Back On Their Feet

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Spur Local

By Jill Carmichael, Neighbors First Division Director
Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place

The day our staff found out that the Department of Veterans Affairs chose Friendship Place as a recipient of a $1 million Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) grant, the excitement in our office was off the charts. As the director of our Veterans First program, I of course am thrilled about our newly expanded grant to work with Veterans and their families. It’s so gratifying to think about how many people we will be able to help get back on their feet.

We launched our Veterans First program at Friendship Place about nine months ago, and in that time our staff learned invaluable information about working with this population. We now know what homeless Veterans’ unique needs are, and we’re using that information to tailor our expanded Veterans First program to be as effective and efficient as possible.

I’m particularly looking forward to rolling out our new specialist positions. Our Housing Specialist, for instance, will be fully trained in tenant rights and will create partnerships with landlords throughout the DC Metro Area. This will allow us to rapidly rehouse the people we?re working with while serving as a liaison between client and landlord.

The VA wants us to do our best to move our clients into housing with employment opportunities on the horizon. Our Employment Specialist will continue to expand upon the great employment services that Friendship Place already provides. This position will focus on job development as well as marketing to potential employers the special skills that Veterans bring to the table. We’re also creating specialist positions in benefits and outreach/intake.

Above all, we want to make a lasting impact on Veteran homelessness in DC. We are dedicated to working to prevent homelessness and to house those experiencing homelessness. This grant couldn’t have come at a better time — when the need for services continues to rise in our community. But in my eyes, seeing the dedication of my staff and the willingness of places like the VA to fund these efforts, I truly believe that we’re getting one step closer to ending homelessness every day.

Development Planning Speaker Session

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Marie LeBlanc

By Marie LeBlanc, Community Partnerships Coordinator

Creating a comprehensive development plan is perhaps not the first item of business for a new Executive Director or Development Director when starting out in the nonprofit world. But this month’s BAH Nonprofit Conference on Fundraising Development stressed the importance of having a thought-out, written-down development plan as a priority for successful, supportive and effective development programming. Keynote speaker Barbara Ciconte outlined many of the key steps to creating an “effective” (and perhaps more importantly, realistic) development plan, as well as the bigger picture items to consider from an organizational standpoint. Ultimately, “development” is about more than just raising money — it involves creating authentic connections with others who believe in and commit to your organization’s mission.

Ciconte discussed many important features of a development plan, including these key elements:
– Detailed goals for each development activity
– Specific strategies for achieving those goals
– An action plan, with a timetable for each strategy and benchmarks along the way
– Clear assignments for staff and other involved individuals
– Marketing and communications needs for development strategies
– Budget for fundraising (it’s true; you usually have to spend money to make money!)

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In The News …

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Julia Cain

Boom in autistic students prompts new Montgomery school centers (Washington Examiner): “Montgomery County Public Schools is planning to open autism centers at three high schools in the new school year, as the district grapples with a fivefold increase in the number of students diagnosed with autism over the last decade.” Since the 2000/2001 school year, the number of MCPS students on the autism spectrum has jumped from 266 to 1,642 — which, assumedly, is in part due to improvements in diagnostic procedures. In particular, “special education staff acknowledged they also need to ramp up efforts to reach the diversifying swath of students who have special needs, such as immigrant families who may not speak English.”

Some States Looking to (and Funding) Arts as Economic Driver (Nonprofit Quarterly): “The news service for the Pew Center on the States reports that “there has been a 37 percent drop in funding for state arts agencies since 2001.” However, a creative repackaging of the arts as an economic engine has, in some states, reversed this trend over the last year.” And according to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA), this year’s state arts funding budgets have increased by approximately nine percent. You can check out all of Catalogue’s local arts organizations right here.

Everything I Need To Know About Life I Learned On My Nonprofit Board (Fast Company): “This is a life lesson for people in workplaces, families, classrooms, and any relationship. That peace, happiness, and fulfillment come from creating a mutual understanding of what you?re trying to accomplish and each person?s role in achieving success,” writes Alice Korngold, CSR consultant to global corporations. She also points to the value of clearly-articulated values, discussed with the Board and shared with the public. “It is usually a […] source of energy and even exhilaration when people finally see how and what they can contribute to achieve success for a cause in which they believe.

Impact Investing

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Marie LeBlanc

By Marie LeBlanc, Community Partnerships Coordinator

This week, the Nonprofit Quarterly published an article about the Council on Foundations’ new CEO, Vikki Spruill, and her official introduction to the organization. NPQ’s Rick Cohen discusses a few key points of Spruill’s statement, including her “upbeat perspective on the societal significance of philanthropic innovation” and the need for philanthropy to assess its own value in the large society. However, Cohen also points out that “she and her colleagues have to remember that the vehicle for the delivery of philanthropy’s collective value is the nonprofit sector.”

How do the philanthropy and nonprofit sectors work collaboratively to achieve the goals mentioned by Spruill, and act as “investors, innovators, leaders, and partners” in society? As a bridge between these communities, the Catalogue for Philanthropy aims to increase the connections between (primarily) individual philanthropists in the Washington area and the regional nonprofits that most need their support. We use the moniker Catalogue for Philanthropy, but our main ‘clients’ are nonprofits. We recognize that small nonprofits in the area often do the most innovative, important, and thankless work, and yet also have a difficult time connecting with individuals who share their vision.

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Lessons Learned

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Julia Cain

From last week’s “Leading women offer lessons for work in philanthropy” in The Atlantic:

Katie Couric, special correspondent for ABC News and cancer advocate: “To really pour yourself into something, you have to be moved by it.”

Laurie Tisch, president of the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund: “The lesson I learned is about patience and about agreed upon measures of success … You’ve got to be flexible with grantees. They also have to be honest with you.”

Ann Friedman, board chair of the SEED Foundation: “I would make a plea, if you are on a board and you have a passion and you want to fund something … please also give unrestricted donations to that non-profit. It’s how they turn the lightbulbs on.”

What do you have to add, both for nonprofits and for those that support them?

Around Town: July 7-12

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Julia Cain

Check out the range of events coming up this weekend (and week) at …

Dance Place (3500 12th Street NE)

A 12-week public art celebration offering free cultural events and promoting creative expression, Artland Temporium events include exhibits, dance, concerts, poetry readings, and games and free to the public. Check out the full schedule for this weekend right here.

Anacostia Watershed Society (Northeast Branch Riverdale Road, Riverdale, MD)

At 10:00 this Saturday, water, weed, and mulch brand new trees that soon will grow to do great things for the River! RSVP info and directions right this way.

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Volunteer Engagement Report

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Marie LeBlanc

By Marie LeBlanc, Community Partnerships Coordinator

This spring, the and Volunteer Frontier published the Volunteer Engagement Stars Report, which examined the ways in which nine nonprofits make the most of their volunteer resources. The Catalogue for Philanthropy provided the primary source for selecting nonprofits for the report, and we were excited to learn more about the ways in which this group of nonprofits “utilizes volunteers in dynamic ways and returns dramatic results.”

The agencies featured in Volunteer Engagement Stars represent a fair cross section of nonprofits, serving unique client bases under diverse budgets (from $500,000 to over $24 million). The techniques they used to engage volunteers also vary — from Arlington Free Clinic, who benefits from the pro bono services of trained medical professionals, to Little Lights Urban Ministries, whose volunteers provide tutoring and other youth programming.

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The Importance of a Story

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Marie LeBlanc

By Marie LeBlanc, Community Partnerships Coordinator

Sometimes, words on a page just aren’t enough. The Catalogue for Philanthropy exists to make connections between caring citizens and worthy community causes, and generally relies on the words and images of our print catalogue and website to accomplish that mission. However, sometimes even the most moving words and images don’t make the same impact as a face-to-face interaction. Yesterday, the staff of Catalogue’s Corporate Portal Partner Anybill had the opportunity to meet with a Catalogue nonprofit leader from the Dance Institute of Washington and hear about the organization’s work in person.

As the Catalogue continues to roll out the Corporate Portal (a work-place giving tool featuring the Catalogue’s community of “One of the Best” nonprofits), we’re planning speaking events with our nonprofits leaders to build excitement and energy around giving through the Portal. Anybill employees participated in our first Brown Bag Lunch event, which featured the Dance Institute’s Founder and Artistic Director Fabian Barnes. Hearing Fabian’s words about the impact of dance on his own life, as well as the lives of his students, made an impression on the staff of Anybill. Fabian’s own journey — “I went from being at-risk to being on the great stages of the world” — shows the positive impact that engagement in the arts can have on youth, and the importance of continuing to support arts programs for students.

The Corporate Portal and associated programming allows both companies and nonprofits to create more meaningful connections, benefiting both sides. Companies can identify a common cause around which to unite and support — increasing employee engagement and satisfaction. Nonprofits benefit from that support and the opportunity to develop a wider network of supporters — volunteers, board members or donors. We look forward to seeing the partnership between Anybill and DIW grow during the coming months!

The Catalogue encourages all nonprofits to take note of the impact of personal interactions with donors and other stakeholders — seek out those opportunities and take advantage of them to the max, reflecting about the best way to share your organization’s story and establish an emotional connection with your audience, whether one person or a hundred people.

Catalogue Blog

Category Archives: Organizational

Back On Their Feet

Development Planning Speaker Session

In The News …

Impact Investing

Lessons Learned

Around Town: July 7-12

Volunteer Engagement Report

The Importance of a Story