Please Stand With Us

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Barbara Harman

As 2012 turns into 2013, we are particularly grateful to all of you who have helped us raise over $19mm (and counting) for some of the best small charities in the greater Washington DC region.

Your support means:

* 47,639 people served in outdoor education programs each year
* 3,486,841 hours of tutoring/mentoring annually
* 957,570 people served in arts outreach programs
* 99,578 medical exams and referrals
* 1,474,415 meals served to hungry people each year

If you haven’t contributed this year, please take a moment to make your tax-deductible contribution before the year ends Choose the charities that mean the most to you, and please give generously. You can do so with confidence, knowing that Catalogue nonprofits have been vetted in a rigorous review process that takes months to complete.

And consider making a contribution to the Catalogue itself, and helping us help the 330 nonprofits in our network to do what they do best. The Catalogue is a tremendous community resource and we charge no fees for the work we do: generous donors like you make the Catalogue possible.

So stand with us as we work together to make this community a better place to live. And if you’ve already given, please accept our thanks — on behalf of all the great nonprofits that are proud to say they are part of the Catalogue family.

Tax For Arts

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Julia Cain

Just caught this Marketplace story on the way home today:

The Detroit Institute of Arts is joining a small group of museums experimenting with a new way to fundraise. They’ve asked local taxpayers to chip in. Voters in three Michigan counties passed a tax increase — known as a millage.

According to Annmarie Erickson, executive vice president and chief operating officer:

“A home that has a market value of about $150,000, those individuals will pay about $15 a year for this tax.” But that adds up quickly for the museum. She says the millage plan allows the Detroit Institute of Arts to take in $23 million a year for 10 years, and that money will be spent on the museum’s operating budget.

With the fundraising burdened eased, at least in part, the development staff could then focus on building an endowment to strengthen the 125-year-old museum for the future.

What do you think about supporting community nonprofits through community taxes? Would you vote for a similar millage in your city or county in order to support a local museum or theatre?

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!)

Continue reading →

In The News …

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Julia Cain

Residents Rally Against Cuts To DC Social Service Spending (WAMU 88.5): “They all turned out to a rally on the Wilson Building’s steps Monday morning, calling for Mayor Vincent Gray to spare funding cuts to social service programs and initiatives that help low-income DC residents. The rally was organized by the advocacy group DC Fair Budget Coalition. Mayor Gray is expected to release his proposed budget March 23 […] Last year, Mayor Gray proposed $187 million in cuts, 60 percent of which were to social services.” According to Janelle Treibitz, campaign organizer of the coalition, Mayor Gray could propose a change to a current DC law (which mandates that all leftover money from the current fiscal year go into the city’s savings) and use half of this year’s budget surplus to prevent future program cuts. What do you think?

Continue reading →

International Volunteering (part 2)

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Julia Cain

By Jade Floyd

This is the second post in a two-part series by Jade Floyd. Ms. Floyd works in international public affairs in DC and serves on the Board of the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative. Follow her on Twitter: @DcThisWeek. Read the first part of the series here.

Preparing for an international volunteer experience can be daunting. But paying for it is the hardest part — and once you have tackled that, you are well on your way. (And remember: keep all you receipts because many of these expenses can be tax deducible.) My program required nearly $6,000 when you factored in program fees, flights, buses, immuniztions, taxis, supplies, gifts for family and friends, hotels, guest houses, and gifts for myself. Luckily, I had a very good friend who worked for an airline, which made a major difference. You can also consider using your Airline miles or those of a family member or friend if they will donate them to your cause. Continue reading →

The Amazing (Theatrical) Race

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Julia Cain

Looking to combine volunteering, fundraising, and community outreach in one event? Draw some inspiration from The Theatre Lab’s newest venture!

By Jeff Scott, Marketing & Events Manager at The Theatre Lab:

On Saturday, June 18, The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts hosted its first-ever Amazing Race. The one-day event featured teams of volunteers approaching local businesses to solicit donations which could then be auctioned off at The Theatre Lab’s annual benefit in the fall (which helps to fund education and community outreach programs). The volunteer group included current and past students of The Theatre Lab along with their friends and colleagues.

The racers were divided into teams and each team was assigned a specific area of town to target, which included Capitol Hill, Dupont Circle, and Georgetown. Armed with packets of information on The Theatre Lab’s education and community outreach programs, and dressed in matching fire engine red t-shirts, the volunteers set off into the unknown.

Prior to the event, certain stores had prearranged donations with The Theatre Lab. The volunteers were given clues by Theatre Lab staff members to direct them to these stores to add a scavenger hunt element to the activities. Theatre Lab alum Tina Ghandchilar recounted her team’s experiences:

Continue reading →

Around Town: October 23-24

Posted on October 22, 2010 by Julia Cain

Coming this weekend to a non-profit near you …

Saturday, October 23

8:00 AM-2:00 PM — DC Stop Modern Slavery Walk (Polaris Project): join thousands on the National Mall as they raise awareness of human trafficking and funds for organizations working to end it. Register here!

10:00 AM-noon — West End Walking Tour (Coalition for Smarter Growth): take a morning walking tour from Downtown to Georgetown and explore how community involvement has shaped the neighborhood, plus check out Francis Field and Michael Jordan’s old haunts!

8:00 PM — Dance Performance (Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Co): catch the premiere of “Charlie Chan and the Mystery of Love” and leap into 1930s Hollywood through a multi-media dance exploration set to period music and the spoken word poetry of Wilma Consul. — SOLD OUT

8:00 PM — Masterworks 2 Concert (Fairfax Symphony Orchestra): head over to the George Mason University Center for the Arts for a beautiful evening of Sibelius, Mozart, and Bartok. Tickets right here.

Saturday, October 24

3:00 PM-6:00 PM — The World’s Largest Indoor Picnic (A Wider Circle): for real! Kids can enjoy a giant Wii screen, Moonbounce, and miniature golf course, while adults can stop by the driving range or silent auction, plus there will be plenty of good food all afternoon.

3:00 PM-6:00 PM — Voice of the River: The Paintings of Leea Baltes (Potomac Conservancy): experience the serenity of our natural world in this brand new exhibit of acrylic paintings at River Center Lock 8.

7:00 PM — 8:00 PM — Dance Performance (Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Co): do not miss your chance to see one of the first performances of “Charlie Chan and the Mystery of Love.” Friday and Saturday night shows sold out before I could type this. Tickets this way.

Have a great weekend and hop over to Happenings for extra information.

In The News …

Posted on October 20, 2010 by Julia Cain

Good morning, Washington, and welcome to Wednesday! We have a number of news items that caught my eye in the past couple of days:

Top Fund Raisers in ‘Philanthropy 400’ Saw Steep Drop in Donations: according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy and Chronicle of Higher Education, “private giving to the nation’s biggest charities, including more than 100 colleges, dropped 11 percent last year.” More than 25% of those 400 are colleges or universities. However, four of the top 10 did experience an increase, including the AmeriCares Foundation (No. 3), which “achieved an 18.1-percent rise in giving, mostly in food, medicine, and other donated goods.” Continue reading →

Short and Sweet?

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Julia Cain

I just noticed today (courtesy of Culturebot) that the Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia is accepting applications through the end of the month. I’m jumping a few states away, but after clicking through their website, I found the philosophy of the Arts Challenge, and the application process in particular, quite intriguing.

In a nutshell, this September, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation “launched a three-year, $9 million initiative … providing new funding opportunities to the steadily rising Philadelphia arts scene.” The parameters for applicants are broad to say the least:

1) The idea must be about the arts. 2) The project must take place in or benefit Philadelphia. 3) The grant recipients must find funds to match Knight’s commitment.

When I first read this, I asked, “That’s it?”

Continue reading →

Catalogue Blog

Tag Archives: Fundraising

Please Stand With Us

Tax For Arts

Development Planning Speaker Session

International Volunteering (part 2)

The Amazing (Theatrical) Race

Around Town: October 23-24

Short and Sweet?