What’s Up Wednesday 10.22.14

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Spur Local

When we last checked, today’s weather forecast called for rain with a 100% chance of “#WhatsupWednesday”…so, who are we to prove the weatherman wrong? Check out the video below to see all of the great things Catalogue for Philanthropy nonprofits are up to this week.

Some highlights from the video:

Today, young men from Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop appeared at a DC City Council meeting to voice their full support for the Youth Offender Accountability and Rehabilitation Act. The actual legislation can be found here, and information on what it all means can be found here.

Senior Services of Alexandria and Alexandria’s Division of Aging and Adult Services participated in an event at the Watergate at Landmark, a community where nearly 60% of residents are seniors. Senior Services gave an overview of its programs and services they offer to Alexandria’s seniors.

The Literacy Lab kicked off their new social media campaign! You can find their Facebook page here to learn more.

Students at DC SCORES began to practice reading their original poetry aloud!

Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless (new ’14-’15 charity)began recruiting a new class of participants for their next 8-week Microbusiness Academy session starting in mid-January. Know someone who wants to see if entrepreneurship is right for them? Contact AACH!

Joseph’s House welcomed the entire Washington AIDS Partnership AmeriCorps Team for their “fifth day” service project to help with decorations for a “Frozen Halloween.” Next week they will join others in their neighborhood to welcome hundreds of local youth to Lanier Place for trick-or-treating.

Carpenter’s Shelter introduced its newest giving circle for Young Philanthropists! Find more details here.

Congrats on another great week! T-Minus 9 days until the release of the 2014-2015 Catalogue!

#GivingTuesday Best Practices Summit 3/18/2014

Posted on March 18, 2014 by Spur Local

“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…

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