Quote for the Day

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Julia Cain

Not everything is art. Art has meaning and value. Not everything is philanthropy. Philanthropy has meaning and value.

But with the White Painting we see the ultimate stripped down attempt at art and amazingly we find that it has meaning. I think we should take the same approach to thinking about philanthropy as we contemplate the value and meaning (or lack thereof) in new efforts to create social impact that stray far outside the familiar realm of donating and volunteering.

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In The News…

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Julia Cain

In focusing on world-wide philanthropy news this week, I both wanted to share the following items and give a shout-out to Catalogue’s international non-profits. Definitely check them out to learn more about making a difference all around the world.

Haiti, one year later — For the 1-year anniversary of the 7.0Mw earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the Big Picture on boston.com paid tribute last week to the “12 months of struggle and heartache photos of (and by) Haitians as they continue to cope with the aftermath of such a massive disaster.” These images certainly transcend words, so do look for yourself.

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MLK Avenues

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Julia Cain

If you have not already, do check out this piece in yesterday’s Post. “Taking to roads to find Martin Luther King’s legacy” highlights the years-long journey of a group of DC students with a simple yet ambitious goal: gaining a deeper understanding of Dr. King’s life and work by exploring the streets named for him — including DC’s own Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE:

Eight teenagers from five D.C. high schools crisscrossed the country with two mentors and video cameras, visiting more than a dozen “MLK streets.” Their driving tours in 2008 coincided with the presidential campaign of Barack Obama, putting the students between a history they barely knew and history in the making.

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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Julia Cain

Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others? Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little.

– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

As a reminder, we also have several Catalogue non-profits who are offering programming today. Check them out here.

Around Town: January 15-16

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Julia Cain

Welcome to mid-January, Greater Washington.

First, to skip to the end of the long weekend … both Heart of America Foundation and Joe’s Movement Emporium are offering great Martin Luther King Jr. Day programming. HOA Foundation invites young students and their families to an annual MLK Day of Service Literacy Celebration at 11:00 at Howard University — striving to make this a great day “on” rather than a day “off.” And in Mount Rainier starting at 10:00, Joe’s will offer service projects, guest speakers, and featured performers, including the Buffalo Baptist Church Choir and students in their Arts Education programs.

Throughout the weekend, we also have a bundle of exciting performances at our non-profits. So read on and enjoy!

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7 Questions – Aleta Margolis (Center for Inspired Teaching)

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Julia Cain

Let’s give a great Catalogue welcome to … Aleta Margolis, Executive Director of the Center for Inspired Teaching! Through in-depth training programs and even annual principal and teacher institutes, Inspired Teaching advocates for true educational reform by challenging how teachers understand their students, their teaching, and themselves. Check out her insights on education and why great teachers are profoundly essential to our communities:

1. What was your most interesting recent project, initiative, partnership, or event?

Center for Inspired Teaching is in the process of opening a school: the Inspired Teaching Demonstration School. This school will be a DC public charter school and will open in August, and it will serve as a model for how we believe all teachers should teach and all students should learn. It will also be home to a teacher residency where new teachers will train alongside master teachers. We’re very excited!

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In The News …

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Julia Cain

Welcome to Wednesday, folks! A bit of snow appears to be coming our way — along with some mid-weeks news here on GoodWorks.

Nonprofits Must Lead the Push for Civility — A post in The Chronicle of Philanthropy this Monday proclaims that, in the wake of the tragedy in Arizona, “we must ask ourselves what people at foundations and nonprofits can do to prevent such senseless acts of violence in the future.” Moreover:

Our public leaders and leading media personalities set the tone for the public square. It is their duty to promote civil discourse and encourage peaceful participation in society. In the wake of this tragedy, we must demand nothing less.

People in the nonprofit world — as trusted members of communities everywhere — are in a powerful position to set the parameters for a decent society. We can use the power of our collective voice in many ways.

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Literacy City

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Julia Cain

As the Post reported yesterday, “DC residents rank as the nation’s most well-read” according to a new study from Central Connecticut State University. The America’s Most Literate Cities study “ranks the largest cities (population 250,000 and above) in the United States on six key indicators of literacy: newspaper circulation, number of bookstores, library resources, periodical publishing resources, educational attainment, and Internet resources.”

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In and Out

Posted on January 10, 2011 by Julia Cain

We are now into the second week of a new year and a new decade — so recaps and resolutions are still very much on the brain. Along those lines, I would suggest checking out Network for Good’s Non-Profit Marketing Blog, which has offered a number of helpful resolution-related posts over the past week. In particular, Katya Andresen’s list of “What’s In and Out for Nonprofits in 2011” caught my eye:

In: Integrated communications/Out: Multi-channel communications

In: Appropriate use of technology/Out: Maximum use of technology

In: Speaking from the heart/Out: Speaking from the left brain

In: Narrative/Out: Bullet points

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Around Town: January 8-9

Posted on January 7, 2011 by Julia Cain

And we’re back! 2011 already is yielding plenty of cool weekend happenings at our non-profits. Read on to find one (or many) events in your community:

First, congratulations to Class 16 on their graduation from Operation Understanding DC this weekend! For a great performance, written and directed by OUDC’s young leaders, about their year-long journey to find their voice and passion, head to Temple Shalom in Chevy Chase on Saturday at 7:00. Email info@oudc.org to learn more.

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