Blog
Read the latest blog posts and updates from our staff, board, and community partners on Medium to see what we’re learning and thinking about.
Photo credit: NAKASEC
September 4, 2024
Freedom in Action: Marking a Year of Partnership and Progress with Meyer
“We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.” These words, spoken by the visionary Ella Baker, resonate deeply as I reflect on my one-year anniversary as Vice President, Community Partnerships & Strategy at the Meyer Foundation and the vital work of our grantee partner community.
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August 1, 2024
Reintroducing Sabbatical Program Grants at the Meyer Foundation
Insights from program evaluations and feedback from grantee partners have shaped our new sabbatical program to be more equitable and accessible.
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March 28, 2024
A Statement on the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse in Baltimore from President & CEO George L. Askew, MD
In envisioning an economically just future, we continue to strive for a world in which a liberated economy would allow workers to be met with safety, security, and care.
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February 22, 2024
Special Event Summary | “Nothing would be more tragic than to stop at this point”: The Fight to Overcome Segregation in the Nation’s Capital
Earlier this month, the Meyer Foundation was honored to host an intimate gathering of local community and philanthropy partners for a special event titled, “Nothing Would be More Tragic Than to Stop at This Point: The Fight to Overcome Segregation in the Nation’s Capital,” featuring George Derek Musgrove, associate professor of history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and co-author of Chocolate City: A History of Race and Democracy in the Nation’s Capital.
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January 30, 2024
2024: In the spirit of the season
I’m excited to share a few key areas of our work at the Meyer Foundation this year that I believe reinforce our values, enhance our partnerships in the community, and ultimately bring us closer to our vision of a more just, connected, and inclusive region.
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November 29, 2023
Meyer welcomes Leni Dworkis and Sapna Pandya, MPH to its Community Partnerships & Strategy team!
We’re thrilled to announce the hiring of our two newest staff members joining our Community Partnerships & Strategy team, dedicated to stewarding relationships with our partners and the development of our grantmaking and programs.
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October 16, 2023
Reviving Capacity Building at the Meyer Foundation
Our first step back into capacity building begins in earnest on October 16, when we open our grantee portal for Organizational Development (OD) grants. You can also learn more about Field Building grants, through which we aim to strengthen the ecosystem in which grantee partners work.
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June 13, 2023
Announcing Jaqueline Tucker, Esq. as Vice President for Community Partnerships & Strategy at the Meyer Foundation
The Meyer Foundation is delighted to announce the appointment of Jaqueline Tucker, Esq. as its new Vice President for Community Partnerships and Strategy following a nationwide search led by nonprofit executive search firm LeaderFit, effective August 1.
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April 28, 2023
A Message from our CEO: Marking One Year at the Meyer Foundation
One year ago, I began my appointment as president and CEO of the Meyer Foundation. I joined the Foundation at a unique time of possibility for the organization and for our region. Today, I remain hopeful and enter my second year even more committed to achieving racial equity and justice in our region.
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November 23, 2021
One Year Later: The Fund for Black-led Change
A year ago, the Meyer Foundation announced the Fund for Black-led Change. In 2021, we’ve been able to make initial awards to a total of 17 Black-led organizations in the Greater Washington area.
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October 20, 2021
(Re-)Introducing Janice Thomas as our Interim CEO
We are thrilled to formally (re-)introduce Meyer Foundation’s interim CEO, Janice Thomas! In her role, Janice works with the board and staff in setting and leading the strategic direction of the Foundation. What most excites Janice about her role as interim CEO? “The opportunity to step into the Foundation’s programmatic work.”
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February 24, 2021
Meyer Foundation staff and board updates
We’re excited to share news about recent staff promotions and to announce the appointment of Faith P. Leach and Diego Uriburu to our board!
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February 8, 2021
Announcing the Launch of Resourcing Radical Justice
The Meyer Foundation is proud to be a member of Resourcing Radical Justice, a funders collective centering Black liberation as the path to a thriving Greater Washington region.
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November 19, 2020
Announcing the Fund for Black-led Change at the Meyer Foundation
Today, we are announcing the Fund for Black-led Change, a $20 million commitment of core support to Black-led organizations in the Greater Washington region that are building power, advancing permanently organized communities, and transforming systems toward liberty, justice, and the pursuit of happiness for all.
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November 13, 2020
Reimagining Grantmaking – Guest Editor’s Note by Jane Robinson Ward
Our Grants Director and PEAK Grantmaking Board Member, Jane Robinson Ward, was recently invited to serve as co-guest editor of the PEAK Grantmaking Journal’s Fall 2020 issue, focused on reimagining grantmaking.
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September 9, 2020
Staff Opinion: Rising waters and the false choices we face
Organizers, advocates, and the philanthropies that aim to support them are faced with difficult choices when the needs and injustices around us are so many, so deep, and so crucial. Do you…
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July 15, 2020
Staff Opinion: If Black lives matter, what about ‘Black-on-Black crime?’
There is often outcry about the Black Lives Matter Movement and it’s perceived preoccupation with state violence over intracommunity violence that causes so much death and pain in our communities. There are a few myths that need to be debunked in this conversation…
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July 14, 2020
Loud and Clear
Our community partners and grantee partners inspire us every day. In the midst of a global pandemic, ongoing racial injustice and unrest, along with general economic uncertainty for many, our partners have only leaned in closer to uncover the opportunities that could emerge out of these crises and to amplify the voices of the people, to make their demands heard.
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June 4, 2020
The Racism Pandemic
White people, we have work to do. I have work to do.
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April 17, 2020
The COVID-19 crisis is a racial justice issue & our response must prioritize the power of Black, Indigenous, Latinx & other People of Color
The COVID-19 virus does not discriminate — it can infect anyone. However, when an indiscriminate virus is unleashed in a country where racially unjust systems have long decided who lives, who dies, who thrives and who just gets by, the impact is anything but equal.
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April 10, 2020
How we’re supporting our communities and partners in a time of crisis
In the midst of this unprecedented public health and economic crisis, I want to share the Meyer Foundation’s response and how we are supporting our communities at this time.
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January 16, 2020
Aligning Practice with Values: Introducing Meyer’s new grants process
After a year of talking and testing with grantee partners, researching other foundation practices, staff design sessions, software migrations, and conversations with our board, I am thrilled to share an improved approach to how we make grants at Meyer.
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January 16, 2020
Kicking off a new year with Meyer Foundation staff and board updates
As we launch into 2020, I would like to share news about a few exciting changes to leadership and titles at the Meyer Foundation.
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December 18, 2019
Rooted in Humanity: Our new brand
As the communications manager at the Meyer Foundation, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to (finally!) share with you our new logo, color palette, and website and the thought behind each element, signaling our deepened commitment to our communities and partners.
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December 18, 2019
Honoring our Roots
As we continue to forge ahead in our mission of advancing equity, we felt the timing was right to revisit our brand identity to better reflect where we came from, who we are today, and where we aspire to go. And so, we are marking the beginning of our anniversary year by revealing a brand identity that pays homage to our roots and connects those roots to our values.
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December 12, 2019
Introducing Our Racial Equity in Philanthropy Fellow
Earlier this year, the Meyer Foundation launched a process to find a person to join our team as our first Racial Equity in Philanthropy Fellow.
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July 26, 2019
Opinion: Identify. Describe. Dismantle. Repeat.
In the words of author, historian, and professor Ibram Kendi: “The only way to undo racism is to consistently identify and describe it — and then dismantle it.”
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June 18, 2019
Meyer Foundation Board Elects New Executive Committee
The board of directors of the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation is pleased to announce its new executive committee, effective June 4, 2019.
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June 18, 2019
Karen Wawrzaszek Joins Meyer Foundation Board of Directors
The board of directors of the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation elected Karen Wawrzaszek, senior director of financial planning at Sullivan Bruyette Speros & Blayney, to the board at its June 4 meeting.
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June 18, 2019
Reflection. Unlearning. Adjusting.
To this day, I struggle to self-identify racially and ethnically. I suppose the road to self-discovery is a lifelong journey — one that requires constant reflection, unlearning, and adjusting.
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May 15, 2019
Meyer Foundation Testimony on Racial Equity Achieves Results (REAR) Act of 2019
We need to recognize that policy, practice, culture, and legislation got us to where we are today and that only policy, practice, culture and legislative change can get us out of it.
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April 16, 2019
“Non-Racism” Is Not Enough
Diversity, inclusion, and equity are outcomes of what our mission really requires of us — to be anti-racist.
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