It Takes A City
Accelerate your impact with help from skilled volunteers
An Unrestricted Resource to Empower Baltimore Nonprofits
Our capacity building program is designed to extend your team and expand your skill set with a massive pool of skilled volunteers who complete tangible projects and provide expert consultation in areas such as marketing, finance, and web development so you can spend more time focusing on your mission.
The Catchafire Baltimore initiative is more than a technology tool — it provides the framework and skills to support equity across Baltimore by empowering nonprofit leaders like yourself to decide what you need to sustain your work over time, giving you more control of your organization's growth and overall impact. This program is free to all nonprofits in Baltimore — simply sign up!
Nadira matched with Betsy from WellAWARE Neighborhood Healthcare Advocates for a Human Resources consultation call!
Gregory matched with Katy from Rx Partnership for a Communications consultation call!
Marian matched with Kerry from Many Hands Lifesharing Community for an Elevator Pitch Coaching project!
Amina from The Family Youth Institute listed a Market Analysis project.
Amina from The Family Youth Institute listed a Storytelling project.
SAKINAH from JABALU NUR FOUNDATION, INC listed a Fundraising Plan Assessment project.
Caitlin matched with Holly from BRAWS (Bringing Resources to Aid Women's Shelters) for an Individual Donor Letter project!
Pantea from Mission Kids Co-Op listed a Flexible Tech Support project.
Pantea from Mission Kids Co-Op listed a Flexible Tech Support project.
Chris from YourPassion1st listed a Fundraising Plan Assessment project.
SAKINAH from JABALU NUR FOUNDATION, INC listed a Marketing Materials consultation call.
Barbara matched with Mark from Givr for a Flexible Copywriting Support project!
Barbara matched with Melissa from A Global Voice for Autism for an Email Marketing Copywriting project!
Ian matched with Marsha from Helping the Aging, Needy, and Disabled Inc. (HAND) for a Storytelling project!
Jashier matched with Valerie from RISE for Youth for a Website Audit project!
Cassie from Children's Home Society of Virgina listed a Compensation Plan project.
Nikki from The Family Giving Tree listed a Copywriting project.
Debbie matched with Alison from Hospice of Michigan and Arbor Hospice for a Presentation Creation project!
Dan matched with Randolph from Inclusive Fitness Foundation for an Organizational One-Pager project!
Mireille matched with David from Photo Start Foundation for a Translation project!
Heather E. matched with Rebecca from Many Languages One Voice for a Customer Database (CRM) Set Up project!
Chantal from Partnership for the Future listed a Website Usability Audit project.
Larry matched with Connie from Free Clinic of Powhatan for a Communications consultation call!
Tenille matched with Deb from Infinity Visual & Performing Arts for an Email Marketing Copywriting project!
Rudi from Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy listed a Data Visualization project.
Devon matched with Victoria from Boys & Girls Club of Metro Richmond for a Data & Analytics consultation call!
Heather from Northwest New Jersey Community Action Partnership (NORWESCAP) listed an Email Marketing System Set Up project.
Anna from Family Lifeline listed a Leadership Coaching project.
Shelley from Lockport Ice Arena and Sports Center, Inc. listed a Website Set Up (CMS-Based) project.
Holly from BRAWS (Bringing Resources to Aid Women's Shelters) listed a Brochure Writing project.
Holly from BRAWS (Bringing Resources to Aid Women's Shelters) listed a Brochure Graphic Design project.
Ruslan matched with Kim from Wichita Children's Home for a Print Materials Design project!
Jana matched with Jill from Tax-Aid for a Professional Bio Writing project!
Stephanie from The Teacher's Toolbox listed a Print Materials Design project.
Stephanie from The Teacher's Toolbox listed a Print Materials Design project.
Zipporah from Healthy Hearts Plus II: Mommies, Bellies, Babies, and Daddies listed a Social Media Set Up project.
Stephanie from The Teacher's Toolbox listed a Print Materials Design project.
Mariana matched with Caroline from Task Force for Global Health (End Child Leprosy by 2030) for a Translation project!
Nikita matched with Kristine from Mt. Pleasant Public Schools Education Foundation for a Social Media Content Calendar project!
Julysa from American Indians in Texas of the Spanish Colonial Missions listed a Social Media consultation call.
Julysa from American Indians in Texas of the Spanish Colonial Missions listed a Communications consultation call.
Megan from InnerConnected listed a Leadership Coaching project.
Matt matched with Leslie from Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity for a Flexible Graphic Design Support project!
Stephanie from Infinity Visual & Performing Arts listed a Social Media Content Calendar project.
Dan matched with Stephanie from The Teacher's Toolbox for a Print Materials Design project!
Peri from Student Advocacy Center of Michigan listed a Flexible Human Resources Support project.
Judy from Capitol Hill Village listed a Copyediting project.
Lara matched with Vedaste from Service Yezu Mwiza for a Marketing Strategy consultation call!
Brian from Kids Win Missouri listed a Tech Systems consultation call.
Brittany matched with Julie from Amazing Grace for a Marketing Strategy consultation call!
How It Works
1. Explore Available Projects
Browse through over 150 proven projects and post your own.2. Find Your Pro Bono Professional
Review applications from interested professionals and choose who you want to work with.3. Get The Help You Need
Kick off your project and start making progress.Two ways to connect!
Consultation Calls
Projects
Great Connections Are Made Here
Matched Oct 4th, 2021
How Amanda S. helped Saint Luke's Youth Center, Inc. (SLYC)
HR Policy Writing
Matched Jul 6th, 2021
How Casey L. helped Baltimore Hunger Project
Thank You Letter
Matched Jun 27th, 2021
How Estefania W. helped Improving Education
Translation
Matched Oct 20th, 2021
How Nadira L. helped WellAWARE Neighborhood Healthcare Advocates
Human Resources
Matched Oct 20th, 2021
How Pamela Insley K. helped MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR YOU INC
Organizational One-Pager
Matched Oct 20th, 2021
How Donald T. helped Como Friends
Tech Systems Review
Matched Oct 20th, 2021
How Barbara S. helped Givr
Flexible Copywriting Support
Matched Oct 20th, 2021
How Diana B. helped Ladies Empowerment & Action Program
Branded Digital Assets
Matched Oct 19th, 2021
How Calley P. helped Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empo...
Website Audit
ABOUT THE VOLUNTEERS
Work With Talented Professionals From Around the World
Finding the right match is important. Each of the 150+ proven projects contains prerequisite skills and experience, core deliverables, and time estimates, so volunteers know exactly what is required when they apply to work with you.
The rigorous application process, which includes work experience, portfolios, and statements of interest, limits applicants to those who are serious about working with you. It's not a one-click application, and it shouldn't be.
You can review up to three applications at a time, and interview candidates before deciding. The decision is yours.
What Baltimore Organizations are Saying
Frequently Asked Questions
New around here? Start with the basics.
Catchafire is an online platform for virtual, skills-based volunteering. Through Catchafire, professionals are able to directly support causes they care about by helping nonprofits with projects that match their skill sets. And because projects can be completed from anywhere, Catchafire makes it possible for organizations and skilled volunteers to connect for good, from all around the world!
Skills-based volunteering is a high impact form of volunteering that allows an individual to donate his or her professional skills and expertise, which in turn allows a nonprofit to build its capacity and focus more efficiently on its mission.
Skilled volunteers help nonprofits fill critical knowledge and staffing gaps, they work as thought partners on strategic projects, and they complete specific projects that require specialized skills, training, or experience. Very often, the relationships between volunteers and nonprofits extend far beyond the scope of the initial project that brought them together.
A specific example of skills-based volunteering is a marketing professional who volunteers to help a nonprofit create a marketing strategy.
No. Your access to Catchafire is sponsored through this program, so it’s completely free for your organization.
In order to participate, you must first register your organization and then post your first project or consultation call. Get started by visiting the Project Menu to browse through over 120 detailed project types.
You can work on an unlimited number of projects and calls throughout your membership. Once you finish a project, just make sure to mark it “complete”.
Your posted projects are visible to Catchafire’s entire skills-based volunteer community of 40,000+ talented professionals on the platform, and millions more via Catchafire's partnership with LinkedIn. Those who are interested in your organization’s cause area and who have the skills required for your project will be able to apply.
Skills-based volunteers may apply to your projects from all across the country and around the world. We encourage you to engage with virtual skills-based volunteers. If you prefer to work with somebody local, please expect it to take longer than normal to receive applications from a professional in the area.
On average, projects are matched within two weeks. If you are not seeing the response you hoped for, please reach out to [email protected], and one of Catchafire's Nonprofit Advisors will get in touch to troubleshoot with you.
After the interview, you can log into your account dashboard and ACCEPT or PASS on the match. Once both parties accept, you are officially matched and can begin the project! If you need to exchange any materials or have follow-up conversations to determine if it is a good fit after the interview, you are encouraged to do so.
Absolutely! Schedule a call, or email your questions to [email protected] and one of Catchafire’s Nonprofit Advisors will be in touch within 24 business hours.
About Our Approach
For a little over a decade, Catchafire has provided its platform to thousands of nonprofit organizations throughout the globe, bringing equitable systems of support to help local nonprofits maximize their impact and meet the needs of residents.
At Catchafire, we believe in inclusive capacity building that is more accessible and responsive, more deeply rooted in mutual trust, and more scalable to reach the widest range of nonprofits — with a special focus on communities that have been under-resourced and underrepresented. Because of our particular approach, we were provided the opportunity to launch our platform in any city within the United States.
Through interviews with nonprofits and community members, it was clear Baltimore and its surrounding area already has all the changemakers (you!) it needs. The surest path forward to strengthening Baltimore neighborhoods is by bridging the gap to expert talent through consistent access to critical capacity building projects and operational support. You are the experts in your neighborhood and by no means do we want to change the way you advocate for your city, we simply want to exist as a resource to help you grow.
Get Started by Signing Up Today
If you have more questions, email the Catchafire team at [email protected]. We also encourage you to share this offering with any 501c3 in Baltimore.
