Nonprofit Tumaini DC Raises $8,000 to Send Students to Ghana at Inaugural Impact Awards Gala

Tumaini DC, the dynamic nonprofit founded by D.C. native and former educator Portia Richardson, has long been a trailblazer in culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and healing-centered Social and Emotional Learning. This year, the organization once again showed what is possible when community, culture, and purpose align. At its inaugural Impact Awards Gala, hosted alongside the 4th Annual Sneaker Ball, Tumaini raised $8,000 to help send local students to Ghana, furthering its mission to open global doors for young people across the District. The night was filled with joy, Black excellence, and a shared commitment to expanding what D.C. youth believe is possible for themselves.

The gala honored a powerhouse group of educators, leaders, and advocates whose work mirrors Tumaini’s own pioneering spirit. Honorees included Dr. William Blake, Executive Director of Social Emotional Learning for DCPS, violence interrupter Jawanna Hardy, Fathers On the Move Founder D’Wayne Ouzts, clinical psychologist Dr. Ivy Shadiah, The Bailey Institute Founder Brian Bailey, Marion Barry Youth Leadership Institute Program Director Ciara Boderick-Hager, journalist Philip Lewis, and Broccoli City Co-Founder Jermon Williams. Each honoree represented a model of leadership already transforming classrooms, communities, and cultural spaces, reflecting the same possibilities and pathways that Tumaini creates for its students, most of whom come from Wards 7 and 8.

Hosted by media personality Autumn Joi Live, the evening featured performances by go-go band CCB, musician JBY Sax, and a live painting moment from artist Keyonna Jones. Guests celebrated, danced, and rallied behind an organization that continues to innovate even after losing nearly 40% of its annual funding during the government shutdown. Rather than retreating, Tumaini DC expanded its vision, confirming plans to send 12 more students to Ghana in 2026 and launching its Impact Insider program, a five-tier monthly donor initiative offering supporters deeper engagement through volunteer opportunities, program visits, speaker events, and even study abroad experiences.

Founder Portia Richardson delivered one of the evening’s most powerful reflections, reminding everyone why this mission matters. “You are standing inside of a living testimony and a whole lot of prayers from my mom, my family, and everyone around me. You are standing inside the evidence of what hope, healing, and community can do,” Richardson said. 

She shared that Tumaini students have earned more than $100,000 in business funding through entrepreneurship programs, traveled to Ghana at no cost, and even brought parents and grandparents on their first-ever flights. “100% of our Ghana travelers reported increased confidence, identity, purpose, and global leadership. And the only cost to their parents was to get a passport.”

She also highlighted Tumaini DC’s vocational training in barbering, cosmetology, photography, music production, videography, and more, as well as its healing-centered retreats that help young people reconnect with themselves through nature therapy. “Our social and emotional learning curriculum continues to transform schools, educators, and communities, creating environments where young people are seen, valued, and supported.”

Journalist and honoree Phil Lewis echoed the importance of Tumaini’s work and why he felt compelled to be in the room. “A lot of people don’t know that I actually used to teach. I used to work with middle schoolers. And I still do as a journalist. So any organization that works with kids, with students, I’m passionate about. And I want to do whatever I can to support,” Lewis said. Despite a demanding travel schedule, he returned to D.C. to stand with Tumaini and to represent the work of Black journalists who are navigating one of the most challenging moments in media.

When asked what the recognition meant to him, Lewis emphasized the collective importance of the work. 

“I share this honor with the Washington Association of Black Journalists, of which I’m president. We’re the largest chapter of NABJ (National Association of Black Journalists). And so all of our members, the work that we’re doing right now is so important. Being honored shows that organizations like Tumaini really recognize the importance of journalism right now, especially in this moment.”

He spoke candidly about the urgent stakes for young people navigating a world overwhelmed with misinformation. 

“It’s so important because literacy rates are just plummeting. And that is a concern for us, as journalists, because we need people to support, we need people to read. A report showed that we’re losing an entire generation of young people who are just not interested in the news. And so what we need to be doing is making sure that we are connected with organizations like this, organizations in the community, so we can come together and say to the young people, hey, reading, writing, is still important, it’s the most important thing that we can do is communicate.”

By the end of the gala, the message was unmistakable. This was more than a fundraiser. It was a declaration that D.C.’s youth deserve expansive possibilities and that Tumaini DC, along with its honorees, is committed to opening every door that leads them toward leadership, purpose, and global connection.

Tumaini DC has already impacted more than 30,000 youth and families across the U.S. and Ghana. The $8,000 raised at the gala will help send even more students through the Sankofa Global Leadership & Study Abroad Program, giving them a chance to walk on Ghanaian soil, learn their history firsthand, and return home ready to lead.

To support the mission and help expand opportunities for D.C. youth, visit TumainiDC.org to donate, join the Impact Insider program, or secure your ticket for next year’s Sneaker Ball and Impact Awards Gala.

Cover photo: Nonprofit Tumaini DC Raises $8,000 to Send Students to Ghana at Inaugural Impact Awards Gala/Photo credit: Tumaini DC