The Catalyst Fund, offered by The Barra Foundation, supports early-stage, innovative projects that aim to create durable, transformative, and equitable change, particularly in under-resourced communities within the Greater Philadelphia area. The Barra Foundation, founded in 1963, defines innovation as bold approaches that break from existing practices and can lead to outsized impact, rather than incremental improvements. The Catalyst Fund serves as a research and development arm for the social sector, designed to back ideas grounded in a strong understanding of the communities they aim to benefit and built on fresh perspectives, cultural shifts, or emerging evidence.
Grants from the Catalyst Fund are intended for projects that are less than three years old and fall within one or more of the foundation's key areas of interest: Arts & Culture, Education, Health, and Human Services. Applications must present a clearly defined, timely problem or opportunity and propose an approach that diverges from the status quo. The Foundation emphasizes the importance of community input, leadership experience, and the potential for broad systemic or regional influence. Importantly, the Catalyst Fund currently does not consider proposals focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI), citing internal capacity constraints.
Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations located in, or serving, the five counties of Greater Philadelphia. Projects—except those in Arts & Culture—must primarily benefit under-resourced individuals or communities. Applicants begin the process by submitting an online Letter of Inquiry (LOI), which allows the Foundation to assess alignment with its criteria. If the LOI is accepted, the applicant is invited to submit a full proposal. LOIs are reviewed on a rolling basis, with follow-up and application invitations sent within approximately 45 days.
Full proposals that meet Catalyst Fund criteria are presented for board consideration on a quarterly basis—in March, June, September, or December. The complete process from LOI submission to potential grant approval generally spans four to six months. While specific award amounts are not disclosed, funding is intended to explore, test, or launch promising new initiatives, and grantees are supported in capturing and sharing their learnings with the wider field.
The Barra Foundation does not accept Catalyst Fund inquiries via phone, email, or mail; all communications must occur through the designated online submission portal. Additional information, including sample LOIs and reporting guidelines, is available through the foundation’s website. For general inquiries, applicants can contact the foundation at info@barrafoundation.org or (610) 964-7601.
Submit innovative, community-informed projects with strong leadership and systemic impact potential.
