When personal passions are aligned with philanthropic decisions, individuals harness their own capacity to make a difference. Philanthropy has transformative powers — for donors and charities alike.
testimonials
"For nearly 65 years we have invested in the best and brightest nonprofit leaders working to serve people in our region. Most are raising every dollar every year and operating without financial reserves. So it is essential that we shine a light on their work, especially now when many of the people they serve are in desperate straits. I’ve watched with deep admiration as the Catalogue has done this, and has expanded its work, offering much-needed assistance to its featured nonprofits. The Meyer Foundation is proud to have supported the Catalogue’s work from the very beginning."
"The Catalogue is a much needed force in DC-area charitable giving. It's impossible for anyone to know all of the smaller nonprofits who do important work in our region. The Catalogue goes about the job in the right way, assembling groups of volunteers to look at agencies and ask them the right questions. I admire the recommendations the Catalogue makes; thank goodness they are out there doing the work that needs to be done!"
"Promotion in the Catalogue for Philanthropy has leveraged more than $400,000 to support our rigorous, after-school and summer programs for children in our nation's capital who are in the greatest need. The Catalogue’s multiplier effect is probably ten-fold: it catapults smaller organizations to new heights of visibility, and it leads, very directly, to new dollars. The staff’s entrepreneurial approach and boundless energy are advancing philanthropy in our nation’s capital at a time when we need it the most."
"Endorsement by the Catalogue for Philanthropy is so important for small non-profits: it is now short-hand for the idea that you are a well-run charity. Our Board of Directors uses the Catalogue’s “seal of approval” as a way to provide additional credibility in asking others to support our important work. Since we were first recognized by the Catalogue our individual giving has grown by more than 50%. "
"It gives me a feeling of comfort and confidence to know that a fabulous organization like the Catalogue is on my side, working to help my nonprofit and others like mine to strengthen what we do. Using the Catalogue to create greater name recognition has undoubtedly played a role in our amazing growth."
"Many individual donors and foundations have told us that they use the Catalogue when making a decision to support us. And several of those donors have also introduced us to others. Our Catalogue donors are loyal and have significantly increased the size of their donations over the years. We were featured in 2004 and then again in 2008; we’ve received over $850,000 in donations or pledges. I’d call that success!"
"The Catalogue for Philanthropy inspired me to give because of the variety of charities it features. It's also very credible, and I have faith that the organizations it selects are vetted, effective, and spend the money they receive wisely."
"Eight of our grandchildren read the Catalogue, some with help from their parents, and they made their own choices of organizations to support. I really believe that, with the help of the Catalogue and their parents, we have begun the process of inculcating in our grandchildren a sense of social responsibility and philanthropy. "
"By supporting the Catalogue, I hope we are helping to make our employees and others in the Washington area aware of the many small charities that support our community but don't have the budgets to build awareness of their good works on their own."
"The Catalogue is such a beautiful way to tell our story! Being listed in it, and given the free Catalogue tools to market our inclusion (customized flyers, bookmarks, and logos), has been an amazing gift. "
"The donations we received allowed us to completely rebuild our historic barn and turn part of it into an art room. And since most of the construction projects we do are for other charities, I now check to see if they are listed in the Catalogue. If they are, I automatically tell them, “Yes: we will be glad to help you out by being your builder.”"
"Being featured in the Catalogue increased our credibility in the community and improved morale on our Board. It was a very tangible measure of our growing influence, and board members experienced a new sense of dedication to the cause. It also opened doors once closed to us; our means of entry was the Catalogue's seal of approval."
"We have received close to $100,000 in Catalogue-linked giving, including an anonymous $75,000 gift in 2007! The donations that continue to come in help us to offer quality, affordable education to students. When donors see us in the Catalogue, they are reassured that we are a trusted, fiscally responsible organization with a strong history of providing quality services."
"In our communications with donors, we hear time and again that reading about us in the Catalogue helped solidify their decision to support our work because it offered them assurance that they were making a smart investment in the community. A majority of these donors have given in multiple years."
"The recognition that we received from the Catalogue proved to be priceless. We always felt we were one of Washington's best kept secrets; the Catalogue has let the secret out."
"We're proud of our role as founder and developer of the Catalogue. We believe it will help bring to life the vision we all share--of a vibrant and thriving world here in our nation's capital."
"If you are looking to get involved with smaller nonprofits in the Washington, DC-area community, financially or through volunteer efforts, but don't know where to start, the Catalogue is a terrific resource. We're proud to be supporters."
"The Catalogue is an excellent resource for individuals, corporations and foundations to utilize in making informed decisions on their giving. The time and expertise that goes into researching these organizations is more than most donors have the capacity to do on their own and provides a greater level of comfort that donated funds will be used wisely. The Marriott Foundation has proudly sponsored The Catalogue for the last five years."
