Research by Author & Topic

Publications by Carol J. De Vita on Washington D.C. Region

This brief profiles community-based nonprofits in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area that are helping newcomers adjust to their new social and political environment, while affirming their cultural identities. The brief focuses on nonprofit groups that serve Asian, Middle Eastern and African populations and examines the characteristics of these organizations in terms of their number, size, location, and scope of activities. The findings provide a unique picture of the community-based resources that are helping immigrants incorporate into American life.

Over the past decade the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area has become increasingly diverse, driven in large part by the growth of the Latino population. By 2006, almost 610,000 Latinos lived in the region. Today's immigrants, like those before them, contribute to the development of civil society organizations and rely on them for services and activities. Yet little is known about these organizations and the ways they help newcomers build and engage in civil society. This brief provides an overview of nonprofits and religious congregations in the Washington, D.C. region that focus on providing services and support to the Latino population.

Little attention has been paid to whether funding from federal faith-based initiatives is reaching its intended partners, such as congregations in low-income neighborhoods that on a daily basis assist some of the nation's most vulnerable and needy people. Using a sample of congregations in three low-income wards of the District of Columbia, this brief explores how congregations are responding to the initiatives and their experiences in working with government.

Few technologies have spread as quickly, or become so widely used, as computers and the Internet. However, there are significant disparities in ownership and use by age, race and economic status. To address these disparities, a wide variety of local agencies have risen to the challenge of providing residents with access to information technology. To gain a clearer understanding of the availability and use of information technology in local communities, the Urban Institute conducted a study of public computer access in three areas of the District of Columbia. This study highlights the need for targeted program investment, coordinated training and services, and alternative staffing strategies for technology support. A set of recommendations are listed for service providers, government, and philanthropy, for improving public access computing in the District of Columbia.

We know we have got a lot of churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, but just how much faith-based community outreach is there? Many religious groups provide soup kitchens and emergency provisions, shelter and clothing. Others, however, see a need to evolve to fit the growing needs of the Metro area communities, to get involved in community development, and create new infrastructure to support that development.

The purpose of the study was to construct a methodology to identify and describe community organizations and networks that strengthen families and children in three low-income neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. The study involved developing tools to analyze the size, scope, and structure of community organizations that foster local leadership and leverage resources on behalf of families and children. A spatial analysis was undertaken to understand the relationship between the nonprofit infrastructure and socioeconomic characteristics of the studied neighborhoods. Also included is a description of community-based groups and networks that enhance the well-being of families and children.

the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy contracted with the Greater Washington Research Center to include four questions in its April 1997 consumer survey of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area that pertain to how individuals interact with religious congregations. Specifically, survey respondents were asked if they attend religious services, donate money, volunteer their time, or use social services offered by congregations. The survey also contained information on respondents' race, annual household income, and place of residence.