Here’s a problem: cities weren’t designed for seniors.

June 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment

AGING/CITIES | Fun fact: city planners have traditionally timed crosswalks based on people walking four feet per second. As you can imagine, older people don’t move quite that fast – and that’s a big problem as the Silver Tsunami is rolling in and seniors are staying in cities. The problem is bigger than just crosswalks though (Atlantic, 6/11):

Crosswalks are only one piece of a deep-rooted problem composed of many subtle environmental details most of us never even notice: Is there a park bench to catch your breath? How about a curb cut for your walker? The pace of city living feels entirely different when you need an extra beat to read a road sign, or when you don’t have a license to drive at all.

The picture above is from the intersection of 15th and Massachusetts NW. It might be hard to see, but the walk and stop signs are concurrently lit. Should we cross? Should we wait? Total chaos for people of all ages! Some people were sprinting and others were frozen stiff. I crossed like this.

YOUTH | U.S. News has released new rankings of the 50 healthiest counties for kids, based on factors including poverty, death from injuries, teen births, and more. Montgomery County ranks 9th, Howard ranks 26th, and Fairfax ranks 28th. That’s a pretty solid regional representation considering that there are more than 3,000 countries in the nation. (USNews, 6/11)

Related: Mapping the Well-Being of Children in the District of Columbia (School of Data, 6/11)

EDUCATION
- One of Chancellor Henderson’s current reform tools is “reconstitution” which is not, as you’re probably assuming, knocking down a spectacular Lego kingdom and rebuilding it piece by piece. It is similar though – DCPS can require all of an under-performing school’s staffers to reapply for their jobs, which gives the administrators a chance to weed out bad teachers. (WaPo, 6/11)

- Greater Greater Education is taking a detailed look at each one of Council member David Catania’s seven proposals for education reform. Part one is about school funding and autonomy. (GGE, 6/11)

COMMUNITY | Last week, we shared the sad news that former Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation head Anne Allen had passed away. Her funeral arrangements have been made. A service will be held at Our Lady of Victory Church on MacArthur Boulevard on June 19th. Full details can be found here.

HOUSING | Our region’s housing market just hit a record high. The median price is almost a whopping half-million dollars. (UrbanTurf, 6/11)

GIVING | 42% of Its Donor-Advised Fund Gifts Are Unrestricted, Fidelity Says (Chronicle, 6/10)

LOCAL | If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like when a politician takes a bribe, your dreams have come true! The Post has pictures of disgraced former Council member Michael Brown grinning as he accepts a coffee mug (!) full of cash. (WaPo, 6/11)

It was always a fun trivia fact to know that Dr. Seuss’ real name was Theodor Geisel. I did not know, however, that his middle name was actually Seuss! What’s more, I never would have guessed his method for curing writer’s block.

Also, here’s one possible solution to helping seniors keep up with the pace of city life.

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Can the arts transform Anacostia?

May 23, 2013 By Leave a Comment

As the revitalization of the H Street Corridor proved, the arts can drive major economic improvement. But is H Street’s rebirth replicable? The City Paper looks at the possibility that Anacostia could become the next major arts corridor in the District, though it certainly faces big challenges (CP, 5/24):

That’s part of what’s going on in Anacostia: arts for its own sake…Which might be cause for excitement within the neighborhood, and surely much anxiety. All strata may participate in the arts, but in the lexicon of modern urban life, they often signify—fairly or unfairly—more disruptive changes to come, like skyrocketing rents and amenities more likely to appeal to newcomers than longtime residents.

The paper has four features on this subject, each one worth reading:

- If You Build It, Who Will Come?
– Stage of Development
– What to Expect at LUMEN8 2013
– Anacostia’s Arts Scene Is Growing

EDUCATION
- By a gigundo margin, students in D.C. carry the highest student debt load in the country with an average of $41,230. Maryland comes in second with $26,310. That said, WAMU reports that our region has the highest proportion of graduate degrees in the country, and possibly the galaxy, though the Census doesn’t track that wide. (WAMU, 5/23) The article helps to validate this meme.

- As our  leaders on the Hill prepare to take off an entire week to celebrate Memorial Day, local school jurisdictions are getting ready to face sequestration-related budget cuts. (WAMU, 5/23)

- Chicago is a few hundred miles outside of our usual jurisdiction, but their school system experiences similar challenges to some in our region. To that end, it will be interesting to see what happens after the city executes the largest wave of school closings in the entire country. (Chicagoist, 5/23)

- Though Enrolling More Poor Students, 2-Year Colleges Get Less of Federal Pie (NYT, 5/23)

Related event for WRAG members: Positioning Community Colleges to Effectively Train our Region’s Workers for High-Demand Jobs [More info.]

VETERANS | As our military engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq wind down, Rebekah writes about how local funders are preparing for returning veterans. (Daily, 5/23)

PHILANTHROPY
- Tamara and Gretchen have both written about mission-driven investing in the last week, which includes using program-related investments (PRIs) to maximize impact. A new study finds that while PRIs have increased considerably over the past two decades, they were neglected during the recession. Also, funders might not be putting their money where their mouths are, and it’s not because money doesn’t taste good (Chronicle, 5/23):

There’s a disconnect between the amount of discussion about program-related investments in the foundation world and how many are actually made.

- Operating Support Jumped 83% in 2011 (Chronicle, 5/23)

TEEN PREGNANCY | The Atlantic looks at the shifting geography of teen mothers in the United States. (Atlantic, 5/22)

The article notes that D.C. has the top rate among 15-17 year old girls, but be sure to check out our report Beyond Dollars to see how much progress has been made in the city in recent years.

BUDGETS | The DC Fiscal Policy Institute summarized the DC Council’s 2014 budget, which includes housing and children/family funding. (DCFPI, 5/22)

DAILY | In observance of Memorial Day, expected reduced readership, and lingering technology projects that require undivided attention, The Daily WRAG will return next Wednesday, May 29th.

The Cat Empire is an incredibly versatile and talented band from Down Under – easily one of the best live acts I’ve ever seen. I highly recommend checking out their new album Steal The Light on Spotify (and buying the album if you dig it). The whole thing is excellent, but my early favorite track is Wild Animals.

Since we’re going to be gone for a few days, here are TWO bonus items! First, breathtaking photographs from the first successful ascent of Mount Everest 60 years ago. Second, 15 hilarious GIFs of uncoordinated children. Give the animations a few seconds to load. Number 10 gets what he deserves.

Have a great long weekend, folks! – Christian

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Is the government spending wisely on education? Research says no.

April 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment

EDUCATION | The New York Times profiles the work of James Heckman, a leading economist who studies human development. Heckman has done extensive research on the equity gap by comparing the cognitive performance of high and low-income students at various ages. The results illuminate the importance of early childhood education:

[T]he difference in cognitive performance was just as big at age 18 as it had been at age 3.

“The gap is there before kids walk into kindergarten,” Mr. Heckman told me. “School neither increases nor reduces it.”

If education is supposed to help redress inequities at birth and improve the lot of disadvantaged children as they grow up, it is not doing its job.

What’s especially problematic is the percentage of total education funding that the government allocates to early childhood. As the chart to the right shows, we rank almost at the bottom of the international community in this category. (NYT, 4/2)

- As of last month, D.C. police have picked up 3,260 truant students during this academic year. How many are repeat offenders? Nobody knows, because DCPS doesn’t keep track. (GGW, 4/3)

POVERTY | The U.S. is experiencing the highest poverty rate since the 1960s, with 50 million Americans – that’s one in six – living below the poverty line. Here’s a look at how sequestration is making this terrible and embarrassing reality even worse. (WaPo, 4/3)

GIVING | The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has announced grant awards totaling $203,600 to nine local nonprofits. The recipients of the 2013 Good Neighbor Grants are focused on K-12 education, college access, and visual and performing arts education for students from low- to moderate-income families. [Read more.]

YOUTH
- Arlington has scrapped plans to reduce its standards for child-care quality and safety. (WaPo, 4/2)

- Many local students are on spring break this week, but their experiences vary greatly based on their families’ wealth. Judith Sandalow writes about the connection between school vacations and the achievement gap – and the importance of breaking it. (HuffPo, 3/29)

Related: D.C. schools use spring break to teach students through travel (WaPo, 3/31)

TRANSIT | The Montgomery County Council has thrown another $7.5 million at the Silver Spring Transit Center, which apparently will have very little effect on fixing the massive structural problems plaguing it. (WaPo, 4/2) Hey, there’s a broken street lamp on my block. Give me $7.5 million and I’ll be more than happy to not fix it!

BUGS | This might tick you off, but the District has ranked as the fifth worst city for pest problems – and first for Ixodoidea. And since I don’t think that bugs respect borders, this probably has implications for suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia, too. (WTOP, 4/2)

Here’s an archaeological find to tickle the imagination – Pluto’s Gate, or the gate to hell. The site was written about in classical literature, but Italian scientists believe that they have found the actual location.

Also, writing about spring break and the underworld led my mind to this classic song. So good!

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Majority of nonprofits don’t think they can afford to meet demand for services

March 26, 2013 By Leave a Comment

The 2013 Nonprofit Finance Fund’s survey of more about 6,000 nonprofits finds that the majority of respondents don’t think they have enough money to meet service demands (Chronicle, 3/25):

- For the first time in the survey’s five years, more than half of the charities said they were unable to meet demands for assistance last year, and even more groups expect to struggle to do so this year.

- One in four groups is running so close to the bone it had less than 30 days’ cash in hand.

- Thirty-nine percent of the charities said their financial situation is so challenging they plan to change how they raise and spend money.

Another key finding is that nonprofits are trying to cope with cuts in government funding by turning more to private philanthropy. The Bank of America Charitable Foundation sponsored the survey and it’s president, Kerry Sullivan, says:

Philanthropy and government can’t cover the costs and expenses needed to deliver on the increasing demand…The challenge, and what we’re thinking about, is looking at new ways to drive capital to help nonprofits.

Related: It’s important to consider the size of the nonprofit sector when having discussions about its financial health. According to the Urban Institute, there are about 2.3 million nonprofit organizations operating in the United States.

GIVING | Did you know that Americans who earn in the top 20 percent only give an average of 1.3 percent to charity? And those in the bottom 20 percent give 3.2 percent? The Atlantic asks why that is and uses our region as a case study. The bottom line: “[I]nsulation from people in need may dampen the charitable impulse.” (Atlantic, April 2013 issue)

If that theory is indeed true, then the phrase “ignorance is bliss” seems perfectly appropriate for significant parts of our region.

HOUSING
- Yesterday we wrote about former HUD secretary Henry Cisneros’ observations of housing trends. Today, Rebekah shares Cisneros’ ten recommendations for our region’s funders. (Daily, 3/26)

- Is the Washington, D.C.-area housing market bubbling again? (WaPo, 3/26)

- Washington-area foreclosure rates lower (WTOP, 3/26)

YOUTH | The DC Alliance of Youth Advocates is conducting a survey of currently and formerly disconnected youth. If your organization serves members of this population, they need your help collecting survey responses. [More info.]

EDUCATION | The latest on the Prince George’s schools situation is that legislation has been introduced in the Maryland Senate. The bill does give County Executive Rushern Baker more direct control over the school system, but not nearly at the level he was seeking. It basically splits the responsibilities between Baker and the school board. Baker is hoping that amendments will be added in his favor. (WaPo, 3/26)

As we know from the federal government, split political power is the elixir of successful reform. No wait, I meant poison. Sorry.

ARTS/BUDGETS | The District’s FY2013 budget includes the biggest increase in arts funding of any state in the country. The increase is an excellent 133%. (Elevation DC, 3/26)

CORRECTION | I accidentally called LISC by the wrong name yesterday. Please note that their correct name is the Local Initiatives Support Corporation. I wrote “Collaborative.” Apologies for the mistake.

Breaking a law in Egypt is near the top of my list of things I’d avoid like the Ten Plagues, but that’s not the case for some Russian photographers. They climbed the great pyramids and took some truly spectacular photos of the view. They also made the mistake of taking pictures of their own faces, which seems like a terrible idea.

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How many full-time, minimum wage jobs do you need to rent a 2 bedroom apartment?

March 19, 2013 By 2 Comments

HOUSING/EQUITY | According to a new study, minimum-wage earners need to hold down three full-time jobs in order to afford a two-bedroom apartment in our region. Here are the jaw-dropping numbers (WAMU, 3/19):

- In the District of Columbia, minimum-wage earners need to work 132 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, in order to afford a Fair Market Rent of $1,412.

- In Maryland, minimum wage-earners need to work 135 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, in order to afford a Fair Market rent of $1,273.

- In Virginia, minimum wage-earners need to work 114 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, in order to afford a Fair Market rent of $1,078.

CHILDREN & YOUTH | Tamara wrote a piece for DC Action for Children’s blog about why having a safe and stable residence is essential to ensuring that a child is “physically and emotionally healthy and primed to succeed in life.” But housing is rarely an issue considered when discussing child advocacy. (DCAFC, 3/15)

EVENT | This Thursday, WRAG kicks off its 2013 Brightest Minds series with former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros. His talk with focus on why everyone should care about housing – especially pressing considering today’s headline. [Register here.]

EDUCATION | Prince George’s executive Rushern Baker’s plan to take over the school system received many positive reactions. However, the school board from which he would be taking control has now voiced its opposition. Chairman Verjeana M. Jacobs says (WaPo, 3/19):

“This is similar to the District of Columbia model, and we know how that’s turned out,” Jacobs said, suggesting that the matter be put to a referendum.

I’m not so sure that the effects of the District’s reforms are as clear as Jacobs suggests. Nor is D.C.’s experience necessarily indicative of how power structures would operate in another jurisdiction. Hopefully all parties involved remember that they are elected and paid solely to serve the needs of the county – ensuring the successful education of its children, for example.

GIVING
- The Chronicle of Philanthropy interviewed Rep. David Reichert, who serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, about his desire to protect charitable deductions. Arguments on the subject usually get reduced to very brief talking points, but Reichert goes a little deeper on his perspective. (Chronicle, 3/18)

- On the other hand: Senate Democrats Call for Limits on Charitable Deductions (Chronicle, 3/15)

LOCAL | I’m only including this because it’s so strange. The Post writes about a local man who took over a vacant Bethesda mansion and claimed it as his own. He did so because he claims sovereignty as a member of the “Moorish Nation.” Here’s what’s even stranger: this is apparently happening all over the country. Uh… (WaPo, 3/19)

FUN | The postscript is a bit heavy today, so check out Poland’s ideas for getting people to use libraries. So awesome! (Atlantic, 3/19)

Have you been following the Steubenville rape case? It’s hard to avoid, considering it’s a main headline in every media outlet. Local renaissance man Henry Rollins (punk rocker, poet, activist, journalist) has a very thoughtful perspective on the case – what it means at this moment in history, why it’s a complicated issue, who is responsible, and what can be done.

He drops an F-bomb, so fair warning if you’re sensitive to profanity. But his thinking gets to the core of a great many of the problems that we seek to solve in the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. It’s worth a read.

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Baker seeks more control over – and accountability for – Prince George’s schools

March 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

EDUCATION | Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker has announced his intention to take over the county’s school system. Pending the passage of state legislation, the next school superintendent would report directly to Baker while the role of the Board of Education would be minimized (WaPo, 3/17):

County officials said the takeover would allow the government to coordinate resources with the school system, potentially sending more money to the classrooms. “This is about every single child getting the best education possible,” Baker said.

Related: A day after the announcement, reaction from elected officials and county stakeholders was mostly supportive. (WaPo, 3/18)

Related: In July 2011, Baker and former superintendent William Hite spoke with WRAG members about the county’s education priorities. Upon review, two things still stick out.

First, Baker specifically mentioned that he was committed to improving the county’s schools regardless of political risk. That seems to still ring true considering the accountability he is seeking. Second, he mentioned that better schools promote economic growth. He continues to champion that notion in the article above. (Daily, July 2011)

- Raise DC tries to bring coherence to education chaos (GGE, 3/15)

- If you missed it, here’s Rebekah’s recap of a recent briefing on Raise DC. (Daily, 3/7)

LOCAL | Last week, we linked to the Post’s article about our local population growth slowing. Here’s a look at some other trends from Greater Greater Washington, including the fact that inside-the-Beltway growth is still among the nation’s highest. (GGW, 3/18)

DEMOGRAPHICS | Montgomery County has officially passed the one million residents mark! (WTOP, 3/16) About 900,000 of them drive around looking for parking spots in Bethesda on the weekends.

HOMELESSNESS | Plans For Year-Round Homeless Shelter In Arlington Approved (WAMU, 3/17)

PHILANTHROPY | Opinion: Pablo Eisenberg says that philanthropy should increase giving to government watchdog groups. He cites the need to challenge “how Washington works” and offers this sharp opinion (Chronicle, 3/18):

The need for strong watchdogs has become more apparent because of the inept way both President Obama and nonprofit group[s] have responded to America’s most urgent needs.

NONPROFITS | Opinion: Charity Tax Data Are Too Valuable Not to Have in Digital Form (Chronicle, 3/10)

EVENTS
- Tomorrow, the Washington AIDS Partnership and the Institute for Public Health Innovation are hosting an event titled The Opportunities of a New Reality: Health Care Reform, Paradigm Shifts, and the Future of HIV/AIDS Services in the D.C. Region. More info and registration here.

- On Tuesday, April 30th, Georgetown University’s Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership will host a forum called Giving Boldly & Strategically: Why is it important now more than ever?

The forum features WRAG member Nicky Goren (Washington Area Women’s Foundation), former WRAG board members Margaret O’Bryon and George Vradenburg, as well as Trish Vradenburg and the Case Foundation’s Michael Smith. More info here.

DAILY | As promised, The Daily WRAG has reemerged from its maintenance day completely transformed! Hopefully you think it looks more like a beautiful butterfly than an ugly caterpillar – a blue morpho, perhaps? We’re testing out a new email delivery system internally this week that should be much more attractive and functional than the current one. More to come soon.

That’s it. Punxsutawney Phil is on probation until his credibility can be restored. And so are all the weathermen who keep incorrectly labeling storms as “one last taste of winter.”

Well, Mondays usually aren’t too much fun and the weather has us shivering, but I have a temporary fix! Paul Simon’s I Know What I Know. Enjoy!

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Special WaPo report on youth…Education news from across the region…Local population boom slowing

March 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment

CHILDREN/FAMILIES | The Washington Post has a special section today on children and families. Here’s the editorial frame:

About 75 million Americans are under the age of 18, and more than 16 million of these kids live in poverty. Many sit in bright classrooms where they are taught by excellent teachers and go home to parents who shower them with every advantage. But far too many kids are stuck. They are trapped in drab schools of little learning and in troubled neighborhoods filled with jobless adults. These young people — and their difficulty in finding a path to a better future — are a growing national concern.

The full section of articles, opinions, and videos is located here. Highlights include:

- Opinion: Three simple rules poor teens should follow to join the middle class by the Brookings Institution’s Ron Haskins

- Opinion: Give low-income families the support they need to help kids succeed by Jared Bernstein from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

- After 20 years, some want more from Family and Medical Leave Act

- Policymakers, business leaders say preschool can pay big dividends

EDUCATION
- Prince George’s County has narrowed its schools superintendent candidate list to three – current interim superintendent Alvin Crawley, Durham superintendent Eric Becoats, and Chicago schools chief Harrison Peters. The Post profiles all three candidates and says that the stakes are very high (WaPo, 3/14):

The superintendent will step into a struggling system that is working to implement Common Core standards, reform its teacher-evaluation process and improve student achievement.

It is also a pivotal moment for Prince George’s County at large, as parents, elected officials and civic and business leaders have pinned much of the county’s future on the turnaround of its schools.

- Some District parents are concerned that some schools’ budgets will cause cuts to key staff and services while lower-priority positions get new funding. (WaPo, 3/14)

- As Montgomery Council considers budget, questions about “crown jewel” schools (WaPo, 3/14) I don’t think England would be very happy about us trying to pay for our schools with their jewels.

- In Montgomery schools, achievement gap widens in some areas, drawing criticism (WaPo, 3/13)

- Are early education (pre-K) efforts in the District working? (GGE, 3/13)

SEQUESTRATION | Here’s a brief look at some of the proposed tax hikes and service cuts that local jurisdictions are considering to deal with sequestration. George Mason University professor Frank Shafroth says of local officials (WAMU, 3/14):

The last decade, I think they saw everything growing…Now I think they are with Rod Serling in the Twilight Zone.

“It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition…and sequestration…and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.”

DEMOGRAPHICS
- Unfortunately we’re not dealing with imaginations here, and the Post reports that our region’s population growth rate is slowing down after years of “explosive” increases. (WaPo, 3/14)

- D.C. population swells, immigrants flock to suburbs (Examiner, 3/14)

COMMUNITY | Here’s a great look at Capital One’s method of aligning corporate social responsibility goals with its full body of work. (CSRwire, 3/13)

NONPROFITS | C.Fox Communications is accepting applications for its fourth annual inspired thought Award. The it Award is worth up to $20,000 of pro bono public relations services for nonprofit award winners. [More info.]

PHILANTHROPY | Providence has been announced as the winner of the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Mayors Challenge for innovation in early childhood education. Read more about it and the five other winners. (Atlantic, 3/14)

DAILY | Tomorrow, Friday the 15th, the Daily WRAG will be offline for maintenance. When it returns, your minds will drift to thoughts of an ugly caterpillar that entered a pupa and emerged a beautiful butterfly.

Happy Pi Day, everyone! Here are some ways you can celebrate. I’ll be eating pie today, 3/14, at 1:59 and 26.54 seconds.

And an early Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Here’s my favorite song from the Irish band Flogging Molly – Rebels of the Sacred Heart.

See you Monday!

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As the clock ticks down, a look at how sequestration would deeply hurt our region’s governments [News, 2.20.13]

February 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

SEQUESTRATION | If federal spending cuts happen on March 1, our region is in huge trouble. Local governments are struggling to plan their budgets with so much uncertainty about what is going to happen, but here’s a look at the potential chain reaction (WaPo, 2/20):

If the worst is realized and jobs disappear by the thousands, the flow of money through the local economy could be choked off, leading to more foreclosures, slower growth among businesses and less spending among households.

All of that would greatly affect local governments, where budgets are inextricably linked to the health of the economy.
…
States and localities hit hard by cuts could have their bond ratings lowered, making it more expensive to borrow money for capital projects.

What are the chances that the can gets kicked down the road a few more months, and we get to look forward to more fire and brimstone stories like this? If I had to guess, I’d say approximately 100%. How about you?

Related: President Obama and Congress are pointing fingers at each other about who will be to blame if the spending cuts are triggered. (WaPo, 2/20) Ooh, ooh, Mr. Kotter! I have the answer: Congress and President Obama! That was easy.

DATA | The Atlantic looks at the massive rise in government spending on low-income populations over the last 40 years and through the next ten. In 1972, spending was at $55 billion. Now it is $588 billion and in 2023 it will be $877 billion. Most of the increase is related to healthcare programs like Medicaid. (Atlantic, 2/20)

Obviously there are a lot of factors related to these numbers to consider. But here’s a question: are these spending increases helping, hurting, or doing nothing for their target populations? It’s the same sort of question Carlos Slim had about philanthropy.

GIVING | Last week, the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation announced more than $1.2 million in grants focused on empowering youth with disabilities. Foundation director Kevin Webb says:

The Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation is proud to be part of this national effort. By investing in innovative projects designed to empower youth with disabilities, they have more promising employment prospects as they transition to adulthood.

PERSPECTIVES | Earlier this month, Tamara challenged us to read an article from a publication outside of our routine and comfort zone. Have you taken her up on the challenge? You can read her column about shifting our perspective here: When was the last time you read Ebony Magazine? (Daily 2/6)

ENVIRONMENT | Today, D.C. Mayor Gray released a 20 year plan called Sustainable DC that has a very specific goal: “In just one generation – 20 years – the District of Columbia will be the healthiest, greenest, and most livable city in the United States.” Read the full plan here.

FOOD | What Food Desert Maps Get Wrong About How People Eat (Atlantic, 2/20)

EVENT | On March 13th, the Student Support Center will honor the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation at the 2013 Successful Students Campaign awards reception. More information and tickets are available here.

YOUTH | Six students in Prince George’s County have been murdered during this school year in unrelated crimes – two during this week alone. The county is starting a task force to address the violence. (WaPo, 2/20) In the meantime, how much progress has been made on reducing gun violence?

I usually don’t post anything from BuzzFeed because the site is mostly mindless garbage. However, after re-reading Tamara’s great piece on perspectives, I did enjoy this neat list of 28 visuals that might change yours. Give the page a few seconds to load so that the animations work. And click around that site at your own risk – brain cells are a a precious commodity. 

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How local nonprofits are boosting our economy…Top 50 donors skewing younger, but giving still down…Examining the region’s class divide [News, 2.11.13]

February 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment

NONPROFITS | How are local nonprofits affecting our economy? That’s the central question of a new report from Nonprofit Montgomery. Looking at the workforce in Montgomery County, the report finds (WaPo, 2/11):

- 10 percent of the county’s workers are employed by nonprofits
- 43,371 nonprofit workers earned $2.2 billion in 2011
- The nonprofit workforce grew 9.1% in 2011, compared to a 2.5% decline for total jobs across the county

The report concludes that the county’s nonprofit sector provides jobs, generates local spending, and supports growth in indirect ways like providing essential workforce development services for residents. The report is scheduled to be posted sometime today at Nonprofit Montgomery’s website.

WRAG’s vice president, Gretchen Greiner-Lott, was at the report release event this morning. She shared some quick thoughts:

A key discussion point was that nonprofits currently play a role in helping to prepare the workforce that the county needs. But more must be done – with all sectors working together – to prepare individuals for the county’s jobs of the future. Throughout the discussion, there was a repeated call for a collective effort to more strategically plan for and fill jobs.

REGION | The Atlantic’s Richard Florida dives into data from the American Community Survey to look at how the Greater Washington region is divided into three classes: creative, service, and working. Here’s the big takeaway (Atlantic, 2/11):

The most striking thing on the D.C. map is how much purple there is. More than any other metro we’ve covered, greater Washington, D.C. is a creative class region. That’s not surprising actually. The creative class — which includes people who work in science and technology, business and management, arts, culture, media and entertainment, law and healthcare professions — make up nearly half of the metro’s workforce (46.8 percent), which is the third highest percentage in the nation (14 percentage points above the national average of 32.6 percent).

The article zooms in on different parts of the region. As is typical of most discussions about division in the city, the District is basically split down the middle with creatives to the west and the service class to the east.

GIVING | The Chronicle of Philanthropy has released its annual list of America’s top fifty donors and two trends stick out. First, the bad economy is still putting a damper on things. The median gift from donors on this list was $49.6 million in 2012, nowhere near the pre-recession median of $74.7 million in 2007.

Second, the demographics of major donors are changing (Chronicle, 2/11):

Among the five top philanthropists last year, three were couples under 40. The youngest was Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook co-founder, who is 28, and his 27-year-old wife, Priscilla Chan.

Drawn to the possibility of influencing social issues for decades to come, the young and super-rich are turning philanthropy into a newlywed activity instead of a deathbed one.

It’s worth clarifying that most of the donors on the top fifty list aren’t actually on their deathbeds, though the age gap between the younger donors and olders ones is noticeable. Here’s the full list of donors and profiles for each.

EDUCATION | Following last week’s data on the growth of charters and decline of traditional public schools in the District, politicians and education advocates are debating what the numbers mean for the future. (WaPo, 2/11) The article also mentions that Rocketship Education has applied to open eight charters here. Hopefully they will allow me to go back to school so I can tell people that I go to school in a rocketship.

HEALTH | Baby boomers are less active and more obese than researchers previously thought. A new report on their general health finds that they are in worse shape than their parents’ generation. (WTOP, 2/10)

Hope you all had a nice weekend! I’m never going near the ocean again because apparently scientists have confirmed that squid can FLY.

Once (or rather if) you get over that terrifying news about sea monsters, you might enjoy seeing the trailer for Pixar’s prequel to Monsters Inc. Here’s a question for you. Which do you prefer, Monsters Inc. or Up? 

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Horizon Foundation launches Better Beverage Finder…D.C. neighborhood ranks among the best for arts in the country…State education policies graded [News, 1.8.13]

January 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment

HEALTH | The Horizon Foundation leads a group that has launched a project called the Better Beverage Finder, an online database that compares sugar content in hundreds of drinks. The database aims to help parents find alternatives to sugary drinks like soda. The project also features facts that seek to discourage consumption of health drinks. For example (WaPo, 1/8):

[I]f each student in the typical Howard County middle school drank just a single 12-ounce can of soda each day, they would consume approximately 10 tons of sugar over the course of a year.

ARTS | ArtPlace released a report that names 12 communities nationwide that “most successfully combine art, artists and venues for creativity and expression with independent businesses, retail shops and restaurants, and a walkable lifestyle to make vibrant neighborhoods.”

Ranking up there with San Fran’s Mission District, NYC’s Manhattan Valley, and Seattle’s Pike-Pine Corridor is our very own intersection of Adams Morgan, U Street, and Dupont Circle! Check out pages 31-32 in the report to see what makes this neighborhood so unique. Also included in the longer list of top 44 metro areas is Alexandria. (ArtPlace, 1/8)

EDUCATION
- Michelle Rhee’s nonprofit, StudentsFirst, has released a list of grades for education policies across the 50 states and D.C. The District ranks 4th (C+) while Maryland is 17th (D+) and Virginia 38th (D-). The rankings are based on categories including teacher quality, parental involvement, and financial management. (Examiner, 1/8) D.C. was graded well thanks to the IMPACT evaluation system, which Rhee created.

- Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has proposed $336 million in spending for school construction and improvements next year. (WaPo, 1/8)

- Federal complaint details cheating allegations at D.C. public school (WaPo, 1/9)

HIV/AIDS | Whitman-Walker Health has announced that it will open a new health care facility on 14th St. in mid-2014. Executive Director Don Blanchon says:

Whitman-Walker has nearly doubled our patient base over the past six years and we expect growth to continue as more residents access care through the new health reform law…This new facility will enable WWH to meet the health care needs of our community and provide the highest quality care in a 21st Century health care home.

LOCAL
- If you see a helicopter buzzing a few feet over your head, don’t worry – you aren’t about to be abducted as part of some ultra-secret government conspiracy (probably). The National Nuclear Security Administration is just testing D.C. for gamma rays using a specially outfitted helicopter. Which leads me to believe that we could have a real hulk of a problem on our hands. (WaPo, 1/8)

- Our region’s natives and those who have lived here for a while are probably familiar with Randy Lokke, either by reputation or from seeing him around town. Randy, who passed away recently, was a local legend. He rode his bike all over the region and supported high school sports teams.

He was a good luck charm for many of the teams, a cherished community member, an avid volunteer, and the subject of so many wonderful stories. My favorite is the urban legend that Randy wound up on the front page of the Post standing behind Bill Clinton at a press conference. You never knew where he’d pop up. Read more about him here. (Georgetowner, 1/8)

EVENT | Over the last year, a group of WRAG members have been convening as the Convergence Partnership – funders who, as the name suggests, are interested in the ways in which various issues affecting our region converge with each other. The group has been exploring food systems as an intersection of issues like health, obesity, and workforce development.

This Friday and Saturday, WRAG’s Convergence Partnership is excited to co-sponsor an Agricultural Planning Conference that will look at how the next generation of farmers in Montgomery and Frederick counties can be productive and profitable. Read more and register here.

As our country’s infrastructure continues to crumble, the Netherlands is implementing an efficient, effective, inexpensive, and really freakin’ cool new road project – glow in the dark roads. Photo-luminescent powder will line the roads. It charges with sunlight during the day and glows for ten hours in the dark. Plus, snowflake shapes will show up on the road when there is a danger of ice. Amazing stuff!

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