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In The Closeness

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[...] 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

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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

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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 …

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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

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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

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… 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

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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

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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.

In The News …

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DC officials change policy on charter schools’ occupation of surplus buildings (Washington Post): “District officials have tweaked the way they determine which charter schools should be allowed to move into surplus public school buildings [...] The new points-based system gives an edge to high-performing charter schools that are already operating in the city.” Newer charters can also receive points if they have strong prior records of raising achievement elsewhere. At present, the DGS is accepting offers from charters for two buildings: the former Young and J.F. Cook elementary school sites in Ward 5. “For fast-growing charter schools, which often struggle to find and afford suitable real estate, the unused buildings offer a rarity: a long-term home.”

Bill Clinton Urges Donors to Think About Results From the Start (Chronicle of Philanthropy): “The theme of this year’s Clinton Global Initiative is “Designing for Impact,” a nod to the growing influence of “design thinking” in shaping efforts to eradicate poverty and improve society. Explained Tim Brown, the chief executive of IDEO, “design is about being intentional about what you want your outcome to be” in the context of efforts to eliminate hunger and poverty. Have you ever planned in similar terms on a local scale? Or is this type of thinking, in fact, more inherent in local philanthropy?

With Charity for All: Big Philanthropy and the Challenge of Democracy (Forbes): “Philanthropy remains vital as a force for change and societal support — and as a growing portion of the US social safety net; where governments cut services, nonprofit organizations often step in to support those on the bottom economic rungs. Giving rebounded after the Great Recession of 2008, rising to $298.3 billion in 2011 according to Giving USA, an increase of nearly four percent over 2010.” The article also cites two “extraordinary chapters in US philanthropy” — the Giving Pledge, made public two years ago, and the annual gathering of the Clinton Global Initiative — and asserts that “there remains a disproportionate power gap between those doing the work (nonprofits and other organizations) and those funding that work.” Do you agree or disagree?

Catalogue Milestones: 2003

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Good morning, Catalogue friends! We are looking forward to our 10th anniversary and launch event, coming up on December 3.

So to start celebrating both that anniversary and our network of awesome local nonprofits, we’ll be counting down the 10 weeks to December 3 right here — and chatting a bit about several “Catalogue Milestones” from each year, each week.

Let’s start from the beginning: 2003, the first year of the Catalogue …

- The 1st print Catalogue for Philanthropy, focused on DC charities, is mailed to 30,000 high net worth individuals in the greater Washington region
- The 1st Catalogue engages 20 reviewers and 3 community partners: Harman, Meyer, and Cafritz Foundations
- 250 people celebrate the launch of the 1st Catalogue at Shakespeare Theatre Lansburgh Theatre
- The Catalogue team includes 2 staff members; 1 corporate sponsor supports the Catalogue

We’d also like to give an extra shout-out to the two nonprofits that both appeared in the 1st Catalogue and will appear in the 10th:

- Dance Place: “is a hub of activity where a 40-week presenting season, a bustling dance school, and a neighborhood cultural center thrive on each others’ energy.”
- Healthy Babies Project: ” aims to reduce the rates of infant death and low birth weight and provide comprehensive and structured health, prenatal, and childbirth education services.”