Catalyze Investments

$100,000 unrestricted grants, $10,000 of funding for leadership development, strategic advisory support, and a peer learning community over one year.

Cohort-based support that accelerates the innovations of early-stage organizations

Our Catalyze Investments vehicle is a cohort-based model for social entrepreneurs and organizations working in areas that are critical to expanding opportunity in America, such as democracy, economic mobility, and mental health, and the American legal system.

Cohorts are often made up of leaders who have personal experience with the issues they are addressing – for example, mental health professionals, and justice-impacted individuals.

Our cohort-based model enables social entrepreneurs to build community with peers and participate in a series of in-person convenings and webinars. This programming is designed to support organizations deepening their impact and scaling their models by tackling key leadership and organizational challenges they face.

Our goal with Catalyze Investments is to equip social entrepreneurs and their organizations with tools and relationships that accelerate their path to success.

“ Every moment was valuable because of the community provided. The care offered. The skills and knowledge shared. It’s both affirming and equipping us. 2024 Civic Lab Cohort Member

Catalyze Benefits

A Peer Learning Community

We facilitate connections between social entrepreneurs tackling similar issues to share advice, navigate common challenges, and provide support and community to each other.

Unrestricted Funding

We provide unrestricted funding to offer organizations the flexibility and agency to invest resources where it will be the most impactful in service of their mission.

1:1 Strategic Advising and Leadership Development

We pair each social entrepreneur with a strategic advisor from New Profit’s Portfolio team and provide a grant for social entrepreneurs to seek additional leadership development support.

Capacity-building Framework and Tools

We provide a set of tools—informed by learnings over 25 years—that help organizations refine and expand their impact model, strategic capabilities, and scale.

Our Current Cohorts

Civic Lab

The Civic Lab cohort includes nonpartisan organizations focused on building civic trust and an inclusive democracy in the U.S.

Explore Catalyze Civic Lab

Economic Mobility

The Economic Mobility cohort includes organizations focused on income generation pathways, social drivers, and financial health & wealth creation.

Explore Catalyze Economic Mobility

Mental Health Equity

The MHE cohort includes organizations advancing equity in mental and behavioral health, including through upstream factors that affect health.

Explore Catalyze Health Equity

Unlocked Futures

The UF cohort includes organizations led by justice-impacted social entrepreneurs to remove barriers for justice-impacted individuals and communities.

Explore Catalyze Unlocked Futures

Our selection process

Step 1: Discovery

Indicate your organization’s interest in a potential partnership with New Profit by submitting a Discovery Form (open year-round).

Step 2: Pipeline

Our team reviews Discovery Forms to gauge alignment for upcoming funding cycles.

Step 3: Application

If aligned, your organization may be invited to submit an application for a specific funding cycle, which our team and a set of constituent advisors (e.g. leaders of alumni organizations) review.

Step 4: Screening & Diligence

Based on the review of your application, key members of your organization may be invited to engage with our team in a set of interviews to deepen our understanding of your work.

Eligibility

How to know if Catalyze Investments are right for your organization

Organizations interested in being considered for a Catalyze cohort must meet the following eligibility criteria*:

Focus on the United States and its territories
Hold 501(c)(3) status (Organization or fiscal sponsor)
Have an expense budget for your most recently closed fiscal year that is between $250,000 and $2 million.
Be led by at least one social entrepreneur on a full-time basis (30 hours/week)
Has been in programmatic operation for at least two years
Is not a previous New Profit grantee

*For full eligibility details, review relevant calls for submission.

Accepting Discovery Forms year-round

Submitting a Discovery Form communicates you are interested in potentially joining a Catalyze cohort and gives our team baseline information to help assess strategic alignment to a given funding cycle for a cohort before inviting organizations to invest the time in applying. Submitting a Discovery Form does not mean you are submitting an application.

For Social Entrepreneurs

Join us in expanding access and opportunity in America

Submit a Discovery Form