About Catalyst Education
A national nonprofit that strengthens mission-driven organizations across education and social sectors by connecting them to vetted consultants, tools, and flexible funding to build capacity and drive measurable impact.
Focus Areas
Capacity buildingK-12 educationPlace-based partnershipsNonprofit strengtheningIntermediary and research organizationsState and local agencies
Who They Fund
studentseducators/teachers
Funding Style
direct serviceprogram-specific grantscapacity building
Topics
About Catalyst Education
Catalyst Education Inc uses flexible capacity-building support as a core grantmaking tool, delivered through its Catalyst Wallets program for grantees that are building organizational strength. Its recent awards show a steady emphasis on education-related systems work rather than individual scholarships, with grants flowing to state agencies, school networks, and nonprofit organizations. The largest recent award in the list was $35,000 to the Texas Education Agency in Austin for educational related issues, followed by $34,600 to OSSE District of Columbia in Washington for the same general purpose. A third large award went to the New Mexico Public Ed Dist in Santa Fe for $25,787, reinforcing the pattern of support for public education infrastructure. The foundation’s public profile describes it as connecting mission-driven organizations to vetted consultants, tools, and flexible funding to build capacity and drive measurable impact. In practice, that shows up in grants that support organizational development, strategic planning, and other forms of strengthening rather than only direct program delivery.
What Catalyst Education Funds
Education systems are the clearest theme in the recent grant list. Catalyst Education Inc gave $35,000 to the Texas Education Agency in Austin for educational related issues, and another $34,600 to OSSE District of Columbia in Washington for the same purpose. It also supported the New Mexico Public Ed Dist in Santa Fe with $25,787. The foundation also funds school-based and nonprofit education work. Examples include $10,000 to Chicago Tech Academy in Chicago, $10,000 to Northwood Academy Chrtr Schl in Philadelphia, and $10,000 to New Mission High School in Hyde Park. Other awards reached community organizations tied to education, such as $10,000 to Para Los Ninos in Los Angeles and $12,000 to Art as Mentorship in Kansas City. Several Kansas City recipients appear in the 2024 list, including People of All Colors, Urban Technology Empowered, and Heart of America Indian, each funded for educational related issues.
How Catalyst Education Gives
Recent grants cluster around a fairly tight size band: p25 is $10,000, the median is $11,550, and p75 is $19,000. The award list shows both one-time and repeated support patterns; Texas Education Agency appears in both 2023 and 2024, and Chicago Tech Academy and Distinctive Schools of IL also show up in 2023. Catalyst Education Inc is a regular funder rather than a donor-advised fund, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The active Catalyst Wallets program is structured for grantee-directed capacity building, with guided access to vetted providers and flexible support.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$234K
Total Assets
$17M
Total Revenue
$21.1M
Total Expenses
$11M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $19K, with a median of $12K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$12K
75th Percentile
$19K
Geographic Reach
National10 states funded
About 0% of grants go to recipients in MO.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Leona Christy
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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