The Power of We
Our mission is to mobilize philanthropic support and innovative approaches to address urgent, emergent and chronic challenges no Sonoma Valley donor or organization can solve alone.
Angela Ryan hired to lead Catalyst
We are thrilled to announce that Angela Ryan has agreed to become Catalyst Fund’s first full-time staff leader, which is an exciting next step in assuring our future as a permanent philanthropy resource for Sonoma Valley.
Angela’s leadership abilities and deep knowledge of the Valley’s nonprofit sector are well known, as she recently stepped down after five years at the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation. Her commitment to new forms of collaboration and increased equity, in a greatly changed Valley and nonprofit sector, are closely aligned with Catalyst’s purposes.
Learn more about Angela on Our Team page.
Katherine Fulton, Co-Chair with Angela Ryan. Click the photo to read the article by Daniel Johnson in the Sonoma Index Tribune. (Photo credit to Sonoma Index Tribune)
Catalyst’s grantmaking is evolving.
We aim to be listeners, co-creators, gap-seekers and partners with our local nonprofit leaders in finding new ways to address the complex challenges our community faces. We have two active granting programs:
The Food Security Initiative
in 2022, we ordered a study of Sonoma’s food security needs which pulled 15+ the local food providers together, surveyed 300 residents, and created a comprehensive view of Sonoma’s surprisingly complex food “system.” Using the recommendations from the study, we, in partnership with the local food providers, have created a multi-year Food Security Initiative to expand access, increase choice and reduce waste, and improve the food security system by investing in coordination and collaboration. Our goal is to create a sustainable local food security system that is strategic, coordinated and cost effective.
Reimagine Grants
Reimagine Grants support innovation and seeding of new ideas that result in significant positive social impact and help solve key community challenges in Sonoma Valley. These grants fill a gap in funding for nonprofits that want to innovate and reimagine how we can solve complex local issues in our community. The program compliments other local grant funding by supporting complex, unusual, and perhaps risky ideas.