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.
We are proud to launch Catchafire Baltimore, a project supported by The Catchafire Foundation. This 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!
ORLANDO from Music Instruction For All Learners, Inc. listed a Website Content Plan project.
Eneje matched with Lynne from Baltimore Hunger Project for a Thank You Letter project!
Chinwendu matched with Chidimma from New Song Community Learning Center for a Website consultation call!
Baltimore Rock Opera Society received an application from Ziyan for a Website Minor Update project.
Park Heights Renaissance Inc received an application from Joel for a Talent Recruitment consultation call.
Aran from Baltimore Rock Opera Society listed a Website Minor Update project.
Park Heights Renaissance Inc received an application from ishfaq for a Talent Recruitment consultation call.
Park Heights Renaissance Inc received an application from Gabriel for a Talent Recruitment consultation call.
Park Heights Renaissance Inc received an application from Towanda for a Talent Recruitment consultation call.
Amber from Park Heights Renaissance Inc listed a Talent Recruitment consultation call.
Bill matched with David from HOPE4U2020 for an Organizational Strategy consultation call!
Lucas matched with David from HOPE4U2020 for a Data & Analytics consultation call!
Red Devils received an application from John for a Flexible Graphic Design Support project.
David from HOPE4U2020 listed an Elevator Pitch Coaching project.
Robert matched with Laura from Asylee Women Enterprise for a Leadership Coaching project!
Scott matched with Laura from Asylee Women Enterprise for a Finance consultation call!
Lynne from Baltimore Hunger Project listed an Individual Donor Letter project.
Jessica matched with Tiffani from Baltimore's Promise for a Logo Design & Visual Brand Identity project!
Elizabeth matched with Brittani from A Gentle Embrace From Mama to Mama for a Website Content Plan project!
Erandi matched with David from HOPE4U2020 for a Social Media Content Calendar project!
Asylum Medicine Training Initiative received an application from Jolin for a Website User Experience project.
Faith matched with John from Heathcote for an Illustration project!
Austin matched with Brittani from A Gentle Embrace From Mama to Mama for a Website consultation call!
Faizan matched with David from HOPE4U2020 for a Marketing Strategy consultation call!
De'Andre matched with David from HOPE4U2020 for a Tech Systems Review project!
Episcopal Housing Corporation received an application from William for a Succession Planning Sessions project.
Lee matched with David from HOPE4U2020 for a Website Content Plan project!
Asylum Medicine Training Initiative received an application from Renato for a Website User Experience project.
Marco matched with David from HOPE4U2020 for an Accounting Systems Set Up project!
Shailee matched with David from HOPE4U2020 for a Market Analysis project!
Patrick matched with Andrew from The Center for Community Ownership for a Board Responsibilities & Structure project!
olivier matched with Emilie from Asylum Medicine Training Initiative for a Logo Design & Visual Brand Identity project!
Larry matched with David from HOPE4U2020 for a Marketing Strategy consultation call!
Elena matched with John from Heathcote for a Branded Digital Assets project!
Krystal matched with David from HOPE4U2020 for a Google Analytics Set Up & Training project!
Housing Options &Planning Enterprises, Inc. received an application from Larry for a Marketing Strategy consultation call.
Housing Options &Planning Enterprises, Inc. received an application from Faizan for a Marketing Strategy consultation call.
Linda Ifeoma matched with David from HOPE4U2020 for an Instagram Set Up & Strategy project!
Philip Ansumana matched with John from Heathcote for an Infographic project!
Fahimur matched with Brittani from A Gentle Embrace From Mama to Mama for a Website consultation call!
De'Andre matched with David from HOPE4U2020 for a Website User Experience project!
Daniel from Episcopal Housing Corporation listed a Succession Planning Sessions project.
Connor matched with Chidimma from New Song Community Learning Center for a Website consultation call!
Raeesha matched with Chidimma from New Song Community Learning Center for a Website consultation call!
Krystal matched with David from HOPE4U2020 for a Copywriting project!
Krystal matched with David from HOPE4U2020 for a Social Media Set Up project!
Housing Options &Planning Enterprises, Inc. received an application from chioma for a Marketing Strategy consultation call.
Shawna from Housing Options &Planning Enterprises, Inc. listed a Marketing Strategy consultation call.
Jide matched with Michele from Michele's Haven, CDC, Inc. for a Website consultation call!
Kola matched with Michele from Michele's Haven, CDC, Inc. for a Website 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
How Eneje C. helped Baltimore Hunger Project
How Bill L. helped HOPE4U2020
How Robert G. helped Asylee Women Enterprise
How Jessica F. helped Baltimore's Promise
How Elizabeth D. helped A Gentle Embrace From Mama to Mama
How Faith T. helped Heathcote
How Patrick M. helped The Center for Community Ownership
How Abigail W. helped National Association of Asian American...
How Michael K. helped Weekend Backpacks for Homeless Kids, Inc.
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 150+ 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 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, alongside The Catchafire Foundation, 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.
