Frank Sietzen, The Examiner
2006-10-30 10:00:00.0
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WASHINGTON -

A new project called In Your Backyard helps local donors find and support charities working on issues in the immediate D.C. area.

Organized by the Human Services Coalition of Northern Virginia, the project has a Web site with an index that makes it easy to locate and learn about nonprofits in Alexandria and Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties.

Thus far, the In Your Backyard project has helped raise funds for more than 40 mainly smaller, regional nonprofits.

“The driving force [behind the concept] was to make certain there was enough information out there on local issues so givers could make their choices among those causes close to them,” Coalition Chair Diane Charles said.

The site links to Web sites of the nonprofits listed, where it is easy to donate online.

Her group started with the members of the coalition, most of whom are small to midsized nonprofits in the region.

“We are a membership organization, so it made sense to start with these members,” Charles explained. Beginning next year, however, the concept may be expanded to include others not part of the coalition. “We might want to revisit the structure of the organization, to include other, smaller nonprofits as well,” she told The Examiner.

This is the time of year when many employers launch workplace giving campaigns.

Groups such as the Combined Federal Campaign offer workers the chance to make charitable contributions through deductions from their paychecks.

Some workers prefer that their contributions have an impact on the communities in which they live and work.

Local nonprofits welcome the emphasis on their activities.

“Anything that highlights [local] activities is needed,” said Judith Dittman with Alternative House, an abused and homeless children’s refuge in Dunn Loring.

“We needed to have a way so that people that wanted to give locally could also see it spent locally.”

The new Web site is also a way for people to volunteer or give equipment or services as well to their favorite charities.

“It’s a nice resource that allows people to do all of those things,” she added.

Have information about area nonprofits? Contact Frank Sietzen at fsietzen@yahoo.com.