Welcome to the Bay Area Capacity Building Collective
Strengthen your organization with the help of pro bono volunteers
Connect With Talented and Engaged Professionals
This program connects you with talented professionals looking to give back, allowing you to access expertise in areas such as marketing, web development, operations, strategy, and more.
Catchafire's menu of 150+ pre-scoped projects, each with specific deliverables and project steps, makes it easy to find what you need and match with a volunteer with the right skills for the job. And if you aren't sure where to begin, start by talking to a volunteer to get advice and explore ideas.
Chinese Historical Society of America received an application from Prita for a Display Materials Design project.
Joshua matched with Shailendra from Mission Bit for an Email Marketing System Set Up project!
Mitch from San Francisco Housing and Development Corporation listed a Data & Analytics consultation call.
Raghavi matched with Mitch from San Francisco Housing and Development Corporation for a Data & Analytics consultation call!
Mission Bit received an application from Jennifer for a Copyediting project.
San Francisco Housing and Development Corporation received an application from Shikha for a Data & Analytics consultation call.
Mission Bit received an application from Harini for a Copyediting project.
Kate from Community Alliance for Special Education: CASE listed a Tech Systems consultation call.
Community Alliance for Special Education: CASE received an application from Andy for a Tech Systems consultation call.
Limau Cancer Connection received an application from Zac for a Website Content Plan project.
Mitch from San Francisco Housing and Development Corporation listed a Tech Systems Set Up project.
Cynthia from Mission Bit listed a Copyediting project.
Limau Cancer Connection received an application from Hussein for a Brochure Writing project.
Beryl matched with Bobby from Pure1 for a Tech Systems consultation call!
Rob matched with Bobby from Pure1 for a Tech Systems consultation call!
Mission Bit received an application from Augustine for a Hybrid Work consultation call.
United In Love Inc received an application from Marisol for a Talent Recruitment consultation call.
United In Love Inc received an application from Joel for a Talent Recruitment consultation call.
Savannah from United In Love Inc listed a Talent Recruitment consultation call.
Mission Bit received an application from Caleb for a Hybrid Work consultation call.
United In Love Inc received an application from Joel for a Talent Recruitment consultation call.
Mission Bit received an application from Jennifer for a Hybrid Work consultation call.
Taylor matched with Nancy from Limau Cancer Connection for a Website Content Plan project!
Zuri from Mission Bit listed a Hybrid Work consultation call.
The Good Rural received an application from Racheal for an Email Marketing Copywriting project.
The Good Rural received an application from Amodu for an Email Marketing Copywriting project.
Maribel from Excelsior Action Group (EAG) listed an Operating Budget project.
Maribel from Excelsior Action Group (EAG) listed a Facilitated Strategy Session project.
Amy matched with Clarissa from City of Dreams for a Website Minor Update project!
The Good Rural received an application from John for an Email Marketing Copywriting project.
Lark matched with Raissa from Push Dance Company for a Copywriting project!
Folsom Street received an application from Ross for a Tech Systems consultation call.
Lou matched with Nancy from Limau Cancer Connection for a Professional Bio Writing project!
Shari matched with Raissa from Push Dance Company for a Website Copywriting project!
San Francisco Shakespeare Festival received an application from Arun for a Communications consultation call.
Prince Hall Computer Learning Center received an application from Brenden for a Website consultation call.
Prince Hall Computer Learning Center received an application from Dillon for a Website consultation call.
Prince Hall Computer Learning Center received an application from Jojo for a Website consultation call.
Miriam from Prince Hall Computer Learning Center listed a Website consultation call.
Transgender, Gender Variant and Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP) received an application from Michael for a Translation project.
Daniel matched with Rebecca from Better Because Collective for an Email Marketing System Set Up project!
Carolyn matched with Donjia from New Community Leadership Foundation for a Project Management Plan project!
Caitlyn matched with Nancy from Limau Cancer Connection for a Copyediting project!
John matched with Nancy from Limau Cancer Connection for a Data Collection Plan project!
Joyce matched with Nancy from Limau Cancer Connection for a Brand Messaging consultation call!
YouVerseProject received an application from Glenn for a Finance consultation call.
Transgender, Gender Variant and Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP) received an application from Casandra for a Translation project.
Alantz matched with Nancy from Limau Cancer Connection for an Email Layout & Template project!
Ben matched with Nancy from Limau Cancer Connection for a Marketing Strategy consultation call!
Nancy from Limau Cancer Connection listed a Flyer Graphic Design project.
How It Works
1. Explore Available Projects
Browse through over 150 pre-scoped projects and post your own.2. Find Your Pro Bono Professional
Review applications from interested professionals and choose who you want to work with.3. Get The Help You Need
Kick off your project and start making progress.Two ways to connect!
Consultation Calls
Projects
What Do You Need Help With?
Select from 150+ pre-scoped projects or post a consultation call to get started.
Great Connections Are Made Here
How Joshua W. helped Mission Bit
How Raghavi G. helped San Francisco Housing and Development C...
How Taylor W. helped Limau Cancer Connection
How Lark A. helped Push Dance Company
How Carolyn T. helped New Community Leadership Foundation
How Ken F. helped AdunaKids, Inc.
How Lauren C. helped Transgender, Gender Variant and Intersex...
How Yi S. helped Joe Goode Performance Group
How Christine T. helped Third parent family and youth services
ABOUT THE VOLUNTEERS
Work With Talented Professionals From Around the World
Finding the right match is important. Each of the 150+ pre-scoped projects contains prerequisite skills and experience, core deliverables, and time estimates, so volunteers know exactly what is required when they apply to work with you.
The rigorous application process, which includes work experience, portfolios, and statements of interest, limits applicants to those who are serious about working with you. It's not a one-click application, and it shouldn't be.
You can review up to three applications at a time, and interview candidates before deciding. The decision is yours.
What Other Organizations are Saying
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 organizations 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.
We are partnering with Catchafire to provide grantees with access to virtual, skilled volunteers. We believe that by providing this valuable resource for capacity building and strategic project work, we can help our grantees amplify and accelerate the impact they have on the communities and beneficiaries they serve.
No. Your access to Catchafire is sponsored through this program, so it’s completely free for your organization.
In order to participate, you must first register your organization and then post your first project or consultation call. Get started by visiting the Project Menu to browse through over 150+ detailed project types.
You can work on an unlimited number of projects and calls throughout your membership. Once you finish a project, just make sure to mark it “complete”.
Your posted projects are visible to Catchafire’s entire skills-based volunteer community of 40,000+ talented professionals on the platform, and millions more via Catchafire's partnership with LinkedIn. Those who are interested in your organization’s cause area and who have the skills required for your project will be able to apply.
Skills-based volunteers may apply to your projects from all across the country and around the world. We encourage you to engage with virtual skills-based volunteers. If you prefer to work with somebody local, please expect it to take longer than normal to receive applications from a professional in the area.
On average, projects are matched within two weeks. If you are not seeing the response you hoped for, please reach out to [email protected], and one of Catchafire's Nonprofit Advisors will get in touch with you.
After the interview, you can log into your account dashboard and ACCEPT or PASS on the match. Once both parties accept, you are officially matched and can begin the project! If you need to exchange any materials or have follow-up conversations to determine if it is a good fit after the interview, you are encouraged to do so.
Absolutely! Schedule a call, or email your questions to [email protected] and one of Catchafire’s Nonprofit Advisors will be in touch within 24 business hours.
About this Program
Marin Community Foundation, Walter & Elise Haas Fund, San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, East Bay Community Foundation’s ASCEND:BLO Initiative and the Hellman Foundation have joined together to launch the Catchafire Bay Area Collective. This program provides capacity building resources to local nonprofit organizations working to build stronger, more equitable communities.
The participating foundations have partnered with Catchafire to support nonprofit organizations by making connections to pro bono professionals here in the Bay Area and across the world. Through these connections, the Collective maximizes the impact organizations are able to make on the communities they serve.
Catchafire is the largest, online tool that connects social good organizations with talented professionals looking to donate their skills. This resource provides organizations with expert support in areas like marketing and communications, web development, operations, strategy and much, much more.
Learn more about The San Francisco Foundation, Marin Community Foundation, Walter & Elise Haas Fund, San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, East Bay Community Foundation’s ASCEND:BLO Initiative, and the Hellman Foundation.
Have more questions? Drop us a line.
Email the Catchafire team at [email protected], or schedule a Catchafire introduction call to learn more about how your organization can build capacity with help from skilled pro bono professionals
