Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington
Barbara Harman
info@cfp-dc.org
202-955-6538 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Innovation allows donors to let their friends and family choose how to help
WASHINGTON, DC; Nov. 24, 2009 — With millions of Americans beginning their holiday shopping this week, the Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington is offering a festive alternative — gift cards that can be used for donations to support any of the 68 featured local charities in this year’s print Catalogue or any of the 350 local nonprofits featured on its Web site, cfp-dc.org. The innovation is a philanthropic version of the gift cards for major retailers that have become popular in recent years, but they’re directed at charities featured by the Catalogue.
“Gift card recipients can choose which organizations they want to help during the holiday season,” said Barbara Harman, president and editor of the Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington. “And you have the peace of mind of knowing that the money is going to a good cause, no matter which charity you choose.”
The Catalogue facilitates high-impact giving by connecting Washington-area donors with top local nonprofit organizations that have annual operating budgets under $3 million. This year, a panel of 90 expert reviewers from local foundations, corporate giving programs, giving circles and nonprofit organizations chose the charities featured in the 2009-2010 print Catalogue.
Gift cards are just one of many innovations this year designed to spur new interest in local giving to a variety of causes relating to education, health, the arts, human services, and the environment throughout the greater Washington area. Other new features include a gift registry, a special section for children and their parents, and a “donate now/decide later” fund that allows contributors to donate before the end of the tax year and choose their recipients in January.
The Catalogue enables smaller nonprofits to tell their stories to individuals who would otherwise never hear about them and to encourage those individuals to give. It also provides charities with a stamp of approval that tells donors they can invest with confidence. In 2008-09 the Catalogue raised over $1.7 million for featured charities. Since 2003, it has generated over $9.7 million to support Catalogue nonprofits. More than 20,000 individuals and hundreds of family foundations will receive copies of the print Catalogue in the mail this year.
“Finding a worthwhile charity should be as easy as going to the mall,” said Harman. “With the online Catalogue, it’s probably even easier.”
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About The Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington
The Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington connects effective local nonprofits with individuals who want to contribute to, and make a difference in, their community. An independent nonprofit organization, the Catalogue has helped groups featured in its annual publication raise more than $9.7 million since its inception in 2003. Charities receive 100% of donations made through its Giving Form thanks to support from local sponsors, including the Harman Family Foundation, Meyer Foundation, CGI, Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, RAFFA, PC, Booz Allen Hamilton, and others. To learn more or make a donation, visit cfp-dc.org.