In The News …

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Marie LeBlanc

By Marie LeBlanc, Community Partnerships Coordinator

20 DC schools targeted for closure (Washington Post) “One in six traditional DC public schools is targeted for closure under a plan put forth Tuesday by Chancellor Kaya Henderson, the latest sign of a system facing budget pressures and increased competition from fast-growing charter schools. The 20 schools marked for closure are spread across six city wards but are concentrated in Northeast Washington and east of the Anacostia River. The chancellor said her plan would shift resources from maintaining under-enrolled schools to focus on improving academic programs,” Find a list of all proposed public school changes here.

Partnership Leads to New Beginning for Homeless Veterans (Huffington Post: DC Impact) “Across the country, men and women who served in the armed forces are becoming homeless at a rate that is higher than the civilian population. Sadly, this is consistent with a history of overrepresentation of veterans in the homeless population. This year, Veteran’s Day marks a new beginning for many homeless veterans in the District who are benefiting from an innovative housing program and critical community partnerships. Our organizations — Pathways to Housing DC and Miriam’s Kitchen — are working together to identify chronically homeless veterans with mental illness and/or disabling medical conditions in the District who are eligible to move into their own apartments as part of a pilot project sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Housing and Urban Development.”

Region leaders hoping for federal spending cuts compromise (Washington Examiner) “The region’s leaders say they’ve prepped their 2013 budgets for what will be hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue if federal spending cuts start in January. But they are also holding out hope those cuts — and the devastation they say it would bring to the region — never come. ‘It’s like Hurricane Sandy — there’s only so much you can do with powers beyond your control,’ said Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. at a Greater Washington Board of Trade panel discussion Thursday.” How is your organization preparing for possible cuts and sequestration?

Around Town: November 2-5

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Julia Cain

Busy weekend at Catalogue nonprofits! Check out what’s coming up …

Dance Place (3225 8th Street NE)

SpeakeasyDC presents “The Story Showdown: A Storytelling Game Show” this Friday at 8:00 PM and Saturday at 7:00 & 9:00 PM. Audience members have the opportunity to be contestants row and win coveted prizes! Tickets this way.

Smith Center for Healing and the Arts (1632 U Street NW) – postponed

This one-day retreat for caregivers will explore stress management and self-care with yoga, nutrition and creativity, and the sharing of personal experience. Email darien@smithcenter.org for information about future dates.

Anacostia Watershed Society (Bladensburg Waterfront Park) – event full

Plant trees at the confluence of the Northeast and Northwest branches of the Anacostia River this Saturday at 10:00 AM; all tools and supplies needed will be provided, so just bring a friend and be prepared to have fun. Sign up here.

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Tears Of Joy

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Spur Local

By Steve Abraham, Executive Director of Wilderness Leadership & Learning, Inc.

WILL provides experiential learning, life-skills, and leadership development for underserved DC youth. This is WILL’s first year being featured in the Catalogue.

On a sunny spring morning, upon returning from schools checking-in with Wilderness Leadership & Learning (WILL) program participants, I opened an e-mail from the Catalogue for Philanthropy (Catalogue). The first line read: “We are delighted to inform you that Wilderness Leadership & Learning, Inc. has been chosen for inclusion in the print and online 2012-13 Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington.” Tears of joy began to roll down my cheeks. WILL was being recognized by the Catalogue as one of the best community-based nonprofits in the Washington region. The years of hard work, determination and steadfast belief in positive impact WILL makes in the lives of DC teens from underserved neighborhoods was being recognized by the Catalogue!

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In The News …

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Julia Cain

Homeless student population to crest 2,500 in Fairfax County for first time (Washington Post): “The number of homeless students in Fairfax County public schools is likely to surpass 2,500 by the end of this school year, according to school officials, what would be a new record for one of the most affluent communities in the nation.” Over 15% of these are “unaccompanied youths,” or children who live without a parent or guardian. In DC, the total number of homeless public school students reached nearly 3,000 last year. Overall, “according to estimates from the Education Department, there are more than 1 million homeless students nationwide, an all-time high.”

Prince George’s leaders unite against domestic violence in new assessment program (Gazette): “By the end of the year, all Prince George’s County patrol officers and municipal law enforcement agencies will be equipped to better handle domestic violence incidents and provide immediate assistance to victims thanks to a state-led program. According to Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, “This calls for law enforcement to be trained to identify domestic violence situations so that they can help victims to take the steps to prevent it;” and according to Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler, “the effort is focused on identifying abusive situations and preventing domestic violence cases from escalating to reduce the number of homicides.” (Learn about Catalogue nonprofits DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment and Appeals Project today.)

MontCo health agency recommends healthy snacks, tracking student obesity (Washington Examiner): “Montgomery County’s Health Commission is recommending that the county track student obesity and put more nutritious snacks in vending machines, as part of officials’ latest efforts to make county residents healthier.” The Commission also suggested to the Montgomery County Council that it “should provide more opportunities for exercise for children and adults, and establish better accommodationsfor mothers who are breast-feeding.” Five years ago, the County “passed a ban on the use of artificial trans fats in chain restaurants and all food service facilities,” which include public schools. What are successful school-based health efforts that you have experienced?

Brooklyn Castle

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Marie LeBlanc

By Marie LeBlanc, Community Partnerships Coordinator

Chess is not just a game of kings and pawns, queens and knights. For a group of middle schoolers from Brooklyn — and for thousands of other students here in DC and across the country — chess is a unique afterschool activity that impacts their lives both on and off the board. Catalogue nonprofit Chess Challenge in DC co-sponsored a sneak peek of the documentary film Brooklyn Castle last week, which profiles a student chess team from Brooklyn, New York, and invited Catalogue staff to have a look.

Brooklyn Castle tells the stories of five members of the chess team at a below-the-poverty-line inner city junior high school (Intermediate School/IS 318) that has won more national championships than any other in the country. The film follows the challenges these kids face in their personal lives as well as on the chessboard, and is as much about the sting of their losses as it is about the anticipation of their victories.

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In The News …

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Spur Local

Profile: Matthew Wheelock, founder of Live It Learn It (Washington Post: Schools Insider): “A decade ago, the next logical career move for Matthew Wheelock was to head overseas to work in his law firm’s Tokyo office. Instead, aiming to make a difference in the city where he grew up, he became a fourth-grade teacher at the District’s Walker-Jones Elementary School …” Looking for new ways to motivate students, many of whom were living in poverty, Wheelock found the answer outside of his classroom. Three years later, Wheelock founded Catalogue nonprofit Live It Learn It — “a nonprofit dedicated to making sure disadvantaged kids get access to hands-on field trips […], a model that draws plaudits from teachers and principals.”

Oxon Hill town meeting focuses on financial literacy (Gazette): “Financial literacy and investment experts stressed at a meeting last week the need for Prince George’s County residents to have access to financial training, but added that perhaps even more important is the need for teens to get the same education.” At a town hall meeting last week, John Hope Bryant (chairman of the Underserved and Community Empowerment Subcommittee) pointed out that “financial literacy courses are key to encouraging teens to aspire to be entrepreneurs and small business owners;” however, not all schools offer such courses. You can explore Catalogue’s life skills and employment-focused nonprofits here; for example, at Cakes for Cause, youth learn to work in a bakery and handle their own earnings.

Helping Children Soar With Educational Advocacy (Huffington Post): “As the country and the District debate what goals we should set for student achievement, [10-year-old Sky Stringer] reminded me that a failure to invest in all of the children in our community will rob us of the talents and skills of those we leave behind,” writes Judith Sandalow (executive director, Children’s Law Center) Two years ago, Sky was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. However, “the school didn’t want to give Sky special education services;” so the Children’s Law Center took her case to court to see that she received an “individualized education program (IEP), and intensive services.” Considering this case, how else can we ensure that children (in all grades and schools) have an advocate when they need one?

In The News …

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Julia Cain

DC officials change policy on charter schools’ occupation of surplus buildings (Washington Post): “District officials have tweaked the way they determine which charter schools should be allowed to move into surplus public school buildings […] The new points-based system gives an edge to high-performing charter schools that are already operating in the city.” Newer charters can also receive points if they have strong prior records of raising achievement elsewhere. At present, the DGS is accepting offers from charters for two buildings: the former Young and J.F. Cook elementary school sites in Ward 5. “For fast-growing charter schools, which often struggle to find and afford suitable real estate, the unused buildings offer a rarity: a long-term home.”

Bill Clinton Urges Donors to Think About Results From the Start (Chronicle of Philanthropy): “The theme of this year’s Clinton Global Initiative is “Designing for Impact,” a nod to the growing influence of “design thinking” in shaping efforts to eradicate poverty and improve society. Explained Tim Brown, the chief executive of IDEO, “design is about being intentional about what you want your outcome to be” in the context of efforts to eliminate hunger and poverty. Have you ever planned in similar terms on a local scale? Or is this type of thinking, in fact, more inherent in local philanthropy?

With Charity for All: Big Philanthropy and the Challenge of Democracy (Forbes): “Philanthropy remains vital as a force for change and societal support — and as a growing portion of the US social safety net; where governments cut services, nonprofit organizations often step in to support those on the bottom economic rungs. Giving rebounded after the Great Recession of 2008, rising to $298.3 billion in 2011 according to Giving USA, an increase of nearly four percent over 2010.” The article also cites two “extraordinary chapters in US philanthropy” — the Giving Pledge, made public two years ago, and the annual gathering of the Clinton Global Initiative — and asserts that “there remains a disproportionate power gap between those doing the work (nonprofits and other organizations) and those funding that work.” Do you agree or disagree?

Sharing Online

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Julia Cain

Did you catch “Online Mentors to Guide Women Into the Sciences” in this weekend’s New York Times?

Hundreds of prominent women working in science, technology, engineering and math will become online mentors for college students next month, part of a six-week program to encourage young women to pursue careers in STEM fields.

[…] The program has no curriculum, no exam, no grades and no credit — just a goal of connecting young students with accomplished women working in STEM fields.

[…] While women now earn more college degrees than men over all, they lag in STEM fields — particularly computer science and engineering, where they earn less than 20 percent of all undergraduate degrees.

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In The News …

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Julia Cain

“Walkable urban” places enjoy economic success, but face social equity challenges (Greater Greater Washington): “After decades of disinvestment and suburban flight, the Washington region’s urban neighborhoods are now driving the local economy, says a study from George Washington University professor Christopher Leinberger […] Leinberger measured social equity performance based on housing and transportation costs, unemployment levels, racial diversity, and transit accessibility.” He then found that many “WalkUP” communities that were economically successful, such as Georgetown, “often failed to create or sustain a diverse population.” More research from Leinberger is available here.

Washington DC area is becoming a region of renters (Washington Post: Local): “Notwithstanding steady recovery in the region?s homeownership market, much of the recent population growth and a sizeable portion of the residential construction activity in the Washington area have been associated with growth in the renter population.” In 2010, the DC home ownership rate had fallen 3.5 percentage points since 2006. “The surge in renters includes many in the typical renter demographic — young, single, childless, urban. However, the idea of a “typical” renter is now more varied.” You also can learn more about Catalogue’s DC-based housing nonprofits right here.

Philanthropy on the rise in Asia (TODAY): “Philanthropic giving has been on the rise in Asia over the past few years, according to Speakers at the inaugural Philanthropy in Asia Summit in Singapore, and the trend is even more noticeable in China and India.” Over 2006 to 2010, giving in India and China “has doubled as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product […] charity contributions in China amounted US$11 billion (S$13.5 billion) in 2010, or 0.1 per cent of the country’s GDP.” On a related note, what do you think about measuring charitable donations as a percentage of GDP? What does it reveal and what information does it leave out?

A Colorful Addition

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Marie LeBlanc

By Marie LeBlanc, Community Partnerships Coordinator

The brick wall of a small alley just off U Street, between 12th and 13th streets in Northwest Washington, looks a little brighter these days. You might recognize that block as the home of a DC institution — Ben’s Chili Bowl — but another, newer DC institution has spent the past few weeks making its mark on that same corner. Catalogue nonprofit Words Beats & Life Inc., a member of the Washington-based partnership Murals DC, worked with renowned local visual artist Aniekan Udofia and Ben’s Chili Bowl to plan for and create a striking new mural, which features the faces of Bill Cosby, President Obama, Donnie Simpson, and Chuck Brown. According to the Washington Post, “the mural is a tremendous example of what happens when government and nonprofit groups work together.” The work of art has so far received a positive reception from the public, despite the push-back that graffiti-based street art has faced in the past.

Murals DC tackles this (mis)conception of street art head on. Their mission is to “help replace illegal graffiti with artistic works, to revitalize sites within the community, and to teach young people the art of aerosol painting”, and in doing so, “positively impact the District’s youth by providing them with the resources they need to engage in this project.” Words Beats & Life Inc. plays an important role in this collaboration, as a nonprofit partner working with several offices of the DC government. WBL Inc focuses more broadly on the role of popular, urban art (including music mixing and break dancing, as well as graffiti art) as a positive force in the lives of youth.

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