On March 25, 1911, a group of people in Frederick had an idea to bring together all the charitable aid services in the community so their efforts could be focused, structured and more efficient and so, the idea of Federated Charities was born. For the next 107 years we have provided a safety net, not just for individuals in need, but for organizations who share the common idea that no citizen should be left behind in our community. From early public health and services for children and families to our collaborative nonprofit center of today, Federated Charities has been a part of the landscape of Frederick and we have been proud of our efforts and those of our tenant partners (if you would like a copy of our 2017 annual report, please contact us). Please join us to celebrate the past 107 years and our next century of services, programs and opportunities.
Great Ideas? Call Us.
What if you had a great idea, a group of volunteers who were excited about it and a community in need? Many of us would at least explore the idea of starting a nonprofit and in our “today world” that process has become increasingly easy. But while the application and acquisition process can be simple, the real day to day work of an organization can quickly become overwhelming. In my average day, I ask for money, recruit supporters, account for funds, report impact, inspire staff and volunteers and clean toilets…sometimes all at the same time, before I even get to do any of the actual “great idea” stuff and I’ve been practicing for 20+ years. An option for groups has always been to partner with a fiscal sponsor to manage some or all of the administrative overhead and let you focus on the great idea.
A recent series of articles from Nonprofit Quarterly highlights the concept and its role in our industry, “In a time of active experimentation in terms of programs and organizational form, and in a context of some turbulence, the ability to test ideas without setting up formal organizations to hold them becomes increasingly important.” Once you’ve had a chance to read the articles, you’re welcome to come visit Federated Charities and learn about the strategic, backbone support we offer nonprofits in the Frederick community—which include fiscal sponsorship. We make a fantastic cup of coffee and our door is always open to anyone who is mulling over the next great idea.
First Community Table Session of 2018 Starts Tonight!
According to The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, healthy eating patterns have been shown in many studies to help people reduce risks of chronic disease throughout their lives. The Community Table Project starts a 3rd year of new sessions tonight in partnership with The Housing Authority of the City of Frederick and The Common Market Co-op (and our newest partner in the game, Produce in a SNAP). What’s on the menu for dinner? Cauliflower carrot soup, preserved lemons and kelp tacos (yes, you read that right!-)…sounds like disease reduction to us.
Want more information about The Dietary Guidelines? Click here.
Thank You Rotary Club of Carroll Creek!
We were pleased to accept a grant award from the Rotary Club of Carroll Creek this morning in support of the Community Table Project, a joint initiative between Federated Charities, The Housing Authority of the City of Frederick, The Common Market and Pleasant Hill Produce.
According to The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, produced by HHS and USDA, healthy eating patterns, along with regular physical activity, have been shown in many studies to help people reach and maintain good health while reducing risks of chronic disease throughout their lives. Additionally, healthy eating patterns can be adapted to an individual’s budget, taste preferences, traditions, and culture. The Community Table Project helps meet the need to develop healthy eating habits in a neighborhood that also experiences a lack of grocery/food store resources and where residents have transportation, budget or other limitations that restrict their access to nutritious, locally grown/produced food.
As participants in the Community Table in 2016 indicated, a critical factor in whether or not they use fresh produce has to do with its accessibility and affordability and as any working parent knows, an additional factor influencing meal preparation is time and energy so for our second year of participation in the program, we focus on not just the provision of the vegetables but also the ability to prepare nutritious family meals with less effort.
The program offers a monthly cooking demo and shared meal, weekly vegetable distribution as well as a free crockpot to participants who attend at least 4 sessions. This year we have served 12 families and over the course of the past two years we have facilitated the distribution of more than 400 pounds of locally grown produce to the participants and other nonprofit agencies in Frederick. And while our board of directors likes to refer to the project as, “that vegetable program we do,” Federated Charities is committed to bringing together families and local farmers at the same table to promote healthy eating in all our communities.
Thank you to the Carroll Creek Rotary and all our partners for supporting this project!
Better Than Westminster…
It isn’t easy to plan an event sometimes and The “Art” of the Dog wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of several of Frederick’s finest businesses and individuals who supported it.
We’re proud to present the sponsors of our upcoming event (you’ve already gotten your tickets, right?)
Please take a moment and check out their websites because they really do represent what’s best about our community:
The “Art” of the Dog Comes To Town
Frederick loves its dogs and Federated Charities loves its dog, “Charity.” We’re combining the two into a unique event that celebrates our organization’s impact in the community…for more than 100 years. The iron dog that stands on our front porch was cast by the Baltimore stove manufacturer Hayward Bartlett and Company in 1858 at the exorbitant cost (for its time) of $45. He is a Chesapeake Bay Ducking dog and was likely a rendering of a beloved family pet but one of the stories told is that the statue was placed on the porch to keep raucous visitors from falling off it.
For many, “Charity” (so named by the community in the 1970s) is the symbol of the services that Federated Charities has offered in Frederick and like the building itself, a testament to how we care for our most vulnerable citizens. Each year we serve more than 600 individuals with our own programs and services such as our medical equipment loan closet and our Community Table project. We also serve the greater non-profit community by supporting 9 tenant partners with low-cost rental space so they can serve their own clients and we offer capacity development and training opportunities with a variety of partners.
Local artists are generously contributing their time, talents and energy to their own interpretations of the dog life for our silent auction event in June. One of a kind, collectible pieces by graphics illustrator, Ellen Byrne and textile artist, Margaret Hluch will be available (among others) as will our graciously restored first floor and rear garden for wandering with your food and drink.
Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door
New Development Series
types of grants/developing an evidence-based approach
building a budget/measuring impact
finding new funding sources/creating evaluation systems
You might get a lot out of a training session that covered any of these areas, right? You might get even more out of it if one session built on the information you got in the previous session and so we’ve worked to develop a new, collaboratively-sponsored series that will provide an overview of grant proposals, help you create messaging for your project, introduce you to the Grantseekers Resource Center at the public library and share real information to help you effectively engage the right funders, donors and clients in support of your program.
Sessions are appropriate for new fundraising/program staff, board members, emerging organizations…attend one or several! Stay tuned to this space for additional topics throughout the year.
Thursday March 16, 11:30-1:30 Lunch & Learn, First United Bank & Trust (at the Frederick Chamber): Find new grant sources and tips to preparing a successful application
Free, lunch provided (dphelps@MyBank.com)
sponsored by First United Bank
Saturday April 8, 9:00-2:00, Federated Charities: Intensive session will help you design your proposal and messaging
$25, lunch provided (www.federatedcharities.org/programs) purchase tickets here
sponsored by Federated Charities
Wednesday April 19, 6:00-8:00, Word Woman LLC: grants clinic reviews the basic tools of grantwriting and shows you how it fits in your overall fundraising strategy
$10/Pay What You Can, (www.thewordwomanllc.com)
offered by The Word Woman, LLC
Friday April 28, 10:30-11:30, Grantseekers Resource Center: orientation session to grants.gov resources available at the public library
free, (www/fcpl.org)
sponsored by C. Burr Artz Public Library
Incubator Update!
Our official launch of the Lloyd and Charlotte Hoover Charity Incubator is just around the corner and we hope you can make it.
This co-work space offers users free wi-fi, flexible workspaces and collaborative and development opportunities that are specifically designed for emerging businesses.
Contact us directly at incubate@federatedcharities.org if you’d like a free test run
Charity Incubator Space Launches January 3rd!
We are pleased to announce that following a brief renovation project in our basement that Federated Charities will launch incubator space for small and emerging non-profit organizations on January 3rd. Featuring a variety of workspaces, a killer coffee machine, free wi-fi, a super-fantastic color printer/copier and the energy that comes from a group of people doing good in the community. We’re offering free day passes to anyone in Frederick to use the space in January (just email us at info@federatedcharities.org).
As part of our 2017 initiative to support non-profit organizations at all points in their development, we will also offer regular training opportunities, monthly “office hour” Q&A with non-profit specialists and generalists, and specialized consulting to ensure that you can focus your organization’s energy on its mission and less on your rental costs. Join us in celebrating our next 105 years of providing support to charitable organizations in Frederick.
Contact us directly to arrange your day pass or find out more information!
Limited Edition 2017 Calendars Available
2017 is going to be a banner year for Federated Charities and to make sure we get everything on the schedule, we’ve jumped onto the Non-Profit Calendar bandwagon with Ellen Byrne Illustration. This beautiful color 12 month calendar features Ellen’s iconic digital artwork and highlights the work of 12 extraordinary charitable organizations in Frederick. Guess who got the plum January spot? Our own selves, that’s who…with snow softly falling on the portico. Calendars are available by emailing info@federatedcharities.org, stopping in at our building during business hours or at Magoo’s Pub & Eatery when you’re holiday shopping downtown.
