What's Happening MoCo?

What's Happening with the Community Foundation & Top 4 Holiday Season Things to Do!

• Derrick Kenny • Season 12 • Episode 108

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Want a clearer way to give that actually moves the needle in Montgomery County? We sit down with Anna Hargrave, Executive Director for the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s Montgomery County branch, to unpack how smart philanthropy turns good intentions into measurable local impact. 

Anna also opens the curtain on the annual open call for nonprofit applications, the rigorous vetting process, and the behind-the-scenes role of volunteer evaluators who help surface the most promising ideas.

Also, the What's Happening MoCo Top Four Things to Do this holiday season.

SPEAKER_01:

In today's episode of What's Happening Moco, we learn about the Greater Washington Community Foundation, an organization that's responsible for over$1.7 billion of investment in communities around the DMV. We find out how they connect your giving with people in need. Good day, and welcome to What's Happening Moco. Today I'm joined by no one other than the Anna Hargrave. She's the executive director for the Montgomery County's branch of the Community Foundation. Good day, Anna. How are you?

SPEAKER_02:

I'm doing quite well. How are you?

SPEAKER_01:

Good, good. Now, is it okay if I call you Anna? Absolutely. All right. I know that you have you are the executive director for the Montgomery County branch of a major organization. Um, but I feel like, you know, we've talked a little bit. Maybe we're kind of friends now, right? Absolutely. You I and all the dozens of subscribers to the podcast. So we're we're all friends now. We're gonna learn a whole lot about what I want to consider a kind of an innovative way of giving to charities and supporting communities, um, unlike I've ever heard before. It's kind of different. But before we do that, um something that's the same as what everyone's thinking about this time of year, or a lot of people are thinking about this time of year, it's the holidays. How are your holidays shaping up?

SPEAKER_02:

So far, so good. Um, my little one has a birthday. So between her birthday, my birthday, the holidays, it's a very busy month.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, wow. A lot of festivities. What is your uh your experience like right now trying to think of gifts to give and uh where are you looking? And you know, I want I want best tips, any any tips on how to do it. I'm I'm a last second shopper.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, um kids today seem to want very cute squishable things. Wow. So I seem to see these all around or video games. That seems to be the norm.

SPEAKER_01:

All right, all right, okay. I thought she was gonna say a K-pop demons thing or something. Always. Well, I'm looking forward to seeing you guys out there shopping in and around Montgomery County, Maryland. And actually, I have a special treat for those of you that want to spend time with your families in and around Montgomery County, Maryland. We have the What's Happening Moco top four festive holiday happenings around Montgomery County, Maryland? So we'll have that at the end of this episode. But first, as promised, we will learn some more about Anna and the Community Foundation. So, Anna, what do you do as executive director for the Community Foundation? And what is the Community Foundation?

SPEAKER_02:

Glad you asked. So the Community Foundation was created in 1973 by leaders who realized we need an engine for philanthropy in our region, one that would mobilize um people, businesses, and anyone who cares about our region to help make it stronger. Um, in those 50 years, we have really specialized in three core areas. So, number one is giving funds. Anyone who wants to be philanthropic can create their own named fund. The most popular kind is called a donor advice fund, which lets them give to their favorite causes. And because we're a 501c3, they can maximize their tax benefits, working with their wealth advisors to figure out what's the best way to add assets to it. And then they've got a ready-made team to help them give the money away to their favorite causes. That's number one.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay.

SPEAKER_02:

Number two, we also also work with people when they're thinking about their philanthropic legacies. So in some cases, we've had folks kind of gift over their life savings to us and they wanted to address a particular cause. Maybe that's children, maybe that's health. And they're gonna need someone who's gonna be here in perpetuity to make sure those assets are making an impact in the local community. And we're their partner for that.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay.

SPEAKER_02:

And then the third is we bring people together who want to team up and make a difference on a cause that's k that they care about deeply right here in their home community.

SPEAKER_01:

That's wonderful. And as executive director, uh, what is your role in um bringing all those three elements together?

SPEAKER_02:

I have the fun task of meeting people when they're trying to, they're working with their wealth advisors, they're trying to figure out what's the right vehicle for their giving. Um, sometimes they're thinking through lots of uh different ideas. How can I engage my kids or my grandkids? Some people are thinking on the corporate side. I want to get my employees involved. Um, sometimes when folks come to us, they're a little stuck about I I want to give, but I don't know, I don't know where to start. And so I'm working with them both on the technical side of setting it up, but then on the the fun side of figuring out their philanthropic passions and how they can direct that to the community. All right. So that's part of it. Uh and then I'm also lead for the Montgomery County uh initiatives that are are focused on how we can drive change here and and help our entire community thrive.

SPEAKER_01:

Wow. So let's let's do a little role-playing here. And you'll you'll help me to or everyone kind of understand uh the different uh scenarios. I'm John Q. Montgomery, which is not necessarily the founder of Montgomery County, Maryland, okay? Um but I want to give money. And so I found your website, I contact you guys. What are the next steps? Walk me through how we end up giving. And and say, for instance, I'm I'm really concerned about food insecurity, which of course I actually am. Uh, what do what do we do from there?

SPEAKER_02:

It's a great example. There was a family who came to us recently, exact same thing. Uh their advisor suggested they they set up a donor advice fund because that's the most flexible. Um, so they got it going. And then we had a family meeting to sit down and and have some conversations about their values and and their vision and and how they wanted to plug into a cause. Um, for a lot of donors, really understanding the the network of nonprofits that are out there. What are the best strategies? What are some innovative ideas that are that are coming about that need some support that can really help them figure out where they want to plug in. So that way their giving makes the deepest impact possible. So, for example, I have a lot of donors who care about food insecurity.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Um, and that is an issue that is on the rise in our community, unfortunately. So for some, they want to go, who who are the biggest organizations who have the greatest reach? Uh, and so we might take them out to the Mana Food Center so that way they can see the warehouse in Gaithersburg, maybe see the show.

SPEAKER_01:

Take them out. I will, yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

We're community foundation. We are in the community.

SPEAKER_01:

I thought it was just like a you know a PowerPoint presentation. Oh, no.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, I do a really great PowerPoint, but I love to get people out into community to see the partners, to see the work happening. Um, so that's one example of a big organization that has a huge reach across the community. Um, many years ago, I had some donors who were curious about a grassroots effort. A bunch of volunteers had this idea of like, well, what if people could use their SNAP benefits and wick at a farmer's market? So that way they could get access to fresh fruits and vegetables. And oh, what if we raised a private match to double the benefit of it? Oh, wow. So it hurt, it helps our farmers and it helps our neighbors who might be struggling with food insecurity.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, fantastic.

SPEAKER_02:

They formed the Crossroads Community Food Network, the first farmers market to do this. And now hundreds of markets copy what happened, what started right here in Montgomery County. So those are two examples of a large organization that's continuing to innovate and do great things and a and a very hyper-local grassroots one. And there are hundreds in between doing lots of amazing things all over our community.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, that's wonderful. So that's that shows kind of what the what happens with donors, and that donors don't have to be an individual. It could be a group, it could be a business. Yeah. Uh there's different types of donors. Uh, so is there a limit or uh any requirements or constraints on donors?

SPEAKER_02:

So if you wanted to create your own named fund,$10,000 is the minimum to start a donor-advised fund. Um it's a little higher for certain other things if you make it more complicated. Um, for some folks, they say, you know, I want to be philanthropic, I want to give locally. I don't need a named fund. How can I do that? Well, we have uh local funds that are shared. Our the main one is called Sherry Montgomery. And it brings together people who share our passion for this community. And yeah, just share ideas, share resources. Uh, and what we do is we collect um applications, we hear from organizations all over. We bring a team of our board members and volunteer grants committee evaluators out with us. Um, just this week, we were out talking with leaders to see the impact of last year's grants to help inform what are we going to do this coming year? And how do we make the deepest impact in our community right now? Oh, great. So, for some people, giving through uh a fund like Sherry Montgomery. I I had one client call it the her mutual fund for charity. She's like, I make one gift and it covers its diversified portfolio and it's covered everything.

SPEAKER_01:

I wanted to say that it sounds very much like investing when you're investing in different types of funds or financial uh vehicles to maximize um your um your holdings and to grow.

SPEAKER_02:

I think that's a really smart way of thinking about both sides of the fund, both literally how it's invested, and then how your grants are an investment in the community that you love. Right. And what's the ROI? What's the return on investment? You are.

SPEAKER_01:

What's the ROI?

SPEAKER_02:

It's coming back to our community. How our lives change, how are how are new pathways open for folks because of your gift? By getting people to to think about that and give them new ideas how they can do that, that's that's where the magic of the community foundation really comes into play.

SPEAKER_01:

Let's talk numbers. I mentioned in the beginning that there's 1.7 million billion. Billion. I'm sorry, 1.7 billion. Since 1973. And and I love that year because of course a lot of great things happened that year 52 years ago. How do I know that number? Because, you know, I'm old. So all right. But uh 1.7 billion. So what what is what does 2025 look like in terms of investment uh in terms of funds um invested this year from the organization?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. So we have for the donors who give through us, uh, just last year alone they gave over$10 million to Montgomery County nonprofits. So we're really proud of that. And they did even more around, you know, around the region, around the world. Our our donors aren't limited to giving locally. Um, and we're proud that, you know, whenever there's a need, they are ready to step up.

SPEAKER_01:

That's fantastic. That's fantastic. So we we talked a bit about the donors and the level of giving, but there's a lot of nonprofit organizations in the county that do great work, and of course, across the DMB, but we're a little biased towards Montgomery County, Maryland, uh, as we should be. How do people apply for the grants or the money that's being given or to be considered as part of one of these funds that um are doing the great work in the county?

SPEAKER_02:

Great. Thank you for asking. Um, I should first clarify we make grants to 501 charities. So we um for those who are looking for direct support, uh, if you're in need, we're happy to connect you with the partners who are doing that on the on the ground. Um, but we don't give direct cash to individuals. So I just wanted to clarify that.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm glad you clarified that part because I was, you know. Okay.

SPEAKER_02:

Um, so we have an open call process every single year. So that way organizations can tell us what they're working on, uh, their outcomes, how they're how they're making a difference in the community. And we usually hear from over a hundred organizations um doing all kinds of things. And we go through and read every single one of those. Okay. And if I know a donor or maybe even a foundation partner or one of our corporate partners uh that has a passion around that, then we can take what we're learning and and try to make some connections there.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, wow. That's that's incredible. So you said about 100 organizations. Do you is there like a vetting process, I guess? And there is. How many organizations ultimately you don't have to give exact numbers, but percentage-wise, how many organizations make it through the uh the vetting process and receive funds?

SPEAKER_02:

So I should clarify, there are thousands of nonprofits across Montgomery County. We don't have the capacity to serve all of them. And there are many great ones. And just because one's not on our list doesn't mean um they're not great, but to explain the process. So we have a framework that guides are giving. You know, as we think about where we want our community to go, um, we thought we know we have to invest in three core pillars: basic needs, okay, because we have to address those, but also economic mobility. It's not good enough just to help someone stay alive. How do you give them the tools that they need to change their life?

SPEAKER_01:

Wow.

SPEAKER_02:

So when you think economic mobility, you're often thinking skill building, credentials. How do we get somebody on the pathway to a good job?

SPEAKER_01:

Right.

SPEAKER_02:

But even that's not quite good enough. We we thought, no, we got to move the goalposts even farther. And we started investing in uh individual and community wealth building.

SPEAKER_03:

All right.

SPEAKER_02:

Because we want people to have the assets that they need to survive a crisis like COVID or or a job loss or or an illness in the family. So basic needs, economic mobility, and wealth building. That's the framework we apply when someone's applying and we try to understand how they are aligned with our priorities.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay.

SPEAKER_02:

What are they doing? How well are they doing it? What's the potential to grow this? Um, is anybody else doing it? Could they be partnering? Maybe we should make some connections. Uh, and then at some point we have to look at the resources and say, okay, how do we prioritize this?

SPEAKER_01:

Wonderful, wonderful. It's it's uh it's it's it's uh refreshing that you have uh an approach that goes beyond the baseline of needs and move towards what you're talking about is maybe equity where you're um empowering individuals to live a better life um through the community organizations that you're investing in, which kind of innovative innovative. I'm gonna use that word quite a bit, but it's uh it's uh unique and refreshing to me. I'm not sure if a lot of other people have found uh organizations like yours that exist, but it's it's definitely something um new and fresh. Now, speaking of organizations like yours, if someone was looking for more information about your organization or to contact you, how do they do that?

SPEAKER_02:

The community foundation.org.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh wow, that's very common. Very easy. So the community foundation.org. And that's it.

SPEAKER_02:

That's it.

SPEAKER_01:

And they'll be able to They'll be able to look up our staff.

SPEAKER_02:

We've got information if you want to start a fund, if you want to learn about one of these initiatives to pool resources, uh, it's all right there on the homepage.

SPEAKER_01:

All right. And I know you don't have any favorites. And you did mention Mana, of course, as a large organization, and you mentioned a family uh that uh wanted to pool their money and put something together. Can you share some other examples of uh uh maybe maybe a business or maybe um there's a charity, or maybe there's a charity that wanted to give to you to give to others? What what are some more examples of donors, uh donor success stories that you have?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, um one that's dear to my heart. I'm I'm not gonna name their name, but uh um I was working with a family recently who um their mother passed away very suddenly. And so these this next generation who, you know, they're they're in their 20s, you know, they weren't expecting to be in a place to to steward her her philanthropic resources. They always thought she'd be around to teach them how to do this. Um, and so they were feeling a little bit stuck, a little overwhelmed by it. And it was really an honor to sit down with them and to talk about her, to talk about her amazing life, what she cared about, how she gave to the community, where they shared values with her, and then where are some new ideas that she would have loved to help them them cultivate. And so that got us thinking, and they were able to develop a plan for giving that both honors her and enables them to pick up the baton and take it to the um take it to the next level. And now, now that they've got kids, they're thinking about that next generation. Um, and the kids, you know, range from tiny, newborn to, you know, one that's you know about to turn 18 and and how they're engaging them and and teaching them the the values of giving to your community, it it's been a beautiful experience.

SPEAKER_01:

That's wonderful. So your your family can create a legacy um through taking something that was a loss and making it a a benefit to it can be a very healing experience.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Wonderful. And I was checking out your website and uh and I I clicked on ways to impact your community, and you have their uh four different uh levels uh open a fund, become a community champion, which sounds exciting, uh corporate giving and create a legacy. I think we talked about creating a legacy. What is this community champion thing?

SPEAKER_02:

Uh, community champions actually support the community foundation itself. We're a 501c3, and like others, we have to raise money to be able to do the leadership work that we do in the community. Um, I was telling you earlier, our job for community foundation, we are out in the community. The time we spend learning about partners, forging those connections and things like that, our community champions make that possible.

SPEAKER_01:

Fantastic. And then, of course, people are giving from their hearts. But in some cases, you know, you do want to make sure you have that tax information. What is the reporting like? Is it easy to get information on the giving that you've done and to gain the documents necessary to file your taxes?

SPEAKER_02:

You have a human at the ready who will get you what you need whenever you need it. Uh, some folks connect us directly with their wealth advisors and they just say, call Anna, call this team, they're gonna take care of it, get all my paperwork in. I want, I want this easy. And that's part of the benefit. We want the the giving to be easy, headache free, and rewarding.

unknown:

All right.

SPEAKER_01:

Fantastic. Fantastic. And then one last thing. If you're a community organization and you want to be one of the hundred that's vetted or the thousands that are considered, uh, what is the what is the very first step? How do I find out? Get on our mailing list where how and all that stuff.

SPEAKER_02:

Yep. So you go to our website, thecommunityfoundation.org. We've got a um a link right up at the top for nonprofits. We announce open applications on a quarterly basis. So um the best way is to join our mailing list so that way you'll get those notifications. Um, there are new opportunities popping up all the time. Even I can't predict how many new opportunities might come on um for the years. So that's the best way uh to stay uh stay in the know.

SPEAKER_01:

Fantastic. Fantastic. Now, um, are there events uh that you guys, do you guys host any events or anything, open houses or things of that nature that people maybe want to be aware of?

SPEAKER_02:

So we often take our donors out into the community to learn about nonprofits. I just held a virtual one now that it's getting colder, about half the more virtual. Um but just last week, um, some amazing partners during the, I should note, during the pandemic, we had a partnership with the county called Food for Montgomery, in which we were um bringing together the Montgomery County Food Council, DHHS, um, other partners, farmers, nonprofits, businesses, uh, to figure out how to respond to the growing need. Uh, some of our partners had this idea, realizing how much food is wasted in the system. They wanted to create a shared cold storage uh resource. And after several years looking for the right place and then getting extra resources and growing up, they were just able to release it. Uh, this has been led by um Kingdom Global CDC and Rainbow CDC, uh, working in the East County area. And we were able to bring out our donor community to, as our elected officials were cutting the rim on this amazing resource that's going to serve, it's gonna save that. Thousands of pounds of food from going into the trash. It's going to redirect that and get that nourishing food to families in need. It's going to make a huge difference. So we brought out our donors to see how it works, to hear from the partners. And then we got to talk with Mana Food Center, with uh the Food Council, and the Office of Food System Resiliency to understand the macro level perspective on what are the evolving needs in our community and what's the best use of our resources going forward.

SPEAKER_01:

Very thoughtful process. And that's what's happening, Moco.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you so much for being here. Do you have anything else you'd like to add on behalf of the community foundation?

SPEAKER_02:

I would say the needs are rising in our community. A lot of folks think, oh, Montgomery County is such a wealthy place. They don't have any problems. We have over 300,000 neighbors who are struggling to make ends meet right now. Some have been affected by, you know, federal layoffs or or uh or their government contractors or other challenges and with, you know, rising costs of rent, utilities, food. It's hitting families really, really hard. So everybody is in a position where they have something to give, be that time, talent, or treasure. I would say now more than ever, your community needs you. Now's the time to step up.

SPEAKER_01:

Now is the time. Now is the time. So thank you so much, Anna, for being here today. And a huge round of applause. We can insert it in here later to make sure that we show appreciation to her and the foundation for all the good work they've done, not just now and this year, but over the years, 52 years of support for our communities and making life better for not only Montgomery County, Maryland, but the entire DMB and the world. Thank you so much again for being here. And now we're going to move on and talk very quickly about what's happening, Moco's top four festive holiday happenings in Montgomery County, Maryland. And the very first one we want to talk about, number four, I'm going to count down from four, is that one of the greatest stories ever told for the holidays, a Christmas Carol being hosted at the Only Theater Center in Only, Maryland. Be sure to check it out. Visit uh tickets.onytheater.org and look up the Christmas Carol. That's number four. Uh fun for your family and friends that love theater. Uh, if you want to get outside and you're not too worried about getting cold, go join our friends at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds for Luminosity Holiday Lights Festival. All the lights, all the fun, all the festivities you can find out there in the maybe not so cold, but out there bright, beautiful lights and fun for the entire family. Uh, great walking environment there in Montgomery County, Maryland. Shout out to Moco Fair, our very good friends. And if you want to join another part of the county for winter lights, you can go out to Seneca Creek State Park in Gaitheburg, Maryland. Tickets are available via Eventbrite. Uh, so search for Winter Lights Festival, Seneca Creek State Park. That's number two. And now for number one, one, one, one, one. Coming to you from the Montgomery County Parks Department, Gardener Lights at Brookside Gardens, beautiful Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland. Check it out, you and your families. And that's what's happening, Moco. Be sure to subscribe, like, and share so you can learn more about giving in Montgomery County, Maryland. But of course, as always, some of the great and wonderful resources and happenings here in the county.

SPEAKER_00:

Thanks for listening to What's Happening Moco. Please subscribe, be your favorite podcast every time. And follow us on Facebook. This podcast is brought to you by County Cable Montgomery, your source for news and information from the Montgomery County government. Connect with us via cable, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube by searching for County Cable Moco.