Apr 18th, 2022
Catchafire Gives Back for Volunteer Month
Our experiences using Catchafire to volunteer.
We're on a mission to mobilize the world's talent for good – and what good would that be if we didn’t mobilize our talent, too? Volunteering is not an aspect of our work; it is fundamental to our mission.
The staff at Catchafire all have causes they personally care about, and Catchafire encourages all of us to take time to give back on (and off) our platform. These staff stories embody our duty to empower, connect, and cultivate an inclusive space on our platform. It’s incredible to see how our staff gives their time and talent and we hope it inspires you to do the same during Volunteer Month and beyond!
Employee Spotlight: Angelissa Paulino
- Consult Call: Staff Retreat Planning
- Saved Interfaith Housing and Community Services $340 (Sponsored by Heartland Collective)
“I couldn't believe how perfect this posting was for my past work experience. I used to plan my church's annual staff retreats and this organization needed advice about planning their staff retreat. I was so anxious about whether I would have the right knowledge to share with them but I just asked them some framing questions, shared my previous process, and it was super helpful to them!”
Employee Spotlight: Alanna Markowitz
- Project: Donor Letter
- Saved My Brother's Table $2,140
“I had a wonderful experience working with My Brother's Table. It was actually one of my first experiences at Catchafire and was a powerful introduction to the impact of our work. I wrote a donor letter template for them that they'd be able to use for a series of fundraising event solicitations. I've been organizing fundraisers (whether paid or pro bono) since I was 16 years old and have written many solicitation letters. Most of the time, they're pretty boring! But being able to work with My Brother's Table felt motivating.
I had a really beautiful conversation with them where they told me that Catchafire has been “a godsend” and allowed them to adapt to increased demand for meals and pivot to a new model during the pandemic. They're a food bank in Lynn, MA that used to serve 2,000 meals per year, but are now serving close to 1 million, partly thanks to Catchafire volunteers!”
Employee Spotlight: Zoe Johannas
- Project: New Employee Recruiting
- Saved L.E.A.D. Center For Youth $1700 (Sponsored by The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta)
“I helped Kelli from LEAD design her first ever job description and hiring process tools for her very first staff member! It was a great experience learning about the organization and helping facilitate an incredibly exciting moment for their growth as a program. Not only did I use my recruiting skills to help Kelli find a great hire, but we've kept in touch over the last year, and we've worked on a few other things together off platform.
I've been able to leverage my HR skills to help Kelli, but she's also helped me grow my skill set through exposing me to new situations and challenges and bringing a new perspective. I've learned so much about what it means to be a community leader from Kelli, and it's been incredible to see LEAD really gain momentum.”
Employee Spotlight: Séverine Koen
- Consult Call: Management
- Saved StrongMinds $670 (Sponsored by The Peery Foundation)
“We matched on a Management call - they were hoping to discuss their expansion plans and some best practices for team management and motivation. I initially inferred from their post that they wanted to discuss their operations in Uganda or Zambia, but it turns out they were looking for advice about spinning up their program in Jersey!”
Employee Spotlight: Kara Robertson
- Project: Event Budget Creation
- Saved Kids First Initiative $4,212
“I had a really great first volunteering experience through Catchafire with Richard from Kids First Initiative. I helped him create sample grant budgets and budgets for fundraising events that he plans to host this year. I’m hopeful that these budgets will help him get the funding he needs to continue to serve kids in the Detroit area!”
Employee Spotlight: Brianna Thomas
- Consult Call: Communications
- Saved Oakland Literacy $392 (Sponsored by the Hellman Foundation)
“During a call, I helped Shani from the Oakland Literacy Coalition with project and productivity management. We discussed ways to improve their sense of work balance and reviewed tools that promote more transparent collaboration.”
