Why Catalyst?
Sonoma Valley is a remarkable place beloved by a community of change-makers asking, “How do we care for what we love about Sonoma Valley while coming together to meet its greatest challenges?”
The scale, interdependence, and complexity of the challenges in Sonoma Valley is growing—from chronic issues like food insecurity and housing affordability, to the urgency of threats like ICE raids and federal funding cuts, and emerging issues like the rapidly aging population of the Valley.
At the same time, we have a nonprofit sector that is deeply committed but stretched thin—working hard towards their missions but needing additional resources to adapt to the rapidly changing national context and meet immediate needs while addressing the root causes of those needs.
This growing disconnect between the scale of the challenges and the capacity of our current systems calls for something new. Catalyst exists to bridge that gap. Catalyst is not another program, nor a duplication of effort. It is a new kind of philanthropy designed to:
Mobilize new funding that goes beyond traditional philanthropy and makes generosity go further—expanding not just how much we give, but how wisely and strategically we deploy our resources as a community.
Fuel innovation by supporting solutions that are bold, collaborative, and scalable—going upstream to address root causes, not just symptoms.
Strengthen Sonoma Valley’s whole nonprofit sector by providing the connective tissue, capacity-building, and shared infrastructure our nonprofits need.
Be proactive and respond with agility to chronic needs that require sustained investment and emergent challenges that demand rapid, flexible action.