Nonprofit Resources
Because small nonprofits should have access to resources, networks, and community
Spur Local, formerly the Catalogue for Philanthropy, works alongside community-based organizations to ensure they have access to the information, skill-building, and relationships they need to be as impactful as they want to be. In addition to connecting nonprofits with new supporters, we also work with them to build their capacity in a variety of ways.
Skill-Building
We specifically design all our trainings to be effective for grassroots organizations operating with small teams and budgets. Our digital resource library includes 200+ recorded webinars, tools, and templates covering topics in development and stewardship, marketing and communications, volunteer management, and more. We also host 80+ live webinars a year, including a public webinar every month that nonprofit staff outside of the Spur Local network can attend or view recordings of.
Our digital resource library is available at no cost to Spur Local nonprofit partners. Individuals and organizations outside of our network are welcome to purchase an annual membership that comes with access to this library, a seat at our annual National Small Nonprofit Summit in April, and the 80+ live webinars we host a year. We price these memberships affordably and on a sliding scale.
If you are a funder looking to support the capacity building efforts of your nonprofit grantees, please reach out to Chiara Frechette, our Nonprofit Programs Director.
Consulting
As an expansion of our skill-building work, Spur Local offers affordable consulting services in Strategic Planning, Board Engagement, and Staff Engagement that are more in-depth and customized to the needs of your organization. We work with your organization to personalize the services that you need for the budget you have, bringing our staff’s combined experience and expertise in nonprofit management.
Learn more about our consulting services. To set up an initial consulting call, please reach out to Chiara Frechette, our Nonprofit Programs Director.
Network-Building
We believe that small nonprofits are nimble and endlessly innovative. Often, capacity building is framed as a teacher-student relationship, with nonprofits being taught the “best practices” to adhere to in our sector. At Spur Local, formerly the Catalogue for Philanthropy, a core component of our trainings is cohorts and peer-driven conversations that emphasize peer learning over the more traditional teacher-student relationship.
We offer role-based cohorts for Executive Directors, development staff, and board members working with nonprofits in our network.
Publicly, we also make peer-led cohorts available for local Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) nonprofit leaders through the BIPOC Executive Director Cohort and BIPOC Emerging Leader Cohort.
Additionally, Spur Local hosts the six-month Grassroots Accelerator Program (GAP) for Executive Directors at local organizations operating on budgets below $250,000, with a particular focus on those with budgets below $100,000. This cohort-based model combines peer conversations with tangible skill-building led by Spur Local facilitators.
Apply to be part of the Spur Local Network
Our application process begins at the start of each calendar year and is open to 501(c)3 nonprofits based in the Greater Washington region that operate with budgets between $100,000 and $4 million. Learn more about applying.
Beyond the resources mentioned above, we also feature each year’s new class of nonprofit partners in the annual print and digital Catalog, a Spur Local publication, which is mailed to thousands of households across the region. Nonprofit partners are provided with our seal to easily share news of their Spur Local affiliation in recognition of their great work. Throughout the four-year partnership, Spur Local staff also highlight the work of nonprofit partners through our blog, social media, and community events.