The organizations listed below are part of the 2023 Guide to Giving. Return to the guide’s homepage by clicking here.
Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB) (caab.org) creates opportunities on an annual basis for 3,000 low- and moderate-income community members to build financial security, savings and wealth for the future. For 27 years, CAAB has addressed the historically rooted and pervasive race/wealth gap through five primary areas of programming: financial capacity building, individual matched savings accounts, cash transfer programs, credit-building initiatives, and public information campaigns.
HEADQUARTERED: Washington, D.C.
SERVES: Metro region
BUDGET: $2,757,438
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
- $250 provides a free financial education workshop.
- $500 provides a free one-on-one financial coaching session.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: None at this time.
SSL OPPORTUNITIES: Yes
INTERNSHIPS: Yes
East County Service Consolidation Hub at Kingdom Fellowship AME Church (kgcdc.org) distributes food, diapers and essential health items to adults, children, families and seniors. The Hub also collaborates with community stakeholders to host COVID-19 awareness testing and vaccine events; offers case management, youth and workforce development programs and services; and offers other health screenings, including diabetes testing, blood pressure screenings, STI testing and education.
HEADQUARTERED: Silver Spring
SERVES: East Montgomery County
BUDGET: $400,000
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
- $40 buys one fresh produce box and an assortment of protein for a family of four.
- $750 provides 50 families with a range of proteins (chicken, fish, beef and turkey).
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
- One day: Volunteer at a diaper distribution.
- Ongoing: Volunteer at weekly food distributions and/or packing events.
SSL OPPORTUNITIES: Yes
INTERNSHIPS: Yes
IMPACT Silver Spring (impactsilverspring.org) works to achieve racial and economic equity in Montgomery County by creating and sustaining community-based spaces where people and organizations hold dialogue, build relationships of trust and mutual benefit, raise awareness, and take action collaboratively—all to promote equity and justice. IMPACT believes that achieving true equity and justice requires transformation at the personal/interpersonal, neighborhood and systems levels.
HEADQUARTERED: Silver Spring
SERVES: Montgomery County
BUDGET: $1,318,057
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
- $150 ensures language justice by providing interpretation for multilingual community events.
- $500 purchases a pair of goals for a youth soccer team.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
- As needed: Teach English as a second language (ESL) classes.
- As needed: Volunteer as a youth soccer coach (minimum age 18).
SSL OPPORTUNITIES: Yes
Interfaith Works (iworksmc.org), founded in 1972, supports neighbors in need by providing vital services and a pathway to greater stability. IW’s 170-member staff and 7,000 volunteers provide emergency shelter, supportive housing, essential needs and employment programs to more than 35,000 Montgomery County neighbors each year.
HEADQUARTERED: Rockville
SERVES: Montgomery County
BUDGET: $11,767,873
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
- $100 can buy clothes, shoes, uniforms, etc. to help a recently employed person start a new job.
- $1,000 can help two families avoid being evicted from their homes.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
- Ongoing: Sort/organize donated clothes and goods; prepare/deliver meals for shelter clients; organize recreational activities at shelters and homes.
SSL OPPORTUNITIES: Yes
INTERNSHIPS: Yes
Main Street Connect (mainstreetconnect.org) is an affordable, accessible, inclusive apartment building and a membership-based community center for people of all abilities. A few blocks from Rockville Town Center, Main Street offers a variety of social, cultural, educational and wellness programs—everything from boxing classes and art workshops to professional lunch-and-learns. Main Street is a movement of inclusion, empowering people with and without disabilities to come together and lead happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives. (Main Street’s founder and executive director, Jillian Copeland, owns MoCo360 with her husband, Scott.)
HEADQUARTERED: Rockville
SERVES: Montgomery County
BUDGET: $1.2 million
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
- $360 provides financial aid for one adult for a one-year CORE membership
- $500 covers the cost for one adult with special needs to attend a three-month social skills program
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
- One day: Help with community events, such as MLK Day of Service and Soulfull Springfest
- Ongoing: Join and assist with Friday Vibes and other weekly programs
SSL OPPORTUNITIES: Yes
INTERNSHIPS: Yes
MHP (mhpartners.org) is dedicated to making home possible. Since 1989, MHP has preserved and expanded access to quality affordable housing. MHP is a private nonprofit that provides more than 2,800 homes in Montgomery County and surrounding communities. It accomplishes its mission by housing people, empowering families and strengthening neighborhoods.
HEADQUARTERED: Silver Spring
SERVES: Metro region
BUDGET: $10,653,936
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
- $250 provides supplies for an after-school homework club.
- $1,000 helps cover two field trips for 72 children to the National Zoo.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
- One day: Wrap holiday gifts for young residents.
- Ongoing: Help with an event such as a neighborhood, property or trail cleanup.
SSL OPPORTUNITIES: Yes
INTERNSHIPS: Yes
Montgomery Countryside Alliance (mocoalliance.org) advocates for land and transportation policies that encourage farmland preservation, forest protection and improved water quality for the benefit of the entire region. Deeply engaged in safeguarding Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve, MCA works to support current farmers and add to their ranks; to advocate for regenerative agriculture practices; and to increase the presence of local food in area markets, restaurants, schools and food banks. MCA ensures that politicians, students and the public are educated about the economic and social value of local farms, and the necessity of growing cities and farms in harmony.
HEADQUARTERED: Poolesville
SERVES: Montgomery County
BUDGET: $336,337
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
- $50 makes a regenerative agriculture seminar possible for local farmers.
- $250 pays for six months of educational newsletters.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
- Ongoing: Volunteer on the farm, at events or with pro bono skills.
SSL OPPORTUNITIES: Yes
INTERNSHIPS: Yes
Rainbow Community Development Center (rainbowcdc.org) seeks to build better lives for those in need through safety net services: emergency food pantry, eviction prevention, prevention of utility cutoff, and temporary emergency shelter. The food pantry is its largest program.
HEADQUARTERED: Silver Spring
SERVES: Montgomery County
BUDGET: $1,990,960
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
- A $50 donation provides a two-week supply of groceries for a family.
- A $300 donation provides shelter for a homeless family for one week.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
- Ongoing: Sort, pack and distribute groceries, grant-writing, photography/videography, website updates, plan fundraising events
- Ongoing: Help prepare notifications to clients or coordinate toys/gifts for Giving Hope for the Holidays Project
SSL OPPORTUNITIES? Yes
INTERNSHIPS? Yes
Rainbow Place Shelter for Homeless Women (rainbowplace.org/s/) exists for the many who come who would otherwise be sleeping in store doorways, parks, bus stations, or cars—and the number is expected to rise. Rainbow Place provides adult women with extra support during the hypothermia season. They thrive in the small setting: enjoying dinner and conversation, doing laundry, accessing case management services, and relaxing after a long day. A vital part of Montgomery County’s continuum of care, Rainbow collaborates with the county and local providers to eliminate duplication of services and best serve guests. During the pandemic, it expanded from an overnight to a 24-hour shelter and the hope is to resume this more expansive support next season.
HEADQUARTERED: Rockville
SERVES: Montgomery County
BUDGET: $972,418
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
- $100 provides one night of counseling for 12 women.
- $500 provides one day of same and engaging daytime hours.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
- Ongoing opportunity: Prepare or provide food.