$1M Dollars Awarded To DC Dance Equity Nonprofit From House Appropriation Bill

Dance Institute of Washington has been awarded $1 million dollars through recent funding in House Appropriation Bills secured by Congresswoman Elenor Holmes Norton (D-DC). DIW is the leading minority-led pre-professional dance equity organization in the nation's capital. The organization supports students from underserved communities, balancing artistic excellence at the highest level with life-building skills focused on empowerment, academic discipline, emotional support and nutritional guidance. The money is part of $21 million Norton secured for Community Project Funding for worthy organizations in Washington, DC.

"It is my honor to fight for D.C. in Congress, and I am proud to have secured this much-needed funding," Norton said.

For DIW, the money will help address long-standing issues supporting equity. DIW is unique in that they build their budget around what they will need to fulfill their mission each year, rather than seeing how much of their mission they can achieve based on the funding they acquire.

"We are always willing to spend the amount necessary to achieve the outcomes that we need for our students. Because of that approach, we are often operating on a shoestring budget," says Executive Director, Kahina Haynes. "This grant is especially important because it not only validates what we do, but it also means we will be able to fully support our programs. Our goal is not to grow the organization, but to achieve our mission, and this helps enormously."

In addition to the Community Project Funding, Haynes was recently named as a recipient of the Black Voices for Black Justice Fund. The Fund was established to amplify clarion voices about racial justice; connect new and established black leaders to one another; and support Black-led efforts to build meaningful economic and political power for their communities in the context of police brutality and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic along racial lines. The board of The Fund includes Co-Chair Kerry Washington and Co-Chair Emeriti Stacey Abrams and the award has been given to such luminaries as Rev. Dr. William Barber, II and environmentalist, Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson.

"I am especially honored to receive this award," says Haynes. "The Black Voices for Black Justice Fund recognizes those who are in the trenches and endorses the idea that it shouldn't be a hardship to do hard work. A lot of leaders are so consumed with their missions that they have trouble taking care of themselves, which is actually harmful to those leaders and their organizations. This fund not only legitimizes the work you do, but also acknowledges the importance of taking care of oneself."

Recently, DIW was also chosen by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanity to lead a cohort for other arts organizations on the topic of Theory of Change for programming. More information about this program will be available in the month's ahead. In addition, Kahina Haynes was honored at the Kennedy Center on July 30th as an Emerging Leader by Dance in the DMV due to her "commitment, perseverance and innovation."

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