Every four years, Encore applies to the Catalogue for Philanthropy for Greater Washington. This year is our third time being recognized as #OneoftheBest nonprofit organizations in the D.C. area.
Hi, all! Your friendly neighborhood Development Associate, Rosemarie, here. I had the pleasure of filling out our application to the Catalogue for 2018-2019 and have seen first-hand what being a part of the Catalogue means. Here are three reasons why we are honored to be in the Catalogue for Philanthropy.
1) The Blue Seal
Fun fact: I interned the summer of 2015 at Encore (here’s proof), the last time we were selected by the Catalogue. That meant that everything I designed or created had to have this blue seal on it. But what does it mean? Every time you see this logo, it means that an outside organization who specializes in nonprofit organizations, took a fine-toothed comb to a bunch of groups and found Encore excellent. The Catalogue for Philanthropy for Greater Washington’s vision is to build, “a stronger, more resilient community, here, where we live.” The Catalogue believes that Encore is part of the fabric of that community. We are honored to be a part of the Catalogue and Encore shares that vision. From the summer I interned to now, Encore’s leadership in Northern Virginia has only grown. When I see the blue seal, I think about Encore’s scholarship programs, outreach initiatives, and the mentorship I see every day in rehearsal. I am proud to work for such a community focused organization.
2) Connecting Passionate People with our Mission
The Catalogue for Philanthropy is a place where people can find nonprofits doing great work in their own backyard. Knowing that an organization is a part of the Catalogue, gives peace of mind to people who are looking to make an impact with their time or with their dollars. With so many wonderful organizations serving a myriad folks, people can use the Catalogue to find a group that aligns with their passions. Each organization in the Catalogue receives a webpage (here’s ours) and becomes listed in their physical catalogue that gets mailed to over 10,000 people. How cool is that?
Halloween 2018
3) Training for Encore’s Staff
No, we are not training for next year’s Costume Caper with the Catalogue. But, they do offer seminars for all facets of nonprofits. Aileen and Shannon on our Marketing Team can go learn about how other groups utilize social media. Sara and I can learn about trends in grants or fundraising. That means all of our wonderful, fun, and intelligent staff members can do an even better job serving Encore and the kids in our area. And our wonderful apprentices, Caolan and Alana can further their learning and dive deep into any of the subjects offered. My favorite workshop from last year was about how to write thank you letters to donors. It helped me connect the words on my computer to the impact of the donor’s contribution. The workshop helped put into perspective that a great letter can communicate how one donation makes a difference for our organization.
I love seeing how much the D.C. region cares from the organizations to the donors and even the Catalogue! If you want to show that you care, make a gift to Encore today to share the power of children’s theatre with the people in your neighborhood.