A new type of philanthropy for Sonoma Valley.
Catalyst Fund is a community of people investing in innovative ways to solve problems in Sonoma Valley.
2026 FALL UPDATE
Don’t Miss Catalyst’s Fall Update with a Special Guest Speaker, Vu Le
Saturday, October 10, 2026
3:00-5:00 pm
Hanna Center
Join us for a compelling conversation with nationally recognized nonprofit and philanthropy expert Vu Le.
Le, known for his wise, witty, and sometimes irreverent take on the funder-nonprofit relationship, will lead a community conversation exploring how funders and nonprofits can help—and sometimes hinder —one another, and how the Sonoma Valley nonprofit community can work together to overcome what holds it back.
Our purpose.
Catalyst is focused on solutions to problems in Sonoma Valley that no single organization or person can solve alone—ones that are chronic, urgent, and emerging.
New solutions require innovative thinking and a funding strategy that goes beyond traditional grantmaking.
“The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence, it’s acting with yesterday’s logic.”
—PETER DRUCKER
A pooled fund.
Our strategy is designed around a pooled fund that makes timely and strategic investments that catalyze new ideas and ways of working together.
Donations to Catalyst do not replace the resources our local nonprofits need to sustain existing programs. Our supporters dig a little deeper to provide the additional funding needed to find new solutions to Sonoma Valley’s growing challenges.
The power of we.
Catalyst is a community of people deeply invested in the future of Sonoma Valley. We bring together change-makers who embrace the complexity of our community’s problems and the need for new solutions.
Our team leverages data, lived experience, and cultural capital for the greater good.
The Latest
MAY 2026
Webinar: Feeding Sonoma—What’s Next?
This dynamic conversation brought together two of the region’s most impactful leaders: Allison Goodwin, CEO of the Redwood Empire Food Bank, and Whitney Reuling, Executive Director of Sonoma Family Meal to discuss what’s happening now in Sonoma Valley’s food security system, how looming changes to food stamp eligibility and funding could affect our community, and where is there real momentum—and hope—in the fight against hunger
MARCH 2026
Webinar: Frontlines of Immigration—From Local to National
This discussion provided a comprehensive overview of the Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund’s recent grantmaking to support immigrant communities, alongside expert insights from Vicki Handron of Sonoma Immigrant Services on the rapidly shifting immigration policy landscape and its local impacts.
DECEMBER 2025
State of Aging in Sonoma Valley
Learn about the demographic pressures in Sonoma Valley, the needs that older adults have, the strengths and challenges of the current system, and our recommendations.
NOVEMBER 2025
What you can do about SNAP delays.
Information on the local impact of the SNAP delays and what you can do to help in Sonoma Valley.
October 2025
The Work of Catalyst 2025
Our Fall 2025 donor handout describing, who we are, what we do, what’s new, what’s next, and our model in action.
JUNE 2025
Catalyst Awards $235,000 in Frontline Grants to Six Local Nonprofits.
These grants were intended to help nonprofits meet the moment and to provide support in addressing current and future organizational challenges.