GT Awards $100,000 in Grants to Area Non-Profits

At Giving Together's Annual Meeting of the members on September 30th, our giving circle voted for a total of $100,000 in grants to area non-profits. In the Thematic Grants category of Women's Health -- a theme chosen by the members last fall -- the top award of $50,000 over two years went to Mamatoto Village, a DC/Prince Georges County non-profit that provides pre- and post-natal healthcare to low-income Black women. A runner-up grant of $10,000 was awarded to Nueva Vida, which helps Latina women in need of breast cancer care in the greater DC area. 

     In the Accelerator Grants category, where the focus is on local BIPOC-led non-profits, the top grant of $25,000 was awarded to FAN (Fihankra Akoma Ntoaso), which serves youth and families in the child welfare system in DC Ward 8. The runner-up award of $15.000 went to Women's Palante --  an organization that helps low-income Latinas succeed as entrepreneurs. Congratulations to all the new GT grantees! 

     The meeting, which was held at the Women's Club of Chevy Chase, also included the election of four board members to the seven -member GT Board of Trustees. Incumbents Sheryl Donaldson, Ester Kurz Scheibel and Harriet Shugerman were re-elected. They were joined by new board member Courtney Dinsmore. Each will serve a two-year term. 

     In other business, Co-Presidents Renee Licht and Wendy Yaross gave reports that summarized GT's accomplishments in the previous year and announced upcoming activities. They noted two GT milestones reached in 2024: a membership total of 109 and over $1,000,000 raised and distributed  to area non-profits since GT's founding in 2009. In an emotional moment, Renee and Wendy announced that they were stepping down as Co-Presidents, They thanked the members and leaders of Giving Together for all their support and for their ongoing commitment to the giving circle. They said a new team of Co-Presidents would be announced at the end of October. [On October 24, the GT Board elected Susan Alberts and Marea Hatziolos Grant as the new  Co-Presidents of GT.]