From The Chronicle of Philanthropy:
Nonprofits added jobs at an average annual rate of more than 2 percent from 2000 to 2010, while for-profit jobs were cut by 0.6 percent each year on average, according to a new study.
Even during the recession years of 2008 and 2009, charities increased their employment by nearly 2 percent, while for-profit jobs declined by nearly 4 percent, according to the report, which was based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
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But the forming a new System of Government, for so numerous a people, of very different views, and habits, spread upon such a vast extent of Territory, containing such a great variety of soils, and under such extremes of climate, was a task, which nothing less than the dreadful apprehension of losing our national existence, could have compelled the people to under-take. We can be known to the world, only under the appellation of the United States.
– statesman John Hancock, born today in 1737
It is not enough to know your craft; you have to have feeling. Science is all very well, but for us imagination is worth far more.
– painter Edouard Manet, born today in 1832
Wishing you a good weekend, Greater Washington! We’ve got some great events coming up …
The Snowy Day at Adventure Theatre (Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Boulevard, Glen Echo)
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first American picture book to feature an African-American child as the main character. The simple tale of a boy waking up to discover that snow has fallen is brought to life in the magical world premiere, starting this Friday at 7:00 PM and continuing on the weekend at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Tickets right here!
Decadent Delights at Neediest Kids (Carnegie Institution of Science, 1530 P Street NW)
Enjoy an afternoon of “Decadent Delights” to benefit thousands of children in need in the DC Metro area this Saturday at 2:00 PM — you won?t be able to resist the sumptuous treats from a variety of notable confectionaries in the region. Family and individual tickets .
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Tackling Alzheimer’s Disease (WAMU: The Diane Rehm Show): “We all understand that Alzheimer’s disease is a major challenge for the country and for patients and their families, and, until now, we have not had a unified national effort to address this challenge. So a year ago, the president signed the National Alzheimer’s Project Act into law, and through his commitment, this law requires our Department of Health and Human Services to establish the first-ever national Alzheimer’s plan,” said Howard Koh, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services. The IONA Senior Services (a Catalogue nonprofit) Director of Consultation, Care Management, and Counseling Deborah Rubenstein was a guest on the show, which you can listen to right here.
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14 percent of VA children live in poverty (WTOP): “The percentage of Virginia children living in poverty in 2010 was at its highest rate since 1998, an anti-poverty group reported Tuesday. The total number of children living in poverty totals nearly 265,000, or 14 percent of children under 18 in the state, Voices for Virginia’s Children said in a report to be presented to the General Assembly. While well below the US rate, the number in Virginia has increased steadily since the start of the economic downturn in 2007, when it was 12.9 percent, according to the report. In raw numbers, an additional 33,000 children are living in poverty.” You can learn more about Catalogue’s Children, Youth, and Families non-profits right here, twelve of which are based in Virginia.
In Maryland, a prescription for better health care (Washington Post Local): “Maryland is near the top of the national rankings in median household income, but the state’s great wealth does not equal good health for everyone. Instead, the state has troubling clusters of chronic disease, low-birth-weight babies and limited access to health care for those who lack the means to pay. Areas with large minority populations, including Prince George’s County, are especially hard-hit.” A new proposal, unveiled by Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, “urges lawmakers to create health-care zones, which would mimic economic-enterprise zones” and state and local governments offer tax incentives for medical professionals who establish practices in underserved areas. It also would monetary awards for communities or nonprofits that find innovative ways to improve the overall health of a community.
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We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only power of concentration, but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate. The broad education will, therefore, transmit to one not only the accumulated knowledge of the race but also the accumulated experience of social living.
– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “The Purpose of Education” (1948)
Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation.
– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “I’ve Been to the Mountain Top” (1968)
Have a good Friday, Greater Washington! We have some great events, particularly volunteer opportunities, coming up for this Martin Luther King Day weekend.
Weekend Events
Head to Capitol Hill Arts Workshop on Friday at 7:00 PM for a free tango practica, open to dancers of all experience levels. Also at 7:00 PM, the semi-finalists of the DCAC decathlon will exhibit their works, all exploring the significance of being an “unspecialized” working artist. On Saturday at 8:00 PM and Sunday at 3:00 PM, Fairfax Symphony Orchestra presents Masterworks Concert #4, featuring cellist Sergey Antonov, at .
Monday Service Opportunities
Join Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment at 10:00 AM in Bancroft Park (Arlington) to clean up a section of the Four Mile Run road and keep trash out of the County’s largest stream watershed. Starting at 10:30 AM, Volunteer Fairfax invites you to its third annual Give Together: A Family Volunteer Day, expanding this year to Fairfax City, Herndon, and Alexandria; all service projects are targeted towards elementary-aged children and geared toward the involvement of the entire family. Last but not least, Rock Creek Conservancy will offer seven projects in Aspen Hill and Redland, MD, and around the DC area: tidy up community gardens, save large trees, and remove invasive plants, all starting at 10:00 AM (two events are already full).
Last Thursday, we posted a question-and-answer walk-through of the Catalogue application process. Applications are due in one month and one day, so we’re adding a few more FAQs — and just leave a comment or tweet us @cataloguedc with any other questions:
Have you announced the dates for the financial supplement workshops yet?
We have! Two workshops will be held, one on February 14th, 2-4 PM and the other on March 5th 2-4 PM, at Smith & Wollensky’s, 1112 19th Street NW. You can sign up online right here.
When and how do you notify applicants of the decisions?
If we need to see financial information, we will request it in early to mid-April. Final decisions are made in early to mid-May and we will be sure to email you the decision either way. The new Catalogue comes out in early November in time for the giving season.
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Why Low-Income Kids Miss Out On Play (DCentric): “‘Free play’ helps boost childhood development and leads to better behavior in schools. But a new report by the American Academy of Pediatrics found low-income children in cities have limited opportunities to play [...] Low-income kids are more likely to see recess cut from their school day there are fewer playgrounds in low-income, urban communities Parents are busy insuring their families? day-to-day survival.” So definitely get to know the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project, whose 100+ volunteers give children a much-needed opportunity to play and relax.
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Is a search engine a super crazy feature? Probably not. But we have 328 DC-area nonprofits on the Catalogue team, so we want to offer you some easy ways to find the ones that speak to you.
First, head to “Our Nonprofits;” then click “” on the lower left. That will take you to this screen:
Under “Quick Links” on the left side, we have some simple categories — so you can pull up a list of all Catalogue nonprofits that serve, say, youth ages 6-15 or that work in schools or that have an international focus. And with this handy link, you can find a list of all the Catalogue organizations that have their headquarters in your DC ward or your MD or VA county.
And under “Organization Search” on the right, you can do an even more detailed search, say, by Category or Location. And if you remember liking a particular nonprofit in the 2009 Catalogue, for example, you can search by “Catalogue Year.” I also quite enjoy searching by Zip Code, so you can see which Catalogue nonprofits are right around the corner!
