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CATALYST NOW INC

BROOKLYN, NY · EIN 332512154 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE Q33 · International Affairs · Micro (<$100K) · catalystnow.net
revenue
$0
expenses
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employees
mission · from form 990

Catalyst Now is a dynamic global movement of social innovators transforming systems and driving sustainable change to advance the UN Sustainable Development

profile · synthesized from sources

Catalyst Now is a global membership movement connecting social innovators to drive systems change in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It facilitates cross-sector collaboration among individuals and organizations working on social and environmental challenges. The network fosters peer learning, co-creation, and collective action across geographic and sectoral silos.

named programs · 7 · from sources

What they call their work

50plus Chapter
Networking and engagement initiative for Baby Boomer and Generation X professionals to contribute expertise toward achieving the SDGs
Africa Forward
Initiative co-created by African chapters to accelerate actions addressing African challenges through partnership-driven opportunities
Alliance for Youth-Led Futures
Global collaboration using art and culture to empower youth as leaders and co-creators in systems change
Austria–Africa Impact Exchange
Co-creative planning initiative fostering equitable collaboration between Austrian and African actors in agriculture, energy, digital inclusion, and policy
Bunyala Agri Climate Action Impact Solutions (BACAIS)
Community-driven initiative in Kenya promoting sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, and economic empowerment for smallholder farmers, with focus on youth and women-led enterprises
Member Collaboration Network
Global platform enabling members to propose, join, and lead cross-sector collaborations addressing issues such as climate, food security, and inclusion
Wellbeing Collaboration Group
Spanish-language peer support network focused on personal, financial, and organizational wellbeing for changemakers in Latin America
activities · 8 groups

What they do

  • Impact Investing Knowledge & Technology Platforms 3 activities
    • Offering fundraising and scaling support for social ventures
      Provides a Fundraising Masterclass that equips social ventures with expert strategies and insights to overcome financial challenges and scale their impact.
    • Producing research and impact reports on social innovation
      Documents and shares global impact through Catalyst Reports and organizational publications based on evidence-based research into social entrepreneurship, systems change, and policy development.
    • Providing capacity-building resources and tools
      Shares and updates collaboration resources, toolkits, and learning materials based on member feedback and published research to support grassroots and institutional leaders in systems change work.
  • Regional Chapter Network Support 2 activities
    • Facilitating peer-to-peer and member-led collaboration
      Operates a peer-to-peer Buddy System pairing members for three-month cycles and supports member-led initiatives such as Conversation Cafés and local chapters to spark dialogue and collaboration on global challenges.
    • Supporting regional chapters in the Global South
      Supports 10 regional chapters worldwide, with 60% located in the Global South and 81.9% of local chapters based there, to foster geographically grounded collaboration among social innovators.
  • Global Sustainability Convenings & Forums 2 activities
    • Hosting Catalyzing Change Week
      Organizes an annual large-scale virtual event, Catalyzing Change Week, that engaged over 5,100 leaders, innovators, policymakers, and social entrepreneurs from 125 countries in 2025 to share knowledge and advance systems change.
    • Operating impact platforms for cross-sector changemakers
      Runs platforms such as Social Innovation House and Igniting Systems Change Medium to convene leaders, share research, and accelerate transformative solutions through curated knowledge hubs and gatherings.
  • SDG Advancement & Global Advocacy 1 activity
    • Advancing UN Sustainable Development Goals via global movement
      Advances the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by building and supporting a global movement of social innovators to drive systemic and sustainable change.
  • Mental Health Education and Awareness 1 activity
    • Advancing systems change through open-source collaboration
      Co-creates open-source solutions to advance climate policy recommendations and improve mental health education for children in conflict zones through collaborative innovation.
  • Membership Program Administration 1 activity
    • Operating member onboarding and engagement programs
      Conducts a structured onboarding process for new members, including application review by a selection committee, onboarding sessions, and a formal Onboarding Ceremony, requiring a six-month commitment of approximately 2 hours per month to become full members.
  • Industry and Community Recognition Awards 1 activity
    • Recognizing social innovators through awards
      Hosts the Catalyst Now Awards to recognize social entrepreneurs and innovators, accelerating systemic transformation by highlighting impactful work.
  • Uncategorized 3 activities
    • Global network facilitation for social innovators
      Connects social innovators and institutions across more than 154 countries to enable global collaboration and drive systems change, maintaining a growing membership base and fostering cross-sector partnerships.
    • Operating Catalyst Market as a member-driven impact marketplace
      Runs Catalyst Market, a not-for-profit, member-driven marketplace that connects producers and consumers through curated listings of products, services, events, courses, and campaigns to support an inclusive, regenerative economy.
    • Operating learning and collaboration programs
      Runs the Learning Series, Systems Change Learning Working Group, and other learning sessions—including design thinking training and expert Q&As—to foster continuous learning, collective insight, and improved practices in systems change.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$0
Contributions & grants$0
Program service revenue$0
Investment income$0
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Fundraising
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balance sheet
Total assets$0
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1 years on record · 2024–2024
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 1
  • Fredrik Galtung — DIRECTOR
relationships · 32

Who they work with

  • Africa Forward Partner — Represented on the Governing Council by Dr. Wamuyu Mahinda.
  • Ashoka Partner — Co-founding member organization of Catalyst Now and part of the global network of social innovators.
  • Beirut International Women Film Festival Partner — Collaborated to honor Dr. Jackie Maalouf with the Golden Tanith Award for leadership in philanthropy.
  • Catalyst Co-Labs Partner — Represented on the Governing Council by Therese von Blixen-Finecke.
  • Catalytic Fund - ODS 6 Partner — Represented on the Governing Council by Monica Pasqualin.
  • Conversation Café Partner — Member-hosted discussion forums for exchanging ideas and building collaborations among changemakers.
  • Disasters' Group Partner — Represented on the Governing Council by Meenakshi Gupta.
  • Echoing Green Partner — Co-founding member organization of Catalyst Now and part of the global network of social innovators.
  • Echoing Green Partner — Represented on the Governing Council by Cheryl Dorsey and Liza Mueller.
  • Education Collaboration Partner — Represented on the Governing Council by Urvashi Sahni.
  • Força Tarefa: Inteligência Artificial Generativa/ Generative AI Partner — Represented on the Governing Council by Rodrigo Baggio.
  • Mental Health Collaboration Partner — Represented on the Governing Council by Chris Underhill.
  • One Family Foundation Partner — Incubated Catalyst Now during its initial development phase.
  • One Family Foundation Partner — Represented on the Governing Council by Jeroo Billimoria.
  • Panorama Global Partner — Provided support to Catalyst Now after its initial incubation.
  • Play Verto Partner — Collaborates with Catalyst Now Inc by sharing data practices in learning sessions.
  • Refugee Innovation Centre Partner — Represented on the Governing Council by Olivier Nkunzurwanda.
  • Roof Over Our Heads (ROOH) Partner — Represented on the Governing Council by Sheela Patel.
  • Rural Senses Partner — Collaborates with Catalyst Now Inc by sharing data practices in learning sessions.
  • Schwab Foundation Partner — Co-founding member organization of Catalyst Now and part of the global network of social innovators.
  • Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship Partner — Represented on the Governing Council by François Bonnici.
  • Skoll Foundation Partner — Co-founding member organization of Catalyst Now and part of the global network of social innovators.
  • Skoll Foundation Partner — Represented on the Governing Council by Vanessa Wai.
  • Social Innovation House Partner — Collaborative platform co-hosted with Catalyst Now to accelerate transformative solutions.
  • Social entrepreneur fellowship organisations Partner — Partner organizations that helped establish Catalyst Now.
  • The Sustainable Ethical Fashion Collaboration Partner — Represented on the Governing Council by Kamilah Sanders.
  • The Wellbeing Project Partner — Collaborates to deliver the "Camino del Bienestar" webinar series and build a community focused on wellbeing among changemakers.
  • University of Cape Town Partner — Partner organization through affiliation with expert contributor Cynthia Rayner.
  • Validaid Funder — Hosts the donation page for Catalyst Now initiatives.
  • We Love Reading Partner — Collaborates with Catalyst Now Inc by sharing data practices in learning sessions.
+ 2 more
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Co-Creation and Collective Ownership
    methodology: co-creative-mindset
    By grounding innovation in co-creation with diverse stakeholders, we produce more legitimate and durable solutions, because sustainable change depends on shared ownership, collective wisdom, and the inclusion of multiple perspectives in design and implementation.
  • Deep Systems Change Through Root Cause Transformation
    methodology: iceberg-model-of-systems-thinking
    By addressing root causes rather than symptoms—transforming underlying structures, mindsets, and power dynamics—we achieve lasting impact, because systemic problems require shifts below the surface level, guided by frameworks like the iceberg model of systems thinking.
  • Member-Driven, Non-Hierarchical Governance
    methodology: social-entrepreneur-led governance
    By ensuring governance is led by social entrepreneurs (with at least 75% representation) and structured as a member-driven, non-hierarchical system, we align decision-making with lived experience and mission integrity, because legitimacy and effectiveness in systems change require shifting power to those closest to the work.
  • Network-Driven Ecosystem of Changemakers
    methodology: network-driven systems change
    By connecting grassroots and institutional leaders within a global network of social innovators, we amplify collaboration and collective power, because systems change scales through distributed leadership and peer-supported innovation across geographies and sectors.
  • Systems Orchestrator Model
    methodology: systems_orchestrator
    By acting as connective tissue that aligns ideas, capital, policy, and leadership across silos—rather than implementing direct projects—we enable existing actors to drive systemic change more effectively, because sustainable transformation emerges from coordinated ecosystems rather than isolated interventions.