The health system in the United States is a fragmented experience and the lack of coordination creates large health gaps for seniors and caregivers. Over the last 35 years, Archstone Foundation has operated with the goal of improving the health of adults 65 and older and their caregivers across diverse communities.
In 2021, Archstone Foundation adjusted its strategic plan to focus on the Three T’s: teams, training, and technology. During this time, Archstone Foundation saw a high demand across their grant applicant pool for capacity building assistance to help strengthen and grow organizations. They began to consider alternative methods of support for declined grantees to support their missions.
With a limited number of grantees they could fund, a rising demand for capacity support, and a desire to support more nonprofits and declined grantees, Archstone Foundation turned to Catchafire as an innovative method of nonprofit support.
With Catchafire's platform, The Foundation has created $1.4 million in nonprofit value – allowing these organizations to maintain their mission without relying on grants.
Archstone's needs are unique – the Foundation provides both grantees and declined grantees access to the Catchafire platform. This enables them to extend the reach of their grant dollars while supporting as many organizations as possible. Nonprofits that aren’t able to receive grants are provided unlimited access to capacity building projects and thousands of volunteers, providing critical support for declined grantees.
For many of Archstone’s grantees and applicants, their focus is on technology support and operational infrastructure. Capacity building support can prove to be more valuable than grant dollars alone, allowing nonprofits to work directly with volunteers on what they know is needed for their operational success.
The Saahas for Cause Team
Catchafire has been a game changer for declined grantees like Saahas for Cause.
Saahas for Cause is a nonprofit in Cerritos, CA that is dedicated to empowering the South Asian immigrant community to improve their quality of life. Two years ago, Saahas for Cause was one of Archstone's declined grantees in a round of Archstone's Capacity Building RFP. Instead of a grant, they were given access to Catchafire.
Saahas for Cause quickly became a superuser on our platform, and within the first year of capacity building access, they completed 33 projects with an impact of over $140,000. And, they were no longer in Archstone's pool of declined grantees. In the most recent RFP round, they were one of the applications that rose to the top, and were funded for their technology projects and were able to invest in their CRM and staff training.
With Catchafire's volunteer support, Saahas for Cause were able to set themselves up for what they want to do with their grant dollars from Archstone Foundation. They’re now able to fully execute their vision with combined grant support and continued Catchafire access.
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