About Spur Local, formerly the Catalogue for Philanthropy

At Spur Local, strengthening communities is our life’s work. As the region’s only locally-focused guide to civic engagement, we believe in the power of small nonprofits to spark big change together.

In 2003, we were founded by philanthropist Barbara Harman as the Catalogue for Philanthropy, an annual publication for donors to discover and support community-based nonprofits with limited capacity to tell their stories to a larger audience. Over the last 20 years, our organization has both raised nearly $60M for local nonprofits and grown to become the largest nonprofit capacity builder in the region, designing resources specifically for nonprofits operating with small teams and budgets.

Now, as Spur Local, we create a stronger, more resilient, and more equitable region by cultivating critical connections between residents and the nonprofits in their neighborhoods. We have raised more than $57 million for our network of 400+ small, local nonprofits, with 10,000+ donors giving through our portal. Knowing that sustainable organizations are key to facilitating change, we have trained over 25,000 nonprofit professionals, strengthening their skills in fundraising, marketing, leadership and management, and more.

Every year, we engage 150+ residents who live or work in the Greater Washington region to volunteer as part of our nonprofit review process, choosing nonprofits that are critical to our communities here, where we live. We then conduct site visits and financial reviews with the selected nonprofits trusted by our volunteer team before inducting 80+ nonprofits annually into a four-year partnership with us, all at completely no cost to them.

Our work is rooted in equity, collaboration, resiliency, empowerment, and community. We promote visibility, stimulate discussions and, together—as a sector, as a region, as neighbors—we are a catalyst for good.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Unlawful discrimination has no place at Spur Local; our core values include a commitment to equal opportunity and inclusion. We require all nonprofits that participate in the Spur Local network to affirm their commitment to core values of non-discrimination consistent with ours.

Spur Local does not discriminate either internally (in its administrative and program operations) or externally (in its vetting of nonprofits that apply to participate in the Spur Local network) on the basis of race, color, creed, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ancestry, disability, marital status, veteran or draft status.

DISCLAIMER

We know our limits — and we remind you to recognize them too. Although we pride ourselves on our advice, and the advice of our review teams, the content of Spur Local is provided for informational purposes and is not a substitute for expert legal, tax, or other professional advice tailored to your specific circumstances.