Stronger Organizations,
Stronger Communities

At Catalyst, we see capacity building and technical assistance as the process of working with leaders and teams to build, strengthen, and augment the skills, knowledge, systems, structures, culture, resources, and power they need to serve students, families, and communities. It can range from addressing a specific challenge or opportunity through a single consulting project to strengthening a specific domain through a range of targeted and sequenced consulting engagements.

Each organization that works with us gets assigned to a dedicated Capacity Advisor, who supports their leaders and teams in getting the most out of their consulting engagements. Depending on what the organization needs, the Capacity Advisor may facilitate a capacity diagnostic, co-develop action plans, author scopes of work for projects, help leaders and teams identify the right consulting partner, and provide “roadside assistance” during a project, if needed. To learn more about how we can help, schedule a discovery call with your Capacity Advisor here.

If you already know what you want to list, you can schedule a scoping call with your Catalyst:Ed Capacity Advisory here. You do not need to schedule a discovery call.

To get started, fill out the “request expert support” form. Here’s what happens next:

1. Your Capacity Advisor will have a scoping call with you to better understand your needs, context, and goals. They will then develop a scope of work (mini-RFP) and send it to all of the providers in our network who are vetted for their skills in the area where you need support.
2. Providers will submit short proposals if they are interested and available detailing how they would approach the work.
3. You will review these applications on our platform and decide who to interview and who to move forward via our platform.
4. We’ll make the connection and handle contracting and payments, so you and the provider can get right to work.

Your Capacity Advisor will guide you through a set of questions to better understand your needs, contexts, and goals, and develop a tailored project scope that we then share with our provider network. Our partner organizations find the scoping process incredibly helpful and have compared it to “part consultation with a strategic advisor, part speaking with a therapist”.

We tag projects along various dimensions, including type (e.g., design, implementation, etc.), domain (e.g., personalized learning, special education, etc.), organization type, and geography. In most cases, we request proposals from providers whose characteristics match the project requirements. You review the profiles and proposals of all providers who respond and decide whom to interview and whom to work with. In some cases when the project budgets are small or the need is urgent, we will reach out directly to some vetted providers and identify a provider for you, but we will never do this without talking with you first.

A consulting wallet is dedicated philanthropic funding designed to give your organization access to specialized strategic, operational and technical assistance services as and when you need it. The amount will be credited into your account at Catalyst, and can be used by you to pay a significant part of projects you engage in via Catalyst’s TA Marketplace. Catalyst will manage all contracting and payments on your behalf, ensuring that you can focus on the work without worrying about the administrative details. Wallets are typically funded by philanthropies and guided by parameters set by the foundation and Catalyst.

Periodically throughout the project, we check in with the organization and the provider and ask them to provide feedback for each other. Once the project is completed, we ask both about what was accomplished and reflect on what they learned. We also ask them to share feedback for each other as well as for Catalyst. By default, feedback is shared with the other party, although both organizations and providers can ask to keep the feedback confidential. Providers who propose for projects can share their past feedback with prospective clients, although we do not require them to do so. The information we collect helps us understand our impact and improve our services to organizations and providers.

Meeting your expectations is core to our mission. You will have the opportunity to share feedback at several points during the project. You can also reach out to your Capacity Advisor at any point, and we will work with you to ensure a successful outcome. Schedule a call with a Capacity Advisor here.

Catalyst’s TA Marketplace is a dedicated resource for investees of Blue Meridian Partners and the Ballmer Group. It is an initiative of Catalyst:Ed, which works with organizations serving children, youth, and families looking to improve educational outcomes and promote economic mobility for their communities. Our clients include schools, school systems, nonprofits, community groups, and foundations.

The Catalyst:Ed Provider Network is a diverse coalition of expert consultants, coaches, and technical assistance providers with deep expertise and experience working with and supporting nonprofits. Providers range from national and regional organizations (including nonprofits that offer technical assistance services, consulting firms, and research organizations) to independent consultants. All network members have gone through a rigorous vetting process.

All providers go through a three-stage vetting process that includes an application and portfolio review, an interview, and three reference checks before they are added to the network. We evaluate relevant experience and expertise and look for demonstrated commitment to improving outcomes. The process also helps us gather the information we need to make more informed matches.

Not at this time. However, organizations that post a project can review the profiles of providers who propose for the project.

Consultations with your Capacity Advisor are at no cost to you.

Capacity Advisors work with you to develop project scopes that take into account the intensity and complexity of the work required to achieve the deliverables and the budget that is available. The estimated budget is included in the project scope shared with providers. Providers have the option of proposing a project budget that is above or below the estimated budget given their approach and cost structures. The final project budget is based on the proposal and provider selected by you.

For projects subsidized by a consulting wallet, Catalyst:Ed offers an easy-to-use payment system through which providers can be paid. Providers submit invoices and we make payments once we receive your approval. If you do not have a consulting wallet, or your project does not meet the criteria for wallet funding, as of now, you pay the providers directly.

Yes, you can share the link to your scope of work with anyone in your network during the proposal acceptance. Providers who are outside of the Catalyst network will be able to apply using our platform, however, they will have to go through an expedited vetting process if you decide to work with them (note that providers interested in joining the Catalyst provider network will still have to go through our full vetting process).

If you would like to extend your consulting wallet-funded project with your selected provider due to additional needs that emerged during your project, please connect with your Capacity Advisor, who will guide you on next steps.