REQUEST for PROPOSALS: An Explanation

DEADLINE: Monday, February 13th, midnight

January 2012

Eligibility
Application Part I: Basic Information and 2500-3000 statement
Application Part II: Financial Supplement
Kindly Note...

ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility: 501(c)(3) charities with budgets under $3 million (our typical range is $100,000 to $3 million), and location in the Washington region, may be eligible to apply. There is no cost of any kind associated with applying to, or being featured in, the Catalogue.

Because the Catalogue is designed to appeal to large numbers of donors, we do not encourage applications from membership organizations, professional associations, grantmaking foundations, fundraising arms of other organizations, clubs, societies, specialized research institutes, or organizations that are unlikely to have broad appeal. A smaller program situated within a larger institution -- like an asthma program at a major hospital -- would not be eligible unless it had its own, independent 501(c)(3).

NEW THIS YEAR: independent chapters of organizations whose parent organization is located elsewhere MAY apply as long as they 1) have their local headquarters inside our geographic footprint; 2) fundraise for themselves; 3) have their own, distinct revenue and expenses budget; 4) are allowed to earmark donations for themselves; and 5) are permitted independence in the way they handle finances and market themselves to potential donors.

The Catalogue's focus is local, so we do not encourage applications from national organizations that are headquartered here but do not have VERY significant local programs.

We do accept applications from international organizations focused on global issues but headquartered in Greater Washington.

Nonprofits most recently featured in the 2008-09 Catalogue must successfully reapply in 2012 to remain part of the Catalogue network. Organizations re-featured on the web in 2011-12 but not in the print Catalogue may reapply if they choose. A fresh review by the evaluation committee and a new financial review will be necessary every four years. If you were previously featured and your budget is now above $3mm, you may still reapply if you wish to remain on our website, but we will not be able to feature you in the print Catalogue. If you are successful in the review process your page on the web will bear a special icon indicating that you were once small but have now grown.

For the purposes of establishing eligibility, we use the Washington Council of Government’s list of cities and counties. We regret that we cannot include organizations that are headquartered outside of these areas, even if they operate programs within them. Applicants must be headquartered in:

District of Columbia
Maryland: Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Frederick County
Virginia: Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Prince William County, City of Alexandria, City of Fairfax, City of Falls Church

Our website remains cumulative and includes all current and prior years' organizations that remain in good standing.

APPLICATION PART I

DUE: February 13, 2012: midnight. Because Part I must be completed in a single sitting, we recommend that your 2500-3000 word statement (covering 14 individual questions) and 150-word summary (see below) be prepared and saved first in a word document and, once complete, be pasted into the application form. This will ensure that you don't lose your work or get timed out. Our online application DOES NOT HAVE a save-as-you-go function. After you have read this document, please print it and consult it as you are preparing your application.

First we ask for basic information. MAKE SURE TO ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS AND MAKE A SELECTION ON ALL PULL-DOWN MENUS. You will not be able to submit your application until you have done so.
Next, we ask you to tell us in a phrase (10 words maximum) who you are/what you do. Here are some good examples: "environmental group seeking cleaner environment through projects for urban teens," or "dance presenter with programs for at-risk youth."

The 2500-3000 Word Main Section

In the main part of the application we ask you to write a 2500-3000 word statement, which is divided into a set of 14 questions. Again, we recommend that you write this in a separate document and paste it into the appropriate boxes when you are ready.

Who you are: In a nutshell, explain what your organization's identity and mission really are.
How you began: provide a brief history, being sure to explain how and why the organization came into being.
Your staffing: be specific about the composition of your organization--note executive staff (including development staff, if any), program staff; include information on full and part time; identify the person (and his/her position) who would communicate with Catalogue staff if you were selected
Your board: who are they (a list of names)?; what is the nature of their engagement with your organization? what is your board's policy on board financial support for your organization? whether and to what degree are board members financial contributors? (You do not need to tell us each board member's individual contribution. Do tell us what the range is ($100 to $10,000, for example), the percent of your board that contributes, and what percent of total individual contributions comes from the board.)
Your purpose/the need you address: be specific about the need(s) you fill and explain how you differentiate yourself from others in your field. Which three organizations are closest to you in their programs, and how are you different from them?
What you do: your programs, services, activities. Provide a detailed description. Where applicable include target population(s) and number of people served. For many reviewers this section and the next one are the most important parts of your application. Be specific.
Your impact: Explain what you measure, how you measure, and how you define success. If an outside evaluation has been performed (e.g., for a charter school) please summarize the results. We understand that "impact" has different meanings for different applicants. Make sure to indicate how you see its meaning, and how you measure it.
Your goals: identify the short- and long-term goals of your organization; detail your strategies for achieving these goals and progress made toward them.
Your struggles and accomplishments: explain any challenges/struggles/failures that you have experienced in the last year; detail your accomplishments--both concrete accomplishments in relation to the goals you set, and less tangible accomplishments that we should know about.
Evidence of excellence: list any awards, citations, honors, etc; also include any other evidence of excellence you wish to describe.
Evidence of cost-effectiveness: include fundraising, g&a (general and administrative), and program; show the percent of the total for fundraising/g&a; if special circumstances apply (eg one-time expenses for computer upgrades or other capital costs) please note these. Are you listed on any watchdog sites?
Sources of funding: give the total amount you raise, and the percent of funds you receive from different sources: government, individuals, foundations, corporations, United Way, CFC, special events, earned income, etc. How would you describe your capacity to raise money from individual donors and to steward those donors once you have acquired them? IF MORE THAN 50% OF YOUR FUNDING IS FROM THE GOVERNMENT, WHAT IS YOUR "PLAN B" SHOULD THIS FUNDING BE CUT?
A special project or activity for which you may be seeking funds (not required).
An explanation of what is special about your story that illuminates for donors the values of philanthropy at its best.

Wish List

Please complete a Wish List that will help Catalogue readers understand in concrete terms what a donation to your organization will mean to you. Please consider four categories: $100; $500; $1000; OTHER (your choice) IN THIS ORDER. Here are some examples:

WISH LIST: $100: gasoline for 2 weeks of deliveries to elderly shut-ins; $500: half the art supplies for our summer program; $1000: counseling for 10 survivors of domestic abuse for 1 month; $15,000: scholarship for 1 student for an entire year

PLEASE NOTE THAT WISH LIST ITEMS ARE VERY BRIEF; DO NOT SEND PARAGRAPH-LENGTH ITEMS! THINK SHORT!

Key Programs Summary

A single paragraph (approximately 150 words) in which you highlight your organization's KEY programs. We realize this repeats what you have said above. What we're looking for is a short version of what you consider absolutely central to the work you do. Please understand that, should you be selected, a write-up of your organization can't include everything, so tell us here what the key elements are of who you are/what you do--those that, in your view, could not be left out of a 170-word description (which, were you to be accepted, we would write) without misrepresenting your organization.

APPLICATION PART II: FINANCIAL SUPPLEMENT

After our initial round of evaluation is complete, we may ask you to upload a set of documents (501c3, most recent 990, etc) along with a financial worksheet -- the same one we are reviewing in our financial workshops. (Attendance at a workshop is not required but is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.) We will contact you if we need to see this information. You do not need to submit any financial information at this time.

For those of you who wish to review the financial worksheet in advance, click HERE to download it to your desktop.

KINDLY NOTE...

If you are selected to be featured in the Catalogue you will need to:

Send us in May a minimum of 5 digital photos. We will explain further when the time arrives
Attend our annual launch event, sending three key persons (examples: executive director, board member, development director/contact person); at this event we will distribute copies of the new Catalogue and explain how you can make the most of your Catalogue experience. Attendance is not optional.
Be faithful reporters of Catalogue-inspired donations in the year of your selection and beyond.
Place a copy of the Catalogue's "One of the Best" stamps on your homepage (click here to see a sample stamp); include a Catalogue tagline in your email signature for one year; print the catalogue "One of the Best" stamp on your stationery for one year. Details will follow should you be selected.
Complete information that we request and that will keep your page on the Catalogue website populated with current information
Establish an account with PayPal so that we can transfer electronically donations made to you at our site ( creating a PAyPal account has nothing to do with the provider you use for your own online donations). IF FOR ANY REASON YOU ARE UNABLE TO DO THIS, YOU MUST TELL US WHY since we use PayPal to distribute funds.

There is no financial obligation of any kind associated with applying to or being featured in the Catalogue for Philanthropy. Leading institutions and generous individuals in the Washington region support the Catalogue Initiative as a service to the community.

Funding: Sponsoring grantmakers and individual donors cover all production costs for the Catalogue and its website. Online donations are processed by Authorize.net or by PayPal whose fees are among the lowest in the industry. The Catalogue itself charges no fee for donations sent directly to the charities or for any donations we distribute through our Giving Form.

Distribution: The Catalogue is a beautiful, 64-page book distributed in November to over 25,000 high net worth individuals in the Washington region and to small foundations, philanthropic advisors, giving circles, and other groups who wish to use it with their members. The Catalogue website is cumulative, featuring organizations that appeared in 2003 and subsequent years. Visitors access the site at http://www.cfp-dc.org/

Non-Discrimination: The Catalogue for Philanthropy does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, creed, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, or disability.

Questions: Before you email or call, please read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). If you don't find the answers you are looking for, call us at 202 955 6538 or 781 449 1911, or email us at info@catalogueforphilanthropy-dc.org

Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.