So you’ve explored CFP’s online home (very glad that you found us!) and would like to see the 3D, paper version? We’ve made it simple to request a print catalogue.

Just head to the Request page and fill in your mailing information. Keep in mind that our new Catalogue comes out each November.

Or if you would rather print out your own Catalogue, either in full or part, you can download the PDF version right here. The file is on the big side, but downloads pretty quickly.

You also can download the “text only” version of the write-ups of this year’s Catalogue charities.

Why request a paper Catalogue? Along with great photos of our nonprofits and the enjoyment of browsing, a print Catalogue is easy to share and pass around the office, house, or block.

Is a search engine a super crazy feature? Probably not. But we have 328 DC-area nonprofits on the CFP team, so we want to offer you some easy ways to find the ones that speak to you.

First, head to “Our Nonprofits;” then click “Advanced Search” on the lower left. That will take you to this screen:

Under “Quick Links” on the left side, we have some simple categories — so you can pull up a list of all CFP nonprofits that serve, say, youth ages 6-15 or that work in schools or that have an international focus. And with this handy link, you can find a list of all the CFP organizations that have their headquarters in your DC ward or your MD or VA county.

And under “Organization Search” on the right, you can do an even more detailed search, say, by Category or Location. And if you remember liking a particular nonprofit in the 2009 Catalogue, for example, you can search by “Catalogue Year.” I also quite enjoy searching by Zip Code, so you can see which CFP nonprofits are right around the corner!

It’s an obvious choice. But we are heading into the midst of the holiday season, so what better time to talk about gift cards? First, click the “How to Give” tab on the CFP mainpage and then click “Gift Cards” on the left hand menu. This screen will pop up:

So what is a Catalogue gift card? It works just like a traditional gift card for a website or store; but rather than spend the contents, the recipient donates it to the CFP charity (or charities) of his or her choosing. You can purchase a card for a friend or family member in denominations of $25, $50, $100, $150, and up and we will send it to them, along with instructions for visiting our website and learning about the great nonprofits in our network. And redeeming the card is pretty simple: just click “donate” on any charity’s page and select a donation amount. Same procedure as usual! But once you get to the payment page, you enter the code on the card instead of a credit card number.

With CFP’s wide range of organizations, from charter schools to preservation groups to dance companies, these gifts cards really can appeal to anyone. So if you’re interested, here’s how to get started: just head to the “Purchase a Gift Card” page and fill it out:

We can mail the card to you or directly to the recipient, along with a personal message. Just one important heads-up: we receive quite a few gift card orders during the holidays, so please order by December 12 if you would like the card to arrive by December 25. If you’re reading this entry after December 12 … we do e-cards of course!

Any questions? Just leave a comment and we’re happy to help out.

Welcome to mid-November! Just one week ago today, we introduced you to our new class of CFP nonprofits. So now, we’d like to show how you can learn even more about them online.

First, head to the “Our Nonprofits” section of the CFP homepage and click on any of the five categories. Let’s go with “Nature.” From there, let’s get to know one of our new organizations: Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment. And if you scroll down on ACE’s page, you will see this menu:

Read all »

Hope that you all had a good long weekend! So, do you have a fall wedding or anniversary coming up this month? Why not combine philanthropy and celebration with another cool Catalogue web feature: gift registries.

First, just create a CFP account. We talked about this last month, and it’s both free and simple. Once you’ve done that, browse our non-profits as much as you like. If a particular organization captures your interest, click the bolded “add to favorites” link at the bottom of their description (see below):

Once an organization is one of your “favorites,” you can add it to your Gift Registry:

Just keep adding non-profits in the same way and, once you have saved all your favorites, you can publish your registry: including a title, personal message, and easy-t0-share URL. And friends and family can make gifts to your chosen non-profits in celebration of your event. Moreover, if you would like visitors to your registry to consider specific wish list items from a certain non-profit, you can leave a comment on that non-profit’s page — which only your visitors will see. And you can update your registry at any time. Think of it as a celebratory way to customize the CFP site for your event:

Hope that you enjoyed the fall weather this weekend! This month, let’s check out another cool feature of the online Catalogue: creating your own CFP account.

We’ve kept it nice and simple: you can sign up in one quick step (really — I just checked!) and you can let us know what interests you.?Moreover, when you sign up, you have access to some great features of our site:

– Saved Favorites: create a list of your favorite CFP nonprofits, so you easily can check back for opportunities to volunteer or donate.

– My Catalogue: print your own catalogue of the nonprofits that interest you most.

– Donation History: track up to three years of donations (we’ll archive the rest), so you have an easy record for tax and personal purposes.

– Especially for Kids: check out our list of charities that are particularly cool for kids — from those working to save the environment to those giving kids access to dance and theater. Kids can also pick their favorite nonprofits and make their own Catalogue.

So sign up and start exploring!

Hope that you had a good weekend! As we’re completing edits on the 2011-2012 print Catalogue, we thought that we’d highlight some cool features of the online Catalogue.

This month, check out the Category & Location search function over in Happenings: All Events.

Let’s say that you’re looking for a performing arts event right in your neighborhood. Select Culture from the left-hand drop-down, then either select your state (say, MD) or enter your zip code, and click the triangular search button. What do we have?

Well, on September 24, Class Acts Arts and Young Audiences of Maryland will present a free Artist Showcase & Family Festival with over 35 teaching artists in Germantown; and on October 1, the National Philharmonic will present Corigliano’s Red Violin Concerto/Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at Strathmore.

Looking to get involved? Click on Volunteer Opportunities and search the same way. (Northern Virginia Conservation Trust needs help on September 3 for invasive plant removal in Dora Kelly Park in Alexandria … wear long pants and gloves!)