SoCal Collaborative
Uplifting Southern California's nonprofit ecosystem through capacity building
Updates & Events
How can foundations address the targeted capacity building needs of nonprofits, at scale, throughout Southern California? The Annenberg Foundation and Catchafire, working with other Southern California funders and Southern California Grantmakers, is building a regional collaborative that will focus on nonprofit sustainability in an innovative new way. The collaborative aims to democratize capacity building support and make it available to every nonprofit in the region. Come learn more about their vision and how your foundation might get involved.
SoCal Collaborative Launch Partner
The Annenberg Foundation’s program page went live on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, granting their nonprofits with access to Catchafire’s online platform and offline support.
Christopher R. matched with Ty from Artportunity Knocks for an Employee Handbook project!
Armand matched with Beth from Oakland Rising for a Website Construction (CMS-Based) project!
Heather from Linc Housing Corporation listed a Marketing Materials consultation call.
Deb matched with Claudia from CASA of Philadelphia County for a Social Media consultation call!
Jessie from White River Waterkeeper listed a Custom Digital Images project.
Mercedes from Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center listed a Website Visual Update project.
Jessie from White River Waterkeeper listed a Social Media consultation call.
Jessie from White River Waterkeeper listed a Marketing Strategy consultation call.
Abby from Photo Start Foundation listed an Organizational One-Pager project.
Melissa from American Cancer Society South Region listed a Custom Digital Images project.
Candice from Affordable Living for the Aging listed an Organizational Strategy consultation call.
Candice from Affordable Living for the Aging listed a Google Analytics Set Up & Training project.
Joanna matched with Rob from The Watershed Institute for a Print Materials Design project!
James matched with Rose from Hagar Services Coalition, Inc. for an Individual Donor Letter project!
Candice from Affordable Living for the Aging listed an Identify Success Metrics project.
Candice from Affordable Living for the Aging listed a Board Recruitment Plan project.
Candice from Affordable Living for the Aging listed a Website Construction (CMS-Based) project.
John matched with Michael D from The Street Smarts for a Social Media Set Up project!
Sonia from Boomerang Youth listed a Brochure Writing project.
Sonia from Boomerang Youth listed an Individual Donor Letter project.
Candice from Affordable Living for the Aging listed an Online Survey project.
Christine matched with Alexa from Rebuilding Together Valley Of The Sun, Inc. for a Volunteer Recruitment Sessions project!
Kristi from Economic Awareness Council listed a Social Media consultation call.
Amy from Cape Cod Challenger Club listed a Social Media consultation call.
Emily from Children for Change listed a Marketing Strategy consultation call.
Quandra from Men and Families Center, Inc. listed a Photo Editing project.
Bethan matched with Lindsay from Philadelphia Young Playwrights for a Print Materials Design project!
Sarah from Bee Girl listed a Marketing Strategy consultation call.
Janice from Oahu Agriculture and Conservation Assn. listed a Translation project.
Lisa from GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students listed a Tech Systems consultation call.
Felisha from American Cancer Society Southeast Region listed a Marketing Strategy consultation call.
Robert matched with Barbara from Family Continuity for a Leadership Coaching project!
Michael from Urban Boatbuilders, Inc. listed a Website User Experience project.
Katy from California Institute of Environmental Studies listed a Marketing Strategy consultation call.
Myron matched with Jeremy from Native American Advancement Foundation (NAAF) for a Website consultation call!
Maggie from Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network (TIHAN) listed a Video Editing project.
Emily matched with Michon from Portico Healthnet for an Individual Donor Letter project!
Stefan matched with Michael D from The Street Smarts for an Email Marketing Copywriting project!
Kymberly from Bullsugar Alliance listed a Marketing Strategy consultation call.
Shannon from First Congregational Church of New Milford, UCC listed a Print Materials Design project.
Betre matched with Ana from Cornerstone Community Development Corporation for a Salesforce Database Customization project!
Jacqueline from Camp Jamison listed a Custom Digital Images project.
Mary matched with Ardrina from All Saints Cathedral School for a Brochure Graphic Design project!
Lori from Redemption Housing listed a Social Media consultation call.
Lori from Redemption Housing listed a Custom Digital Images project.
Michael from Boys to Men Tucson listed a Marketing Strategy consultation call.
Larry matched with Mary from Protect PT for a Communications consultation call!
Benjamin matched with Lizzie from Solid Ground for a Visual Brand Guide project!
Jenny matched with Patti from Via Care Community Health Center for a Translation project!
Saskia from Kampagne Meine Landwirtschaft/Wir haben es satt! listed a Translation project.
About the SoCal Collaborative
The Southern California Capacity Building Collaborative (SoCal Collaborative) aims to strengthen the region's entire nonprofit ecosystem by democratizing capacity building resources.
Alongside our founding partners, we’re working to thoughtfully establish a more sustainable and just future through innovation.
If you are interested in participating in the SoCal Collaborative, please email partnerships@catchafire.org.
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How do foundations and Catchafire work together? We develop and implement programs that allow nonprofits to connect directly with highly skilled, mission driven pro bono professionals in order to fulfill a range of operational needs.
Each foundation program consists of the following components in order to make capacity building support more scalable, agile, cost-effective, quality intensive and measurable:
1. Online Platform: Customized page for nonprofits to register and post operational and capacity building needs.
2. Education and Marketing: In-person and digital education campaigns to drive nonprofit adoption and engagement.
3. Offline Support: Team of nonprofit advisors and customer success experts to provide organizations with a guided experience.
4. Impact Tracking & Reporting: Organizational and program level impact tracking to help funders better understand grantee needs.
How It Works for Nonprofits
1. Explore Available Projects
Nonprofits can browse through over 100 pre-scoped projects and consultation topics.2. Nonprofits can find a Pro Bono Professional
Nonprofits can review applications from interested professionals and choose the right match.3. Get Things Done
When they're ready, nonprofits then kick off the project and start making progress.Two ways to connect!
Consultation Calls
Projects
Frequently Asked Questions
New around here? Start with the basics.
Catchafire is an online platform for virtual, skills-based volunteering. Through Catchafire, professionals are able to directly support causes they care about by helping nonprofits with projects that match their skill sets. And because projects can be completed from anywhere, Catchafire makes it possible for nonprofits and skilled volunteers to connect for good, from all around the world!
Skills-based volunteering is a high impact form of volunteering that allows an individual to donate his or her professional skills and expertise, which in turn allows a nonprofit to build its capacity and focus more efficiently on its mission.
Skilled volunteers help nonprofits fill critical knowledge and staffing gaps, they work as thought partners on strategic projects, and they complete specific projects that require specialized skills, training, or experience. Very often, the relationships between volunteers and nonprofits extend far beyond the scope of the initial project that brought them together.
A specific example of skills-based volunteering is a marketing professional who volunteers to help a nonprofit create a marketing strategy.
The SoCal Collaborative was launched in 2019 with The Annenberg Foundation as our presenting partner. We are in active conversation with other leading foundations in the Greater L.A. area. Interested in learning more? Request an invite by emailing partnerships@catchafire.org.
Participation in the SoCal Collaborative is currently on an invitation-only basis. To request an invitation and more information, please email us at partnerships@catchafire.org.
The SoCal Collaborative is a think tank of leading foundations based in the Greater Los Angeles area. Catchafire is the convening body.
Our first Catchafire collaborative of foundations launched in the Bay Area in 2018 in partnership with The San Francisco Foundation.
On average, projects are matched within two weeks.
Once Catchafire and a foundation agree to partner, our foundation accounts team works with the foundation to create a customized communications plan. All program-affiliated nonprofits will receive both an email and an invitation to connect in-person for an informative launch event that showcases the platform and helps to answer questions.
Yes! We have a great team of nonprofit advisors available to answer technological questions, guide project plans and address any concerns as they arise.
Skilled pro-bono volunteers find Catchafire through our partnership with LinkedIn, corporate engagement programs with leading Fortune 500 companies, and through a good old-fashioned online search. They’re talented and passionate about helping others.
Foundation Feedback
ABOUT THE VOLUNTEERS
A Powerful Network of Talented Professionals
Volunteers will be encouraged to apply to a project if they match the prerequisite skills and experience and core deliverables of a project a nonprofit posts. Each post also includes a project timeline and time estimates so volunteers know exactly what they’re signing up for.
The rigorous application process, which includes work experience, portfolios, and statements of interest, limits applicants to those who are serious about working with nonprofits. It's not a one-click application, and it shouldn't be.
Nonprofits can review up to three applications at a time, and interview candidates before deciding. The decision is theirs.
About Catchafire
Catchafire is a full service, on-demand solution designed to address the wide-ranging and complex needs of nonprofits by connecting them with talented pro bono professionals. Through Catchafire’s innovative web-based platform and network of more than 10 million professionals, nonprofits have access to people with expert skills who can help them with operational needs such as developing a website, building a strategic plan, designing a brochure, professional development, and other areas of critical work. Catchafire’s scalable and cost-effective model makes it possible for grantmakers to provide a full suite of capacity building services to any nonprofit that the foundation seeks to serve. Catchafire and its foundation partners are not only helping nonprofits improve their capacity, sustainability, and effectiveness, but also leveling the playing field by making capacity building available to any nonprofit or changemaker.
Learn More
Interested in joining the SoCal Collaborative? Email the Catchafire team at partnerships@catchafire.org
