good morning. this i "news 4 your sunday." >> i'm pat lawson muse. if you haven made your charitable contributions for the year, you'll want to hurry. if you're still contemplating contributions, there are local charities doing amazing work. joining us to talk about year-end giving is bob wittig, executive director of the greater washington catalog for philanthroro philan. the catalog has been out about a month now. you've highlighted a lot of great a lot of new nonprofits. how many are there in printed catalog this year? 78.he print version has of those, 38 are first-time catalog,tions in the brand-new to us and to the donors. >> what about the online version? >> the online has 8, which includes the catalog, print

catalog ones awell. 418 throughout the region. >> a lot of nonprofits to choose >> a lot of nonprofits doing amazing work. your they're listed under name, they are nonprofits that are doing fantastic work. many of e things that us love about the catalog is that it is so locally focused. iteally helps small nonprofits do a lot of good in our how many do you list on average each year? >> soheotal listing is 418. the 2018-19 class is 120. and 78 are in the actual print catalog. >> it's not easy to get in there? >> it's not easy, no, not at all. they go through a rigorous vetting process. they submit applications, financials, those are all reviewed by experts.en e have a selection committee that makes final determinations onet who the seal. for donors that means when they see the yseal, t know those organizations are among the best in the region. >> when itomes to giving, the

year is coming to a close in the next new weeks. >> super important. as we were talking, retail, this is the big time of year, also a big time for nonprofits. 80% of the money comes in for many small nonprofits toward the end of the year, especially the last three, four weeks, decemberak for them to budgets and prepare for 2019, these weeks are critical for >> why is individual giving so important? >> i like to think individual giving, when you steward and cultivate an individug, they're goo stay with you for a long time because they believe in your mission. foundations and corporations and other kinds of giving is wonderful. but sometimes the priorities change. individuals can be a very consistent, reliable source, not only for donations, but if you really love an organization, you can volunteer, you can their board, there's all kinds of ways to be involved and give back. t >> and how abo benefits of making that contributionefe december 31st? >> right. so the tax laws are a little

different. 't know how that's going to play out. making it by december 31st is critical for the small nonprofits to be able to hit their budget goals so they can start 2019 really stng. >> y mentioned tax changes. i know it's been a difficult year for many. and many charities, in fact. but it seems in this region, anyway, givg has always been strong. and sometimes the big is greater in one year than in another, but by and large do you find the washington, d.c. community, iving community, to be very passionate about charities? >> absolutely. our experience with the catalog is tha when our small nonprofits that maybe aren't known to donors, they get visibilitythrough us. people are passionate inor sung them because many of these small nonprofits are doing work and serving people that are largely forgotten and we need these small nonprofits doing that work.

i find that a donor that gives is going to be passionate about the mission. washingtonians and people ithe region are very generous. >> what do you think makes them that way? what makes washingtonians, the washington area, givers so important, so unique? >> well, we're a urmulti-cu place, a great place to raise a family to live. i think manyf us benefit from the area. i think we want to make sure everybody has a quality of life nd that's l enjoy, why it's so important to support the nonprofit community. because they helpeople raise them up and all of us are lifted up from that. >> how long have u been printing this catalog now? >> since 2003. so it's been awh little e. we've raised over -- close to $45 million now for t nonprofit community. just last year alone we raised million and attracted 5,000 brand-new donors to the nonprofits that we feature. so that goes back to th generosity of the region, the fact that we auired 5,000 more

donors, remarkable. >> making a huge impact, all ght. bob wittig of the catalog for philanthropy, thank you for what you do, and for making it easy for us to find wcothy causes to ribute to. your website? >> cfp-dc.org. for last-minute gifts print out an e-gift certificate to give to your loved ones or children and can experience giving during the holiday season. >> great holiday gift. if they can't remember the website, they can google "catalog for"philanthro which may be easier. thanks so much. >> thank you for having me, happy holidays. >> same to you. we encourage people to check out the catalog. there is so much there to choose from. next,e we tlook at some of the nonprofits that you might not have heard of. be right back.

healthy mamas, healthymi es, healthy communities.

that's the vision of mama toto village, a group devoted to crafting career pathways for women of cor who choose careers in public health and human services. briana green, director of operations for mama toto village. thanks for being with us. tell us about your mission. >> mama toto is a maternity support organization. we provide support for women o color, primarily, and underserviced women in the community, prenat education, labor support, lactation support, family support,s well as postpartum and health and wellness nritional counseling. >> where does the name -- what's the meaning of the name, mama >> the connection between mother and baby. >> that makes it very simple, very catchy too. >> yes. >> easy for people tremember. tell us more about the services that you provide to these moms and moms to be. >> so we really want to provide

access for a lot of our that wouldn't have access to these services traditionally. so our msion is to really allow them our -- our moms to be to educated on things in order to be active participants in their labors and well as provide advocacy as it providers. we also know there are a substantial number of issues tat affect families that also indirectly affecir pregnancies and the health of their pregnancies. we address those isss as well with the family support services we provide. i want to say our workehat are -- we actually have a second part of our mission that trains women of col to provide these services to moms which is really important, because it llows us to have a workforce development program to continue these services in our community and empower women as they're providing tho services other women. >> providing the service to them and teaching them to provide it to someone else. >> exactly. >> passing it on. >> absolutely. >> how long have you been around? >>years now. >> how did it get started? wh i started

>> avana dari and caset pringle, they were working as doulas in d.c. and they noticed the need for services for women in color. noticed it was a barrier for women to receive these services. they wanted to provide a platform for services for ms that were most in need. >> and for those who don't know, what's ado a? >> women who provide labor support, primarily, and some prenatal education. mama toto is eanded that idea of a doula to really fully encompass pregnant moms in the community. we know our moms are higher risk and have additional needs that doulas don't necessarily meet based on general services. we train peri natal health workers to address the needs of our clients. >> your clients, how do you get clients, how do they find y >> the majority of our clients are referred through their ncos. we work with three major ncos in d.c.

medicaid. they'rered through their nco case managers or referrals from provider offices. a lot of clients, our clients refer friends and family members. >> how many wom have you served? >> this past year we served almost 200 moms, almost 200 births. we'rerowing every year. next year we're hoping to be able to expand that number even more. >> mama to to vlage is located in northeast washington? >> ward 7. >> do you servicewomen who are only from washington, or from around the region? >> the majority of our ms come from d.c., most of them in wards 7 and 8. but we have served moms within the region, prince george's county primarily. >> and is there a charge for your services? >> ourre services all covered through the nc os for the clients that come in through their ncos. we have somelients that are not d.c. moms that want the

services and we have a fee-based scale for them. >> you've mentioned ncos? >> yes.or we with amerihealth -- >> managed care? >> yeah,ed manare organizations. trusted amerihealth and amerigroup. we're hoping to expand relationships with other ncos in the area and to go out to maryland and virginia. >> this is your first year? >> our first year.te >> lin the catalog? >> yes, we're very excited. >> i assume that since the catalog came out in november ane your n was listed, it's made a difference? >> absolutely b we've alreaun to receive donations and grant requests. we know that the catalog is just vital for providing exposure for organizations like us. 're really grateful for the opportunity. >> it's a service that's sorely needed in our community. >> absolutely. >> you're stepping right in and filling the void. how can news 4 viewers find you?

>> mamato tovillage.org.e you can at we're doing in the community. and our contact information is there. >> briana green, thanks for being with us and happy holidays. >> happy holidays to you too. find out what baking, nd homelessness,he criminal justice system have in common.

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with gifts you'll love to give. and it feels even better when you find them for less-at ross. yes for less. women to need a second chance are getting that chance at a local nonprofit called, gether we bake. elizabeth bennett parker is codirector of together we bake. criminaless, the justice system, and baking? >> we ar job training and personal development program for women in need, working with women expiencing homelessness, women who have returned from the criminal justice system, women

who have immigrated, women facing long-term unemployme and other adverse circumstances. we're centered around a food siness, so women learn how to make our products, work on a team, work in a kitchen, then we do life skills and empowerment groups as ll. >> we have some of your products here,granola, chocolate chip cookies and other goodies. the wen bake these? >> they do. everything that you see in front of you is made in our kitchen by hand, by body our trainees as well as our graduates that we've employed to help run the program nows well. >> yell the products? >> we do, yes. in area stores, through our website. we ship anywhere in the country. >> tell us how your program works. >> it's an eight-week program. as mentioned, the women start in thve kitchen morning. in the afternoon we go into class me. we teach the serve space certification, a nationally recognized food safety certification that every service establishment needs to

have people on hand to have that training so it can help youet in thedoor, it can help you get higher wages. we do empowerment group and life skills as well. a little bit of everything. it's a holistic program. we talk about everything from anger and trauma to communication styln, negotiat skills, financial literacy, and pairingith a job counselor to work one on one on resume writing, searching and applying for jobs. >> where do your women come from? >> we're based in alexandriaer t we women from d.c., alexandria, arlington, northern virginia, and maryland. >> how do they find you? >> we partner with a viety of no nonprofits and organizations, homeless shelters, halfway houses. we'll go into local detention centers. other organizations involved in the housing spe. we'v had women refer friends and family to the program as well. >> i was reading stats. and your completion and placement rates are really very impressive. 83% of the women who start the

classes, the program, finish? >> that's correct. i thinks -- >> tha fantastic. >> thank you. it's going up, our last class we had a10 0% completion rate. >> placement rates? >> about a 70% employment rate as well. really excited about that. >> that's a lot of success. >> thank you. >> for women who have had a hard time. >> yes. >> is this your first year in the catalog? >> it is our firste year in catalog and we couldn't be more thrilled. it's a huge opportunity for us. tht exposure t brings, also the training that they offer has been really helpful for our team. >> how long has this organization been around? >> this is our sixth year. >> and wha kind of training does theatalog offer you? >> so there's been a variety of trainings around fund-raising and communications.re it's really to get in a room with other nonprofits and hear best practices and what's worked for other folks. i was in the green room with the woman from mama toto. just to see organizations in the area that you might not otherwise know

about and foster those partnerships, where there might an recruiting partnership in our future. >> website? >> thtowebake.org. >> that's easy to remember. i can't wait to taste your granola. they can find the that website? >> yes. >> elizabeth ben it in parker of together we bake, thank youor being tadvertise us. a local foundation that no vieds adolescenal with mental education and support.

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preventing teen suicide is the mission of our final nonprofit. here to talk abou the josh anderson foundation is laurel anderson,ec executive dr of the foundation. thanks for being with us, lauren. >> thank you. >> josh anderson was your brother. >> yes. >> he died by suicide in 2012? >> 2009. >> 2009.

tell us about josh. >> yes, so he was the youngest sibling. so i'm one of four. and, you know, he was kind of the typical teenage kid. he played high school football and lacrosse. he was a popular kid. liked by many. kind of on the quieter side but wouldom always through with a well-timed joke, or he had a laugh and a smirk that was pretty popular among our family. yeah, it was, you know, very tragic when he took his20 life . and what we learnedrom that is that you never really know what's going on inside of someone. they can seem to have a lot going on on the outside, and that's what's so specific with mental health is that it's oftentimes hidden. and so that's what our

organization is working towards. >> so the work of this foundation is very personal for you. >> it is, very personal. you know, named after my brother. i'm often talking about him, you know, and the work that our family has done. it's a veryon personal mis to me. >> tell us about the work. >> yes. so the josh anderson foundation, we work to prevent teen suicide by utilizing a peer to peer method. basically the idea is teenagers have the impact from their peers, their friends. so wequip a gro of students at a school with all the resources and tools they neeo share resources with the rest of their peers,o spread positive coping skills, to increase theii conn. that's through our latest program, our minds matter. >> the program is in schools across the country? >> it is.

although ourbase, home network is here in the metro area, specifically northern virginia, fairfax county,li p schools. our program is online. it's accessible to all. so we have schools from all over questing access. >> and so our minds matter. that involves the peer to peer action? >> yes. our minds matter, it's basically a club at the high school, the minds matter club. the groups of students are ambassadors around mental alth omotion and wellness for their school community. >> 30 schools around the t' country, t quite a reach. you're using your family's twraenlg to help other families, that's really what's haening. >> yes. yes. >> helping other children. how important has it been to be listed in the catalog? this is your first year, so this is a big year for yo >> it i a big year. it's been really wonderful. i mean, it's only been not even

a full yea yet. but we've already received grear ning from the catalog in terms of development, but then also in terms of funng ability. so i can speak to even our involvement in the giving tuesday campaign, how that kind of promoted us in a way and allowed to us incentivize donors to donate. we're involved in challenges through the catalog so it was a fun day for giving. >> what would you say t people who have been through an experience like yours? >> yeah, i think, you know -- well, for any youngerson or person that struggles with mental health issues, that you shouldn't feel you have to struggleal e. to reach out and seek help. going through a tragedy myself, you know, i think you can't control wha experiences you go through sometimes, but then you

have to learn from it and see what you can do to move forward in a positive way. >> you can choose to help others through your open experiences. thank you so much. >> ye thank you. >> congratulations on being listed in the catalog. >> thank you. >> lauren anderson with the josh anderson foundation. >> thank you. and that is our program. thank you so much for being with us today. to see any of our programs, "news for your sunday," logon to nbcwashington.com and click on "community." or search it. m pat lawson muse. thank you for being with us and we'll see you again next weekend.

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>> 6:00 on this sunday morning and we are in weather alert mode. good morning and tha ws for beinh us. i'm adam tuss. >> i'm angie goff ralph northam declares of a state of emergency as the snow moves into our area. >> we've been tracking this storm all morning long.la yn ricketts is with us as you see snowplows gettingready. what should we be prered for? >> a couple inches of possible snow. not everybody will see it but we have the cnce toee it across our area. so some snow chances later today. let's show you what is