Roundtable Summit

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Marie LeBlanc

By Marie LeBlanc, Community Partnerships Coordinator

Yesterday morning, the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington celebrated its tenth anniversary with a touching look back and a pressing call to action for the future. As a young nonprofit professional, the messages I heard were both disheartening and inspiring. According to Mario Morino, Co-Founder and Chairman of Venture Philanthropy Partners, the nonprofit sector faces quite a few challenges in the years ahead. Even with potential economic upturns (which are by no means guaranteed yet), the changing economic and employment landscape in the US will have a profound effect on the demand for social sector services. Effectively funding those services will require a dramatic re-think of current funding mechanisms, and above all the willpower from funders, investors, government, and social service providers/nonprofits alike to meet the needs that our country, regions, and cities will face.

Benjamin Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP, passionately spoke of the civil rights crisis facing America today — what he called the “most massive and simultaneous attack on rights happening in recent history.” Women, immigrants, and the LGBT and black communities are on the front lines of this battle — one primarily fought within state boundaries, not on the federal level. Such a multifaceted problem requires intense collaboration and coordination to solve it — and an acknowledgement of the political and systemic barriers that contribute to (and often cause) the larger problems nonprofits work to address.
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In The News: Shelters

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Julia Cain

From “With shelters full, homeless families have nowhere to go” in the Washington Post:

In a region with seven of the 10 most affluent counties in the country, family homelessness is on the rise — straining services, filling shelters and forcing parents and their children to sleep in cars, parks, and bus and train stations. One mother recently bought $14 bus tickets to and from New York so she and her 2-year-old son would have a safe place to sleep — on the bus. [...]

The city has recently come under fire for turning away families seeking help as 118 overflow beds that were added last winter at DC General — the city’s main family homeless shelter — sit empty. A few places have recently opened up, but 500 families — some of whom are living with relatives or friends — are on a waiting list for housing.

Since the recession, homelessness among DC families has risen by 23 percent; in Maryland, “38 percent of homeless families are living on the streets.” Says Nassim Moshiree of Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless (a Catalogue nonprofit), “These families are the most desperate because they have young children and have nowhere to go.”

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In The Closeness

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Julia Cain

[...] Now sets the weary moon upon its slack seabed
Now the bursts of laughter quiet down, and even the storyteller
Nods his head like a child on his mother’s back
The dancers’ feet grow heavy, and heavy, too,
Come the alternating voices of singers.

Now the stars appear and the Night dreams
Leaning on that hill of clouds, dressed in its long, milky pagne.
The roofs of the huts shine tenderly. What are they saying
So secretly to the stars? Inside, the fire dies out
In the closeness of sour and sweet smells. [...]

– excerpt from “Night in Sine”
Leopold Sedar Senghor, poet & president of Senegal, born today in 1906

Around Town: October 5-8

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Julia Cain

What’s coming up at your local nonprofts? Check out Catalogue Happenings and find out!

Downtown Cluster’s Geriatric Day Care Center (Washington Navy Yard, 1411 Parsons Avenue SE)

Best of luck for the 36th Anniversary Benefit Gala, “,” on Friday at 6:00 PM! All proceeds will provide therapeutic and supportive services to frail older persons in Washington, DC.

Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment (Lubber Run Park, N. Columbus Street & 2nd Street N, Arlington, VA)

On Saturday at 10:00 AM, volunteers should meet at the amphitheater (just below the parking lot) and will help collect seeds and acorns of native tree species to be sent to the state nursery. More info right this way.

Smith Center for Healing and the Arts (Hallowood Retreat and Conference Center, 7300 Banner Road, Comus, MD)

Best wishes to those attending the October Residential Cancer Retreat this coming week (starting Monday), which provides an opportunity for transformative healing on the physical, mental, and emotional levels.

Also: coming up on Wednesday at 10:00 AM, Anacostia Watershed Society will be building and installing bird houses at our native meadow along the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River.

Volunteering in America

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Marie LeBlanc

By Marie LeBlanc, Community Partnerships Coordinator

Over the past few weeks, Sherika Brooks and I have ventured “into the field” with a handful of Catalogue nonprofits –sorting books, promoting clean water, and serving meals. We are not alone in engaging in volunteer work in our community. Across the United States, over 60 million people spent time volunteering last year, contributing nearly $173 billion worth of value to their communities. In the District, about 30% of adults volunteer, and the same is true for Maryland and Virginia — which is just above the national average of 26.5%.

So who volunteers in America? Sherika and I fit the typical volunteer profile in some ways, but not others. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2011, women volunteered more than men and middle- and older-aged adults are most likely to volunteer. (We broke the trend for adults in their early twenties, who are least likely to volunteer among all age groups.) Another interesting trend is that “individuals with higher levels of educational attainment engaged in volunteer activities at higher rates than did those with less education. Among persons age 25 and over, 42.4 percent of college graduates volunteered, compared with 18.2 percent of high school graduates and 9.8 percent of those with less than a high school diploma.” A majority of those who volunteer dedicate their time to one or two organizations, one of which is often religiously affiliated. Among all volunteers, the most common activities are fundraising and providing meals.

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In The News …

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Spur Local

Profile: Matthew Wheelock, founder of Live It Learn It (Washington Post: Schools Insider): “A decade ago, the next logical career move for Matthew Wheelock was to head overseas to work in his law firm’s Tokyo office. Instead, aiming to make a difference in the city where he grew up, he became a fourth-grade teacher at the District’s Walker-Jones Elementary School …” Looking for new ways to motivate students, many of whom were living in poverty, Wheelock found the answer outside of his classroom. Three years later, Wheelock founded Catalogue nonprofit Live It Learn It — “a nonprofit dedicated to making sure disadvantaged kids get access to hands-on field trips [...], a model that draws plaudits from teachers and principals.”

Oxon Hill town meeting focuses on financial literacy (Gazette): “Financial literacy and investment experts stressed at a meeting last week the need for Prince George’s County residents to have access to financial training, but added that perhaps even more important is the need for teens to get the same education.” At a town hall meeting last week, John Hope Bryant (chairman of the Underserved and Community Empowerment Subcommittee) pointed out that “financial literacy courses are key to encouraging teens to aspire to be entrepreneurs and small business owners;” however, not all schools offer such courses. You can explore Catalogue’s life skills and employment-focused nonprofits here; for example, at Cakes for Cause, youth learn to work in a bakery and handle their own earnings.

Helping Children Soar With Educational Advocacy (Huffington Post): “As the country and the District debate what goals we should set for student achievement, [10-year-old Sky Stringer] reminded me that a failure to invest in all of the children in our community will rob us of the talents and skills of those we leave behind,” writes Judith Sandalow (executive director, Children’s Law Center) Two years ago, Sky was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. However, “the school didn’t want to give Sky special education services;” so the Children’s Law Center took her case to court to see that she received an “individualized education program (IEP), and intensive services.” Considering this case, how else can we ensure that children (in all grades and schools) have an advocate when they need one?

Catalogue Milestones: 2004

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Spur Local

By Marie LeBlanc, Community Partnerships Coordinator

As we approach our celebration of the 10th Catalogue for Philanthropy, we look back to see how the Catalogue has grown and evolved over the years. In 2004, its second year of publication, the Catalogue continued to grow — in size, in geographic scope, and in dollars raised for network nonprofits:

- The Catalogue featured 51 new nonprofits in the print, up from 31 in the inaugural edition

- Catalogue also expanded its scope to the Greater Washington region, featuring nonprofits from DC, Maryland, and Virginia

- The Catalogue partnered with an additional corporate sponsor in 2004

- From 2003 to 2004, Catalogue increased the amount of money raised for and by our nonprofits by 14%, with an annual total of $548,830 in donations.

The following nonprofits, originally featured in 2004, were selected to be re-featured in the 2012 print Catalogue:

- Academy of Hope: adult students gain real world skills in math, reading, and writing

- Alternative House: a dynamic system of services designed to keep young people off the streets

- Arlington Free Clinic: free health care to some 1,400 Arlingtonians a year

- Borromeo Housing: structure, stability, and security that teen parents need to provide for themselves and their babies

- Brainfood: an after-school program that gets at-risk students off the streets and into the kitchen

- Calvary Women’s Services: where 150 women find “a safe, caring place for tonight; support, hope, and change for tomorrow”

- Coalition for Smarter Growth: coordinators of the campaign for a better way to grow in the greater DC region

- Falls Church-McClean Children’s Center: a full-day, early childhood education program for 2-5 year olds

- GALA: home of the National Center for Latino Performing Arts and only performance space in Columbia Heights

- Homestretch: two full years of transitional housing, budget counseling, job skills training, and placement assistance

- Horton’s Kids: a second family to over 1,500 children from the Ward 8 housing projects

- Thrive DC: generous portions of food, along with help and hope, to Washington’s hard-to-reach homeless

- Top Banana Home Delivered Groceries: simple and user-friendly grocery shopping and delivery for 500 elderly and disabled people

- Washington Youth Garden, Friends of the National Arboretum: garden science is the medium and life skills are the message

- Women Thrive Worldwide: focus on women in developing countries; advocate for change in US international assistance and trade policies

And the following nonprofits, originally featured in 2004, were re-certified to remain on the Catalogue website this year:

- City Arts: beautiful murals and mosaics created by local, inner-city youth

- TrailsforYouth.org: mountain biking that introduces inner-city youngsters to the natural world and its life lessons

- Washington Jesuit Academy: rigorous, local middle school for boys with 75 students and a devoted team of educators

Sound of Music

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Julia Cain

… I go to the hills
When my heart is lonely
I know I will hear
What I’ve heard before
My heart will be blessed,
With the sound of music
And I’ll sing once more.

– “The Sound of Music” by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II;
made famous by Julie Andrews, who was born today in 1935

In the singing spirit now? Learn more about the great orchestras and musical nonprofits in Catalogue’s network this morning.

Around Town: September 29 – October 2

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Julia Cain

Have a good Friday, Greater Washington! And check out what’s coming up at our nonprofits …

Hospice Caring (at Bolger Center, 9600 Newbridge Drive, Potomac, MD)

On Saturday at 6:00 PM, gather to support and celebrate Hospice Caring at the Annual Gala, with cocktails, dinner, dancing, and auctions. Much more information right here.

District of Columbia Arts Center (2438 18th Street NW)

At DCAC, “Microscapes” (capturing “the humbling and fascinating flux of the universe”) is open until October 7; and this Sunday at 5:00 PM, you can join in an artist talk, curated by Amanda Jiron-Murphy.

Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (at Mandarin Oriental, 1330 Maryland Avenue SW)

At the 15th Annual Fall Brunch, coming up this Sunday at 11:00 AM, SMYAL e will honor Maryland First Lady Katie O’Malley with the Outstanding Community Ally Award. Learn more about tickets right this way!

Washington Bach Consort (at Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G Street NW)

Be sure to catch this week’s free Noontime Cantata Series on Tuesday at noon (of course); each 50-minute concert consists of a cantata and an organ piece performed by orchestra, chorus and soloists.

Smith Center for Healing and the Arts (1632 U Street NW)

Join the YACS (Young Adult Cancer Survivors) for a cooking demonstration with seasonal dishes that take full advantage of fall’s produce on Tuesday at 7:00 PM; learn more this way.

Getting Connected with the Catalogue

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Marie LeBlanc

By Marie LeBlanc, Community Partnerships Coordinator

Nonprofit collaboration is a hot-button term these days. With a network of over 300 of the best small nonprofits in greater Washington, Catalogue nonprofits are in great position to learn from and collaborate with each other.

This past Monday night, the Catalogue offered the first of many opportunities for Catalogue nonprofits to come together in a casual and informal setting at the Catalogue September Happy Hour. The happy hour event brought together nonprofit staff and other Catalogue supporters to meet each other, connect, network, and begin strengthening relationships among the community. Catalogue staff, including President Barbara Harman, was on hand to meet and greet the 80+ event attendees.

The new Catalogue happy hour series follows on the heels of Catalogue’s “From the Field” project, in which Catalogue staff Marie LeBlanc and Sherika Brooks spend time on the ground with at least two nonprofits a month. These two nonprofit outreach initiatives are a response to many nonprofits’ expressed desire to connect with other nonprofits in the network, as well as Catalogue staff. We’ve heard over and again that many nonprofits — especially the smaller ones — struggle with similar issues, and that great benefit can come from simply sharing these struggles (and successes) with others who can relate. The Catalogue is privileged to offer the opportunity for small nonprofit leaders to do just that — whether over a glass of wine or cup of coffee. We look forward to continuing this series of nonprofit networking events into next year!

Thank you to all who attended this week’s happy hour — we hope to see you at the next one! Have suggestions for future events for the Catalogue network? Miss out this time and want to hear about our next event? Leave us a comment and let us know.

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