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Dear Crimsonbridge Friend,
Do you remember what you were doing in the summer of 2015? We were meeting for the first time to talk about a big idea, the Crimsonbridge Foundation. Seated in the corner of a coffee shop in Bethesda, we shared our experiences, both personal and professional, our belief in the transformative power of education, and a vision for a more entrepreneurial approach to philanthropy.
Since that day, we have exchanged ideas, developed program designs, and worked with nonprofit and school leaders from across the country to identify innovative solutions in Education, Leadership & Civic Engagement, Environmental Sustainability, and Catholic Initiatives. Below, our team shares some of the latest updates from these program areas!
As our team celebrates Crimsonbridge’s 10th anniversary in 2025, we’re not reflecting on 10 years of funding, but on the collaborations that have helped change how parents receive information, nonprofit leaders access leadership development, adults learn English, college students access services, schools strengthen enrollment and engagement, and so much more! Thank you for being part of this community! We invite you to visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn to connect with us and our network of nonprofit community of partners.
Sincerely,
Gabriela Smith
Founder & Executive Chair |
Danielle M. Reyes
President & Chief Executive Officer |
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Crimsonbridge board member Adrianna Smith Reig (left), Founder & Executive Chair Gabriela Smith (center), and Director of Catholic Initiatives Caitlin Mayo (right) were overjoyed to celebrate the achievements of Georgetown Visitation's Class of 2025.
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Crimsonbridge Foundation's Founder & Executive Chair Gabriela Smith was honored and delighted to be the commencement speaker for the Class of 2025 at Georgetown Visitation, a Bridges for Schools program partner. Gabriela’s relationship with Visitation goes back nearly 20 years, when she joined the school community as a parent. Since then, she has served on the school’s Board of Directors and helped found the St. Jane de Chantal Salesian Center to safeguard the legacy of the Sisters of the Visitation and carry the Visitation charism into the future. In her address to the graduating class, Gabriela spoke of the four pillars of a foundation that the students had built over the past four years - a foundation built on love, faith, resourcefulness, and hopeful joy. “Together, let’s all look back with gratitude and look forward with optimism. You have worked hard, persevered, and now stand at the beginning of a new journey with this incredible foundation inside of you."
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LAYC Gala from left to right: Justine Quintana, Caitlin Mayo, Barbara Quisquinay, Griselda Macias, Danielle M. Reyes, Wendy Ayala, Maralee Gutierrez, and Isabel Argoti.
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A core tenet of how Crimsonbridge does its work is to participate, engage, listen, and learn with community partners. In recognition of the Foundation’s 10th anniversary, Crimsonbridge sponsored the special events of four organizations that informed our early work. One of the Foundation’s first community partners through the Bridges Program was the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC). Events like LAYC’s Annual Gala create opportunities to invite and connect leaders from various community partners across the Greater Washington region to meet one another. The LAYC gala was an inspiring setting for Crimsonbridge President & CEO Danielle M. Reyes and Director of Catholic Initiatives Caitlin Mayo to bring together six nonprofit professionals and LeaderBridge alums, who all work with students and families, for an evening of fellowship. Guest Griselda Macias who started her nonprofit career at LAYC and now serves as Director of Strategic Partnerships and Community Impact for New Futures, shared on LinkedIn, “So grateful to be in community with such talented and inspiring women and non-profit leaders.” We couldn’t agree more!
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Photo Source: Pope John Paul II Regional School, Archdiocese of Philadelphia
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Bridges for Schools is expanding across the United States! The program that launched in 2018 with 20 schools in the Archdiocese of Washington has grown to reach nearly 90 schools in the (arch)dioceses of Arlington (Virginia), Baltimore, Camden (New Jersey), Milwaukee, New York, and St. Louis. The expansion includes collaborations with dioceses, Catholic schools, and philanthropic partners such as the Connelly Foundation in Philadelphia and Incarnate Word Foundation in St. Louis.
Bridges for Schools is an initiative that helps Catholic schools develop strategic bilingual communications and family engagement strategies that contribute to school vitality and a culture of belonging for all students and families. A research-informed program, it has helped schools strengthen student recruitment, enrollment, and retention. Interested in learning more? Visit the Bridges for Schools website to download resources and see examples of schools’ communications and family engagement strategies in action. Or, complete the interest form to start a conversation about partnering to bring the program to your region.
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Photo Source: English Empowerment Center
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Strengthening the Region through Adult Education. Launched in 2015, the first program grants made by Crimsonbridge were to organizations providing affordable, high-quality English language instruction for adults in the Greater Washington region. Over the past 10 years, we have witnessed the incredible impact of community partners that foster welcoming environments for English language learners to acquire the skills needed to fully participate in the civil, social, and economic life of the United States. The Foundation’s grantmaking in this area has been strategic, with support focused on organizations seeking to expand successful models, seed innovation, and implement new technology. Jennifer Katac, Executive Director of BEACON for Adult Literacy shared, “Our partnership has ushered in a new era where innovative tools empower our adult English language learners to assume greater control over their educational journeys.”
Collectively with nine additional regional partners, they engage more than 12,000 adult learners on an annual basis. We encourage you to visit these organizations’ websites to learn about how you can support their work by volunteering or donating.
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Crimsonbridge President & CEO Danielle M. Reyes connects with 8 LeaderBridge leaders participating in the summer cohort of Georgetown University's Nonprofit Executive Certificate program.
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More Opportunity for More Leaders: LeaderBridge® is part of Spur Local!
Informed by local nonprofit leaders, Crimsonbridge launched an initiative in 2016, known today as LeaderBridge. Nearly 10 years later, Crimsonbridge has worked with more than 14 programs, while serving over 230 local nonprofit leaders.
 In response to growing demand, last year we began working with the amazing team at Spur Local to expand our partnership. The added capacity makes more programs available to all local nonprofit leaders and reaches the 500 organizations in Spur Local's network.
As LeaderBridge alum and Doorways Executive Director Diana Ortiz shared on LinkedIn, “These programs are truly the nourishing energy we need these days! Very grateful for the opportunity to keep learning. Thank you Spur Local and Crimsonbridge Foundation.” In that spirit, let’s work together to spread the news about these programs and reach our goal of serving 300 leaders by the end of 2025!
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Photo Source: Running Start
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In 2025, Crimsonbridge's Leadership & Civic Engagement program approved grants to four national partners: IGNITE, RepresentWomen, Running Start, and She Should Run. These nonpartisan organizations have helped thousands of Americans become more active and engaged in their schools, communities, states, and beyond. By providing valuable leadership training and civic engagement tools and resources, they encourage and prepare Americans of all backgrounds to participate in public service, elected offices, and our nation’s democracy.
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Photo Source: Chesapeake Natives
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Building Sustainability through Tangible Improvements and Community Engagement. 2025 marks the Crimsonbridge Foundation’s third year of Environmental Sustainability grantmaking and partnerships in the Greater Washington Region. Each year the progress and outcomes reported by our grantee community partners affirm that environmental sustainability is possible, and there are ways for all of us to get involved. From efforts to improve the region’s air quality, water quality, tree canopy, and native ecosystem, these organizations are making a difference!
This year’s community partners include Anacostia Watershed Society, Casey Trees, Chesapeake Natives, EcoAction Arlington, Potomac Conservancy, Student Conservation Association, and Ward 8 Woods Conservancy. Looking to engage your family, neighborhood, school, or office in activities that support the environment? All seven of these organizations have volunteer, learning, and partnership opportunities. Visit their websites directly to learn more!
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The Crimsonbridge Philanthropy Fellows Program engages students in an opportunity to learn about philanthropy, participate in the grantmaking process, and contribute their skills to administrative tasks, communications content, and special projects that support the Foundation's mission. This year, Crimsonbridge was fortunate to have two dynamic college students participate as Philanthropy Fellows: Emily Fairbanks, now a recent graduate of the Catholic University of America, and Fiona Lu, a current student at University of California Los Angeles.
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#Community
Our commitment to participate, engage, listen, and learn with the communities we support.
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