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Strengthening the organizations that power community transformation.

Catalyst Exchange helps place-based partnerships (PBPs) by connecting them to the expertise, tools, and hands-on support that accelerate community impact.

Community v2

Supporting the people building stronger communities

In 2025, Catalyst Exchange expanded beyond education to better support place-based partnerships working to improve cradle-to-career outcomes and boost economic mobility.

How Catalyst Supports PBPs

Clarify Your Capacity Needs: Work with Catalyst Capacity Advisors to identify priorities and determine the right next step for your organization.
Connect with Vetted Expertise: Access hands-on support aligned to your organization’s project goals.

Our Funding Partners

Stories of Impact

Talent Well
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Thriving Leaders, Thriving Communities

Partnership in Action_ Talent Strategy as Infrastructure for Impact (2)
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Talent Strategy as Infrastructure for Impact

stronger (2)
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Staying the Course Through Change


MEDA (3)
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Strengthening Strategy, Deepening Impact

Structure (1)
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Building Stronger Systems to Support Community Impact

Partnerships in Action

See how place-based partnerships are leveraging support from Catalyst Exchange and the Catalyst Network to strengthen capacity, align stakeholders, and move community initiatives forward.

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Fundraising Strategy

Challenge

Limited capacity to pursue diverse public funding opportunities

Solution

Developed a targeted public fundraising strategy with tools, analysis, and tailored support

Outcome

Secured new funding and strengthened the pipeline for future grants

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Board Recruitment

Challenge

Board recruitment and structure lacked a clear, aligned, and strategic approach

Solution

Assessed current board practices and developed tools and frameworks for recruitment, evaluation, onboarding, and planning

Outcome

Stronger, more intentional board processes that improved alignment, culture, and engagement

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Management Training

Challenge

Managers needed stronger leadership and performance management skills

Solution

Delivered a hybrid training program focused on core management competencies and applied learning

Outcome

Improved manager effectiveness in coaching, feedback, hiring, and culture-building

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Community Engagement

Challenge

Weak alignment across community engagement and collective impact efforts

Solution

Provided facilitation, strategy, and tools for engagement and shared measurement

Outcome

Improved community input, alignment, and coordination across partners

What Our Partners Are Saying

"Prior to our project on securing public funding, our approach was scattershot. Thanks to the project, we now have an actual strategy guiding how we pursue public funding and have tools and processes built out so we can be nimble, efficient, and effective. In fact, we recently secured our first state TANF grant. We were not only set up by [Catalyst] support to write an effective application, but we're better positioned to manage implementation soundly and efficiently."

Utah’s Promise

2025

“After engaging with [Catalyst], we now have a proactive and strategic framework. Using the organizational design plan, we can align talent decisions with our long-term growth goals and implement a hiring plan that supports the organization as new needs emerge.”

SE Raleigh Promise

2025

“FCS is undergoing a comprehensive transformation of its human resources infrastructure — shifting from reactive administrative practices to a proactive Talent Management Strategy that prioritizes equity, transparency, and long-term sustainability. We successfully completed a formal salary compensation study, leading to the establishment of defined salary bands, and are finalizing a Talent Management Toolkit that serves as the 'single source of truth' for leadership and staff. By defining our compensation philosophy and sharing salary bands, we are significantly bolstering internal trust. Staff will now understand the 'why' behind their compensation, which is a critical driver for retention in the non-profit sector."

Focused Community Strategies

2026

"Over the past year, we have made meaningful progress in strengthening our talent and HR capacity through the implementation of new systems and practices across the employee lifecycle. These efforts have contributed to a more structured, strategic approach to talent management, resulting in a stronger, more prepared workforce. Ultimately, this progress positions us to deliver a higher quality experience and more impactful services to Orlando's youth and families."

City of Orlando

2026

Ready to launch your project?

If your place-based partnership already has funding available through a Catalyst Wallet and is ready to take the diagnostic or scope a capacity-building project, you can get started through The Exchange.
 

The Exchange is Catalyst’s closed initiative for selected place-based partnerships.

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What Could Your Community Achieve with Stronger Systems and Support?

Partner with us to build the operational strength, capacity, and expertise needed to create lasting community impact.