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.
oSTEM, Inc received an application from Duc for a Website Accessibility Audit project.
Judy Dworin Performance Project received an application from Jayana for a Fundraising Plan Assessment project.
ODC received an application from Jayana for a Fundraising consultation call.
Regenerating Our Offspring Through Stories, Inc. received an application from Jayana for a Fundraising consultation call.
Invisible Theatre received an application from Jayana for a Fundraising consultation call.
Katie from Youth Volunteer Corps of Hampton Roads listed an Infographic project.
amanda matched with Lisa from Black Women Stitch for a Logo Design & Visual Brand Identity project!
Carie matched with Stacy from Bay County Child & Senior Citizen Centers, Inc. for a Webinar Set Up & Training project!
Julie from CounterPulse listed a Website Technical Updates project.
Keerthana matched with Karuppiah from PowerMyLearning for a Flexible Web Development Support project!
Ella from Arizona Justice for Our Neighbors listed a Brand Messaging consultation call.
Yuval matched with Bethanee from Core Contributors Group for an Accounting Systems Set Up project!
Rachel from Garden School Foundation Inc listed a Time Management Coaching project.
Gaines matched with Mike from Health Emergency Lifeline Programs for an Excel Dashboard Creation project!
Dr. Elizabeth from Joseph & Elizabeth Quansah Foundation listed an Event Management consultation call.
Maxine matched with Changing Tides Foundation from Changing Tides Foundation for a Website Content Plan project!
Bruno matched with Brenda from Victory Hall Opera for a Logo Design project!
Scott from Laudholm Trust listed a Google Ads Campaign Support project.
Tricia matched with Lisa from Black Women Stitch for an Event Management consultation call!
Jill from Create Now listed an Online Research project.
Jin from OASIS Companies International listed a Data Collection Plan project.
Tibby from Breast Cancer Action listed a Short Video Creation Training project.
Steven matched with Maggie from Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network (TIHAN) for a Brochure Graphic Design project!
Samantha matched with Penni from Kamp For Kids for a Partnership Proposal Presentation project!
Cecilia matched with Amanda from Lionheart Foundation, Inc. for a Translation project!
Guenevere from The Able Trust listed an Individual Donor Letter project.
Eugene from Northwest Environmental Advocates listed a Google Ads Campaign Support project.
Josh matched with Osagie from The Innocent Convicts for a Partnership Proposal Presentation project!
Marcy matched with Kaylon from Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability for an Impact Report Graphic Design project!
Osagie from The Innocent Convicts listed a Website consultation call.
Philippe matched with Osagie from The Innocent Convicts for a Website consultation call!
Thow Chiang matched with Brittany from Erie Niagara AHEC for a Website consultation call!
Andrew from United Way Of Marquette County listed a Website Data Security Review project.
Sarah matched with zohar from Immigrant Care Inc. for a Customer Database (CRM) Audit project!
Ben matched with Darlene from Earth Law Center for a Flexible Copywriting Support project!
Matt matched with Memorie from Magens Bay Authority for a Website Image Sourcing project!
Jill matched with Patricia from Pony Partners for a Mission, Vision & Values project!
Pearl matched with Angela from Humane Animal Treatment Society for a Training Plan Development project!
Toni from Nursing CAP, Inc. listed a Brand Messaging consultation call.
Kathy from OASIS Companies International listed a Website Major Update project.
LISA from A Promise to Jordan listed a Logo Design project.
Sigi matched with Sandra from Boys & Girls Clubs of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County for a Branded Digital Assets project!
Herbert matched with Renee from Healthy Communities Of The Capital Area for a Presentation Creation project!
Anil from Global Fund for Women listed a Data Visualization project.
Raphael matched with Alex from Cultivating Community for a Tech Systems consultation call!
Mary from Sportsmen's Tennis & Enrichment Center listed a Fee-For-Service Strategy Sessions project.
Raghav matched with Renika J. from GENERATION NOW for a Partnership Proposal Presentation project!
Carla from Operation Hope of Fairfield, Inc. listed a Project Management Plan project.
Michael from The BridgeLine listed an Impact Report Graphic Design project.
Tracy from Virginia Peninsula Foodbank listed a Flyer Graphic Design 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
