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.
charla from The Mosaic Project listed a Flexible Marketing Strategy Support project.
Red Poppy Art House received an application from Kristen for an Event Management consultation call.
Angela from Youth Radio DBA YR Media listed a Social Media Audit project.
Angela from Youth Radio DBA YR Media listed a Copywriting project.
Angela from Youth Radio DBA YR Media listed a Social Media Content Calendar project.
Youth Radio DBA YR Media received an application from Justin for a Copywriting project.
Youth Radio DBA YR Media received an application from Aaliyah for a Social Media Content Calendar project.
Keith matched with charla from The Mosaic Project for a Customer Database (CRM) Set Up project!
Blue Bear School of Music received an application from Wagner for an Infographic project.
Red Poppy Art House received an application from Ken for an Event Management consultation call.
Philip matched with Lea from EatSF, Vouchers 4 Veggies for a Video Editing project!
Gabriela from The County of Alameda, California listed a Print Materials Design project.
KALI matched with Shahin from The Starry Plough for a Logo Design project!
Cathryn matched with Lea from EatSF, Vouchers 4 Veggies for a Marketing Strategy Consultation project!
Keith matched with charla from The Mosaic Project for a Salesforce Training project!
Red Poppy Art House received an application from Jane for an Event Management consultation call.
Red Poppy Art House received an application from Nikita for an Event Management consultation call.
Ruben matched with Gabriela from The County of Alameda, California for a Visual Branding consultation call!
Red Poppy Art House received an application from Amanda for a Human Resources consultation call.
Red Poppy Art House received an application from Jean for a Human Resources consultation call.
Natalie matched with deborah from Hepatitis C Warmline, UCSF Clinician Consultation Center for a Flyer Graphic Design project!
Red Poppy Art House received an application from Jennifer for a Human Resources consultation call.
JIM matched with charla from The Mosaic Project for a Press Release project!
Red Poppy Art House received an application from Sharizah for a Human Resources consultation call.
Dina from Red Poppy Art House listed an Event Management consultation call.
Dina from Red Poppy Art House listed an Event Management consultation call.
Nicole matched with Dina from Red Poppy Art House for an Event Management consultation call!
Lyubov matched with Claire from End Hep C SF, SF Public Health Foundation for a Flexible Graphic Design Support project!
charla from The Mosaic Project listed a Project Management Plan project.
Dina from Red Poppy Art House listed a Human Resources consultation call.
End Hep C SF, SF Public Health Foundation received an application from Poonam for a Data & Analytics consultation call.
Jane matched with Joanne from End Hep C SF, SF Public Health Foundation for a Visual Brand Guide project!
Chinmay matched with Taunu'u from Pacific Islander Taskforce for a Tech Systems consultation call!
Sai Alekha matched with Claire from End Hep C SF, SF Public Health Foundation for an Infographic project!
Larry matched with Taunu'u from Pacific Islander Taskforce for an Organizational Strategy consultation call!
EveryOne Home received an application from Sudhasini for a Flexible Human Resources Support project.
EveryOne Home received an application from Anne for a Flexible Human Resources Support project.
EveryOne Home received an application from Keisha for a Flexible Human Resources Support project.
End Hep C SF, SF Public Health Foundation received an application from Vaishnavi for a Data & Analytics consultation call.
End Hep C SF, SF Public Health Foundation received an application from Anna for a Data & Analytics consultation call.
Sulamita matched with Lea from EatSF, Vouchers 4 Veggies for a Flexible Copywriting Support project!
Claire from End Hep C SF, SF Public Health Foundation listed a Data & Analytics consultation call.
Aaliyah matched with Chelsea from EveryOne Home for a Social Media Content Calendar project!
Jerry matched with Chelsea from EveryOne Home for a Video Editing project!
Melanie from Blue Bear School of Music listed an Infographic project.
Chelsea from EveryOne Home listed a Flexible Human Resources Support project.
Youth Radio DBA YR Media received an application from Cato for a Website Audit project.
Youth Radio DBA YR Media received an application from Boston University Hack4Impact for a Website Audit project.
Youth Radio DBA YR Media received an application from Ashok for a Website Audit project.
Youth Radio DBA YR Media received an application from Keylie for a Website Audit 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
Matched Oct 25th, 2021
How Keith R. helped The Mosaic Project
Customer Database (CRM) Set Up
Matched Oct 19th, 2021
How Philip C. helped EatSF, Vouchers 4 Veggies
Video Editing
Matched Oct 14th, 2021
How KALI J. helped The Starry Plough
Logo Design
Matched Oct 8th, 2021
How Ruben R. helped The County of Alameda, California
Visual Branding
Matched Oct 3rd, 2021
How Natalie S. helped Hepatitis C Warmline, UCSF Clinician Co...
Flyer Graphic Design
Matched Sep 29th, 2021
How Lyubov S. helped End Hep C SF, SF Public Health Foundation
Flexible Graphic Design Support
Matched Aug 23rd, 2021
How Rachel S. helped Coaching Corps
Copyediting
Matched Aug 18th, 2021
How Ana M. helped 3rd Street Youth Center and Clinic
Social Media Audit
Matched Aug 5th, 2021
How Noel K. helped Oakland Literacy Coalition
Membership Strategy
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 120 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 to troubleshoot 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
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 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
