First-Ever National Rally for DC Statehood
The rally, organized by Black Voters Matter and more than 50 civil rights, voter rights and racial justice groups, capped off a nine-city, eight-day Freedom Ride for Voting Rights that began in New Orleans. During the five-hour gathering Saturday, activists and elected officials from around the country argued that DC statehood wasn’t a partisan issue, but one of civil rights, and that the US Senate needs to act now. Learn more here!
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