A time to give thanks: Volunteers, companies, foundations, local government make 2013 special for 1,500 youth

Written by Daniel Meloy
Senior Director of Development & Communications

As DC SCORES prepares to close out 2013, I’m reminded of not only what we’ve accomplished this year but also of who made those accomplishments possible. We could not engage 1,500 DC SCORES students without the support of our community throughout the year.

That support came in many forms - volunteerism, corporate contributions, foundation and government grants, individual gifts.

While the space of a blog post limits the supporters we can highlight here, we appreciate all of our supporters - and recognize them on our website.

Our hundreds of volunteers were most visible at our events like Jamboree!, Fall Frenzy, and the Poetry Slam! or seen on the soccer fields as referees. And while not quite as visible, but just as important, are the volunteers who spend an hour or two each week in our office - stuffing and labeling envelopes or organizing files. Volunteers are the heart of DC SCORES.

Companies both large and small sponsored or participated in events throughout the year. We tip our hats to companies like DirecTV, Walmart, Volkswagen, and CIT for their support of our SCORE Awards event, at which we recognize outstanding DC SCORES coaches and volunteers.

The biggest display of corporate support comes each June at our DC SCORES Cup. This year 30 teams, from Aljazeera to Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, played in what has become DC’s largest charity soccer tournament, and raised over $100,000 for DC SCORES.

Throughout the year, private and family foundations invested in DC SCORES. We are grateful for the confidence in our work that foundations like the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, the John Edward Fowler Memorial Foundation, the Share Fund, and many others have displayed through their grants.

Our public funding partnerships continued to be strengthened this year as well. Grants from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the DC Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs helped us to build stronger relationships in the schools and communities we serve.

Behind every corporate donation, every event sponsorship, and every foundation and government grant was a person (or group of people) who recognized the impact that DC SCORES has every day on the lives of the students we serve.

It is the people - individuals in our community - who, because of their open hearts, have driven the success of DC SCORES. Whether it’s providing a soccer uniform through the DoMore24 or #GivingTuesday campaigns or sending a kid to camp through our Couch to Camp campaign, individuals have made all the difference in our ability to make sure DC students have a team, a safe place to express their feelings, and a true connection to their community.

And as we acknowledge the generosity of the DC SCORES community of supporters in 2013, we look ahead to 2014 knowing that DC SCORES students throughout the city will thrive on the soccer field, excel in the classroom, and create change in their neighborhoods because of your support.

We thank you and look forward to another great year together!

DC SCORES Executive Director Amy Nakamoto honored as Meyer Foundation Exponent Award winner

DC SCORES Executive Director Amy Nakamoto is being honored and highlighted as one of the Washington, DC, area’s most influential executive directors.

Nakamoto is one of three recipients of the Meyer Foundation’s Exponent Awards, created in 2006 to “recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of some of the DC region’s most talented, visionary, and effective nonprofit executives — and to provide funds to sustain and further develop their leadership and their organizations.”

Not only will the award bring tremendous recognition to Nakamoto and the work being done by DC SCORES, but it comes with a two-year grant of $100,000 to support leadership development and capacity building.

In short, this huge accomplishment for Nakamoto — who has served as Executive Director since 2006 and has grown DC SCORES in size, quality of programming and reputation in the communities served — will have a long-lasting impact on the organization and be invaluable as we strive to expand and provide the combination of arts, athletics and academics for every deserving student in the District.

“I am honored to receive this recognition from the Meyer Foundation,” Nakamoto said. “While the award goes to the Executive Director, I credit an incredible staff team here at DC SCORES who have dedicated just as much time, effort and passion toward our mission as I have. I also am fortunate to have extremely supportive and engaged board members.”

Nakamoto received the Exponent Award along with Manny Hidalgo of the Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) and Lecester Johnson of the Academy of Hope.

“Despite the challenging economy, each of these leaders has exhibited creativity and perseverance in expanding the reach and impact of their organization’s work,” Meyer Foundation President and CEO Julie Rogers said in the official news release.

“We are honored to recognize three visionary and talented leaders who are working to address some of our region’s most urgent and compelling needs.”

The Meyer Foundation has been one of DC SCORES’ longest and most consistent supporters, providing funding for programming since 1997.

"I credit the Meyer Foundation for continually promoting the nonprofit sector and its leaders,” Nakamoto said. “They truly understand the social and economic impact nonprofits have on the community and they choose to invest in the longevity of successful organizations.

“I am grateful for their incredible support of DC SCORES over the years.”

Nakamoto has been the recipient of a handful of exclusive honors the past few years for her leadership of DC SCORES and in the nonprofit community. For a list of her most recent awards visit the DC SCORES website.

For more information about the Meyer Foundation's commitment to serving nonprofits, visit http://www.meyerfdn.org/