The Catalogue Project in donor education was launched in 1997 on behalf of the entire Massachusetts philanthropic community, to show how, and how much, our quality of life in Massachusetts depends on philanthropy—“private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of life”.
Over the past 10 years we have tried to make philanthropy more visible, accessible, and intelligible, to the public. We have illuminated the previously invisible, “Massachusetts benefactory” of small-to-mid-sized charities in all fields, statewide, created and developed the national Generosity Index, as well as our website (www.cfp-ma.org), Giving Massachusetts Day, and in a series of articles now a book, some fresh understandings of the concept and tradition of philanthropy, its central role in American history, its current paradigm-shift, and its foreseeable future. Currently we are collaboratively building comprehensive Directories to Massachusetts charities of general and local philanthropic interest.
It is now time to take stock of these accomplishments, and to ask whether, and if so how, the Catalogue should continue to serve Massachusetts philanthropy.
We cordially invite you to join this discussion, by responding to our Reader Survey. All respondents who are not anonymous will receive progress reports and our final conclusions in February.
