The Mayor's Office of Partnerships and Grants Development (OPGD) has selected 24 organizations for its 2003-2004 Strengthening Partners Initiative (SPI) class.

SPI is a capacity building program that provides an opportunity for emerging nonprofit and faith-based organizations to attend customized training sessions, learn from nonprofit mentors, and build a new peer network. The free one-year program is available to Executive Directors from organizations located and providing direct services in the District of Columbia.

"Through this initiative, OPGD is supporting the Mayor's goal of expanding opportunity for all District residents and strengthening the organizational leadership and management capacity of local nonprofit officials," said OPGD director Lafayette Barnes. Joyce Muis-Lowery, Executive Director of Art Enables and a 2002-2003 SPI participant, added, "The essential truth SPI taught us was that being able to run a good program doesn't necessarily equip you to run a good organization. Now, with what we learned, the discipline to put it into practice and a bit of luck, we can do both!"

The following organizations were selected through a competitive application process to participate in the 2003-2004 Strengthening Partners Initiative (SPI) program:

Abundantly Living Service Single Wholeness & Marriage Saver Ain't That the Truth Aversion to Incarceration Males Barry Farms Resident Council Inc. Cable Foundation Consumer Action Network Capital Renaissance Theater Company Concerned Black Men, DC Chapter Columbia Heights Village Cover Inc. Efforts Gethsemane Mission Year

Hope and A Future, Inc. HOPE Worldwide, Mid Atlantic Kids First Latino Student Fund Peer-Vision Partnership Project 2000 Reintegration Faith Partnership Self Help Vanessa Ali Ministries, Inc. Washington East Foundation Whalers Creation Winning Women Ministries