Mal Warwick Donordigital has a long-standing commitment to give back to our community. In addition to offering paid time off for every employee to volunteer within our local communities, MWD commits a portion of our pre-tax profits each year to our Philanthropic Fund to match the financial contributions our employees make throughout the year. We also award a worthy local non-profit organization in both Washington, DC and the Bay Area—the locations of our offices—with a meaningful contribution. Deemed our “Exceptional Cause” award, every member of the team is given the opportunity to nominate a charity for consideration to be voted on by the entire staff.

This year seven charities were nominated by our staffs in Berkeley and Washington DC and below is more information on this year’s two recipients, as told by each nominating team member.

City Blossoms (Washington, DC-Area)

Nominated by Dave Dogan, Senior Vice President

Over the years, many wonderful, well-known local organizations have received the award, and this year, when thinking about whom to nominate, I decided to do some research on worthy local organizations where a meaningful contribution would be felt with impact.

I started first by reviewing the scores of local DC community-based organizations listed in the Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington. Many organizations caught my eye as deserving of the nomination and subsequent contribution, but after spending time on their website, Facebook, and Instagram pages, one group stood out as special and unique—City Blossoms.  And I’m pleased that it was chosen as our Exceptional Cause recipient this year. 

City Blossoms applies a unique brand of gardens, science, art, healthy living, and community building, to "blossom" in neighborhoods where kids, their families, and neighbors may not otherwise have access to green spaces.

To City Blossoms, impact means fostering a world in which children and families can build healthy communities for themselves through the creation and cultivation of kid-driven green space.  The reality is that youth living in urban neighborhoods lack access to safe, green spaces which often contributes to social and health issues.  To address this, City Blossoms sites, incorporating four key elements into all of its work—artistic expression, healthy living skills, environmental education, and community development—provide a truly tangible solution grounded in community collaboration.

We’re excited to make this award contribution to City Blossoms and we look forward to visiting a garden site in the spring to see our impact at work. 

Learn more about City Blossoms.

Brothers on the Rise (Bay Area) 

Nominated by Randi Ervin, Account Executive

As a model nonprofit in the East Bay, Brothers on the Rise (BOTR) created a new standard in program development that empowers boys and young men of color to be thoughtful, sensitive, peaceful, and aware—and that encourages them to be successful in life, professionally and personally.

I first heard about Brothers on the Rise more than 10 years ago when Jon Gilgoff, a colleague from the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN), mentioned he was starting a nonprofit. I had lots of questions and specifically wanted to know why he felt the need to create another nonprofit in the Bay Area. Well, Jon was patient and excited to share, and I learned a lot during our conversation about youth services in the East Bay. He noticed a need in our community and set out to address it. Now, more than a decade later, BOTR is stronger than ever!

The leaders at BOTR continue to reassess and take note about what the youth in our East Bay community need, and how to make this an even better place to live. The organization has remained true to its roots, and has expanded to include training workshops for providers, supervisors, managers and administrators of schools, nonprofits, and public agencies serving boys and young men of color. They also helped establish the Oakland Youth Ally Alliance (OYAA), a group that serves as a resource for individuals and organizations committed to positive youth development based in or around Oakland.

That’s why I was more than happy to introduce my colleagues at Mal Warwick Donordigital to the organization. And I was humbled when Daniel Vasquez, BOTR’s Executive Director, took the time to speak to us about their mission, accomplishments, and plans for the future. My teammates were moved—and BOTR was chosen as this year’s receipt of our Exceptional Cause Award! It was the best way to start the new year.

Learn more about Brothers on the Rise (BOTR).