Author Archives: Spur Local

Getting to Know the Catalogue Review Team: Part 3

Posted on by
Reply

Today marks the 3rd and final installment of our “Getting to Know the Reviewers” blog series. We’re excited to introduce our readers to Hedrick Belin, President of the Potomac Conservancy (a Catalogue charity) and 4-time Catalogue reviewer. Approximately one-quarter of our review team is comprised of members from peer nonprofits. Between these reviewers, members from foundations, corporate giving programs, other partner organizations and philanthropists, the Catalogue team is always confident in the work of this group to help us determine which small charities are truly “the very best” in Greater Washington.

What do you enjoy most about reviewing nonprofits for the Catalogue?

Hedrick Belin, Potomac Conservancy: It lets me see what other innovative conservation groups are undertaking to clean our air, safeguard our drinking water supply and protect wildlife. There are many amazing groups making a real difference in our overall quality of life with very few financial resources. Every spring, I come away re-energized after spending a weekend reading through a dozen applications.

What is one piece of advice you would give to future Catalogue applicants?

Hedrick: Specifics matter. Assume the reviewer does not know anything about your organization. What can you put in your application that shows the concrete impacts and on-the-ground differences that your organization is making? Quantify by including lots of metrics to demonstrate you are not just a nice organization doing nice things, but are really filling a community need and making a difference when it comes to changing lives or improving the community. Make it easy for me to recognize immediately that you are one of the best.

What is one piece of advice you would give to new/future Catalogue reviewers?

Hedrick: Come with an open mind, but a critical eye. The Catalogue is supposed to represent the best small non-profits in Washington, DC, not every small non-profit. You should be open to innovative approaches to solving some of the chronic problems in the region, but also read the applications carefully to see which groups have the best return on investment.

How has being a reviewer had an impact on your views of philanthropy in Greater Washington?

Hedrick: The region is blessed with an incredibly strong non-profit sector that is getting stronger every year. I’m constantly impressed with the passionate individuals fighting every day on the front lines to build a more just and sustainable world and have seen the power of this sector to change lives and save lives. The larger non-profits that have been around for decades tend to get the press, but the non-profits that the Catalogue selects deserve to be recognized as well for the tremendous difference they are making in our local communities.

What do you feel your unique background brings to the Catalogue review process?

Hedrick: As an Executive Director, I quickly assess organizational alignment. Do the organizational mission, vision and strategies tie together in a concise, compelling way? Is there a clear theory of change that the organization is employing to drive every decision?As a former consultant working with over 100 social purpose organizations across the non-profit spectrum, I’ve developed an ability to evaluate the entities’ efficacy and impact by looking at a few key answers in the application. For example, I look at the size and composition of the board. I also look at revenue streams, both in terms of diversity of sources and also if they have the revenue engine to drive the short and long-term goals listed in question.

To learn more about Potomac Conservancy and find out how you can donate or volunteer, head over to their Catalogue web page, or connect with them on their website, Facebook and Twitter pages.

Getting to Know the Catalogue Review Team: Part II

Posted on by
Reply

Welcome to week two of our “Getting to Know the Catalogue Review Team” series, where we invite you to get to know the members of our community who help us determine which small charities are the very best in Greater Washington. Part one can be found here.

This week we’re featuring Sandra Hoehne, ‎a 2-time reviewer and Catalogue supporter, and Maegan Scott, Program and Communications Officer at Meyer Foundation. This year marks Maegan’s 3rd as a Catalogue reviewer.

How did you hear about the Catalogue? And, how did you become a reviewer?

Sandra Hoehne, Catalogue supporter: I cannot remember how I found out about the Catalogue. Around ’09 or ’10 I was planning our yearly giving. Like many people, I give at the end of the year so that I know exactly how much we can afford to give. I found the Catalogue’s Donate Now / Decide Later option and was hooked. Also, my husband and I live and work in Arlington and so many of my favorite local non-profits have been featured in the Catalogue.

As to reviewing – after meeting Barbara [Harman] and Nancy [Swartz] and being infected by their enthusiasm and energy, I knew that I wanted to do whatever I could to help them. Donating money was one way, but getting my hands dirty with the reviewing process was the next step.

Maegan Scott, The Meyer Foundation: The Meyer Foundation has been a long-time supporter and partner of the Catalogue, and was one of the funders that helped to bring the publication to DC in 2003. Meyer staff has served as reviewers each year since the Catalogue launched in the Washington region. I was honored to become part of that tradition three years ago.

What do you enjoy most about reviewing nonprofits for the Catalogue?

Sandra: I enjoy seeing that though the need in the DC area is so great in all areas that the Catalogue covers, the drive to help is just as strong and lack of resources does not discourage dedicated people.

Maegan: There are actually two things. I love being introduced to organizations that haven’t or may never apply to Meyer for funding. I feel like it gives me a much more comprehensive understanding of the great work taking place across the region. I use that information in a lot of different ways, for example connecting friends to organizations they may fall in love with or even to pursue volunteer opportunities myself. I also just love the Catalogue’s mission and the emphasis it places on storytelling. I know that the organizations that are selected to be Catalogue nonprofits are going to get excellent visibility and coaching and become part of a network that will help increase their overall effectiveness.

What is one piece of advice you would give to future Catalogue applicants?

Sandra: Be succinct. And, maybe don’t include the resume of each Board Member in your application.

Maegan: Remember that this application will be read by a real live human being. I think so many groups are used to producing proposals and reports that are highly structured (especially groups with government grants and contracts) that they hesitate to tell their organization’s story beyond numbers and metrics. Of course, numbers and metrics are important, but don’t lose the passion and enthusiasm that brought you to the work in the first place. I want to read about it!

What is one piece of advice you would give to new/future Catalogue reviewers?

Sandra: Clear your schedule for a day to do this. It is more taxing emotionally than you would think and you will need a little recovery time.

Maegan: Give yourself plenty of time and look at everything, including websites. Spend just as much time with the organizations you’re familiar with as you do with the groups that are new to you. Be honest in the comments; constructive feedback is sometimes more useful than glowing praise.

Given your experience as a reviewer, when you see a nonprofit with the Catalogue’s “seal of approval” what does that mean to you?

Maegan: I love seeing the Catalogue seal! I think it’s such a powerful branding tool. When I see the seal, I know that this is a well-managed organization doing meaningful and impactful work and that it survived a thorough financial review by RAFFA. And because not all Catalogue nonprofits use the seal, I also know that this organization cares about leveraging and maximizing its inclusion in the Catalogue.

How has being a reviewer had an impact on your views of philanthropy in Greater Washington?

Sandra: It has really educated me on how much work nonprofits do, in addition to their primary purpose, to handle the very rigorous scrutiny to which something like the Catalogue subjects them. Having good intentions, identifying a need, and addressing it seem to me only a part of the equation. I have new respect for nonprofits that make it through these vetting procedures and are able to sell themselves and prove their worthiness. They not only have to accomplish their stated goal, but the organization itself and the administration have to be exemplary.

What do you feel your unique background brings to the Catalogue review process?

Sandra: I have been involved in small businesses my entire career. I find myself reading every application as if it were a business plan and the investment being sought is placement in the Catalogue. I wonder what kind of returns can be expected and how quickly. Since space in the Catalogue is limited, I only want the organizations that seem most poised to leverage that “investment” to have access to it.

Maegan: Even before working at the Meyer Foundation, a lot of the work I did focused on systems-building — who and what need to be in place to get the job done. Since joining the Foundation, I have seen and learned SO much about what works and what doesn’t work in how nonprofits are built (especially in terms of finance, boards, and executive leadership) and my belief that solid infrastructure matters if we’re going to see the social change that we’re all working to create has deepened exponentially. So a lot of what I bring to the review process is that — I’m assessing the organization’s capacity (including its potential) to advance its mission, I’m asking how well are the internal gears working.

When reading applications, have there been any “industry trends” (i.e. program design, donor engagement, ways of measuring impact, etc.) you have noticed since becoming a reviewer? Or, what trends in the nonprofit sector have caught your attention in the past year?

Maegan: I’m partially biased because of my role at the Meyer Foundation, but increasingly I’ve noticed organizations using social media as a way to strategically engage all of their stakeholders and not just the rote “thank you” tweet or Facebook post to a foundation or donor as a way of acknowledging a gift. We’re seeing more active engagement with clients and volunteers, and assertive program messaging and advocacy.

I’ve also seen more comprehensive and creative ways of talking about sustainability. Beyond secure and diverse funding streams, nonprofits applying both to Meyer and the Catalogue are writing about infrastructure and investing in talent and talent pipelines.

Stay tuned next week when we hear from Hedrick Belin, Catalogue reviewer and President of Potomac Conservancy!

Spring2ACTion in Alexandria on April 9th

Posted on by
Reply

On April 9th, the City of Alexandria will Spring2ACTion with 24 hours of giving to support the powerful work of community charities. Hosted by ACT for Alexandria, this year’s goal is raise $1,000,000 (last year, Spring2ACTion raised more than $600,000 for 97 charities)!

Currently, 13 charities in the Catalogue for Philanthropy network are Alexandria-based. Spring2ACTion is your chance to support these organizations in a big way: each donation provides a chance for them to win up to $40,000 in grants and prizes.

Each charity has a campaign page on Razoo that details how you can make a difference at various giving levels, from $10 (which can provide fresh coffee for 80 residents at Carpenter’s Shelter, for example), all the way up to $1,000 (which can pay for an educational field trip for 105 students in Community Lodging’s summer program).

See below for the Spring2ACTion campaign pages for participating Catalogue for Philanthropy charities:

ALIVE!

The Art League

Carpenter’s Shelter

Center for Alexandria’s Children

Community Lodgings

Computer CORE

Empowered Woman International Inc

Friends of Guest House, Inc

Liberty’s Promise

SCAN of Northern Virginia

Senior Services of Alexandria

The Child and Family Network Centers

The Joey Pizzano Memorial Fund Inc

Don’t forget to tweet us @CatalogueDC to tell us how you’re participating in Spring2ACTion 2014!

Getting to Know the Catalogue Review Team: Part I

Posted on by
Reply

At the Catalogue, we’re always so eager to tell people about our unique vetting process that helps us determine which small charities are the best in Greater Washington. Of course, our vetting could not take place without the help of our 100-person review team, which consists of experts from the local philanthropic community who each evaluate 10-11 charity applications during the months of March and April.

So, just who are these reviewers? Over the next three weeks, we’re pulling back the curtain and inviting you to get to know these members of our community of knowledge as they share their perspectives on the Catalogue review process and philanthropy in Greater Washington.

This week, we’re featuring Joseph Suarez, ‎a 6-time Catalogue reviewer and Executive Advisor, Community Partnerships at Booz Allen Hamilton, and Jade Floyd, Director of Communications at The Case Foundation. This year marks Jade’s 2nd as a Catalogue reviewer.

How did you hear about the Catalogue? And, how did you become a reviewer?

Joe Suarez, Booz Allen Hamilton: I originally learned of the Catalogue having received a copy at home in the mail. My home fell into one of the targeted zip codes the original Catalogue was mailed to a few years ago. I contacted the Catalogue and eventually Booz Allen became one of the corporate supporters. We were impressed with the concept of the Catalogue and the potential impact it represented for smaller area nonprofits. Eventually [Catalogue President and Editor] Barbara Harman asked me to serve as one of the Catalogue reviewers.

Jade Floyd, The Case Foundation: I have served on the board of directors and development/fundraising committees for two nonprofits in the Catalogue portfolio, the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative and Project Create. This opened the door to becoming a reviewer for the class of 2013 and 2014.

What do you enjoy most about reviewing nonprofits for the Catalogue?

Joe: Having spent the better part of my career in the non-profit community, mostly with large national non-profit organizations as a development professional and now on the corporate grants side of the house, what I enjoy most about reviewing non-profits for the Catalogue is the opportunity to learn about the many smaller organizations in our community. Many of these non-profit organizations I was not familiar with, but who across our community provide vital services to those in need or add to the richness of the region. In many cases these organizations are not household names, but the Catalogue provides them an opportunity to showcase their services and the diverse constituents they touch. This platform — the Catalogue for Philanthropy — plays an important role in helping member organizations build their brand and name recognition while also helping generate new financial support.

Jade: Learning about the vast number of quality nonprofits across the region is one of the most enjoyable parts of this process. These organizations are providing critically needed services to disadvantaged populations. The quality of candidates we review is enlightening because each organization is so unique and dedicated to their missions.

What is one piece of advice you would give to future Catalogue applicants?

Joe: Take the time to apply! It is a lot of work to apply for admission to the Catalogue, but it is worth every bit of it. The return to your organization for the time invested is priceless. Over the years, recognition in the Catalogue for Philanthropy has been the “Good Housekeeping seal of approval” in many ways. Individual, Foundation and Corporate donors understand the high standards the Catalogue places in their selection process. This rigor in reviewing the mission and impact of the nonprofits selected for the Catalogue along with the auditing provides a high level of confidence that any donation given is going to be well used and have maximum impact. In addition, the Catalogue provides a tremendous platform to help member nonprofits build their name identification and in competitive markets, this can mean the difference in gaining that financial support or not.

What is one piece of advice you would give to new/future Catalogue reviewers?

Joe: Enjoy yourself, wade into the pool, it’s not deep, but use it as an opportunity to learn a little more about the community that we live in and those we might not see or know too much about. Your role as a reviewer will give you greater insight!

Jade: Venture outside of the box and get to know these nonprofits personally. Don’t simply rely on the application. Visit their websites, follow them on twitter and Facebook, or take the time to attend a performance. You are not only a reviewer; you are becoming an advocate and sometimes a patron for life for many of these organizations.

Given your experience as a reviewer, when you see a nonprofit with the Catalogue’s “seal of approval” what does that mean to you?

Joe: When I see the Catalogue’s “seal of approval” I know right away, the rigor and consistency that went into reviewing these nonprofit organizations and clearing them for their impact, performance and good fiscal stewardship. This high standard provides a level of confidence that any contribution or grant being made will be well used by the organization to address the need in the community they are focused on.

Jade: Individuals who donate to an organization want to be assured that their dollars will make an impact and be used wisely. The Catalogue’s “seal of approval” gives donors the confidence that these nonprofits are delivering on their mission to the community. As a reviewer, we have an insider’s look at the data and program outcomes that the general public may not have access to. It is our responsibility to evaluate their programs to the best of our ability and make very tough decisions about each nonprofit that determines their entry into the Catalogue family.

How has being a reviewer had an impact on your views of philanthropy in Greater Washington?

Joe: The diversity of organizations represented in the Catalogue stands out to me right away. For an affluent community, there is tremendous need and opportunity across the region. The Catalogue touches many communities and focus areas ranging from social service activities, to educational, environmental and arts and culture to name just a few. To me this diversity speaks to the richness that these organizations bring to the region, helping those needing a hand up so that they do not fall through the cracks in the system to helping bring or improve the vitality to the community as a whole.

What do you feel your unique background brings to the Catalogue review process?

Jade: For several years I have used the Catalogue as a tool to find reputable nonprofits to support in my own philanthropic endeavors. Years of board service have given me an inside look at the best practices and fail forward moments at several organizations that are within the Catalogue family. I also work at the Case Foundation and have gained a deepened knowledge of the social sector. Each day I see the impact a grant or large-scale donation can have on an organization and its mission.

When reading applications, have there been any industry trends (i.e. program design, donor engagement, ways of measuring impact, etc.) you have noticed since becoming a reviewer? Or, what trends in the nonprofit sector have caught your attention in the past year?

Jade: Several trends are catching my eye. The first is organizations who are failing forward.Often, the social sector is hesitant to admit their failures, fearing damage to their reputations or that funders will be dissuaded from supporting their efforts. Many organizations are taking the exact opposite approach and sharing their fail forward moments, tweaking programs and learning from them. For example, when the DC-based GlobalGiving Foundation University Scholarships for Women program failed, the nonprofit shared their learnings with the sector. Similarly, when the DC-based Cause “philanthropub” closed its doors after just one year, owner Nick Vilelle reflected on their challenge?publicly.

Second, nonprofits are reaching beyond their bubble.When nonprofits can work together with others in the sector on programs you often see greater returns and more impact on larger segments of the community. Collaborating spurns innovation and enables these organizations who partner to move the needle on the serious problems we face within our communities. The DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative partners with nearly 70 cultural institutions across the city — from Kennedy Center to National Geographic — to provide quality arts and humanities education for nearly 30,000 DC public and chartered public schools each year. Without their members it would be a challenge to provide this much access for students in the region.

And lastly is diversification of income. Nonprofits have learned a big lesson post-recession and are no longer reliant on just two or three sources of income. When I see an organization that has five or six areas of revenue (i.e. foundation grants, individual donations, earned income, in-kind, board giving, etc.) this is reassuring that they can sustain for the long term.

Stay tuned next week when we hear from two more members of our review team, Catalogue donor Sandra Hoehne, and Maegan Scott of The Meyer Foundation!

Guest Post: Thinking Like a Business

Posted on by
Reply

We’re eager to kick off our three-part workshop series on Marketing & Communications this Thursday. This series is made possible by Integrity Management Consulting, Inc., a friend of the Catalogue and to several of our charities. Before kicking off the series, we asked Integrity’s Communications Manager, Tracey Wright, to share a few ideas and examples of how nonprofits can communicate to a corporate audience.

Could Thinking Like a Business Help Non-Profits Connect With Business?

By Tracey Wright, Integrity Management Consulting

Non-profits are in the business of helping people. That means that for many, especially small non-profits, their primary focus is on service delivery, with little time or resources to spare. Just like any business that wants to grow its market share though, non-profits that need to fund their missions or that want to expand their services, need to secure more support. Could thinking like a business help them connect with potential corporate givers? Here are five ideas, gleaned from my experience working at the small but growing business and Catalogue for Philanthropy sponsor – Integrity Management Consulting – where I help manage the company’s non-profit partnerships.

1. Think about your audience: Integrity is sponsoring a three-part Catalogue training series beginning this Thursday on how to better tell non-profit stories. In the first session, Catalogue President and Editor Barbara Harman will discuss the need to consider your audience when designing your outreach. It’s one of the first things communications professionals are taught: don’t focus only on the message you want to convey, but also what your audience wants to know. For example, Integrity’s staff-led Community Impact Group reviews small non-profits when approving employee applications to support their favorite charities in our 5x$500 program. Often, a website review doesn’t give us all the information we’re looking for — such as the Form 990, a list of board members, short- and long-term goals and the strategies for achieving them. When we don’t find this information, it requires us to call the non-profit — another step for us and a potential roadblock to the organization securing business donations. Think about the audience and give potential supporters a one-stop information experience to speed decisions in your favor.

2. Make it easy: Of course you have a website, but how user-friendly and attractive is it? Analytics on our own website show that visitors can spend from mere seconds to just a few brief minutes on our site. The information people want to see should be easy to get to, with your story highlighted on your homepage to hook people and keep them there. It’s incumbent on all of us to ask whether we’re making it easy for our visitors to digest information and take an action, such as watching a video, downloading a report, clicking on an email address, or making a donation.

3. Use metrics to demonstrate impact: In her four-part blog series on ‘the evaluation problem,’ Barbara Harman pointed out that while it’s difficult to measure some kinds of impact, there’s a growing requirement by government and donors for metrics that measure results. Many of us respond from the heart, but just as businesses need to show potential customers how they fix problems, improve lives, or save money, non-profits can strike a chord by showing that they are results-driven organizations. For example, longtime Integrity partner Homestretch provides housing and other services to homeless families with children, many of them fleeing from domestic abuse. The simple fact of homelessness and abuse should be enough to convince the public to support the cause. Beyond the emotion though, what demonstrates good stewardship at Homestretch are the numbers it recently added to its new website, highlighted in large, bold type: 92% of last year’s graduates employed a year after graduation, $681,352 of debts repaid in the last six years, $1,157,921 in client savings deposits over the past six years. The numbers validate the Homestretch claim of transformational change in the lives of desperate families.

4. Use creativity and speed to cement a relationship with business: Meeting, or even better, exceeding customer expectations is a goal of most businesses, including Integrity. So when a non-profit exceeds expectations, business leaders notice. In 2013, Integrity used the Catalogue to find a new charity to support with a back-to-school drive. We chose Child and Family Network Centers (CFNC) based on the Catalogue’s review. Before our team returned to the office after delivering the new books and shoes we collected, CFNC had already posted a short, simple video clip to its Facebook page, which Integrity then shared on its own page. Days later, CFNC followed up with an unexpected “Stewardship Report” which recapped the project, the need for shoes among its pre-school population, photos of our team and the children, a child’s quote, screen captures of Facebook and Twitter traffic between us, and of local press coverage that CFNC’s media outreach had generated. We were blown away that they would make such an effort to demonstrate the value of Integrity’s contribution. CFNC’s enthusiastic response led directly to Integrity’s Community Impact Group choosing to adopt 11 adults and 14 children during CFNC’s subsequent year-end holiday gift drive. From a business perspective, it was clear that CFNC really “gets” the interconnection between corporate goals, employee engagement, traditional and shareable new media.

5. Market your strengths: Every business is looking for its differentiators. Whether it’s a unique product or service, a new award or a customer testimonial, a good marketer will use these assets to describe the business in a way that will stand out and make potential customers feel like they’re choosing a winner. The Catalogue stamp of approval achieves this and the logo is likely proudly displayed on your website and materials. Are there additional superlatives you can use? At a Catalogue reviewer function in 2013, one executive director casually mentioned that his non-profit had been chosen for the print and web versions of the Catalogue three times. I said he must have “three-times named ‘one of the best’ by the Catalogue for Philanthropy” in bold on the website. It hadn’t occurred to him. My advice – think like a marketer!

A final suggestion is to repurpose all the hard work you put into your Catalogue application. You have analyzed and clearly stated the need, measured your impact, and described your goals. That’s all good information to help you reach more individuals and more business donors.

There’s still time to register for this Thursday’s workshop, on Telling Your Story in Words, with Barbara Harman (4/3 @ 10am). Registration is full for the second workshop, Communicating via Imagery, but registration will open this week for the third workshop, Telling Your Story by Building Your Brand.

Integrity Management Consulting, Inc. is a rapidly growing small business that delivers acquisition, financial, and program management support services to Federal customers. Based in McLean, VA, Integrity has grown from two to about 100 employees and now supports a range of Federal agencies. An award-winning company for innovation, and job growth, in 2013 it also received the Outstanding Corporate Citizenship – Small Business award from the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce. Integrity has been a corporate sponsor of the Catalogue since 2009. It’s employee-led Community Impact Group and company matching program use the Catalogue to find new non-profits and are guided by its standards when approving donations.

Tracey Wright is the Communications Manager at Integrity Management Consulting, Inc., where she is in charge of all internal and external communications. She also leads the employee Community Impact Group and manages company partnerships with non-profits. A former television journalist and an ongoing advocate for children with special needs, Tracey was also a Fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communication. She connected with the Catalogue in late 2009, when she and a team from Georgetown helped rebrand and plan the Catalogue’s Inspiration to Action event. On behalf of Integrity, Tracey was a reviewer for the 2013 and 2014 editions of the Catalogue.

Dance Place Moves and Grooves in the Midst of Renovation

Posted on by
Reply

A big Catalogue “cheers!” to Dance Place, one of our 2012-2013 charities, on the exciting renovation to its Brookland space and accompanying coverage in today’s Washington Post (article below). Dance Place serves as a bustling dance school and neighborhood cultural center, offering performances and training in various types of dance, while also offering academic enrichment and dance classes, job training for teenagers, and a summer arts camp for at-risk youngsters.

Interested in supporting Dance Place through a donation or volunteer work?

For $150, you can sponsor a student for a 10-week scholarship to attend after-school dance classes; $500: 1 InReach performance for a local school; $1500: 1 full scholarship to Dance Place summer camp.

Dance Place is always looking for volunteers to serve as ushers for its weekend performances. No training necessary, see a great performance for free! Check out their nonprofit page for more details.

Jumping for joy in Brookland as Dance Place gets a much-needed facelift

By John Kelly,Published: March 25

“Once a dancer always a dancer. That’s what I thought as Carla Perlo showed me around her domain.

In 1980, the Washington area native founded Dance Place, a center for contemporary dance whose original home was in Adams Morgan. Forced from the building in 1986, Carla came to Brookland, where she turned a former welding company warehouse on Eighth Street NE into a performance space. That building is in the midst of a $4 million renovation. When it’s done this summer, it will reestablish Dance Place as an artsy anchor in a rapidly changing corner of the neighborhood.

Carla is a leader, and I mean that quite literally: She took me by the elbow as we crossed the street, guided me onto the sidewalk, brought me to a halt whenever she wanted to stop and point something out.

I was reminded of the ballroom dancing lessons I took with My Lovely Wife. As is common, students would swap partners you have to be able to foxtrot or samba with anyone and my wife would be amazed by her time with the male instructor.

A good partner can take the clumsiest dancer and ?through his carriage, through the firm pressure of his hands turn her into Ginger Rogers.

I was Ginger. Carla was Fred.

If I’d been born a boy, I’d probably have been an athlete, she said. I was a girl, so I became a dancer.

Her parents were Edith and Hyman Perlo. Hyman was a standout athlete at Roosevelt High in the District and an all-Met basketball player. He served during World War II as an Army paratrooper. The Perlos ran a clothing shop in Washington before Hyman went to work for Abe Pollin as director of community relations for the Baltimore Bullets, today’s Washington Wizards, and the Capital Centre.

Carla, 62, is a bit of community relations director herself.

When we moved here, this was nothing, she said as we walked on Eighth Street. The neighborhood could be dangerous at night back then.

The kids protected me, Carla said. They were no doubt curious about this crazy woman who had set up shop along an industrial strip by the railroad tracks.

Soon they were knocking on the door, asking to take classes, Carla said.

That effort continues today. Kids can study African dance, hip-hop, tumbling, tap and more. Adults come to move their feet, too.

Local troupes book performance time at Dance Place, which also hosts touring companies from around the world.

Eighth Street has changed a lot in the past 28 years heck, in the past 10 years. Next door to Dance Place is ArtSpace, an apartment building with studio and gallery space for artists and some nice, big wooden floors for dancers. On the other side of Lee?s auto body shop is a place that handles bodies of a different sort: Excel Pilates.

Dance Place has some temporary space in the Edgewood Arts Center, a multi-use space. It sits next to the Monroe Street Bridge, which has been yarn-bombed by fiber artists, some of whom have studios in the Monroe Street Market, the big red-brick buildings overlooking the Brookland-CUA Metro station. A brewpub, Brookland Pint, will open soon. A Barnes and Noble is coming. When the weather warms up (it will warm up, won’t it?), Art on 8th will start: dance, music and art Thursday through Saturday on a plaza.

Carla hopes the Dance Place construction will be finished by June, in time for the annual Dance Africa festival. The renovation will greatly improve things. There will be better tech booths for light and sound and more comfortable seating for the 144 audience members. The dancers are most excited that they’ll be able to get from one side of the theater to the other without having to scurry outside the building.

I had stopped by Dance Place to hear about what may be the most visible feature of the renovated building: Artist Christopher Janneuy is creating a light and sound installation that will soar from an outside corner of Dance Place. Called Touch My Building, it is a two-story tower of translucent glass that will make sounds when passersby touch it.

Won’t that be noisy, I asked.

The sound is quiet enough that it won’t be intrusive, Carla said. The light will be more like stained glass than neon. A soft light from within.

A soft light from within. I was going to say that described Carla Perlo, but I think she?s more of a spotlight: bright and focused.”

Age is Just a Number

Posted on by
Reply

Every now and then, and advertisement is so simple in its design that you can’t help but take notice. Amid the noise of a 24-7 media culture, a simple concept with a powerful message can leave an unexpected, lasting impression on the viewer. Though some Madison Avenue execs have perfected this art to promote consumer products (i.e. any iPhone ad you’ve ever seen. ever.), others have used this method to call attention to important social issues.

This week, Advertising Age featured a PSA by Age U.K., a British advocacy group for older people, as its “Ad of the Day.”

“The ad, titled “Love Later Life,” features a poem by English beat poet Roger McGough that was commissioned for the spot and is expertly read by 91-year-old Sir Christopher Lee. It’s the one inescapable element of the human condition that connects us all: nothing can stop us from growing older. But the ad’s simple visuals of people aging from childhood to age 102 let the message truly shine that age, in some ways, really is a state of mind.”

Testimonials on the Age U.K. website add depth to ad’s message by featuring audio and video of older individuals depicting the challenges of aging, which include issues such as financial challenges, health care and emotional support.

The Catalogue for Philanthropy has 10 charities that are passionately focused on the issue of aging, and each has ways that you can help whether by giving a donation or your time.

What can you do with $100?

Looking to volunteer?

Capitol Hill Village: Capitol Hill Village is just that: a virtual village in livable, walkable surroundings where volunteers unite to help older adults age safely and comfortably ? in their own homes and in their beloved neighborhood. Capitol Hill Village is a “volunteer first” organization, meaning that they use volunteers when we can to fill request from our members. Services request can range from gardening to rides to physicians appointments to friendly visiting and walks. CHV also relies greatly on volunteers to provide administrative duties, such as writing articles for our newsletter and working in the office.

Seabury Resources for the Aging seeks friendly visitors for isolated older adults; home repair and maintenance projects so that seniors can age in place more safely, meal delivery, office support, committees and councils to support our work in the community, work on public education efforts, website/IT support or building spruce up projects.

#GivingTuesday Best Practices Summit 3/18/2014

Posted on by
Reply

“Oh the weather outside is frightful,
but planning for #GivingTuesday can be so delightful…”

Monday’s “snowpatricksday” storm may not have been our idea of spring weather, but it was the perfect backdrop to get us in a winter mindset for today’s #GivingTuesday Best Practices Summit at the United Nations Foundation Headquarters in the District.

The all-day summit brought together fundraising experts, thought leaders and key partners that helped make #GivingTuesday 2013 a success. For those unable to attend in-person, the UN Foundation’s LiveStream channel allowed others from all over the U.S. (and the world!) to listen in.

#GivingTuesday is a campaign to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. It celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations. This year’s #GivingTuesday is on Tuesday, December 2nd.

Although #GivingTuesday is still more than 8 months away, it’s not too early to begin planning. Below are some quick tips we learned from various panelists throughout the day:
  • START EARLY! It’s never too early to begin building anticipation for #GivingTuesday on your social networks. Use the tools that givingtuesday.org provides and find ways to incorporate them in your communications plans throughout the year. Also, now is the time to start evaluating your online giving experience (through your website, social media, etc.). You can do a lot with marketing and social media, but if the donation experience you offer your users is complicated or confusing, your efforts may fall flat. The simpler the better!
  • Get Creative! Been itching to try a fun new donor outreach initiative? Don’t be afraid to try something new on #GivingTuesday. “Surprise and Delight” your audience by making giving a fun, fulfilling experience.
  • Establish metrics! How can people make a difference with their donation? How will you measure the success of your campaign? As one panelist said, “You can’t analyze data if you don’t have it.” Start thinking about your metrics (and how you’ll communicate them) now.
  • Collaborate! #GivingTuesday is the perfect opportunity for nonprofits to work hand-in-hand with other nonprofits to share resources and best practices. Talk to others in your network, and brainstorm how you can work together to make a big impact on December 3rd.
  • Establish partnerships! Pick your 5 dream partners and ask them to participate in #GivingTuesday with you. Given that this is a rapidly growing, national movement, this could be a great way to get a foot in the door.
  • Have fun! Above all, #GivingTuesday should be a fun experience for your organization and your donors. If you can communicate your organization’s enthusiasm, donors will take note and feel the same!

For more great tips on #GivingTuesday, we recommend following @givingtues on Twitter for continuing updates and ideas to make the most of the day.

Stay tuned for more on Catalogue’s #GivingTuesday planning throughout the year…

Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena Makes Skating Accessible to All

Posted on by
Reply

At the Catalogue for Philanthropy we’re always so excited when one of our charities’ programs is in the media, especially when that media is the front page of the Washington Post! Today, Post writer Jacqueline Kantor covered the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club, a program which is housed in the Fort Dupont Ice Arena (the Catalogue is proud to have the Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena as one of our Human Services charities).

Described as a “little-known secret” in Southeast D.C., the 36-year-old Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club (also known as the Fort Dupont Cannons) is the oldest club in a National Hockey League program that was designed to promote the sport in urban neighborhoods. Each week, children ages 8-18 hit the ice to not only practice the sport of hockey, but also to gain new experiences through travel, and learn important lessons such as the value of hard work and gratitude. While participation comes at no financial cost to players and their families, coaches do expect students to share their report cards with coaches and attend practice regularly. All of this seems to pay off, as the program boasts an impressive 95 percent high school graduation rate. To read the full article about the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club in the Washington Post, click here.

Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena

In 1996 the goal was simple: prevent the National Park Service’s scheduled closing of the only public indoor ice arena in DC. Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena succeeded, not only in saving the rink, but also in creating a vibrant community resource in Ward 7. Today, the Fort Dupont Ice Arena — an America’s Promise “Safe Place” for young people with structured activities during non-school hours — offers number of programs for young people to stay fit and learn valuable lessons about life.

One of those programs, Kids On Ice, is a community ice skating program for children ages 5 to 18 years old, offering free lessons with all equipment provided. Kids on Ice programs include basic skating skills, speed and figure skating, ice hockey (see above), and more. Since all of these programs are at no cost to participants, Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena relies on the community to help through volunteer work, material and financial contributions.

Volunteer opportunities: Are you a medium-advanced level skater willing to lend a hand for a few hours each week? Channel your inner Dorothy Hamill or Apollo Ohno as an instructor for a Kids on Ice class! All Kids on Ice classes are taught by volunteer instructors. Each of the five programs — Basic Skills, Advanced Figure Skating, Synchronized Skating, Ice Hockey, and Speed Skating — are managed by a qualified instructor who instructs volunteers how to teach each specific class.

In addition to helping on the rink, volunteers are also needed off the rink to help with general office assistance during the week, and concessions and skate shop assistance on Saturdays. Click the “volunteer” link on the Catalogue page for details.

To donate: You can also support the Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena by donating equipment, offering scholarship support, or directly supporting the Kids on Ice Program through a donation to Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena. For $50, you can provide helmets and gloves for new ice skaters; $250: 8 weeks of Learn to Skate; $500: two skating lessons for a school group of 30 children.

Thinking Beyond Barbie: Empowering Girls in Greater Washington

Posted on by
Reply

Michelle Obama.

Sheryl Sandberg.

Oprah Winfrey.

Mrs. Potato Head?

This unlikely combination of women has more in common than meets the eye: Each plays a role (whether consciously or not) in inspiring confidence in young girls to pursue their career ambitions, no matter how big. There are dozens of other female leaders who do so much each day to empower young women, yet according to a recent study, one pop culture icon is not likely to make the cut: Barbie.

A recent study coming out of Oregon State University suggests that little girls playing with Barbie “believe there are more careers for boys than for themselves” — a contrast from girls playing with Mrs. Potato Head, who see an equal range of career opportunities for girls and boys.

Of course, more research on this topic is needed in order fully to understand the impact of dolls on girls’ aspirations, but one key takeaway is that we must inspire confidence in girls so they don’t hesitate to think “big” and think beyond the stereotypes that hold them back. We can do this not only through the toys we buy for our children, but also through the stories we tell, and the activities in which we participate.

For several Catalogue for Philanthropy charities, such as Girls on the Run (DC and Montgomery County) and The Washington School for Girls, inspiring confidence in girls is a central part of their mission. Find out below how you can show your support, and stay tuned to the Catalogue for Philanthropy blog this month as we celebrate Women’s History Month by highlighting other important women’s issues that are a key focus for some of our charities.

Girls on the Run

The Catalogue for Philanthropy is proud to have two local Girls on the Run Councils in our network of charities. Using the sport of running as basis for inspiration and motivation, GOTR program participants meet twice per week in small teams where they learn life skills while celebrating the joy of movement. At each season’s conclusion, participants complete a 5k running event, giving them a tangible sense of achievement as well as a framework for setting and achieving life goals.

Girls on the Run — DC: GOTR-DC has a variety of volunteer opportunities available, from one-time volunteer opportunities to coaching for a 10-week season. GOTR-DC is currently looking for volunteers for the GW Classic 10 Miler on April 13th, and is also taking names for those interested in coaching for the Fall 2014 season.

Interested in supporting with a donation? For $185, you can cover a full scholarship for 1 runner; $750: running shoes for an entire team; $3,000: a full scholarship for a full team next season (great idea for a corporate fundraiser!)

Girls on the Run of Montgomery County is also looking for coaches and one-time volunteers. Check out the volunteer page for more detail on specific needs.

Interested in supporting with a donation? $100 will cover a full scholarship for 1 season; $500: running shoes for one team of 15 girls; $1000: race fees for 75 parents to run alongside their daughters. Also, don’t forget about SoleMates, which lets you run a marathon or a triathlon while raising money for MoCo’s Girls on the Run Council.

The Washington School for Girls

The Washington School for Girls is an all-girl, grades 4-8, Catholic school located in Anacostia. Its mission is to offer a solid and holistic education to young girls, and it is committed to believing in their gifts, talents and potential. WSG offers a range of volunteer opportunities: from one-time visits – where volunteers participate in a career fair, leadership series presentation or fundraising event – to weekly tutoring, hosting student clubs during Extended Day and office support.

Interested in supporting with a donation? $100 covers 10 books for the Reading Circle; $500: 1 laptop for a WMSG teacher; $1000: transportation for 3 field trips for 1 class.

We hope you’ll support these wonderful organizations and their missions to empower girls in our region!