WASHINGTON, DC | The Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development (CNHED) announces today that American University has joined the DC Community Anchor Partnership (DCAP) as a participating anchor institution. Through this new partnership, American University will work to empower and advance minority-owned businesses (MBEs) competing in the procurement space — businesses that have historically faced significant barriers to accessing contracting opportunities.
DCAP is a high-impact initiative co-convened by CNHED and the DC Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED). Financed by the Mayor, Council of the District of Columbia, JP Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo, DCAP works with local “anchor institutions” (placed-based entities including hospitals, universities and, utility companies), who use their procurement power to better support the growth of local, DC-based MBEs.
American University joins 11 other local anchor institutions that have pledged their commitment to supporting local MBEs;
- Adventist Healthcare
- Bridgepoint Healthcare
- Children’s National Hospital
- DC Water
- Georgetown University
- George Washington University Hospital
- Pepco
- Saint Elizabeths Hospital
- Sibley Memorial Hospital (Johns Hopkins Medicine)
- The University of the District of Columbia
- Whitman-Walker Health.
When DCAP launched In 2017, 18 local institutions reported spending more than $2 billion annually on goods and services, but less than 3 percent was spent with DC-based MBEs. Since DCAP’s launch, the current participating institutions have spent more than $247 million with over 300 MBEs in DC.
“The spending power of these 12 anchor institutions presents a unique opportunity to support local MBEs, and subsequently, generate wealth within the Black community,” says CNHED President and CEO, Stephen Glaude. “And it doesn’t end there. Creating opportunities for these businesses enables them to scale their operations and hire more under-resourced District residents, spurring a sustainable cycle of positive community impact.”
Under the leadership of President Burwell, American University has taken other notable steps to reinforce its ties to the DC community, in areas such as education, arts and culture, and economic development. Its efforts range from creating educational and workforce initiatives to providing capacity building and research to local nonprofit organizations.
