Welcome to “7 Questions” … Doug Yeuell, Executive/Artistic Director of Joy of Motion Dance Center. Embracing a wide range of dance from Middle Eastern to flamenco, hip hop to ballet, West African to tap and welcoming first-times and professional dancers, JOMDC always strives to make dance accessible regardless of financial means.

1. What was your most interesting recent project, initiative, partnership, or event?

I must say it was our recent gala fundraiser. Galas can be many things. Ours was simply a dance party and simply fun. A good time was had by all — and good money was raised. DJ spinning tunes and many, many people finding their dance on the dance floor. What could be better? It’s nice when you spend all your days focusing on dance training, curriculum, and educational programming to just let it all loose with co-workers, students, and all those that support what you do. Dance truly is for everyone, and I now have the pictures to prove it.

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Let’s welcome … Carina Gervacio, Program Coordinator at Brainfood! In an after-school program that gets at-risk youth off the streets and into the kitchen, Brainfood teaches cooking alongside reading, math, science, creativity, teamwork, and leadership.

1. What was your most interesting recent project, initiative, partnership, or event?

On Thursday, June 2nd, Brainfood graduates led a cooking demo at the Penn Quarter Farmers Market through Fresh Farm’s “Chef at the Market” program. Our students typically cook in our industrial kitchen, so it was a real treat to be making food outdoors, handing out samples, and talking with market customers about easy ways to cook with farmers market produce. The Farmers Market Fried Rice students made featured great market ingredients, including local mushrooms, asparagus, seasonal garlic scapes, and farm-fresh eggs. The best takeaway from the event, however, was seeing how easily Brainfood grads stepped into leadership roles and relished the chance to share their cooking skills with the public.

2. What else are you up to?

There’s really great energy (both nationally and in DC) behind improving food access, promoting urban agriculture, and building community through food and cooking. At Brainfood, we’re trying to build on this momentum with the fall launch of our Community MVPs program. This program is geared towards Brainfood grads who want to stay involved with Brainfood for a second year and use their cooking and leadership skills to give back to the community. The MVPs will develop a curriculum to teach hands-on cooking classes to community groups, and the focus of these classes will be teaching healthy food alternatives to residents and groups in the District. This summer, we’ll be putting all the pieces in place to roll out this new program in the fall. It’s a big task, but one that I’m excited to take on. Read all »

Good morning, folks! And welcome to … Michele Booth Cole, Executive Director of Safe Shores. With a child-friendly and welcoming approach, Safe Shores (the DC Children’s Advocacy Center) ensures that abused children’s voices are heard in criminal investigations, their needs are placed first, and a safe space is available to them.

1. What was your most interesting recent project, initiative, partnership, or event?

In April 2011, we held a series of free community trainings for adults on child sexual abuse prevention in different wards throughout DC in recognition of National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Safe Shores partnered with DC Council members Yvette Alexander (Ward 7), Muriel Bowser (Ward 4) Jack Evans (Ward 2), Jim Graham (Ward 1), and Phil Mendelson (At-large), DCPS Parent Resource Centers in Wards 1 and 7, and Nineteenth Street Baptist Church in Ward 4, all of whom co-sponsored the trainings to raise awareness about this critical public health and safety issue. The trainings were attended by a really diverse and engaged group of community members who learned how to recognize, respond to and prevent child sexual abuse pursuant to the “Stewards of Children” curriculum.

2. What else are you up to?

After six years of working, we finally completed the renovation and furnishing of Safe Shores’ new home at the former Bundy building. We moved into the newly renovated space last year along with the partners from our public and private Team agencies. Safe Shores’ Board and staff are now energetically engaged in strategic planning to chart Safe Shores’ course for the future. In addition, we’ve recently adopted the Benevon fundraising model to increase the organization’s long-term financial sustainability by expanding our base of individual supporters.

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Let’s welcome to “7 Questions” … Sveta Wilkson, Development Coordinator of Horton’s Kids, which has served as a second family to over 1,500 children from the Ward 8 housing projects for two decades. Also … we are sending many CFP cheers to Horton’s Kids for receiving the 2011 Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management just last night!

1. What was your most interesting recent project, initiative, partnership, or event?

Earlier this month, we hosted our third annual Home Runs for Horton’s Kids fundraiser at Nationals Park. Guests got the chance to bat on the field with Nationals staff, take pictures with Screech, bid in a silent auction, and just have tons of fun at this private event at the ballpark. Children also raced Teddy, one of the Nationals Presidents mascots. Our Board of Directors and many generous corporate sponsors helped make this event a success and raised a 1/3 of this year’s operating budget.

2. What else are you up to?

Horton’s Kids is wrapping up our tutoring program for the school year and gearing up for summer. Every year, we have a six-week, literacy-focused summer camp for the younger children. I’m looking forward to helping out our education staff and attending field trips like exploring local museums and swimming at the pool.

The application process for the for the 2011 Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management also helped us take a big picture look at all of our management practices, and I am looking forward to hearing other nonprofit leaders speak about what has worked for them.

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Let’s welcome … Adrien C. Finlay, Executive Director of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra since the 07-08 Season. Committed to artistic excellence and dedicated to entertaining and educating a wide range of audience members, the ASO has been offering classical and inter-arts programming since 1954. Check them out!

1. What was your most interesting recent project, initiative, partnership, or event?

Producing a new jazz orchestra series this season, with the most recent concert being a smashing success. We re-created Charlie Parker’s album, “Charlie Parker with Strings,” where he took some of the best songs of his colleagues (Richard Rodgers, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Duke Ellington) and arranged them for small orchestra, rhythm section, and alto saxophone soloist. The concert allowed us to branch out into new repertoire, pull in new audiences who were either jazz fans or fans of our saxophone soloist (Vaughn Ambrose), and present ourselves at Artisphere, Arlington’s new cultural center. Vaughn Ambrose is the band director of Hammond Middle School in Alexandria and it was such a joy to see so many of his students and their parents at the concert supporting him, and the ASO. Read all »

Good morning! Welcome … Shannon Steene, Executive Director of Good Shepherd Housing & Family Services, which combats homelessness by renting apartments with supportive services, making grants to prevent evictions, and providing counseling and financial education — and which stabilized over 750 families last year.

1. What was your most interesting recent project, initiative, partnership, or event?

Maybe this is cheating, but what’s held my interest lately is the intersection of a consulting project (led by a Compass team – - thanks, Compass!) with a board development project (led by Maureen Robinson). Either of these on their own would hold my attention, but together they give me assurance that we are not only planning for our future, but also equipping ourselves with the structure and practices needed to make that future vision possible. It has taken quite a bit of energy from all involved. Compass and Maureen have all been amiable to adjusting from the original plans as needed, and that has been key to getting it all done. There are a few steps yet, but we’re on track!

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Good morning, Washington. Today, we welcome to “7 Questions” … Rachel Friedman, Director of Foundation and Government Grants at Men Can Stop Rape, Inc. (MCSR), which provides young men with opportunities to challenge old models of masculinity and embrace their duty to end violence against women. MCSR offers a safe forum where young men learn to to form healthy relationships and create safe communities.

1. What was your most interesting recent project, initiative, partnership, or event?

We recently submitted a three-year $5 million grant to the Department of Justice for their multi-state mentoring initiative. It is the largest grant that I have ever written — and the largest grant that the organization has ever taken the lead on. What made it so interesting, however, was designing a project that encompassed so many elements of the work that we do (mentoring, violence prevention, training and technical assistance, community outreach) on such a large scale.

2. What else are you up to?

We are in the planning stages for our next national conference, the “State of Masculinity,” which will be held in October of 2012. The conference will examine the link between violence and masculinity, as well as the value of healthy masculinity; and will also launch a year-long campaign to provide training and technical assistance to selected communities across the country.

3. Is there a moment, person, or event that inspired you to do this particular work?

When I was a freshman in high school, a good friend of mine was brutally gang-raped. It was awful. It was so awful that I couldn’t believe that it had happened. But it did. And gender-based violence occurs every day. I feel a profound sense of responsibility to prevent and end that violence. (I am proud to say that I continue to be inspired by this person, who is now pursuing her social work degree, is married, is expecting her first child, and continues to be an amazing woman.)

4. Who is your hero in the nonprofit/philanthropy world?

Rachel Lloyd, the Executive Director and Founder of Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS), is an amazing woman and GEMS is a phenomenal organization!

5. What is the single greatest (and non-financial) challenge to the work that you do every day?

Time. There just aren’t enough hours in the day! I think that’s a universal challenge, though.

6. What advice do you have for other people who want to work in your field?

First, fundraising is both a science and magic, so don’t get discouraged! Second, unhealthy masculinity affects everyone, so there is always a connection to be made.

7. What’s next?

I plan on getting my MBA. I’m also getting married in 2012.

EXTRA: If you could have a power breakfast with any three people (living, dead, or fictional) who would they be?
- Catharine MacKinnon
- My great- great- grandmother in Russia
- Dave Chappelle

Good morning! We’re pleased to introduce … Charles Phaneuf, managing director of Joe’s Movement Emporium/World Arts Focus in Mount Rainier. Open 7 days a week and 12 hours a day, Joe’s is home to 25 regional artists and performance groups, offers 3-4 hours of after-school programs daily, and hosts an intensive summer arts camp for low and moderate-income families. Learn even more right here …

1. What was your most interesting recent project, initiative, partnership, or event?

Working on creative ways to build our audience and generate revenue. In the past, Joe’s has been funded largely by foundation and government partners but resources are not what they used to be. We have to grow individual giving and devise creative ways to partner with businesses beyond traditional sponsorships. In the last few months, we did a percentage sale at a restaurant (Hank’s Tavern in Hyattsville) that was also a preview event for shows in our season, so it brought artistic content out to the community and had an audience development goal. We’re working with Hank’s, our local framing shop (Fountain Framing) and hopefully some other businesses to create offers for Deals for Deeds, which we won two weeks ago. We hope that these efforts and others will help build a deeper relationship with our partners and audiences while also funding programs so that we don’t have to cut services and can continue to grow.

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Greetings! Let’s welcome to “7 Questions” … Sonia Quinonez, Executive Director of SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) of Northern Virginia. Last year alone, 7000 children were reported as victims of abuse in Virginia and SCAN is there to stand up for them, offering parental support groups and education and producing creative public awareness initiatives. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, so this is an ideal time to learn more about SCAN’s essential work in our region.

1. What was your most interesting recent project, initiative, partnership, or event?

SCAN of Northern Virginia just hosted our annual Allies in Prevention Awards Luncheon last Friday. It was a wonderful gathering of some 190 advocates for children — from front-line child protective services workers to elected officials. We honored five inspiring individuals, who have demonstrated exemplary commitment to improving the lives of children and strengthening families. Leon Harris of WJLA/ABC7 was a delightful emcee introducing us to the Ally Award winners. From a foster parent to a probation officer to a Deputy Director of Community and Human Services, each of the honorees has demonstrated a lifetime of commitment to protecting the most vulnerable children in our community. Our keynote speaker, Christine James-Brown, CEO of the Child Welfare League of America, engaged us in reflections on national advocacy efforts to focus anew on child welfare and the responsibility and accountability each of us has for playing our role in the systems that support families. It was truly an inspiring event.

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We’re super glad to welcome to “7 Questions” … Aaron Knight, the Development Director at Legal Counsel for the Elderly (LCE). LCE champions the dignity and rights of DC’s vulnerable seniors by providing free legal and social work services to those most at-risk — empowering, defending and protecting our older neighbors in need.

1. What was your most interesting recent project, initiative, partnership, or event?

Legal Counsel for the Elderly recently partnered with the Washington Area Women’s Foundation to co-host a groundbreaking community “listening session” on the obstacles to economic security faced by older women here in the Washington region. The demographic trends are truly startling: during the past decade, the population of women over 65 living in the metro area grew by 18%, compared to just a 5% increase in the overall population. This has huge implications for our community, and it is heartening that several local funders are collaborating with service providers like LCE to deal with this new reality.

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