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.
Sustainable Marin received an application from Araki for a Website Major Update project.
Children for Change received an application from Zahraa for a Press Kit project.
Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California received an application from J. Katherine for a Logo Design & Visual Brand Identity project.
Sanzuma received an application from Ezekwesiri for a Management consultation call.
Sustainable Marin received an application from Koda for a Website Major Update project.
YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley received an application from Semiloore for a Website Minor Update project.
Children for Change received an application from J. Katherine for a Visual Brand Guide project.
YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley received an application from Sergio for a Website Minor Update project.
Sustainable Marin received an application from sai vishnu vamsi for a Website Major Update project.
YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley received an application from Delijhia for a Website Minor Update project.
Trish from YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley listed a Website Minor Update project.
YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley received an application from Gabriel for a Website Minor Update project.
YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley received an application from Rakesh for a Website Minor Update project.
YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley received an application from Nidhi for a Website Minor Update project.
Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California received an application from Nancy for a Logo Design & Visual Brand Identity project.
Sanzuma received an application from Maheen for a Management consultation call.
Jennifer matched with Sallie from Homeward Bound of Marin for an Impact Report Graphic Design project!
Wendi from Sustainable Marin listed a Website Major Update project.
Nazareth matched with Shiel from Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area for a Translation project!
Leslie matched with Gretchen from Children for Change for a Press Release project!
Erin matched with Gretchen from Children for Change for a Finance Process Improvement project!
Our Sisters Keeper received an application from Mihai for an Organizational Strategy consultation call.
Performing Stars of Marin received an application from Akshata for an Event Slideshow Creation project.
Performing Stars of Marin received an application from Guadalupe for an Event Slideshow Creation project.
kim matched with Gretchen from Children for Change for a GIF Animation project!
Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California received an application from Kenneth for a Logo Design & Visual Brand Identity project.
Children for Change received an application from David for a Visual Brand Guide project.
Coco Packs For Kids received an application from Ayura for a Website Audit project.
Our Sisters Keeper received an application from Mark for a Website consultation call.
Barron T. matched with Felecia from Performing Stars of Marin for a Brand Messaging consultation call!
Gerald matched with Felecia from Performing Stars of Marin for a Brand Messaging consultation call!
Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California received an application from Gerald for a Logo Design & Visual Brand Identity project.
Our Sisters Keeper received an application from Jonathan for an Organizational Strategy consultation call.
Gretchen from Children for Change listed a Press Kit project.
Our Sisters Keeper received an application from Todd for a Website consultation call.
Gretchen from Children for Change listed a Visual Brand Guide project.
Our Sisters Keeper received an application from Jonathan for an Organizational Strategy consultation call.
Erika matched with Lori from Sanzuma for a Brochure Graphic Design project!
Our Sisters Keeper received an application from Alice for an Organizational Strategy consultation call.
Amir Hossein matched with Lisa from Multicultural Center of Marin for a Tech Systems consultation call!
Johnny matched with Lisa from Multicultural Center of Marin for a Tech Systems consultation call!
Performing Stars of Marin received an application from Nouman for an Event Slideshow Creation project.
Performing Stars of Marin received an application from BUNJO for an Event Slideshow Creation project.
Lori from Sanzuma listed a Management consultation call.
Our Sisters Keeper received an application from Kenashia for an Organizational Strategy consultation call.
Our Sisters Keeper received an application from Donna for a Website consultation call.
Performing Stars of Marin received an application from Yuri for an Event Slideshow Creation project.
Our Sisters Keeper received an application from BItania yonas for a Website consultation call.
Our Sisters Keeper received an application from Mfona for a Website consultation call.
Our Sisters Keeper received an application from Esther for a Website consultation call.
When you join, you get unlimited access to a suite of services...
On-demand project support
Access expert pro bono consultants to fill every skill and staffing gap
On-site volunteers
Recruit in-person volunteers for your next community event
Technical training
Get technical advice and training on new software
Coaching
One-on-one coaching and professional development
Custom work, at no expense to you
Get specific deliverables done for every need including translation, website creation, donor letters, HR handbook, and more
Community groups
Meet leaders like you with access to peer to peer forums and networking opportunities
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 Nazareth V. helped Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area
How Leslie R. helped Children for Change
How Barron T. E. helped Performing Stars of Marin
How Erika L. helped Sanzuma
How kim e. helped Marin Foster Care Association
How Faiza M. helped 10,000 Degrees
How Megan H. helped Book Exchange
How Emma H. helped Homeward Bound of Marin
How Radoslaw R. helped Transformative Justice Institute 501 (c) 3
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, San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, 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, San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, 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