How, then, do you find a fine nonprofit to support, or with whom to become engaged? Search Google? Find an online marketplace? Ask an advisor? Here is another way, for those who wish to give in Washington, DC:
The DC-area Catalogue For Philanthropy is a collaborative project of local foundations. 55 reviewers evaluate applications and we create an annual Catalogue that each year features 65-70 vetted nonprofits. The Catalogue is mailed to 30,000 households and we mail posters to another 100,000. Our website is cumulative and includes some 330 charities. In the last 4 years we have raised well over $4 million dollars for them.
At the Cataogue check the Apply link. It brings up a data gathering form for doing a due diligence of a nonprofit.
See also Cataloque for Philanthropy: Massachussetts. I believe these are the only two Cataloques. Sure would be nice if they were available all over the country.
"Fifty professional grantmakers and leaders at thirty foundations and nonprofit organizations evaluated applications for distinction, merit, cost-effectiveness, and accomplishment. Location, diversity among fields and kinds of organizations, appeal to donors, and value in teaching and promoting philanthropy, all contributed to the final decisions. For a complete list of participating foundations, check our acknowledgments link at the Greater Washington Catalogue's home page."
"The Catalogue also reviews its charities for financial transparency, and all are scrutinized with an eye toward accountability. (See who our reviewers are.) Our rigorous evaluation process is designed to identify those organizations with the most impact and to provide you with a carefully vetted list of excellent, trustworthy nonprofits.".
Now, that's what I'm talkin' about.
Posted by: Michelle Moon | January 04, 2008 at 02:34 PM
Agreed. A nice counterpoise to the conversation about metrics. Such catalogues exist for MA and DC. I believe they are the only two areas.
Posted by: phil | January 04, 2008 at 04:40 PM
Actually they've also been developed for St. Louis (MO) and for Whatcom County (VA). There's one in the planning for LA, I believe. Here's a link. Barbara Harman of the Harman Family Foundation did a terrific job of importing the Massachusetts model to DC.
Since everybody's nervously fully disclosing everything short of the name of their dentist these days, I'll mention that I'm on the board of the DC Catalogue and that some of my staff members helped vet the charities that appeared in the Catalogue. The foundation I work at also supports the Catalogue with grant money and tachnical assistance. No animals were used in the posting of this message.
Posted by: Albert | January 04, 2008 at 05:01 PM
Albert, interesting. I appreciated the link to the DC Philanthopy Cataloque, sent to me, apropos of the conversatios here, by someone at the Cataloque. That you are a board memmber only makes me more interested to go through the Catalogue carefully. Thank you for the information about other catalogues in the making.
Posted by: phil | January 04, 2008 at 05:58 PM
It's many years later, but I just stumbled across this. Here we are in 2011, the DC Catalogue is in its eighth year, it has raised over $12.5 million, and we have 100 volunteer reviewers working on the project. So check out the latest Catalogue, and our newly redesigned website (cfp-dc.org), launched last year. The only thing that's missing is Albert, who left us to go run the Comm Fndn in N.O. Imagine!
Posted by: Barbara Harman | January 14, 2011 at 04:40 PM
Albert has much to answer for.
Posted by: Phil Cubeta | January 14, 2011 at 06:11 PM