Around Town: December 1-3

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Spur Local

Good morning! We’re looking forward to seeing you this coming Monday at Inspiration to Action. We’ve also got some great events coming up this weekend at our nonprofits …

Pueblo a Pueblo (at Takoma Park Presbyterian Church, 310 Tulip Avenue, Takoma Park, MD)

Shop for the holidays and support a good cause at the Takoma Park Alternative Gift Fair this Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM; and be sure to visit Pueblo a Pueblo!

Computer CORE (3846 King Street, Alexandria, VA)

On Saturday at 1:30 PM, “Customer Focus: Changing How You Do Things!” will cover first impressions, timely responses, active listening and more. Call (703) 931-7346 to learn more.

Washington Bach Consort (at National Presbyterian Church, 4101 Nebraska Avenue NW, Washington, DC)

On Saturday at 5:00 PM, enjoy “Great Glad Tidings,” an all-Bach program of cantatas composed for Advent and the Christmas season; nab tickets right here.

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In The News …

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Julia Cain

Maryland behind 11 states, tied with five others on graduation rates (Gazette): “The US Department of Education released statistics Monday ranking states by high school graduation rates, reflecting new data reported consistently nationwide […] The new, uniform methods are the result of 2008 federal regulation. Beginning with data from 2011-2012, graduation rates will be used to hold states accountable for school performance.” With an 83% graduate rate, Maryland ties for the twelfth spot on the list (along with five other school systems); Virginia comes in just behind at 82%, while DC’s rate is 59% based on 2010/2011 school year data. The complete list is available here.

‘Giving Tuesday’: The Start Of A Holiday Tradition? (WAMU): “First, there was the post-Thanksgiving sales spectacle Black Friday and then the online version, Cyber Monday. Now, charitable groups want to start a new holiday tradition — it’s called Giving Tuesday. It may seem a little surprising that no one came up with the idea before of designating a specific day to help launch the holiday charitable giving season.” What do think of the new tradition? Did you give on Tuesday, or do you plan to give closer to the end of the year? Time of year aside, remember to check out Washington City Paper’s 2012 Donation Guide for ideas!

On ‘Giving Tuesday,’ big donors shed light on why, when and how they give (Washington Post): “Why, when, how and to whom do wealthy people give? It’s a core question for charitable organizations confronted with an uncertain economic climate […] A new video series produced by the nonprofit consulting firm Bridgespan Group offers some answers.” On Tuesday, Bridgespan launched the video series “Conversations with Remarkable Givers,” which features interviews with some of the country’s most prominent philanthropists. “The site, GiveSmart.org, features the roughly 400 video clips — a database that is expected to expand to roughly 1,200 over the next several months.”

Day of Giving

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Julia Cain

Happy Thanksgiving week! If you’re looking to support or volunteer with a nearby nonprofit, we have the list for you. Check out what’s needed and what you can do at some of Catalogue’s human service organization (And we’ll be back to our regular GoodWorks programming on Monday)

ALIVE! — Alexandria, VA: Volunteers needed at 8AM on Thursday for the Turkey Trot at George Washington Middle School; learn more here.

Carpenter’s Shelter — Alexandria, VA: Check out the “How Can I Help This Holiday?” page; you can take part in pantry clean-up and at the Winter Shelter or volunteer as a group.

FACETS— Fairfax, VA: Executive Director Amanda Andere writes about “Holiday Hunger: A Recipe for Change” on Huffington Post; you can read about FACET’s supply drives here.

Food For Others — Fairfax, VA: Food For Others provides Thanksgiving groceries annually to those in need; here is a list of key items that you can donate.

Manna Food Center — Gaithersburg, MD: Email fooddrive@mannafood.org to receive a simple how-to guide and food drive list.

Our Daily Bread — Fairfax, VA: Check out the immediate volunteer needs right here, including food collection and delivery and a Fall Food Drive this coming Saturday.

Western Fairfax Christian Ministries — Chantilly, VA: Learn more about donating food to the pantry or organizing a drive for WFCM right here.

* And remember: when looking for volunteer opportunities, be sure to visit Greater DC Cares and Volunteer Fairfax!

Catalogue Milestones: 2011

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Julia Cain

As we approach our celebration of the 10th Catalogue for Philanthropy, we look back to see how the Catalogue has grown and evolved.

Just one more year and then … we’re at this one! Let’s look at what was new in 2011:

– The Catalogue’s corporate portal, Community Connections, launched with five beta partners — bringing giving and volunteering into the workplace every day of the year. Community Connections offers an interactive medium that facilitates engagement for employees who want to attend events, volunteer, donate, or get more deeply involved in philanthropic activities. Learn more right this way.

– Speaking of connections, the Washington City Paper teamed up for the first time with Catalogue for a December Giving Guide (“Give it Up, DC!“) that reached 72,000 people. The partnership will continue in 2012 and we’re looking forward to the second issue. Keep an eye out!

And remember: our tenth anniversary celebration and Catalogue launch is coming soon …

Back to School Days

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Julia Cain

As we know, this marks the first week of classes for the District’s public schools. And as Frazier O’Leary (a long-time English teacher at Cardozo Senior High) explained in the Washington Post: “The first week of school is probably the most important. It sets a tone.” Moreover:

To kids, this day might seem like a rapid-fire series of introductions and ice-breakers. But really, it’s about teaching routines — for entering the classroom, storing backpacks, going to the bathroom, moving around the room, turning in homework, joining in group discussions, using shared markers and glue sticks — that the kids will soon do automatically, as if breathing.

“These systems are not meant to limit them — they’re just to help them understand how to navigate their world, navigate the classroom,” [veteran teacher Hope] Harrod said. “This way all they have to focus on is learning …”

And as we discussed a year ago at this time, this first day of routines (from packing a backpack to planning homework) can pose particular challenges for low-income students and their families. So do check out our 2011 list of Catalogue nonprofits that assist local students with their essential back-to-school needs! That list can be found right here, plus we have some important 2012 “wish list” additions:

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Teaming Up: Black Benefactors & the Catalogue (Part II)

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Spur Local

By Tracey Webb, Founder, The Black Benefactors

In January, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation published the report, “Cultures of Giving: Energizing and Expanding Philanthropy by and for Communities of Color,” which confirmed something that I already knew: African Americans are more inclined to give than other races. I know this because philanthropy and charitable giving have been mainstays of the African American community for centuries.

In my previous GoodWorks post, I shared how my giving circle, The Black Benefactors, used the Catalogue to identify a grantee for our Black History Month grant awards. In doing so, I learned that we were in the minority. Although many of the nonprofits featured in the Catalogue serve low-income and under-represented communities — often which include African Americans — the majority of donors who use the Catalogue to identify nonprofits to support in the DC region are white. With the help of The Black Benefactors, I hope this will change.

Now that we know African Americans are more likely to give, there are two issues that are essential: ensuring that our giving is strategic to achieve maximum impact, and making sure that we’re represented as volunteers and board members with nonprofits that serve communities of color. It’s important that the clientele served by nonprofits see staff, volunteers, and board members who look like them. The Catalogue is an ideal vehicle to address these issues.

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Teaming Up: Black Benefactors & The Catalogue

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Spur Local

By Tracey Webb, Founder, The Black Benefactors

During a recent convening in Washington, DC that focused on issues impacting the black community, a panelist stated, “Black people are more philanthropic than other communities, but we’re not strategically philanthropic.” After reading that comment on Twitter, I thought back to the many conversations I’ve had with my peers who echo the same sentiment. As the founder of The Black Benefactors, a giving circle that provides grants and support to nonprofits that serve the African American community in the DC region, I hope that my giving circle will address this issue, and to date, we have.

How we give back is simple: Members pool our monies and time, and then we decide collectively where to give them away. Since 2007, we’ve granted $11,500 to six organizations that provide mentoring, youth development, college readiness and the arts. Research has shown that members of giving circles give more, give more strategically, and are more engaged in their communities. Specifically, research found that giving circle members are more likely to conduct research to help decide which nonprofit to support, support general operating expenses in addition to or instead of specific programs, check organizational performance data, take into consideration cultural differences and race, class and/or gender when making funding decisions, and make multi-year gifts. These are all hallmarks of strategic giving, and we incorporate these practices into our own grantmaking. So how does the Catalogue for Philanthropy fit in to this?

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In The News …

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Julia Cain

Social Ethics: A Peek Into 2012 (Huffington Post): “Business as usual is changing. Or at least the way business leaders think about philanthropy is changing. In an era of global connectivity and instant media, companies increasingly view philanthropic campaigns as an intrinsic component of a successful business strategy, rather than an external obligation […] The field is growing and changing so rapidly that its boundaries are still being drawn.” The article also cites a 2011 report from the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy finds that corporate giving is on the rise again and that 53% of companies gave more in 2010 than they did prior to the recession.

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Rather Awesome

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Julia Cain

From “Easy Money” in City Arts Magazine of Seattle, WA:

The Awesome Foundation was founded in 2009 in Boston by a guy named Tim Hwang. He came up with the simple formula of 10 people giving $100 each that is handed out as grants on a monthly basis. It went from the one chapter in Boston to four chapters to 12 chapters. Two years later, it’s at 30 chapters.

The Awesome Foundation does high-frequency, low-stakes grant-making. Most grant-making institutions do high-stakes, low-frequency grantmaking. They often think big about initiatives and form multiyear commitments with their grantees. […] The foundation’s success has to do with the simple formula. […] Our trustees know where the money goes. They’re really invested in the success of these small projects.

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In The News …

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Julia Cain

How Many Students Really Graduate From High School? (WAMU): “Now, for the first time, the federal government is requiring states to follow a standardized method. As a result, DC’s public school graduation rate could drop by about 20 percent under the new calculation, according to the office of the state superintendent […] The new method, called the adjusted graduation cohort rate, requires states to follow every individual child from the ninth grade on until he or she walks across the stage to receive that diploma. It takes into account students who change schools and get held back.” A new State Longitudinal Education Database will track each DCPS student from kindergarten through 12th grade through a special identification number. Could a more accurate picture of graduation rates be a critical step towards improving them?

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