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“Thank you for the opportunity to connect with peers and learn new skills. We appreciate your support! – Catalyst Day attendee
It was worth the wait! After a long, pandemic-forced delay, we were delighted to be able to gather in-person with our community of Catalyst grantees this spring. Given the feedback and energy in the rooms, we think they were delighted to be in community too!
Catalyst is the Foundation’s multi-year core funding program that supports leading access to justice organizations from across Ontario. There are currently 25 organizations receiving Catalyst grants.
On April 27, 2023, we hosted a Catalyst Day kickoff reception. We were excited to welcome our Catalyst grantees, joined by our Trustees Stephen Thiele and Jack Braithwaite, to our bright and open new office space, which we moved to in August 2021.
On April 28, 2023, we spent the day together, connecting, learning, and sharing. Our Catalyst Day began with a high-energy presentation by Michael Prosserman. Michael is an author, coach, and CEO of EPIC Leadership.
Michael shared strategic and practical advice on diversifying and growing revenue streams. (The #1 capacity-building topic requested by the Catalyst grantees in our pre-event surveying.) Many of the lessons Michael imparted were ones he learned first-hand while establishing Unity Charity, an organization using hip hop to improve youth mental health and wellbeing. Grantees then gathered into small peer groups to share ideas and challenges, and learn from each other.
In the afternoon, we focused on Catalyst itself. As part of an ongoing review of the program, our evaluation partners GGI Inc. facilitated peer discussion groups. The conversations gathered candid insights about the program and people’s experiences being a part of it. The Foundation will use these (anonymized) insights to continually improve the program and ensure it stays relevant and responsive to community needs.
The day also included two exciting announcements. As part of the Foundation’s commitment to capacity-building, each Catalyst grantee will be eligible to receive up to an additional $10K to support their revenue development strategies. Also, each Catalyst grantee will receive a 5% inflationary increase for Year 3 (2024) of the Catalyst grant.
We were thrilled to be able to bring these exceptional nonprofit justice sector leaders together. We heard loud and clear that all of us, staff and grantees alike, valued the opportunity to meet, learn from, and inspire each other. We look forward to doing it again!
“It was a great opportunity to get a snapshot of other Foundation grantees and the current struggles in access to justice we are working with.” – Catalyst Day attendee
