Jane Bancroft Robinson Foundation, Washington D.C., DC (2026)

05/01/2026

The Jane Bancroft Robinson Foundation was proud to take part in the Chief Executive Leadership Ascend Program (CELAP), led by the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, an initiative advancing strong, visionary leadership across the nonprofit sector.

As one of three funders alongside JPMorganChase and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, JBRF is honored to support this important work.

We’re especially proud of Manon Matchett, Director of Sustainable Community Initiatives at JBRF, who contributed her expertise as part of the interview selection panel helping shape Cohort 3.

JBRF was also honored with the Catalyst Award, an award recognizing organizations that act as catalysts for impact, leadership, and change in the nonprofit sector.

Congratulations to the incoming cohort! We’re excited for what’s ahead.

05/01/2026

This month’s Community Hero Spotlight highlights Lecester Johnson - Chief Executive Officer of Academy of Hope Adult PCS since 2006.

Her leadership and vision have helped expand access to adult education and opportunity.Through her work, she has supported individuals in gaining the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to build better futures for themselves and their families.

Adult education is more than learning new skills. It creates pathways to employment, economic stability, and stronger communities.

Learn more about Lecester’s impact and the role of community-rooted leadership in expanding opportunity, in our latest blog post.

04/15/2026

April is National Minority Health Month, a time to recognize that health outcomes are not the same for everyone.

Across the United States, Black women continue to face significant barriers to quality care, early diagnosis, and supportive resources. These disparities are not accidental. They are shaped by systems, access, and opportunity.

This year’s theme, Be the Source for Better Health: Improving Health Outcomes Through Our Cultures, Communities, and Connections, reminds us that change happens at every level. Through community, shared knowledge, and culturally grounded care, we can help improve health outcomes and close longstanding gaps.

Health equity means ensuring that Black women and other underserved communities have the resources, support, and care they need to live healthy, full lives. It requires listening to communities, addressing structural barriers, and investing in solutions that center those most impacted.

At JBRF, we believe equity is not just a goal. It is essential to building healthier communities and supporting Black women throughout their health journeys.

04/15/2026

Black Maternal Health Week is a time to bring attention to the disparities impacting Black mothers and to uplift the people and organizations working to improve maternal health outcomes through education, advocacy, and community care.

In honor of this week, we are highlighting the essential role of doulas in supporting Black women and families.

Today we spotlight Crystal Jackson, doula and founder of A Queen Momma Services. Through her work, she provides compassionate, informed, and continuous support to mothers during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, helping families feel seen, supported, and empowered throughout their journey.

At JBRF, we remain committed to strengthening community-based support systems that center Black women and families.

Thank you, Crystal, for the care and leadership you bring to the families you serve.

03/31/2026

Faith-based institutions are anchors in their communities, offering spiritual leadership alongside tangible support, trust, and spaces for collective care.

The United Methodist Church, under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Mills, is a committed partner of JBRF in advancing community-rooted work that centers dignity, access, and long-term wellbeing.

Through collaboration, we strengthen the systems that support families and individuals, combining resources and relationships to meet community needs with care and accountability. We’re grateful for partners like the United Methodist Church, and for leaders like Rev. Dr. Mills, who demonstrate that lasting impact is built on trust and shared purpose.

03/31/2026

Traditional philanthropy often centers dollars first and community voice second. It can unintentionally reinforce power imbalances between funders and the people they aim to support.

A different approach is evolving: trust-based philanthropy, where relationships, mutual accountability, and shared leadership are the foundation of impact. Communities understand their own challenges and opportunities best. When they are trusted as partners, not just grant recipients, philanthropic investment becomes more responsive, equitable, and lasting.

Across the sector, this approach is reshaping how resources flow and how decisions are made. Funders adopting trust-based practices have increasingly:
• Shifted toward unrestricted and flexible funding, giving partners the freedom to respond to real-time needs
• Streamlined applications and reporting, allowing nonprofit leaders to focus more on mission and less on paperwork
• Expanded support beyond funding to include shared learning, feedback, and adaptive collaboration

At JBRF, we believe meaningful change happens when philanthropy is built with communities rather than delivered to them, centering lived experience and shared decision-making.

03/30/2026

When people have access to stable jobs, living wages, and opportunities to grow, entire communities benefit, not just individuals. Workforce development isn’t only about employment; it’s about dignity, better health outcomes, stability, and long-term economic mobility.

When communities are resourced to build skills and pathways to opportunity, they are better positioned to thrive, today and across generations.

At JBRF, we view workforce development as a form of care: investing in people’s potential, honoring lived experience, and strengthening communities from the inside out.

03/30/2026

Traditional philanthropy often centers dollars first and community voice second. It can unintentionally reinforce power imbalances between funders and the people they aim to support.

A different approach is evolving: trust-based philanthropy, where relationships, mutual accountability, and shared leadership are the foundation of impact. Communities understand their own challenges and opportunities best. When they are trusted as partners, not just grant recipients, philanthropic investment becomes more responsive, equitable, and lasting.

Across the sector, this approach is reshaping how resources flow and how decisions are made. Funders adopting trust-based practices have increasingly:
• Shifted toward unrestricted and flexible funding, giving partners the freedom to respond to real-time needs
• Streamlined applications and reporting, allowing nonprofit leaders to focus more on mission and less on paperwork
• Expanded support beyond funding to include shared learning, feedback, and adaptive collaboration

At JBRF, we believe meaningful change happens when philanthropy is built with communities rather than delivered to them, centering lived experience and shared decision-making.

03/25/2026

Ryane Nickens’ story reflects the power of investing in women leaders with deep roots and bold vision. As Founder and President The TraRon Center and a Fall 2025 participant in the New Strategies Rising program, she shared how the experience strengthened her organization’s approach to fundraising and long-term sustainability.

Through the program, Ryane gained tools to diversify funding streams, strengthen strategy, and expand the TraRon Center’s capacity to serve its community. Her experience reflects the power of investing in women leaders with deep roots and bold vision.

03/18/2026

Leadership doesn’t always start in boardrooms, it often begins at home.

Raised in Anacostia, Natasha Dupee () learned early the power of community, connection, and care. From afternoons at the local library to witnessing the inequities that shaped her neighborhood, her story is rooted in the belief that people can truly bloom where they are planted.

Natasha’s leadership is grounded in trust, lived experience, and authenticity. Whether working alongside community members in Wards 7 and 8 or shaping policy at the city level, she leads with the conviction that equity, healing, and inclusion must be built with communities, not imposed on them.

Her journey is a testament to what’s possible when women’s voices are centered and trust-based systems are allowed to grow.

👉🏾 Read “Bloom Where You Are Planted” in our “Stories & Updates” section on our website: https://jbrfdc.org/blog-posts/bloom-where-youre-planted-natasha-dupee-and-the-power-of-community-led-change/

03/12/2026

Before your day even begins, you’ve likely used something a Black woman improved or invented.

The hairbrush that helps you get ready. The ironing board that presses your clothes. The folding bed that saves space and makes room.

These weren’t luxury inventions, they were practical solutions to everyday needs created by Black women who saw a problem and solved it.

This Women’s History Month, let’s honor the quiet innovations that shape our daily lives and the women whose brilliance made them possible.

Jane Bancroft Robinson Foundation

05/01/2026

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