September 2024 Newsletter

Welcome to the 2025 Grant Cycle!

We look forward to welcoming you—or welcoming you back—to our collective giving community as we launch our third decade of high impact grantmaking.

Since 2004, the members of Many Hands have raised more than $3 million to support local nonprofits that serve and empower women, children, and families in socioeconomic need. We make large unrestricted grants to organizations that work in economic empowerment, education, health, and housing, with the goal of supporting strong communities where all can thrive.

Members drive every step of our grantmaking, from the design of the application to the final choice of grantees. We educate and empower members to become engaged philanthropists by providing all necessary training and hosting programs about emerging issues, such as the rise of guaranteed income programs, with local experts and nonprofit leaders. We also offer time-crunched members the opportunity to discover and support small local nonprofits that stand out for their impact and mission alignment—simply by making a gift.

The only membership requirement is a contribution of $1,000 or more each year ($300 for members under 35). There is no application form or volunteer requirement. If cost is a barrier, Many Hands Many Voices offers a 50% waiver to prospective members 35 and over who live or work in the Many Hands service area. Find out more at manyhandsdc.org/membership or contact Lori Sostowski with your questions at membership@manyhandsdc.org. And be sure to join us for the 2025 Grant Cycle Membership Kickoff on Thursday, October 24!

RSVP! Membership Kickoff - Thursday, October 24

We look forward to welcoming Many Hands members—past, present, and prospective—at the grant cycle kickoff on Thursday, October 24.

Dr. Rustin Lewis, executive director of 2023 Impact Grantee Communities in Schools of the Nation's Capital, will join us to provide an update on their work and speak to the impact of Many Hands' grantmaking. Meet fellow donors, hear the latest on plans for the year ahead, and find out how to get involved!

WHEN: Thursday, October 24 | 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm (program begins at 7:00 pm)

WHERE: Chevy Chase Village Hall | 5906 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD or watch the live stream

WHO: Current/former members and anyone interested in learning about membership. Invite a friend!

If you have questions about Many Hands events, please contact us at membership@manyhandsdc.org.

Welcome Our New Board Members

We are delighted to welcome three new members to the Many Hands Board of Directors:

Ann Gouldin Kay has been a Many Hands member since 2019 and has served on the Economic Empowerment and Health Committees. She has worked as a buyer for Bloomingdale’s, the Spiegel Catalog, and the National Geographic catalog and website. She serves as treasurer on the board of Horizons Greater Washington and is an active volunteer and supporter of several DC-based organizations that provide educational and mentoring opportunities to children in underserved communities.

Susan Liss has been a Many Hands member since 2019 and has served on the Education, Health, and Housing Committees, as well as the Racial Equity Working Group. She is a retired public interest lawyer who has worked at a number of policy and advocacy nonprofits and as a political appointee at the Department of Justice and the White House. Her areas of focus include constitutional rights, women’s rights, women’s health, civil rights, voting, and the independence of the judiciary.

Rita Shapiro has been a Many Hands member since 2021 and has served on the Health, Housing, and Membership Committees. She is a consultant with more than 30 years of management experience working for renowned arts and other nonprofit organizations. Locally she has served as Executive Director of the National Symphony Orchestra and Interim Executive Director of the Catalogue for Philanthropy of Washington, DC (now Spur Local) and The Washington Chorus.

Many Hands is an all-volunteer organization with a working board that sets strategy and manages operations. In recruiting directors, we seek to reflect the diversity of our membership and meet our needs for specific skills. Click here to learn more about the current directors and Board responsibilities and qualifications.

Member Spotlight: Rachel Cohen

Rachel Cohen has been covering social policy issues in DC for more than a decade, with reporting published in more than two dozen national outlets including The New York Times, The Atlantic, Bloomberg, The Daily Beast, and The Washington Post. She joined Many Hands in 2024 as part of a journey launched by a reader's question about what one person could do to help people living on the streets. As she explains, "Since college I’ve digested and absorbed a lot of messages that things like volunteering, donating, and individual action are not helpful ways to bring about social change, and potentially even detrimental to those goals." But what has been the cost of these beliefs? "Has distancing ourselves from charity and service made the world a better place?" she asks. "Has it made my own life better?" Click here to read Rachel's thought-provoking essay for Vox about finding her way back to volunteering—and what she has learned from Occupy Wall Street, Alexis de Tocqueville, an unnamed rabbi, and yes, Many Hands.

Webinar: Evolving Membership Models - Tuesday, September 10

Join Philanos, the leading women's collective giving network, on Tuesday, September 10 at 12:00 pm ET to learn how collective giving groups are evolving to attract a more diverse group of women, including younger leaders who support growth both now and in the future. Stephanie Cook, executive director of the San Diego Women's Foundation, and Sue Pitchford, former president of Anne Arundel Women Giving Together, will share their experience with tiered membership and fellowship programs.

Many Hands members attend Philanos webinars free of charge. Contact us at info@manyhandsdc.org to set up your Philanos account and then click here to register by September 8.