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Community Connections Program

Our mission at the World Bank is to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity around the world. Through the Community Connections program, we live these twin goals in our own communities via employee and corporate philanthropy, volunteerism, in-kind donations, and an internship program for students from local public high schools. Together, these programs leverage a motivated, highly educated and international workforce for the betterment of communities around the world, particularly in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region, where we are based. Our programs have been recognized by the Washington Business Journal. Learn more about what we do in the Workplace Giving, Strategic Grants, and Volunteerism tabs.

Corporate Philanthropy Strategy

Our giving is informed by our mission, the values of our staff, and the needs of the organizations we support. Our goal is to maintain diverse funding streams that complement one another. In our fiscal year 2022, we gave over $14 million through these channels. We primarily fund our community through:

1) General operations support: Approximately 80% of our giving each year is provided through our workplace giving program, the Community Connections Campaign (CCC), which collects staff and retiree donations that are matched by the World Bank  In keeping with the needs of nonprofits and philanthropy best practices, those gifts support general operations of organizations. More information about the CCC can be found in the Workplace Giving tab.

2) Contributions to capital projects: During the CCC, staff can also donate to our General Fund, which usually finances one-time capital projects in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. In 2022, capital grants were approved for Horton's Kids, to expand their presence through their new Community Resource Hub, and Good Shepherd Housing, to acquire additional units for vulnerable families at a housing complex in Richmond Highway. Additionally, the fund also supported organizations that are fighting the employment crisis that was intensified by COVID-19, disbursing grants to CASA, Jubilee Jobs, La Cocina and New Futures

The General Fund also provides grants to nonprofits where large numbers of staff volunteer.

3) Measurement & Data Grants: To meet nonprofit demand for building capacity around performance measurement and evaluation, we partnered with the Urban Institute to create Measure4Change to provide grants, technical assistance, knowledge briefs, and a community of practice for nonprofit performance measurement professionals in the D.C. region. This project is supported by Community Connections Funding. Learn more about it in the Evaluation Grants tab.  

4) Funding Collaboratives: Our work has been enhanced by collaborating with other funders. These partnerships allow us to benefit from others’ expertise, share our own, and work in partnership to greater effect. We are currently part of the Washington AIDS Partnership and the Washington Area Women’s Foundation Early Care and Education Funders Collaborative. In 2020, we partnered with other local funders in the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, a collaborative mechanism to provide a coordinated and ongoing response to the pandemic crisis.

5) Disaster relief drives: During large international disasters, our staff often want to be part of the global humanitarian response. We help them create vehicles to make contributions to NGOs on the ground in the affected areas. These gifts may also be matched by the World Bank. In 2022, over $1.7 million was raised to local and international organizations.

Last Updated: Jul 04, 2023

The FY24 Community Connection Campaign (CCC) closed on December 14, 2023 and set new records. During the Campaign, our staff and retirees in HQ and country offices pledged $6.7 million, which the World Bank matched 100%. In total, over $13M were disbursed to organizations around the world. 

Globally, over 82% of staff from 134 countries contributed with their own money to the campaign.

The CCC runs each year in November and December and is promoted by a grassroots network of staff volunteers. Staff and retirees can pledge to over 400 organizations around the world, all nominated and supported by their colleagues. Their gifts are collected through the next calendar year and distributed quarterly to support the organizations’ general operations. Staff may also donate to the General Fund, which finances capital campaigns meeting pressing needs in the Washington metropolitan region and organizations where many staff volunteer. In recent years, the General Fund has supported capital projects at Bread for the City, Capital Area Food Bank, Community of HopeDC Central Kitchen, District Alliance for Safe Housing (DASH) and Higher Achievement.

Following the General Fund’s response to COVID-19 and racial injustice in previous years, in 2022 the General Fund focused on workforce development programs. Grants were awarded to CASA, New Futures, Jubilee Jobs, and La Cocina (Kitchen of Purpose). In addition, the General Fund issued Capital Campaign construction grants to Horton’s Kids, Good Shepherd Housing, and CASA.

The CCC is the starting point for nonprofits interested in engaging with the Bank’s corporate philanthropy program. For information about how your organization can join the CCC, please see "Joining the CCC" below.

Joining the CCC

The HQ Community Connections Campaign (CCC) is the workplace giving program of the World Bank Group at its Washington DC offices, which is conducted over a two-month period in November and December each year.  The Campaign's purpose is primarily to provide support to local nonprofit organizations operating in the Washington, DC metropolitan community.  Given the nature of the World Bank Group's mission, it also supports some international development and relief organizations, as well as some national organizations that have substantial activities in the Washington region. ​​

To be considered for inclusion in the Campaign, an organization must meet the requirements outlined in this document. To receive matching funds, an organization must continue to meet these requirements.

NOTE: The below organizational criteria have been approved by the World Bank Community Connections Fund (WBCCF) Board of Directors for the FY25 Community Connections Campaign. Any organizations already on the CCC list prior to this Campaign that might not meet all of these criteria can possibly be "grandfathered" on to the list.

Application and Approval Process for FY25 World Bank Group (WBG) Headquarters Community Connections Campaign (HQCCC)

I. Application and Approval Process for New Non-Profit Applicants to the HQ CCC

Step 1: Review the CCC Eligibility Criteria (see below).

Step 2: Ten (10) World Bank Group (WBG [IBRD, IDA, IFC, ICSID and MIGA]) staff members, consultants, and/or retirees nominate the non-profit.

Step 3: The non-profit completes the CCC application form and submits all required attachments.

Step 4: The application and attachments are reviewed by CCC staff to determine the non-profit’s eligibility under the CCC Criteria.

Step 5: The non-profit is informed of the decision based on the approval process.
 

CCC ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

1. Focus:

The HQ CCC focuses on non-profits serving the community of the WBG Headquarters in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and on global non-profits operating in WBG client countries. As a result, non-profits must have active operations focused on supporting communities in either (1) the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area or (2) three or more client countries of the World Bank Group.

2. The non-profit must:

  1. Provide services and be actively involved in helping to improve the lives of poor and disadvantaged people and/or contributing to the socio-economic, civic, and cultural well-being of said communities on a livable planet; 
  2. Have a record of success in operations, program implementation, and financial management;
  3. Have an engaged Board of Directors that is involved in its activities;
  4. Have a policy and practice of inclusivity and equal opportunity;
  5. Have appropriate permits, authorizations, licenses, and registrations required for activities related to its operations at its location(s);
  6. Be incorporated as an income-tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization under the U.S. Internal Revenue Service Code;
  7. Account for its funds according to US GAAP, conduct an annual independent financial audit and submit at least two consecutive independent financial audits at the time of application;
  8. Submit with the application the most recent IRS Form 990 Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax;
  9. Produce an annual narrative report to the public and submit it with the application;
  10. Have objectives and activities that are consistent with the World Bank Group’s mission of a world free of poverty on a livable planet; and
  11. Not pose a reputational risk, harm, or damage to the World Bank Group.

3. The following types of organizations are NOT eligible for the CCC:

  1. Schools - elementary, middle, or high school; college or university; parent-teacher association or similar school-related groups
  2. Hospitals or hospital foundations
  3. Fraternities or sororities
  4. Sports clubs or centers
  5. Organizations organized primarily for religious, political, or think tank purposes
  6. Organizations organized primarily to fund a government entity and/or program

4. The non-profit must attest that funds received from the CCC will not be used to directly support political, soldiers/military, governmental or religious purposes. 

 

II. Renewal Application Process for Non-Profits Already in the HQ CCC

Step 1: Review the CCC Eligibility Criteria, including additional eligibility criteria applicable to renewing non-profits.

Step 2: The non-profit completes the CCC renewal application form and submits all required attachments.

Step 3: The application and attachments are reviewed by CCC staff to determine the non-profit’s eligibility for renewal and inclusion in CCC.

Step 4: The non-profit is informed of the decision based on the approval process.
 

Eligibility Criteria for Renewing Non-Profits:

  • The non-profit must continue to meet the CCC Eligibility Criteria set forth in paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4.
  • To join the next CCC, a renewing non-profit must have received donations from at least ten (10) donors that together total at least $1,000 in the prior CCC. 

If a renewing organization does not meet the minimum support level, World Bank Group staff, consultants, and/or retirees can re-nominate it for inclusion in the next CCC as a "new" non-profit. However, if the organization is re-nominated and fails to meet the minimum requirement for a second consecutive CCC, it will be removed from the list and will remain ineligible for two years.

Organization Notes

  • The World Bank Group typically provides a corporate contribution to match staff and retiree donations. The matching percentage is set each year. Organizations that already receive significant in-kind support from the World Bank Group may not be eligible for the corporate match.

WBG Staff Donor Notes

  • Contributions to WBGCCF may be tax deductible; donors should consult with their own tax advisors as the tax deductibility of their donations.
  • Campaign donations may not be used to cover the costs of benefits received by the donor from the recipient organization, including for example a donor's membership dues.

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Last Updated: Feb 09, 2024

Measuring and evaluating programs is an integral part of nonprofits ability to deliver quality interventions but nonprofits often lack for support in this area. The Community Connections Program is engaged in a variety of ways to meet this demand. Our Measure4Change program, described below, provides funding, training, and a community of practice. We also support evaluation efforts in other ways, including grants. Many of these efforts have been for education nonprofits in Washington, D.C. and we have compiled a series of briefs summarizing the results of some of this evaluation work.

Measure4Change

Nonprofits recognize the importance of measuring their program effectiveness, but their abilities vary widely, and resources for improvement are scarce. With Measure4Change, we join the Urban Institute to fill this long-standing gap between what nonprofits in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region want and what they can do.

This program provides practical, accessible training in performance measurement. Our ultimate goal is for local nonprofits to better understand how they are helping their constituencies and how to better achieve their missions.

Measure4Change uses two approaches: for grantees, financial support and one-on-one, technical assistance help build a sustainable performance measurement program; more broadly, a regional community of practice and knowledge briefs share lessons learned and best practices. The original two-year pilot received very positive feedback and the model and what we learned is described in this brief. We are continuing the program now in year ten.

Grant Support and Technical Assistance

Measure4Change provides grant support and one-on-one, intensive technical assistance for competitively selected local nonprofits. The technical assistance is guided by a curriculum and is also tailored to meet the individual needs of each nonprofit.

Community of Practice

Measure4Change hosts a broader community of practice, which includes professionals from many additional nonprofits and meets quarterly. This series of seminars creates learning opportunities and exposes nonprofits to the tools and best practices they need to build their performance measurement program. The sessions also make performance measurement more accessible by helping nonprofit leaders learn from their peers, understand the range of performance management practices, where they fit into that continuum, and how they can advance their own programs. Topics covered have included:

  • Developing logic models and results frameworks
  • Building a high-performance culture around measurement, evaluation, data, and learning
  • Setting performance targets for programs and staff
  • Performance management and measurement software
  • Survey design
  • Qualitative data collection and analysis
  • Race, equity, and inclusion in performance measurement
  • Working with secondary data and making use of mapping (geographic information system) tools
  • Quantitative data analysis
  • Displaying data, data visualization, and data storytelling
  • Communicating data to clients and client feedback loops
  • Performance-based financing
  • Data security and client protections for nonprofits
  • Performance measurement–evaluation continuum

If you would like to join this Community of Practice, please contact measure4change@urban.org.

Knowledge Briefs

Nonprofit leaders need more resources about the early stages of performance measurement programs and about how to overcome the practical challenges they will face as they build their programs. Complementing the community of practice, the Measure4Change team has published a series of knowledge briefs that explain key concepts and address relevant topics in performance measurement. The briefs are:

·       Starting Small and Thinking Long-Term: Q&A with Performance Measurement and Evaluation Professionals

·       Strategies for Cultivating an Organizational Learning Culture

·       Navigating Performance Management Software Options

·       Expanding Audience and Impact Nonprofits Communicating Data to External Audiences

·       Performance Measurement to Evaluation

·       A New Model for Growing Impact

Last Updated: Jul 28, 2023

Our staff give their time and expertise to their communities, echoing our mission in their own neighborhoods by volunteering thousands of hours annually in the cities where they work, from Ankara to Yaoundé. They build websites in Washington, distribute food in Manila, plant trees in Almaty, evaluate programs in Arlington, mentor students in Johannesburg, and much more, all in service of a more prosperous world. In 2021, the Washington Business Journal recognized our staff for total hours volunteered. All World Bank staff receive a paid day off each year to volunteer.

In addition, each year we host a Volunteer Awareness Day to help staff find opportunities for themselves and their families and provide guides to the top local volunteer opportunities in the DC area. 

In our Washington, D.C. headquarters, we also have a longstanding relationship with the Urban Alliance to hire talented young men and women from D.C. Public and Public Charter high schools for summer internships. Our staff train and mentor these students through their first professional employment opportunities, which help propel them to future success. Together, we have provided meaningful summer employment, mentorship, and training to over 430 students. 100% of students in the Urban Alliance's programs graduate from high school on time, compared to just 60% of their peers. Over 90% of them go on to college in the next year. These students are bright, talented, and hardworking, and these internships are an opportunity that would not otherwise be available to them.

 

Last Updated: Jul 04, 2023

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