Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington
Kathy Jankowski
kjankowski@harman-foundation.org
301-349-0722 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, DC; March 24, 2008 -- The Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington announced today that it raised $338,000 in gifts from new donors for this year’s 68 Catalogue charities. That amount, raised between November 1, 2007 and February 1, 2008, represents a 72 percent increase compared to the previous giving season. The Catalogue raised an additional $323,000 for the charities featured in prior Catalogues. All donations go directly to the charities, which provide a wide range of services, from improving the environment to fighting homelessness.
The Catalogue attributes the spike in giving to its expanded outreach efforts this giving season. In addition to mailing 30,000 print Catalogues that profile the year’s selected charities, the organization mailed 100,000 posters designed to send readers to its website. This year’s giving season donations also show that the softening economy did not negatively affect philanthropy in greater Washington. Scott Schelkenberg, Executive Director of Miriam’s Kitchen, which has provided a nutritious breakfast to homeless men and women in DC for the past 24 years, remarked, “You have no idea how much we appreciated being in the Catalogue in 2007-2008. We raised nearly $18,000. That is an enormous amount for our small budget.”
“It’s all about the power of one—one donor to make a difference in the life of a charity, one charity to make a difference in the life of a family, one family to contribute to the well-being of a community. One person’s generosity can be the spark that sets it in motion,” says Barbara Harman, President of the Catalogue. “At a time of growing economic stress, the people of metropolitan Washington really stepped up to the plate and helped to improve the quality of life for people in their own communities and neighborhoods.”
Since November 2003 the Catalogue has raised more than $5.3 million for more than 300 of the region’s best nonprofit organizations with budgets below $2 million. The charities’ small size makes it difficult to fundraise and conduct outreach, but it helps them respond to specific critical needs in the community. Over the past five years, the Catalogue has connected more than 1,000 individuals, family foundations, giving circles, and corporations to organizations and causes where their contributions have a significant impact.
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About the Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington
The Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington is an independent nonprofit organization recognized by its annual publication, which shines a light on some of the most effective nonprofit organizations in the region. Small local charities submit applications to be featured in the Catalogue. Reviewers evaluate the applications for distinction, merit, cost-effectiveness, and financial transparency, resulting in a carefully vetted list of trustworthy nonprofit organizations. In less than five years, the Catalogue has helped featured charities raise more than $5.3 million dollars from new donors. Charities receive 100 percent of each donation thanks to support from local sponsors, which include the Harman Family Foundation, Meyer Foundation, Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, CGI and Chevy Chase Trust, among others. For more information, visit www.cfp-dc.org.