Editor’s Note: You can’t walk down the street in this capitol of nonprofits without tripping over someone trying to make a difference. Today, DCist introduces the first of an occasional feature in which we turn the blogging spotlight on some of the organizations and people who work to give something back. If you know of a good cause that needs a little light, send it this way.

For our first post, we’re sticking close to home and featuring The Syrentha Savio Endowment (SSE), an organization “that provides financial assistance to underprivileged women who cannot afford the expense of fighting breast cancer”. (In the interest of full disclosure, this DCist should report that we know the founder, Mark Beemer, well enough to tear it up at his house warming party this Saturday.)

Mark started the organization in February 2002, a month after his wife, Syrentha, lost her battle with the disease. Since then, SSE has raised over $180,000 to help the cause. They’ve awarded over $90,000 of it to organizations committed to helping fund treatment for women who can’t afford it themselves. SSE recently gave $65,000 to the Capital Breast Care Center, a D.C. clinic that offers free programs for women without insurance.