Recently, Independent Sector released its annual report on the value of volunteer service. The latest value of a volunteer hour is $25.43 on a national average. In Washington, D.C. (where we are located), the value of a volunteer hour is $41.72. If a volunteer contributed 37.5 hours per week, on an annual basis the volunteer […]

It seems that most days, I am just looking for a small sign. An act of kindness. A moment of grace. A word or gesture that raises the spirit. In the chaotic and often mean-spirited world in which we live, it can be difficult to see and hear these signs. But, they are there – […]

For the past two days, I have been at the Aspen Forum on Children and Families, hosted by Ascend at the Aspen Institute. Along with over 200 leaders from nonprofits, academia, government, and foundations, we learned and shared about the most pressing challenges facing our nation’s children and families. We heard about social determinants of […]

I have been watching with considerable interest the news about Governor Ralph Northam’s troubling history and current responses on race. I lived in Virginia from the ages of 10-31. Virginia is where I was educated, from elementary to high school, college, graduate school, and law school. I have worked in Virginia and lived for considerable […]

The recent federal government shutdown was the lead media story throughout late December and January. Whether the focus was on the underlying policy differences, the partisanship of Congress and the administration, or the negative consequences of the absence of federal workers and the services they provide, it was clear that all Americans were affected by […]