March Donor Spotlight

Bright Beginnings greatly relies upon and appreciates all of the contributions we receive. Each month we will be highlighting a donor that has enabled us to provide loving and nurturing care to the City's homeless families. For the month of March, we are pleased to feature the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation.

"So much of what makes Bright Beginnings such a wonderful organization can be traced to the leadership of its Executive Director, Betty Jo Gaines.  So extraordinary is her leadership that the Meyer Foundation named Dr. Gaines one of five inaugural recipients of the Exponent Award in 2006,  to recognize her exceptional leadership in the nonprofit sector. 

Dr. Gaines’ deep commitment to providing the highest quality care to Bright Beginnings children and families led the organization to only hire teachers with college degrees.  She created opportunities for staff development, so that Bright Beginnings teachers, aides, and social workers could both broaden and deepen their knowledge of child development and strengthen their skills in helping families to strengthen themselves.  She brought a new curriculum to the school, tailored to address the needs of young children from low-income families.  She also successfully led the organization through the stringent accreditation process sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.   All of this work has tripled parent participation and helped to retain 90 percent of the Bright Beginnings staff.

Dr. Gaines pays equal attention to the inner workings of the organization.  She overhauled the financial systems, diversified revenue sources, and worked with board and staff to create a strategic plan for growth – one that includes opening a new center in Ward 7 or 8 in the next two years. 

All of this work translates into outstanding service to homeless children and families in the District:  children prepared to enter school, and parents strengthened in their ability to be good parents and support their families."