Philanthropy Front and Center - Washington, DC

New Year, New Ideas... New Funders?

 

The staff of the Foundation Center-Washington, DC wishes you a prosperous  New Year!

 

We will be working hard to offer programs and services  that will help you achieve your fundraising goals.

Along with your New Year’s resolutions to lose 10 pounds and call your mother more often, why not resolve to find new ideas to kick off your nonprofit’s fundraising efforts? We have some suggestions to make this resolution easy to keep! Our library has a variety of materials that can help you find answers to fundraising challenges. Here are some of our new favorites:

 

People to People Fundraising: Social Networking and Web 2.0 for Charities, by Ted Hart, James M. Greenfield, and Sheeraz D. Haji

 

Fired-Up Fundraising: Turn Board Passion into Action, by Gail Perry

 

Grant Proposal Makeover: Transform Your Request from No to Yes, by Cheryl A. Clarke and

Susan P. Fox

 

You can find more books as well as articles and even videos/DVDs using our online Catalog of Nonprofit Literature (http://cnl.foundationcenter.org/). Try searching on the subject “Fundraising.”

 

And remember, we have a growing lending library that you can borrow from.

 

Have other favorites you would like to recommend to your colleagues?  Send them in.

Coming Up at the Foundation Center (December 22-31)

Grantseeking Basics for Individuals in the Arts
Tuesday, December 23, 11:00 am-12:15 pm

Finding Foundation Support for Your Education
Tuesday, December 30, 1:30-2:30 pm

Unless otherwise stated, the classes above are free to attend, but registration is required. For programs offered over the next three months, please see our Events Calendar.

Library:
Use Foundation Directory Online Professional, borrow books, and get reference help free of charge with no appointment necessary. See our website for directions.

Hours:
Monday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday
10:00 am-5:00 pm
Tuesday
10:00 am-8:00 pm

Holiday Closings:
We will be closed from Wednesday, December 24 through Friday, December 26; and from Wednesday, December 31 (at 1:00 pm), through Friday, January 2.

On Tuesday, December 23 and 30, we will close at 5:00 pm instead of 8:00 pm.

Tell Us How Grants Make a Difference

We’re living in uncertain times, filled with mounting anxieties about the potential effect of the economic crisis on nonprofit organizations and the communities they serve. But, as the holiday season begins, we may gain some perspective as we consider not our losses but rather the many gifts given and received that help to build a better world every day.

It seems like the appropriate moment to ask for your submissions to our new feature, Grants That Make a Difference. We invite nonprofits, foundations, individual grantseekers, and anyone involved in or touched by philanthropy to share your experiences about the impact of grants or other support you gave or received. What effect did the grant have? Who did it help? What positive change did it create? Why was it effective?

Tell us your stories and help us tell the story of philanthropy. We will feature selected stories regularly on PhilanTopic, at one or more of our regional Philanthropy Front and Center blogs, and at other areas of the Foundation Center's web site . Submit your story.

.

It seems like the appropriate moment to ask for your submissions to our new feature, Grants That Make a Difference. We invite nonprofits, foundations, individual grantseekers, and anyone involved in or touched by philanthropy to share your experiences about the impact of grants or other support you gave or received. What effect did the grant have? Who did it help? What positive change did it create? Why was it effective?

Tell us your stories and help us tell the story of philanthropy. We will feature selected stories regularly on PhilanTopic, at one or more of our regional Philanthropy Front and Center blogs, and at other areas of the Foundation Center's web site . Submit your story.

.

It seems like the appropriate moment to ask for your submissions to our new feature, Grants That Make a Difference. We invite nonprofits, foundations, individual grantseekers, and anyone involved in or touched by philanthropy to share your experiences about the impact of grants or other support you gave or received. What effect did the grant have? Who did it help? What positive change did it create? Why was it effective?

Tell us your stories and help us tell the story of philanthropy. We will feature selected stories regularly on PhilanTopic, at one or more of our regional Philanthropy Front and Center blogs, and at other areas of the Foundation Center's web site . Submit your story.

.

Live Reference Hours Expanded in Response to Economic Crisis

We know times are tough, and to lend a hand, we have expanded the evening hours of our live chat reference service. To get answers fast to your questions about foundations, fundraising, nonprofit management, and related topics you can connect with a Foundation Center librarian live, in real-time, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 9:30 am to 8:00 pm Eastern time and Thursdays and Fridays from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm Eastern time. Go ahead, Ask Us!

We know times are tough, and to lend a hand, we have expanded the evening hours of our live chat reference service. To get answers fast to your questions about foundations, fundraising, nonprofit management, and related topics you can connect with a Foundation Center librarian live, in real-time, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 9:30 am to 8:00 pm Eastern time and Thursdays and Fridays from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm Eastern time. Go ahead, Ask Us!

Next Week at the Foundation Center (December 15-19)

Classes:
Introduction to Corporate Giving
Tuesday, December 16, 10:00-11:15 am

Foundation Funding Research
Tuesday, December 16, 1:00-4:00 pm and
Wednesday, December 17, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Fee: $295

Before You Seek a Grant: A Checklist for New Nonprofits
Thursday, December 18, 10:00-11:30 am

How to Approach a Foundation
(includes a special program, "How to Build Relationships with Small Family Foundations")
Thursday, December 18, 12:00-2:30 pm

Principios de la busqueda de fondos:
Una orientacion sobre el proceso basico de recaudacion de fondos
Friday, December 19, 9:30 am-12:30 pm
Where: Frank D. Reeves Center, 2000 14^th Street, NW, 2^nd floor

Proposal Writing Basics
Friday, December 19, 10:00-11:15 am

Proposal Budgeting Basics
Friday, December 19, 11:45 am-12:45 pm

Unless otherwise stated, the classes above are free to attend, but registration is required. For programs offered over the next three months, please see our Events Calendar.

Library:
Use Foundation Directory Online Professional, borrow books, and get reference help free of charge with no appointment necessary. See our website for directions.

Hours:
Monday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday
10:00 am-5:00 pm
Tuesday
10:00 am-8:00 pm

 

Welcome to Philanthropy Front and Center- Washington, DC

Welcome to Philanthropy Front and Center - Washington, DC, our new library/learning center blog.

We envision Philanthropy Front and Center - Washington, DC  as a central place to share timely local news, useful tips, and information on philanthropy and fundraising relevant to the Washington, DC, metropolitan area.

In these especially challenging times and beyond, we'll let you know where and how we're at work in the community; what's happening here at the Foundation Center; and what we are hearing from our colleagues in the field.  For example, have you listened to our podcast, "How Is the Economy Affecting Philanthropy in the National Capital Region?"   This is an interview with the president of the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers.

We hope that this blog will not be a one-sided conversation.  We want you to share your successes and your ideas, and to ask questions.  We all can learn from one another!

Patricia Pasqual

Director, Washington, DC Office