Our new fiscal year is off to a strong start, with renewed funding from four foundations, each of which is committed to supporting the work we do with local students and teachers. The strength of our programming and the number of middle and high school students we can reach is only increased through these generous grants, and we value their continued support.

The first grant is from the George Preston Marshall Foundation, which honors its founder's wishes to support the health, welfare, education, and improvement of the conditions of children. Mr. Marshall was most interested in helping in the fields of child welfare, health, education, sports, and recreation.

The second is from The Herb Block Foundation, which was set up to honor the bequest of political cartoonist Herb Block, and is committed to defending basic freedoms, combating all forms of discrimination and prejudice, and improving the condition of the poor and underprivileged. OWEd was awarded a grant through its Pathways Out of Poverty program, which focuses on helping needy young people and adults gain a quality education.

The third is from Wells Fargo, one of the nation’s largest financial institutions, serving one in three US households and employing one in 500 working Americans. Wells Fargo supports organizations working to strengthen our communities, giving back to non-profits and educational institutions that address vital community needs and issues.

And finally is a grant from the Share Fund, a donor-advised fund of The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, whose mission is to strengthen the Washington metropolitan region by encouraging and supporting effective giving by providing leadership on critical issues in its community. In addition to providing funding, the Share Fund connected us to Compass, which recently concluded a pro-bono Micro Project studying our donor plan.