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Fidelity Charitable Catalyst Fund

Engaging donors · Elevating nonprofits · Empowering communities

The Fidelity Charitable® Catalyst Fund envisions a world where promising nonprofits that strengthen our communities have access to the resources they need to flourish.

Our approach

The Catalyst Fund is a grantmaking program* of Fidelity Charitable, led by our Board of Trustees and separate from Fidelity Charitable’s donor-advised fund program.

While the fund has been supporting the nonprofit sector since 1994, the Catalyst Fund recently shifted its strategy to focus on grantmaking to nonprofit organizations that engage donors with education and community connections and elevate nonprofits so more donors know about their work. When donors and nonprofits partner together, we can empower communities to flourish. Read more about our impact.

*The Catalyst Fund accepts grant requests by invitation only.

Catalyst Fund

3-part strategic grantmaking focus:

Engaging donors

We grow the intermediaries that help donors craft their approach to philanthropy, learn about our communities, find new nonprofits they can support, and give together.

The goals: 

  • Connect donors’ values to their giving
  • Build donor awareness about credible charitable giving opportunities in our communities

Elevating nonprofits

We invest in programs for nonprofits to build their confidence in fundraising, storytelling, impact measurement, and volunteer engagement.

The goals: 

  • Position promising nonprofits to get the attention of new donors
  • Train nonprofits on how to engage with donors authentically

Field building

We strengthen the ecosystem of organizations that connect donors to nonprofits by funding research and collaboration.

The goals: 

  • Generate new data that gives the nonprofit sector insights into how to effectively engage donors
  • Provide opportunities for intermediaries that work with donors and nonprofits to learn and share best practices

Donors often don’t have a personal connection with the promising nonprofits helping those in the community who need the most support. We’re investing in organizations that create trust between donors and nonprofits. We’re funding those bridges.

— Tony Bowen, Executive Director of the Fidelity Charitable Catalyst Fund, and Catherine D’Amato, Chair of the Catalyst Fund Committee, Fidelity Charitable Board of Trustees