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.
Victoria matched with Karen from Insight Garden Program for a Translation project!
Advokids received an application from justin for an Employee Handbook project.
Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco received an application from Garrett for an Interview Training project.
Community Action Marin (San Rafael) received an application from Deepa for a Presentation Creation project.
Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California received an application from Deepa for a Photo Editing project.
Marin Promise Partnership received an application from FELIX for a Finance consultation call.
Felecia from Performing Stars of Marin listed a Translation project.
Performing Stars of Marin received an application from Rosario for a Translation project.
Performing Stars of Marin received an application from Marcela for a Translation project.
Performing Stars of Marin received an application from M for a Translation project.
Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco received an application from Pennie for a Human Resources consultation call.
Marin Promise Partnership received an application from Michael for a Finance consultation call.
Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco received an application from Brian for an Interview Training project.
Community Action Marin (San Rafael) received an application from Jesus for a Translation project.
Marin Promise Partnership received an application from NABAKIIBI IRENE for a Finance consultation call.
Cameron from Marin Promise Partnership listed a Finance consultation call.
Katherine from Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco listed an Interview Training project.
Katherine from Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco listed a Human Resources consultation call.
Sylvia from Advokids listed an Employee Handbook project.
Marin Promise Partnership received an application from Javeria for a Finance consultation call.
Debbie matched with Howie from San Geronimo Valley Affordable Housing Association for a Brand Messaging consultation call!
Community Action Marin (San Rafael) received an application from Gabrielle (Gabby) for a Presentation Creation project.
Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California received an application from Syed Abdul Rehman for a Photo Editing project.
Community Action Marin (San Rafael) received an application from Juliana for a Translation project.
Faline matched with Sonia from YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley for a Data Visualization project!
Kevin matched with Erica from Resilient Neighborhoods for a Website consultation call!
Maja matched with Zoe from WildCare for a Data & Analytics consultation call!
Community Action Marin (San Rafael) received an application from Kaylee for a Translation project.
Margot from Community Action Marin (San Rafael) listed a Translation project.
Kedar matched with Erica from Resilient Neighborhoods for a Website consultation call!
Peter matched with Felicia from Systems Thinking Marin for a Press Release project!
Ellyn from WildCare listed a Flexible Human Resources Support project.
E3: Education, Excellence & Equity received an application from Nkosi for a Flexible Web Development Support project.
E3: Education, Excellence & Equity received an application from Doreen for a Flexible Web Development Support project.
Cecilia from E3: Education, Excellence & Equity listed a Flexible Web Development Support project.
E3: Education, Excellence & Equity received an application from Nilima for a Flexible Web Development Support project.
Victoria matched with Karen from Insight Garden Program for a Translation project!
Victoria matched with Karen from Insight Garden Program for a Translation project!
Victoria matched with Karen from Insight Garden Program for a Translation project!
Victoria matched with Karen from Insight Garden Program for a Translation project!
Yopina matched with Sonia from YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley for an Online Survey project!
Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California received an application from Brijesh for a Photo Editing project.
Jillian from Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California listed a Photo Editing project.
Ceres Community Project received an application from Raj Ahamed for a Facebook Ads Set Up project.
Ceres Community Project received an application from Saitaban for a Facebook Ads Set Up project.
Ceres Community Project received an application from Priyanka for a Facebook Ads Set Up project.
Kim from Ceres Community Project listed a Facebook Ads Set Up project.
Ceres Community Project received an application from Hailey for a Facebook Ads Set Up project.
Edgardo matched with Sheila from Conservation Corps North Bay for a Translation project!
Sheyla matched with Tracey from YardSmartMarin for a Translation 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 Victoria E. helped Insight Garden Program
How Debbie K. helped San Geronimo Valley Affordable Housing A...
How Faline R. helped YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley
How Peter O. helped Systems Thinking Marin
How Blaire B. helped Center for Judicial Excellence
How Cassidy C. helped 10,000 Degrees
How Lenore N. helped Performing Stars of Marin
How Alisa J. helped Fair Housing Advocates of Northern Califo...
How Gina B. helped WildCare
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 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
