Editor’s note: Katrina exposed to the world the consequences of America's decades-long failure to invest in critical physical and social infrastructure. But the problem is not limited to the Gulf states. In the piece below, VPP Chairman Mario Morino and Managing Partner Carol Thompson Cole discuss this national failure, and the importance of new thinking and investing in more effective ways

Long before Katrina hit, a tragedy of immense proportions had already hit New Orleans and hundreds of other urban centers and rural hamlets across America. More than 35 million people in America are poor, tens of millions more live paycheck to paycheck, and, for too many of them, the American dream that historically has driven progress and has given parents hope for their children’s future is no longer there.

While Katrina exposed to the world America’s growing class and racial problems, she also blew the covers off our country’s decades-long failure to invest adequately and effectively in physical and social infrastructure at all levels. The result: weakened governments, underfunded services, failing homeland defenses, inadequate education and healthcare systems, and divided communities in too many cities and towns. But a strong, robust infrastructure ensures that our nation, organizations, systems, and people have the capacity to get the most-needed things done well, producing tangible outcomes, and creating real value in return. It is the foundation for our economy and quality of life. It serves as the building block for effective homeland security that should protect us and help us recover from terrorism, natural disasters, and epidemics. And, it is at the core of our economic competitiveness in a radically changing global economy. But our prosperity and the future of our children are severely threatened because we have failed for decades to invest in critical infrastructure, and the investments we have made have not been as effective in producing the much needed results.

While the President has committed to rebuilding the Gulf Coast with the largest reconstruction project in American history, our country’s problems are much bigger and much deeper than that. Across our nation, our physical and social infrastructure has been allowed to erode and weaken—from bridges and water treatment systems, to public education and healthcare, and now all too obviously, to investments that ensure our personal safety. Just as in business, one can stay competitive only so long by continuing to cut costs and not investing to build for the future. Time runs out, the business disappears, and its stakeholders lose their investments. This is one fate we cannot allow to happen to our country.

In the wake of 9/11 and the devastation of Katrina, the real question facing us is: Will we proactively marshal the political will and the resources necessary to reinvest smarter and more effectively in infrastructure at all levels, starting now? Or will we continue the neglect and, instead, be short-term and reactionary, dealing piecemeal with major events as they unfold? And if we don’t act on a larger scale now, how will we handle a bio-terrorism attack, a 9.0 earthquake, or a global pandemic?

The infrastructure so crucial to our country’s future has at least four parts—homeland defense, physical plant, community and civic capacity, and social fabric. The first is our defense on our own shores, which spans everything from our emergency and recovery systems to how we protect our borders, power grids, water systems, e-commerce, and ports. As Katrina demonstrated, much more needs to be done to face the natural and man-made threats of the 21st century.

Physical plant, what used to be called “public goods”—highways, bridges, sewer/water plants, transportation systems, communications networks, etc—is key to our everyday existence. When they break down, as we witnessed with Katrina, we come to a chilling, even killing, shutdown.

Next is community and civic capacity—educational and medical institutions; governing bodies and court systems; and public services through government agencies, nonprofit institutions, and firms serving public needs. Although community and civic capacity affects everyone, as does homeland defense and physical plant, it impacts some more than others because the social safety net is found here. If the government does not allocate enough money for low-income housing, not many bankers, lawyers, and CEOs will suffer. Rather, thousands of low-income families will be forced to do without, or turn to shelters of last resort. Similar problems occur with cuts in healthcare, education grants, childcare, and income subsidies. But shortchanging these investments and not being effective with those we’ve already made have a cumulative effect of weakening our economic competitiveness, limiting opportunities for many to climb to the next rung of our socio-economic ladder, and cementing a permanent underclass.

The final element of infrastructure is the social fabric, the connective tissue that weaves our communities together. This starts with leadership, from our prominent civic leaders to the activist who rallies a neighborhood. It also includes such “old-fashioned” ideas as unifying around shared values, civic engagement, public spiritedness, cooperation, common purpose, and, yes, even patriotism. Extreme partisanship, racial and ethnic conflict, and the growing gap in wealth and income that threatens to cement a permanent underclass, all erode national unity, weaken economic competitiveness, undermine our ability to get things done, and, in the end, perpetuate the chronic problems facing working class and low-income families.

Infrastructure gaps not only result in lost opportunities for millions of people individually, but collectively, a lost opportunity to improve our society. The tragedy in New Orleans laid bare these failures, but these same problems lie just below the surface in just about every major city and rural outpost.

Fixing this investment problem requires us to be smarter and more effective at all levels. That means a different way of thinking and investing by governments, corporations, nonprofits, and individuals. And there are groups “on the ground” learning what it takes to invest and build for the long term. Our organization, Venture Philanthropy Partners, and our nonprofit investment partners are doing that right here in our National Capital Region so the examples of success are within a commute for key policymakers. We can show them what happens when you apply new ways of thinking and acting to the traditional work of nonprofit organizations, which are vital components of community capacity and social fabric, and are a growing part of government service delivery. We believe our experience can be adapted and expanded to address the challenges we now face nationally, regionally, and in the Gulf states especially.

Certainly, rebuilding and fortifying our country’s infrastructure will cost a lot of money and take a lot of time to do it right. But the investment issue goes beyond just more money. Our experience shows there are better, more effective ways to allocate this money to those leaders and organizations having the greatest impact and to provide them the strategic assistance necessary to succeed. Skilled managers and staff, supported by effective systems and held accountable for their performance, are essential to ensure that the monies invested are applied for maximum gain to society.

In addition, real change entails new thinking, rigorous analysis, compelling leadership, strong management, clear vision, fiscal integrity, and quality products and services—all delivered in a way that understands and respects key stakeholders. The mechanisms and leadership must be in place to ensure that capital flows to the most important areas, and not to favored constituencies or special interests. And, there has to be the management on the ground to see that money and human capital are deployed in the most effective way to bring about real, tangible outcomes for people.

Finally, everyone has a role to play. Certainly, government will be the largest actor, but it cannot and should not do it all, because the things we do together make all of us stronger. Government has to do its work smarter and more effectively. But corporations, foundations, philanthropists, nonprofits, small business, and individuals have a crucial role to play in mobilizing capital, manpower, expertise, ingenuity, and volunteerism, demonstrating leadership at all levels and setting a new expectation for effectiveness. This is also a defining moment for corporate America and the private investor to realize that real wealth and long-term value can come from investing—wisely and effectively—in our country’s infrastructure.

As daunting as fixing this infrastructure problem may be, we have a fundamental moral and patriotic duty to do so. Why? Because with the challenges our country faces today—natural disasters, terrorism, globalization, and more—we need every single set of hands, every good mind, and every resource we have available in this fight. America can’t afford to abandon to poverty and lack of opportunity the many future doctors, scientists, mathematicians, or political leaders, as well as mechanics, carpenters, and healthcare workers who live in our nation’s urban centers and rural areas. Our nation can continue the status quo, further widening the political and ideological divides that balkanize our country and further weakening our competitiveness. Or, we can set a different course for our country, one that does much more to invest in our future resources—the children and youth of today—and the infrastructure necessary to protect our country and help give all people the opportunity to carry on the American dream for themselves and their children.

But we can’t keep chanting the mantra of “do more with less.” We must become partisans of the “common good,” investing in and building strong, high-performing organizations serving the public interest, whether they are government, nonprofit, or private. Post-Katrina, we have an opportunity to set a different course for our country—one that invests in American’s traditional strengths of individual opportunity, community capacity and social fabric, and the future of our children and youth. These investments, if done thoughtfully and then strategically supported, will yield meaningful economic and social benefits for decades to come.

The real issue is not whether we do this, but can we afford not to?

- Mario Morino and Carol Thompson Cole

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Breaking barriers has been a common theme throughout VPP Investor Jeong Kim's remarkable life. Kim, who is the President of Bell Laboratories, arrived in the US from Seoul, Korea as a 14-year-old with no knowledge of the English language, went on to earn a PhD in Reliability Engineering from the University of Maryland (UMD), and then later started a telecom equipment company that he sold to Lucent Technologies for $1 billion. And, last month he became the first Asian American in the 150-year history of the University of Maryland to have a building named after him. In a packed dedication ceremony for the spectacular Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building, dignitaries including Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich spoke of the impact the state-of-the-art complex will have on elevating the region's role as a top center for innovation and research. Kim told of how he and his wife Cindy, both UMD graduates, felt a strong need to give back to the community that had given them the chance to succeed, and that it was only after learning from UMD President Dan Mote that he would be the first Asian American to have a building named after him at the University that he decided to make such a public gift. Like the many barriers that Kim has broken through in his life, the innovative $63 million education and research complex was designed to break down the barriers between core areas in engineering by fostering a collaborative environment. To learn more about the Kim Building, please see http://www.eng.umd.edu/facilities/facilities_kim-building-intro.html

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Freeman Foundation Executive Director Cheryl Kagan discussed the inspiration for the Institute: “Our grantmaking at the Freeman Foundation has become increasingly sophisticated over the course of our 45-year history, but it’s only been in past few years that we have started investing in building the capacity of the organizations we support. This focus on capacity building has been inspired to a great deal by Josh’s involvement as a Board member and Investor in VPP, and this Institute is a natural outgrowth of that.”

Attendees included leaders from 25 Montgomery County nonprofits, including such organizations as The Children's Inn at NIH, Manna Food Center, and the Rockville Arts Place. According to Kagan, the Foundation carefully selected participants with an eye toward diversity—not just in terms of the organizations they led, or their race, age, or ethnicity—but also in terms of their roles, length of their tenure, and size of their organizations, as they felt that having a real cross-section of leaders would enhance the learning of the group.

Institute participants will also attend brief sessions in November and January, additional networking sessions where members share their expertise with the group, and then a recognition ceremony featuring Montgomery College President Charlene Nunley and Josh Freeman in January.

Participant Jennifer Freedman, Development Director of Casa of Maryland, shared her thoughts about the Institute, "The greatest value has been the focus on individual leadership...it's been some of the most applicable and relevant training I've received. I'm very grateful to Montgomery College and the Freeman Foundation for putting together an Institute with a focus on the true needs of emerging nonprofit leaders. We need more such institutes so more nonprofit leaders can receive the tools to help them develop their full leadership potential!"

This was the second such Institute sponsored by the Freeman Foundation—the first was held last spring for nonprofit leaders in Sussex County, Delaware, one of the other major geographic areas of focus for the Foundation. Based on the success of the first two institutes, the Foundation is exploring options for future programs. For more information, please visit the Freeman Foundation website at http://www.freemanfoundation.org/events.htm

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Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington Taps
Col. Will Gunn as CEO

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington (BGCGW) has named Col. Will A. Gunn as its new CEO, citing his ability to be both a visionary leader and strong manager, and his deep commitment to helping young people achieve. Gunn assumed his position on October 3. He comes to the BGCGW after a distinguished 25-year career in the United States Air Force and a long history of mentoring and volunteer work with youth and young adults throughout the country.

“Will Gunn brings to our organization the talent we are looking for. He brings the ability to inspire others and manage large, complex enterprises. He is a visionary and a strong leader of great integrity. He is committed to justice and fairness for all individuals and to providing a positive role model to help people realize their full potential. Most importantly, he wants to channel his formidable skills and charisma toward helping young people,” said Terry McCallister, Chairman of the Board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington.

Most recently Gunn was Chief Defense Counsel, Department of Defense, Office of Military Commissions where he directed the overall defense effort for detainees brought before military commissions at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. While in this post, Gunn built a defense office from the ground up and led a team of 14 military and 20 civilian pool attorneys representing a client base of more than 500 detainees. Prior to this position, he was Executive Officer to the Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG), where he oversaw the office responsible for organizing, assigning, and training more than 2,500 active duty and reserve attorneys and paralegals.

Gunn also served as Chief Circuit Defense Counsel, Air Force Central Circuit, where he supervised defense representation in the Air Force’s largest and busiest judicial circuit, leading a 52-person team covering an 11-state region that defended several thousand clients and served a total client base of more than 100,000 personnel at 26 installations. From 1990-1991 he was a White House Fellow, serving as a liaison between the White House, Department of Transportation, Veterans Administration, NASA, and FEMA.

Gunn has always managed to find time to mentor people throughout his career. He was heavily involved in recruiting minorities to attend the Air Force Academy and in mentoring young lawyers serving JAG. He has volunteered in youth programs through his church, coached youth basketball teams, and tutored children in the Washington, DC and Montgomery, Alabama school systems.

“Throughout my life, so many people have given of themselves to help me. Their commitment to me influenced my desire to devote my life to serving others. For 25 years my service was through my varied legal work in the military where I mentored young attorneys as well as volunteered in the community to work with younger children,” said Gunn. “I’m very excited to take the reins of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington. It is a tremendous opportunity for me to use my talents to give back and help young people in the Washington, DC metropolitan area plant the seeds for their success.”

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Investment Partner Updates: New Senior Management Staff, New Board Members, and Other News

AALEAD Adds Vice President for Development & External Affairs
Thanks to Sandy Dang, Executive Director, for this update.

After a ten-month search, Asian American LEAD has hired Rosetta Lai as the Vice President for Development & External Affairs. An experienced corporate executive and a leader in Asian American nonprofit organizations, Lai brings passion, vision, and commitment to the position. In the last two decades, she has applied the results-oriented techniques of corporate management to nonprofit organizations, including serving as the President of the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), Chicago Chapter, in the 1980s. Her experience in building and sustaining client relationships in the private sector and her leadership roles in Asian American community-based groups, uniquely equip her for this position. Lai spent 20 years in the corporate sector with global corporations, such as Motorola, NCS/Pearson, and SRA/IBM. Prior to joining the corporate world, she spent eight years in education, where she was Dean of Women at Lake Forest Academy in Chicago and Academic Dean at St. Mary’s Academy in South Bend, IN. Currently she is the National President of the Organization of Chinese American Women.

In August 2005, Asian American LEAD received a $200,000 grant from the DC Office of Early Childhood Development to provide educational and mentoring program to 60 refugee and immigrant newcomers. This grant allows AALEAD to serve more students at Bancroft Elementary School and expand services to Thomson Elementary School.

CMHS Appoints Board Members
Thanks to Ricarda Dowling, Director of Development, for this update.

Donna Fleming and Ron Mattocks recently joined the board of The Center for Multicultural Human Services (CMHS).

Fleming, Senior Vice President, Zimmerman Associates, Inc. is well-known in the nonprofit community of Northern Virginia. She has served for ten years on the Board of Directors of Shelter House, Inc. including three years as its Chair; six years on the Human Services Council for Fairfax County, currently serving as its Vice Chair; three years on the Long Term Care Strategic Council; Chairman of the Board of Directors of Leadership Fairfax, Inc., Chairman of the Development Committee of Leadership Fairfax, Inc.; and as a member of the Community Advisory Board of the Junior League of Northern Virginia. Leadership Fairfax honored her with its Community Trustee Award in 2001 and the Torchbearer Award – Member of the Year in 2003. Also in 2001, she received the Outstanding Individual Award from Fairfax County’s Human Services Coalition.

Ron Mattocks, President, Mattocks & Associates, Inc., serves on numerous boards, including Women in Community Service, where he is Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee; Christian Camping International, US; and Keswick Pines. Through his work at Mattocks & Associates, Inc., Mattocks is dedicated to enhancing the bottom line performance of medical societies, associations, health and human services organizations, health care providers, private schools, universities, and faith-based organizations. His focus is on board development, general management systems, marketing, communications, publications, fundraising, sales and customer service, member recruitment and retention, new business development, and business planning. Remembering the challenges he himself once faced as a young “foreigner” in New Zealand, Ron empathizes with the situation of immigrants and refugees in our country and was drawn to the mission of CMHS.

LAYC Names Maryland Managing Director
Thanks to Lori Kaplan, Executive Director, for this update.

Luisa Montero-Diaz has been named Maryland Managing Director for the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC). With more than 20 years of experience managing projects locally, nationally, and internationally, she has been involved in grants development and contract management, training program design, and program development. Most recently, she worked for the District of Columbia Government, first as Director of the Resource Development Unit in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, then as Deputy Director for the Office of Partnerships and Grants Development in the Executive Office of the Mayor. Prior to her District government position, she served as project manager for a USAID project that provided training to more than 1100 Central Americans in a variety of technical areas. She worked at Melwood, a vocational rehabilitation center in Prince George’s County, in the mid to late-1980’s in the Training, Research and Demonstration Department. She assisted with a Projects With Industry grant focused on replicating employment models in seven states. Montero-Diaz served in the US Peace Corps as a teacher trainer and managed a grant to create a resource/training center for professionals and parents of disabled children in Ecuador. Early in her career she was a speech therapist for the Prince George’s County Public Schools. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Maryland. Her bicultural heritage combined with more than ten years of overseas experience substantiates her ability to work with diverse populations.

In other LAYC news, the bustling intersection of Columbia Road and 14th Street, NW is the site of LAYC’s latest partnership: the Corner Gallery. Target Stores will sponsor this street-side exhibition space that displays artwork created at LAYC’s Art & Media House. Currently on view are paintings, collages, and photographs by students from LAYC’s Next Step Public Charter School and Youthbuild programs and other LAYC community youth who took courses at the Art & Media House. A new exhibition will be displayed every two months.

See Forever Staffers Part of 2005-2006 New Leaders for New Schools Cohort
Thanks to David Domenici, Executive Director, for this update.

Zakiya Sackor and Rashida Waters, two returning staff at Maya Angelou Public Charter School, are members of the New Leaders for New Schools (NLNS) 2005-2006 cohort. NLNS selects and trains individuals, from within education, as well as former educators, to become urban public school principals.

Sackor is the Assistant Principal at Shaw and Waters serves as the Numeracy Coach and Resident Principal at Evans. Their selection into the cohort is a reflection of their talent, energy, and commitment to MAPCS students and what Maya Angelou strives for. And their continued work at on campus means that MAPCS has the chance to continue to build up a strong team of well-trained school leaders. Sackor says, “As a New Leader, I am learning how to better support teachers in an effort to improve student academic achievement. “

Waters continues an evolving relationship with MAPCS. She was a volunteer tutor at Maya Angelou Shaw four years ago. Based in part on that experience, she joined the Teach for America program for two years, and then returned to Maya Angelou at the Evans campus last year. She said, “"I decided to continue my work at Maya Angelou because their mission to educate children in low-income areas who have not been successful in traditional settings is similar to my own mission. Working with a staff that embraces the idea that All Children Can Achieve is a non-negotiable for me."

BGCGW Expands to New Site in Herndon, VA
Thanks to Tanzi West, Director of Communications, for this update.

In an effort to advance gang prevention and awareness, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington (BGCGW) Fairfax County branches, in conjunction with the Northern Virginia Gang Task Force, announced the opening of its first Boys & Girls Club expansion site aimed at addressing gang-related issues. Housed at Hutchison Elementary School in Herndon, VA, the new outreach site will assist in establishing alternative choices for the youth of Fairfax County. Funding for the new programs will be provided in part by Boys & Clubs of America, Cox Communications Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia Gang Task Force, BGCGW Fairfax County branches, and Hutchison Elementary School, with support by Congressman Frank Wolf and Herndon Mayor Mike Riley.

“It is with great pleasure that we welcome the newest member to our Boys & Girls Clubs family,” said Tim Sheahan, BGCGW Executive Vice President. “Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington has been around for almost 120 years and we have seen the gang problem escalate. It is our duty to provide not only a safe place for our kids to come but to also ensure they receive high level programming aimed at teaching them how to make smart choices and become productive citizens in their community.”

The Northern Virginia Gang Task Force was founded with funding from the US Congress, through Congressman Wolf. In his ongoing effort to help law enforcement officials deal with the growing level of gang violence in the Virginia region, Congressman Wolf included $2 million for the Task Force in the omnibus spending planned approved by Congress in 2004.

“The Northern Virginia Gang Task Force has been making great strides in their efforts with gang prevention. This new expansion site is evidence of what individual organizations can do when brought together for a common cause,” comments Congressman Wolf. “Dealing with this issue requires more than just enforcement. You have to have outreach mechanisms in place to provide prevention and educational programs. This new Boys & Girls club site is a prime example of these efforts.”

The city of Herndon is the first location chosen for the Boys & Girls club expansion sites by the Northern Virginia Gang Task Force.

LEE Y SERÁS (Read And You Will Be) Launches Nationally at CentroNia
Thanks to Isabel Barranzuela, Communications Associate, for this update.

A multi-faceted, multi-year early literacy program called Lee y Serás (Read and You Will Be) had its national launch at CentroNía on September 22. The program’s purpose is to engage families and communities in improving the early literacy development of Latino children and their later academic achievement. Washington, DC is the first US city to have access to the program, and CentroNia will be the lead agency in the DC metropolitan area. Lee y Serás provides a framework that can be customized to the cultural and demographic needs of Latino regional communities across the country.

CentroNía has identified the Lee y Serás initiative as a way to build on and enhance its existing outreach and vital education and support services to parents and providers. “CentroNía is proud and excited to partner with Scholastic, National Council of La Raza, and Verizon in the launch of Lee y Serás here in Washington, DC. This is a huge honor for CentroNía and recognizes our vital work with families in the area of literacy,” Executive Director BB Otero said.

To train educators, parents, business leaders and other literacy stakeholders on Lee y Serás practices and tools that promote early literacy in the Latino community, CentroNía will host its first Family Literacy Conference and Book Fair on December 3 and 4, 2005. Free literacy tools are available for families, educators and communities at an interactive bilingual website (http://www.leeyseras.net). A webcast of the launch is available by clicking on the Lee y Serás icon at http://foundation.verizon.com/.

CFNC Expands Programs and Highlights Need for Universal Preschool
Thanks to Susan Francis, Director of Development, for this update.

On September 6, CFNC’s doors opened to excited (and some nervous) preschoolers and their parents on the first day of classes. Soon pictures, drawings and other creations made by the children covered the walls. CFNC’s Alexandria classrooms grew once again, bringing the total number of children and families served to 188 in Alexandria. Thirty-two more children will experience their first day at CFNC’s two newest locations in Arlington within the next few months. More than 85 families remain on CFNC’s waiting list.

At the request of Alexandria Councilman Rob Krupicka, CFNC also hosted an event on September 6, highlighting the fact that too many young children in Northern Virginia are still showing up for kindergarten without the benefit of preschool. CFNC’s Executive Director Barbara Fox Mason said, “Poverty is the #1 indicator of school failure and, unfortunately, there are still hundreds of young children living in Alexandria and Arlington who are entering our schools unprepared to learn, a vast majority of those children are living in poverty. I’m so appreciative that Councilman Krupicka has put the spotlight on the importance of giving every child the opportunity to attend preschool and enter kindergarten prepared to learn.”

The opening day event was attended by community members, stakeholders, and local politicians including: Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille, Vice Mayor Del Pepper, Alexandria School Board Chair Mollie Danforth, Virginia Assembly delegate Adam Ebbin, Virginia State Senator Patsy Ticer, Arlington County Board of Supervisors Barbara Favola, School Board Member Arthur Schmalz, and Alexandria City Council members Joyce Woodson and Rob Krupicka.

Heads Up Serves More Students, More Days
Thanks to Darin McKeever, Executive Director, for this update.

Heads Up recently kicked off another school year full of learning and service. Changes for the year include:

More Days, Longer Hours. Heads Up has traditionally offered tutoring every day schools and partner universities are in session. And during the school year, Heads Up's program hours have ended at 6pm. The result: more than 300 hours of instructional support and enrichment for Heads Up students. But families and partner schools are interested in more—and have often asked how services could expand so that the care Heads Up offers is both more continuous and comprehensive. This fall Heads Up adds at least 11 more weeks to its school-year program and extends program hours until 6:30 pm. With these two steps, hours with students will increase by more than 70% and the program will run uninterrupted from September through early June.

Greater Alignment with DC Public Schools. Heads Up’s leaders continue to see alignment with the DC Public Schools as a mutually successful strategy. The additional weeks and hours of operation for this school year provide another opportunity. Each year DC Public School teachers are hired to serve as educational consultants—monitoring program implementation, providing extra support for individual students and tutors, and strengthening connections to classroom teachers and school administrators. For the new weeks of programming, additional teachers from local school partners will be hired to provide special supplemental instruction and enrichment, further integrating the in-school and after-school efforts.

More Students, Fewer Schools. This school year, Heads Up will serve a larger number of children at a smaller number of sites. By focusing its resources on eight schools, HU leaders can better marshal resources and staff support to ensure that families who have been anxious to receive services can, and the program will have a deeper, richer impact on the children at those schools.

Mary’s Center Partners with Ayuda

Thanks to David Bender, Vice President, Business Development and Communications, for this update.

Mary's Center announces a new partnership with one of the District's most highly-regarded and earliest-established Latino community-based organizations. In October, Ayuda becomes a tenant of Mary's Center, at 1707 Kalorama Road, NW. Incorporated in 1973, Ayuda advocates for and defends the legal and human rights of low-income Latino and other immigrant communities in the Washington, DC area. Ayuda promotes social justice and client empowerment through high-quality program activities related to immigration and domestic violence, including legal and social services, assistance to survivors and victims of domestic violence, advocacy, and community education. Ayuda's work complements the mission of Mary's Center by seeking to build community and promote the availability of comprehensive services for immigrant families.

SEED Foundation Begins First Phase of Business Planning
Thanks to Elizabeth Frazier, Director of Communications, for this update.

SEED’s partnership with VPP kicked into high gear in late summer and early fall with the first phase of the business planning work.

The framework and team resources provided by Monitor Consulting enabled SEED to better examine organizational capabilities and to focus on key areas to improve. The first phase of Monitor’s work identified internal processes as well as components of SEED’s program that will require additional focus prior to replication. The Monitor team also helped to refine SEED’s approach to selecting and developing expansion cities, which is key to a successful national rollout of the boarding school model. In the next phase of work, Monitor will work with SEED to integrate new and improved processes into both The SEED School and The SEED Foundation. SEED leadership has also consistently used the expertise and advice of the VPP partners as they contemplate the key legislative and programmatic issues that are already under way.

This business planning work has been a collaborative effort among SEED Foundation and School staff, board members, VPP and Monitor. Monitor has worked with both of SEED’s boards—the Foundation’s board of directors and the School’s board of trustees—to address these processes. This combined approach has been refreshing and has created a dialogue between the boards that is critical at this point in SEED’s evolution.

Pyper Davis, Chief Operating Officer of The SEED Foundation, has been managing the business planning work with VPP, Monitor, and the boards. Davis brings 15 years business executive experience to SEED and offers valuable insight on the issues that growing organizations confront. “Pyper has been key to this project. We are fortunate to have her analytical mind and her business instincts tackling our growth issues on a daily basis,” says Raj Vinnakota, co-founder of The SEED Foundation.

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