The Extreme Cost of Extreme Politics

Every American should be breathing a sigh of relief that Congress finally passed the Treasury’s $700B rescue plan. But let’s not kid ourselves―this is no time to declare victory. Congress finally managed to find a way to put country ahead of partisan considerations, but most Members did so kicking and screaming—and only after the House’s first effort to pass a bill led to staggering market losses. More »

Shore Receives 2008 Gleitsman Citizen Activist Award

The Center for Public Leadership (CPL) at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government named Billy Shore, cofounder of Share Our Strength and VPP Board member, as the winner of the 2008 Gleitsman Citizen Activist Award. More »

The Extreme Cost of Extreme Politics

Every American should be breathing a sigh of relief that Congress finally passed the Treasury’s $700B rescue plan. But let’s not kid ourselves―this is no time to declare victory. Congress finally managed to find a way to put country ahead of partisan considerations, but most Members did so kicking and screaming—and only after the House’s first effort to pass a bill led to staggering market losses.

If Congress is able to carry out its most important responsibilities only when there’s a gun to its head, then we’ve got bigger problems than the banking meltdown. A far greater problem for America’s families is the extreme division and partisanship that has come to dominate not just our election cycles but also just about every single day between them.

I’m convinced that extreme partisanship, which of course is only going to get worse between now and November 4, is not just something we can afford to simply accept as an inevitable part of the process. It is horrible for America. And it will be particularly devastating for the children and families that VPP’s investment partners serve and the millions like them across our nation.

As if these families were not being hit hard enough by record home foreclosures, massive layoffs, falling wages, and surging food and gas prices, what’s in store is going to be worse. And I’m not talking about reverberations from the meltdown in the markets. The reality is that our federal budget was heading for disaster even before Wall Street’s crisis became apparent.

Both the Congressional Budget Office and Government Accountability Office project that mandatory spending—the wonky term for big-ticket items like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and interest on the national debt—are on course to exhaust all federal revenue within a generation. In the surprisingly stark words of a GAO forecast released this summer, “absent significant changes on the spending or revenue sides of the budget or both,” the government will be able to do “nothing more than pay interest on its debt and mail checks to retirees and some of their health providers.”

Think about what this looming crisis will mean for children and families in the National Capital Region and the rest of the nation. If we don’t alter our fiscal course now, we will take away the very essence of the American promise—that all children, regardless of how they did in the birth lottery, have the opportunity to rise as far as their passions and talents will take them.

The federal government will not have a dime for helping improve public schools, for early childhood education, or college scholarships. Not a dime for Food Stamps, for nutritional support for women and infant children, or for protecting children from abuse. Not a dime for helping working families secure stable housing and reliable health coverage.

After 14 years of full-time work in the social sector and eight years working with VPP, I am convinced that nothing else we do for children and families will matter if we don’t address this budget crisis—and that extreme partisanship is the greatest impediment to solutions. Without thoughtful discussion and debate, America’s entire social sector and the families they serve will be left gasping for air. If ever there were a time for mavericks of both parties to come forward and set aside narrow political interests for the national interest, the time is now.

I’m going to put my money where my mouth is. This ugly political season has convinced my wife and me to apply a new test before we offer any more support to political candidates with our personal funds. From this moment on, a key litmus test for our supporting any candidate will be this: Does the candidate have a demonstrated track record of working with decision-makers of the other party and steering clear of the vitriolic politics that is tearing away the soul of our nation? Simply put, will the candidate put the needs of our nation first, ahead of self and party?

Money talks in politics (frankly, far more loudly than it should). Our money is going to speak the language of bipartisan problem-solving. If you make campaign contributions—whether it’s $5 or far more—I encourage you to reward candidates and public servants when they put our nation ahead of party. And come down hard when they do not.

Even more important, do the same when you go to the voting booth. Vote for those who level with us about our budget realities and will reach across the aisle to find solutions.

True leaders lead by example. Just imagine what would happen if, on January 20, our new president were to announce in his inaugural address that he and his competitor had joined forces to help find the common ground necessary to confront our budget crisis and implored their respective constituencies to do the same.

There’s no exact precedent for taking such a daring step, but bitter rivals almost always find ways of quickly putting aside grievances after bruising primary battles. The historian Doris Kearns Goodwin wrote a 944-page book about the brilliance of Abraham Lincoln’s decision to bury the hatchet with his three main primary opponents after their fight for the 1860 Republican presidential nomination. And remember that two recent presidents who once disdained each other, Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush, have successfully joined forces to help victims of the Gulf Coast hurricanes and the Asian tsunami.

If Senators Obama and McCain were to team up even in a modest way on day one, imagine the tone that would set. Whether the call came in the form of soaring rhetoric or unadorned straight talk, imagine how much easier it would be for us all to summon our better angels and sacrifice for the common good.

- Mario Morino

Shore Receives 2008 Gleitsman Citizen Activist Award

The Center for Public Leadership (CPL) at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government named Billy Shore, cofounder of Share Our Strength and VPP Board member, as the winner of the 2008 Gleitsman Citizen Activist Award. The award which includes a $100,000 prize will be presented to Shore on November 19 at a reception in Cambridge, MA.

The Gleitsman Citizen Activist Award was created in 1993 by retired television executive Alan L. Gleitsman (now deceased) to reward and encourage exceptional citizen-leaders in their efforts to correct social injustice. Past honorees include Wendy Kopp, Ralph Nader, and Gloria Steinem.

In a press release, Casey Otis-Cote, Assistant Director of CPL’s Gleitsman Program in Leadership for Social Change, observed, “There are two kinds of poverty in our country: those who don’t have and those who don’t know. Billy Shore has labored mightily over the past quarter-century to eradicate both. The 2008 Gleitsman Award not only recognizes Billy’s outstanding achievement, it also sets his example of inventiveness and perseverance in high relief, catalyzing the work of grassroots leaders everywhere.”

Judges for the 2008 award included J.B. Schramm, founder and CEO of VPP Investment Partner College Summit; Candace Lightner, founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving; Aviva Argote, director, Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, Harvard Kennedy School; Stanley Sheinbaum, founding publisher of New Perspectives Quarterly; and David Gergen, director, Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School.

Mario Morino, Chairman, said, “VPP is indeed fortunate that Billy has played an integral role from its inception to the present day. His wise counsel, far-reaching vision, and grassroots awareness have been invaluable to us and the 45,000 children and youth who are served by the 12 organizations in our investment portfolio.”

Management Changes

AALEAD Names New Director of Programs
Thanks to Rick Chen, Manager of Development & Communications, for this update.

AALEAD has announced Kendra Lee as its new Director of Programs. Her addition to the organization will help solidify the alignment of AALEAD’s newly refined goals with its programs.

Because of the special needs of the population that the organization serves, AALEAD carefully recruited over several months to find a candidate that would not only be able to monitor and ensure the effective and consistent delivery of quality programs and services but also improve and take AALEAD’s programs to the next level as the organization continues to expand to serve more low-income Asian Americans.

Lee completed her MBA from the Yale School of Management, with a concentration in nonprofit management. Prior to her MBA, she was involved with youth and education in a variety of settings as a teacher, volunteer, and mentor. Some of her experiences include teaching at Kwangju Foreign School in South Korea and working with youth as a volunteer in Ecuador and Guatemala. She also worked as a Project Editor at Pearson Prentice Hall and as a Summer Associate with United Way International. Lee completed a B.S. in Education from Boston University and a Master of Education (Ed.M.) from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is also proficient in Korean.

Programs & Services

CentroNía Opens New Classrooms
Thanks to Brenna Casey, Communications Manager, for this update.

Seventy-five new students were enrolled in CentroNía’s early childhood program for two-year-olds this fall. The organization opened two new annex classrooms at 2900 14th Street in the Columbia Heights neighborhood. The facility, equipped with bright classroom spaces, outdoor play areas, and community rooms for parents and teachers, offers childcare to families who had been on a waiting list for up to a year.

“Children learn so fast there,” said Leidys Hernandez, an early childhood teacher whose son, Brady, attends the new program in the annex classrooms. “He’s interacting with so many other children which is great for Brady because he’s a little shy.” Hernandez’s son was one of more than 300 children who were awaiting availability in CentroNía’s early childhood program. The annex, she says, has made a huge difference in her life. She’s now able to work full-time instead of part-time and is looking forward to attaining Child Development Associate credential. “He even eats things that he never used to eat at home!” she says of Brady’s growth at CentroNía. “It’s tremendous!”

Students choose activities in the new classrooms.

These new classrooms follow CentroNía’s bilingual model. Certified teachers team teach, using English and Spanish interchangeably. Children participate in a wide variety of activities including exercises in arts, music, community play, and outdoor play.

The space, which was converted from a struggling neighborhood childcare center, was an opportunity for CentroNía to accommodate its burgeoning wait list. “As an organization that is committed to fostering bilingual, multicultural education, we know that it is imperative to preserve community space for the diverse populations with which we work,” said BB Otero, President and CEO.

“It’s a great place for children,” Rosa Moraes, Early Childhood Project Director, said. “It’s bright. It’s warm. It just feels right.”

Awards & Recognition

See Forever/Maya Angelou Public Charter School
Making a Difference, One Star at a Time
Thanks to Ingrid Padgett, Director of Development, for this update.

Ten years ago, while charter schools were taking root in DC and across the country, very few were recruiting the youth served by See Forever/Maya Angelou—low-income, urban youth who were behind in school, had been suspended or expelled, or who were previously incarcerated. Today, the school’s target student population remains, by mission, disadvantaged and underserved youth in need of a holistic program that addresses the academic and socio-emotional needs of at-risk youth.

The Fall 2008 issue of Education Next featured the See Forever/Maya Angelou model in “Out of Jail and Into Jobs” by co-founder James Forman, Jr. The article provides an in-depth look at the work the school is doing to transform the lives of underserved students—one student at a time, one challenge at a time, one success story at a time. See Forever/Maya Angelou offers an intensive academic curriculum and important wraparound services designed to support alternative students.

Forman said, “Our school serves as a place of hope. Through high expectations, a rigorous curriculum, relevant coursework, and caring relationships, we are able to help students on the verge of becoming high school dropouts reach beyond boundaries and attain a high school diploma, move onto postsecondary programs, and enjoy a lifetime of success.”

The featured article was adapted from a speech Forman delivered at the National Association of Charter School Authorizers annual conference in the summer of 2007. In charting the school’s journey from a nonprofit tutoring program run from a small pizza delivery restaurant in northwest Washington, DC, serving the needs of 20 students in 1997, to a multi-campus collaboration serving more than 600 students during the 2008-2009 school year across five sites, one thing is clear: See Forever/Maya Angelou has built momentum throughout the nation and in Washington, DC, to provide better and more just opportunities for kids who have made mistakes but deserve a shot at a top-notch education.

See Forever/Maya Angelou Co-Founder David Domenici said, “As a charter school, we admit all students and have no admissions restrictions. However, we still actively recruit students from the court system, as well as attract a disproportionate percentage of students with special needs, students who are behind in school, and those who have simply stopped attending school.”

Over the last five years, 80% of entering students at the Maya Angelou Public Charter School tested at the elementary school level in reading and math. Yet, Maya Angelou students move on to postsecondary programs or employment at a rate exceeding 80%. In fact, more than twice as many of its alumni have earned a bachelor’s degree than is the case for other lower-income African Americans generally. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, 11% of low-income African American students who move onto postsecondary programs obtain a bachelor’s degree. At Maya Angelou, 24% of its students who move onto postsecondary programs obtain a bachelor’s degree and 39% of its graduates continue on the path toward a degree or professional certificate.

Friendship Educator Wins Award for Innovative Program
Thanks to Barry Lofton, Director, Corporate and Community Relations, for this update.

The ING Unsung Heroes awards program recognizes K-12 educators nationwide for their innovative teaching methods, creative educational projects and ability to positively influence the children they teach.

Christian A. Schaefer, an engineering teacher at Friendship Collegiate Academy of Friendship Public Charter School, was recently recognized as one of the nation’s most innovative educators in the 2008 awards program. Schaefer was one of 100 winners who received a $2,000 award initially and then went on to win the second place prize of an additional $10,000 to help fund his idea.

“World at Your Doorstep” is a cross-curricular project which uses technology to forge real and personal connections with people of other cultures. Approximately 150 students will learn to appreciate their own city, gain an understanding of other cultures, develop design and engineering skills, and acquire important technology know-how that will benefit them both as students and future professionals. Through the project, Friendship Collegiate Academy engineering students will collaborate with students attending a school in Rome, Italy, to explore the architectural, artistic, and cultural influences of Rome on our nation’s capital.

"Everyone at Friendship Collegiate Academy of Friendship Public Charter School is proud of Christian for winning this prestigious award, knowing that our students will benefit from this great opportunity,” said Peggy Pendergrass, Principal. “This type of exposure not only helps our students academically but also sparks pride in our community. We are also thankful to ING for providing educators across the country with the opportunity to receive funding for programs that truly advance student achievement.”

Since honoring its first “unsung hero” in 1996, ING has awarded more than $3 million to nearly 1,300 educators across the United States. The 2008 ING Unsung Heroes winners were selected from a group of more than 1,400 applications. Applications for the 2009 awards are due on April 30, 2009.

Mary's Center Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Thanks to Lyda Vanegas, Advocacy and Communications Officer, for this update.

Nearly 400 people gathered at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on September 26, to celebrate Mary's Center's 20th Anniversary at its annual gala, Noche Tropical.

It was both a philanthropic and festive evening where donors, founders, government officials, community leaders, staff, and friends came together to celebrate Mary's Center's achievements throughout its 20 years of service.

The program, hosted by Lesli Foster of 9NEWS NOW, featured Mayor Adrian Fenty, along with his wife Michelle Cross Fenty, and Representative Chris Van Hollen. "Even as Mary's Center has expanded to three sites and more than 10,000 participants a year, they have retained their focus on the family and community while at the same time remaining a national leader in health promotion, disease prevention, and the elimination of health disparities," Mayor Fenty said.

During the ceremony, Mary's Center honored The M&T Charitable Foundation, Julie Rogers of the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, and Janet Murguía of National Council of La Raza for their commitment to the work of Mary's Center over the past 20 years. Two Mary's Center participants also spoke of their experiences with the Center.

"I always dreamt of the day that I would find my mom, but I also ended up finding myself, too. I have learned that I am a strong, smart, and capable individual who can face challenges and come out a winner!" said Ana Alvarez, one of the young participants.

In addition to honoring those who have joined the Center in making a difference in the lives of so many families in the Washington Metropolitan area, Mary's Center raised more than $335,000 with the event. The funds will go directly toward the programs and services that Mary's Center provides every day for the vulnerable and underinsured families in the metropolitan area.

SSIR Article Explores Growth Capital

“Money to Grow On,” by William Foster, is included in the Fall 2008 issue of the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Foster, a partner at the Bridgespan Group, investigates ways in which funders can use due diligence processes to identify nonprofits that can use growth capital to go to scale. The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation and Venture Philanthropy Partners are among several organizations mentioned as growth capital funders.