VPP, Mario Morino Honored by Common Sense Media

What do Elmo, the former FCC Chairman who gave the legendary “vast wasteland” speech about the future of television, Senator Joe Lieberman, and VPP have in common? On September 6, all were honored at the third annual Common Sense Media Awards, which recognizes “outstanding organizations and individuals who have made extraordinary contributions toward enriching and improving the media landscape for children.”

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Jack Davies Honored for Visionary Leadership

VPP Founding Investor Jack Davies was honored by CharityWorks at the organization’s 2006 Dream Ball on September 30, for his commitment and leadership, as well as his vision to create the CharityWorks Vintage Wine Tasting, which has become a major source of revenue for the organization.

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VPP, Mario Morino Honored by Common Sense Media

What do Elmo, the former FCC Chairman who gave the legendary “vast wasteland” speech about the future of television, Senator Joe Lieberman, and VPP have in common? On September 6, all were honored at the third annual Common Sense Media Awards, which recognizes “outstanding organizations and individuals who have made extraordinary contributions toward enriching and improving the media landscape for children.”

Newton Minow, the John F. Kennedy-appointed FCC chair who gave that prescient speech 45 years ago, was presented with a 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award and captivated the crowd gathered at the Kennedy Center with tales about his days at the helm of the FCC, and the instrumental role he had in making Sesame Street a reality. The other honorees were Senator Joe Lieberman, for his outstanding public leadership on issues relating to kids and media; and Gary Knell, who accompanied Elmo to the awards and accepted the award on behalf of Sesame Workshop, for making a meaningful difference in lives of children around the world.

VPP Founding Investor Katherine Bradley warmly introduced Venture Philanthropy Partners and Chairman Mario Morino, who were recognized for their civic engagement on behalf of children. In her remarks, she spoke of her first meeting with Mario, “That morning [he] articulated his vision for Venture Philanthropy Partners. Mario wanted to adapt investment principles and disciplines from the private equity and venture capital worlds to the philanthropic sector in order to build stronger, more effective institutions serving children and families. I saw it coming that day, just as you can spot an unstoppable locomotive far off in the distance. Mario’s vision and drive were attaching to the issues facing low-income families, and the Washington philanthropic community would never be quite the same again.”

Mario said, “We are very grateful to Common Sense Media for recognizing our work at Venture Philanthropy Partners, as well as that of our nonprofit investment partners. For too many of our children, a range of issues from education to health limit their lives and opportunities, and we
applaud Common Sense Media for their work advocating on behalf of children and for giving thousands of families a choice and a voice about the media they consume.”

Common Sense Media is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the media and entertainment lives of kids and families. With a belief in media sanity, not censorship, they provide trustworthy information, practical tools, and a respected public voice to create a healthier media environment for children and families. Launched in May 2003, Common Sense Media now helps more than 4 million parents, educators, caregivers, and kids make more informed decisions about the media they consume. For more information see the Common Sense Media website.

(photo, left to right, Kathleen Matthews, Mario Morino; Jim Steyer, Katherine Bradley)

Jack Davies Honored for Visionary Leadership

VPP Founding Investor Jack Davies was honored by CharityWorks at the organization’s 2006 Dream Ball on September 30, for his commitment and leadership, as well as his vision to create the CharityWorks Vintage Wine Tasting, which has become a major source of revenue for the organization.

CharityWorks is a volunteer-led nonprofit that partners with a different nonprofit each year, providing both a corps of volunteers and financial resources to make the dreams of the partner organization a reality. Proceeds from this year’s event benefited Higher Achievement, a local nonprofit that provides motivated middle school students from under-served areas with a nationally recognized year-round educational and high school preparatory program. Previous beneficiaries of the CharityWorks Ball include VPP investment partners See Forever Foundation and Heads Up as finalists, and the SEED School as a semi-finalist.

Jack serves on the advisory board of CharityWorks, and has served as Chair of the Vintage Wine Tasting since its inception in 2004. Through Jack’s leadership, the wine event has evolved into one of the region’s hottest events, and has raised more than $1.5 million for CharityWorks beneficiaries. The event features an intimate dinner with meals prepared by Washington top celebrity chefs complemented by wines that rate a rare perfect score of 100 points from Wine Spectator magazine.

Said VPP Chairman Mario Morino, “Jack has become an invaluable asset to a number of nonprofit organizations, VPP included, and it’s great to see him honored in this way—not only for his financial generosity, but also for his ever-expanding value to the community in sharing his know-how, boundless energy, and enormous talent.”

Case Foundation’s Investment in PlayPumps in National Spotlight

Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation and a VPP Founding Investor, co-authored with First Lady Laura Bush an op-ed in Time magazine about the powerful potential of public-private partnerships: "Cooperation between governments and citizens isn't just smart policy. It's our best hope for fulfilling the moral obligation of decent societies and caring individuals to end the suffering of millions around the world." The op-ed follows on the heels of their joint announcement at last month’s second annual Clinton Global Initiative of a $16.4 million investment by the US government, the Case Foundation, and The MCJ Foundation to expand the installation of PlayPumpTM water systems throughout sub-Saharan Africa, bringing clean water to as many as 10 million people. In other Case Foundation news, its approach and investment in PlayPumps were featured in a Chronicle of Philanthropy article, “Blending Business and Charity,” which examines Google’s decision to manage its philanthropy as a for-profit venture and the larger trend of blending business and philanthropy.

Stargazer Foundation’s Strong Angel III Exercise Becomes Real-Time Support

The Stargazer Foundation, led by VPP Founding Investor Art Bushkin who serves as Chairman and CEO, recently partnered with the Red Cross, IBM, and others to provide communications support for a large scale Integrated Disaster Response exercise, called Strong Angel III. What began as a drill became real-time support as Tropical Storm Ernesto gathered strength, and, using the Foundation’s Stargazer.org technology platform, the Red Cross was able to:

• Send/receive private, reliable messages to/from its virtual command center, national disaster operations center, local chapters, partners, and personnel;
• Communicate to/from Stargazer (on the Web), any computer desktop with Internet connectivity, mobile devices, and existing Red Cross applications and systems; and
• Transmit text, maps, pictures, audio, and video.

Since then, Stargazer has been operationally supporting the Red Cross, and their usage of the system has grown. Art says, “This technology can be used to address many of the communications problems that have been identified in every report and analysis since 9/11. We and the Red Cross are also continuing to develop additional uses of the technology, such as assisting the Red Cross’s Hurricane Recovery Program in working with Katrina clients along the Gulf Coast.” Stargazer was founded in 1999 by Art Bushkin and VPP Founding Investor Kathy Bushkin Calvin. See the website for more information on the Stargazer technology.

Expansion

AALEAD’s Celebrates Expansion into Maryland
Thanks to Rosetta Lai, Vice President for Development and External Affairs, for this update.

AALEAD will host an Open House on Wednesday, October 11, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at its new Maryland office in Wheaton. The purpose of this Open House is to welcome community members, volunteers, local elected officials, interested organizations and agencies, students, and families in a celebration of AALEAD’s expansion and recent achievements in Montgomery County.

AALEAD’s Wheaton office will work with students at Loiederman and Parkland Middle Schools to provide tutoring, homework help, mentoring, and after-school academic enrichment programs. AALEAD will serve at least 25 students through its tutoring program and at least 40 students through its mentor program. AALEAD is always looking for volunteers, especially mentors and tutors, to work with Asian American youth from low-income families.

College Summit Expands Services in the National Capital Region
Thanks to Georgia Gillette, Director of Marketing, for this update.

In 2005, College Summit issued a request for proposals from National Capital Region school districts with the intent of securing district-level, multi-year partnerships that would push the organization closer to its goal of proving sustainability and scalability paired with measurable increases in the college enrollment rate. Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) and Alexandria City Schools responded to the RFP. While both districts engaged in a pilot model in 2005, PGCPS expressed interest in a district-wide, multi-year engagement. As a result, this school year College Summit will continue to expand its outreach to serve more than 1,200 students in the National Capital Region: 580 in Prince George’s County, 575 in the District of Columbia, and 100 in Alexandria and Arlington counties.

In an effort to increase college enrollment of low-income and minority students throughout Virginia, the University of Richmond and College Summit have entered into a new partnership that will begin in the summer of 2007 and continue for three years. College Summit will be the core component of The University of Richmond’s community outreach program, which also includes a mentoring program at John Marshall High School and an initiative to host freshman from all of the Richmond public high schools on the University of Richmond campus in March 2007. Together they will work to increase the college enrollment rate of low-income and minority students by offering them the tools and “know-how” to apply to and succeed in college.

Board Changes

SEED Foundation Elects New Chair and Vice Chair
Thanks to Elizabeth Frazier, Director of Communications, for this update.

At its fall 2006 meeting, the Board of Directors of The SEED Foundation elected Virginia “Ginger” W. Newmyer as chair and Ann B. Friedman as vice chair.

Newmyer, a historian specializing in British history, has lectured for the Smithsonian since 1980 both in Washington, DC, and the British Isles. She also has been a frequent lecturer at The Corcoran Gallery of Art, The Folger Shakespeare Institute, and at clubs and universities throughout the country. Her book reviews, travel commentaries, and historical articles have appeared in The Washington Post and other publications. Newmyer has served as Chair of the Board of Library Trustees of the District of Columbia and as a trustee of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington and Sidwell Friends School. She attended Smith College, received a bachelor’s degree from Barnard College, and a master’s degree from American University.

Friedman is a part-time first grade reading and writing teacher in the Montgomery County Public Schools. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of The National Symphony Orchestra and as a trustee of World Learning in Brattleboro, VT, and Conservation International in Washington, DC. She also serves on the board of WETA, the public broadcasting television and radio station. She received a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, a master’s degree in international relations from The London School of Economics, and a master’s degree in teaching from American University.

Eric Adler and Rajiv Vinnakota, the co-founders of The SEED Foundation, remain as chair and vice chair of the Board of Trustees of The SEED School of Washington, DC. Adler comments, “We are thrilled that Ginger and Ann are providing leadership for the SEED Foundation board. With their guidance, we know that SEED will continue to grow and that we will replicate the success of The SEED School of Washington, DC in future SEED Schools throughout the country.”

Management Changes

NEW COO Joins BGCGW
Thanks to Tanzi West, Chief Communications Officer, for this update.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington (BGCGW) has hired Kevin Dowdell as Chief Operations Officer. Serving as the deputy to Chief Executive Officer Will Gunn, Dowdell will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization, concentrating on strategic planning, development, and finance.

“We are happy to have someone of Kevin’s caliber join our organization. I believe his strong background in strategic planning, financial management, and operations management will advance our organization and allow us to grow in a way which is consistent with our mission,” Gunn said.

Dowdell comes to BGCGW as an accomplished leader and innovator in the areas of strategic planning, operations management, business development, financial management, fundraising, and strategic marketing. Working most recently as an independent management consultant, Dowdell has supported organizations such as the US Tennis Association, a $200MM nonprofit; Russell Simmons’ FabTV, a cable TV venture designed for urban youth; Sports for Life, a nonprofit which provides tennis instruction, technology education, and theatrical training to at-risk youth; and, ThanksUSA, a nonprofit which provides college scholarships for children and spouses of military personnel.

“I welcome Kevin Dowdell to Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington and look forward to having him lead the strategy and operations of our organization. Kevin has exemplified excellence in his previous positions and I am confident that he will do the same for ours,” said Terry McCallister, BGCGW Board Chairman and President and COO of Washington Gas.

An active community leader and volunteer, Dowdell has mentored several young students and guided their college and career development. He co-founded and served as Executive Director and board member of Arthur Ashe’s Safe Passage Foundation (SPF), and he currently serves as Vice Chair of the US Tennis Association’s National Junior Tennis League (NJTL). He is also an active board member of the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program (HJTEP) and he is a founder and Advisory Board member for the 15 LOVE tennis program for at-risk youth in Albany, NY.

Dowdell received his BSE in Management Systems Engineering from Princeton University and his MBA from the Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Partnerships & Alliances

CFNC Strengthens Partnerships with the Freddie Mac Foundation and Capital One
Thanks to Barbara Fox Mason and Kate Lyng for this update.

In September, CFNC’s proven program outcomes were validated once again by the Freddie Mac Foundation and Capital One. The Freddie Mac Foundation approved a two-year grant of $500,000 for general operating support, further solidifying a partnership that has been in place since 1992. Capital One, another long-time supporter, also approved a $175,000 grant to sustain and continue CFNC’s expansion efforts.

Volvo America has named Barbara Mason, CFNC’s Executive Director, as a semi-finalist for the 5th Annual Volvo for Life Awards. Finalists will be selected by the general public who are able to vote for their favorite hometown hero and read their stories by logging onto www.volvoforlifeawards.com through February 4. Once the public vote concludes, the top three vote getters in the categories of safety, quality of life, and environment will be named finalists. Then, a panel of distinguished judges—including Hank Aaron, Sen. Bill Bradley, Caroline Kennedy, Maya Lin, Paul Newman, Dr. Sally Ride, Val Kilmer, Eunice Kennedy Shriver —will select winners in each category. Winners receive a $50,000 charitable contribution from Volvo; remaining finalists receive a $25,000 contribution. The overall grand winner will also receive a new Volvo every three years for the rest of his or her life.

Noteworthy Announcements

CentroNía Hosts Third Literacy Conference
Thanks to Isabel Barranzuela, Communications Associate, for this update.

On Saturday October 21, 2006, CentroNía will host the third in a series of three literacy conferences under the umbrella “Literacy: A Priority for Everyone / Alfabetización: Una prioridad de todos.”

Building Literacy in K-3 Environments will focus on improving literacy among children who are just beginning formal education. Workshops for educators, parents, and administrators will cover a range of subjects from assessment methods, innovative teaching tools, as well as looking at the current debate over bilingual schooling. To register, visit the website or call 202-332-4200.

Latin American Montessori Bilingual Public Charter School Begins New School Year in Permanent Home
Thanks to Jim Whitney, Communications Director, for this update.

The Latin American Montessori Bilingual Public Charter School (LAMB), founded by LAYC in 2001, has moved into its permanent home at the old Military Road School at 1375 Missouri Ave., NW. Classes began at the freshly renovated building on September 5.

The Military Road School has a rich history, opening in 1864 as one of the first schools for freedmen in the District of Columbia. For many years, it was the only school for African Americans in a large portion of Northwest DC. The school is a registered historic site in the District of Columbia. The current facility is on the footprint of the original structure and was built circa 1911-1912.

LAMB spent three years renovating the facility before moving in this fall. LAMB is educating 106 children this year, ages 3 through second grade, in its new home. Half of the students come from families where Spanish is the dominant language. Students learn in multi-age classrooms in a dual language immersion environment (English and Spanish), with half the day conducted in English and half in Spanish. LAMB is the only dual-language Montessori public charter school in Washington, DC, and one of just a few in the US.

LAMB Executive Director Diane Cottman said, "Renovating the school has been a journey. Thanks to all the parents, teachers, supporters, and friends who helped us out along the way. Today, we are in a beautiful, historic space and the kids love it. Now, we begin the next phase of LAMB's exciting journey."

The new site is also home to a sparkling new playground, built with the help of KaBOOM!, Friedman Billings Ramsey, and more than 200 volunteers on a beautiful Saturday in September. Working throughout the day, the playground team drilled, hammered, mixed cement, shoveled mulch, assembled slides—and when it was all done—there was a safe, beautiful, and fun play space for LAMB students.

Mary’s Center’s Noche Tropical
Thanks to Vanessa DeCarbo, Director of Advocacy and Communications, for this update.

Mary’s Center’s sixth annual fundraising gala Noche Tropical takes place Saturday, November 11, 2006, from 7:00 p.m. to midnight. The gala raises awareness and funding for health care and social services for underserved families in Washington, DC. Noche Tropical is hosted by Ray Suarez, of PBS and NPR with the live music of Orquesta La Romana.

For additional ticket and sponsorship information, please contact 202-420-7172.

Programs & Services

NASA Astronauts Make Historic Landing at Maya Angelou Public Charter School
Thanks to Sunny Lee, Director of Development, for this update.

The See Forever logo of a student climbing a ladder to reach for the stars is a metaphor for the figurative reach MAPCS students make as they work to bring their dreams into reality. However, as students gathered at the Shaw campus recently learned—to literally reach for the stars, it helps to have a space shuttle!

During the first week of school, MAPCS students from both campuses welcomed astronauts Mark Kelly, Mike Fossum, Lisa Nowak, Stephanie Wilson, and Piers Sellers, the crew from the space shuttle Discovery mission STS-121. The astronauts shared footage of their July mission, answered students' questions, and presented the school with an autographed montage that included various space memorabilia from the shuttle’s Fourth of July orbit.

"The astronauts loved getting to spend time with Maya Angelou students," said Trena Ferrell, workshop coordinator for the NASA Explorer Schools program. "They were really excited about the opportunity and thought the students asked great questions such as how do you sleep in space, and what is the relationship between space travel and global warming?"

Ferrell started her teaching career as a science teacher at Maya Angelou back in the school's second year of operation and said she was proud to be able to bring this experience to a school close to her heart.

"I feel like I'm at home," said Ferrell, who hopes to bring MAPCS on board as a full-fledged NASA Explorer School in order to continue providing curriculum and professional development support.
"NASA's focus is to get students interested in what we call STEM-G careers: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Geography, so I knew Maya Angelou would be a perfect fit," said Ferrell. "From what I know about this school, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the students who were sitting in that auditorium end up working for NASA or traveling in space some day. Being involved with this school in its early days helped show me that anything is possible."

The Explorer Schools program targets under-served populations in diverse geographic locations and brings educators, administrators, students, and families together in sustained involvement with NASA's education programs to address local challenges in science, technology, and mathematics education.

John Hairston, NASA's Assistant Administrator of Education, and Robert Laslavia, NASA Explorer Schools' Program Manager also participated in the event to promote the education initiatives that will be necessary to sustain the space program and other technological advances.

"The message is that if we want to continue the work of NASA and prepare for the future, this country needs young people like the students at Maya Angelou who are interested in these careers and want to work hard to get there," said Ferrell.

Outcomes

Survey Reveals Heads Up Helps Families
Thanks to Sara Brandspigel, Director of Development, for this update.

Last spring, Heads Up conducted a survey of students attending the after-school program and their parents. The results confirm that Heads Up has a powerful impact on children and families.

In neighborhoods plagued by high rates of crime, Heads Up offers a safe and convenient place for children to spend after-school and summer hours. In the survey, 88 percent of students said they feel safe in the program. Last year, Heads Up expanded after-school program hours to better meet the needs of parents, and now 96 percent of parents say Heads Up offers convenient hours.

Heads Up is also giving children a strong academic footing and inspiring them to succeed in school. Four out of five students said that Heads Up helped them get better grades, finish homework more often, and become better at reading.

The survey also shows that the college student tutors serve as powerful role models to Heads Up students, many of whom don’t know anyone who has been to college. Ninety percent of the children said the program helped them see how doing well in school can help them later, and 92 percent said that, because of Heads Up, they want to go as far as possible in school.

Parents confirm that Heads Up was a valuable experience for their child. Every parent surveyed said that Heads Up improved their child’s reading skills and they would recommend the program to other parents.

Twenty-eight parents and 218 students responded to the survey. “This survey was part of a new effort to track our progress towards very specific goals,” said Darin McKeever, Heads Up Executive Director. “With future surveys, we hope to gather input from even more parents and students so we can better meet the needs of working families.”

Civic Ventures Names Purpose Prize Winners

Last month, Civic Ventures, a nonprofit think tank and program incubator focused on helping society achieve the greatest return on experience, announced the winners of the first-ever Purpose Prize, which honors social innovators over 60 who are taking bold steps to help solve some of society's biggest problems.

Fifteen winners were selected from a pool of more than 1,200 nominations—five received $100,000, and the ten other winners received $10,000. Winners ranged from W. Wilson Goode Sr, 68, for his work to mentor children of incarcerated parents to seventy-five-year-old Charles Dey, who created Start on Success, a National Organization on Disability program providing paid internships and workplace mentors to predominantly minority high school students with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities.

VPP Chairman Mario Morino served on the panel of judges for the award, which was chaired by Sherry Lansing, CEO, The Sherry Lansing Foundation and former Chairman, Paramount Pictures' Motion Picture Group; and also included Sidney Poitier; Harvard professor and former Presidential advisor David Gergen; and author Gloria Steinem. The Atlantic Philanthropies and the John Templeton Foundation provided funding for the Prize, The Case Foundation sponsored a webcast of the first gathering of the winners on September 7, and all three organizations collaborated on a full-page New York Times ad congratulating the winners. Mike Bailin, the former President of the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation and a longtime friend of VPP, serves as Vice Chair of Civic Ventures.
In a press release, Civic Ventures Founder and President Marc Freedman said, “As the first of America’s 77 million baby boomers turn 60 this year, The Purpose Prize winners are doing what society least expects people over 60 to do: innovate.” For more information, see the website.