Catalyst 2030

Our world faces a cascading, connected set of pressing challenges. To have any hope of making the world a better place by accelerating the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we must more effectively confront the root causes of problems through transformative systems change.

Current data estimates that the world will not achieve the SDGs until 2092, more than 60 years behind the 2030 target.

Through our catalytic network of more than 7 000 social entrepreneurs and allies, we facilitate collaboration across sectors to unleash collective action for global systems change.

The movement drives systems change interventions by shifting traditional power imbalances, cultural norms, and institutional structures that hinder progress towards achieving the SDGs.

We support and globally unite local social entrepreneurs and innovators to collectively understand the underlying cause of issues, to develop high impact, innovative and collaborate solutions that confront the roots not the symptoms.

Connecting people and organisations across boundaries contributes to stronger foundations for systemic change in communities, nations and regions around the world.

We share our learnings globally, enabling scaling of impact, adoption, adaption, and replication of transformative solutions.

Enabling Environment for Social Entrepreneurs

Our Goals:

• Raise the profile and understanding of the roles of social entrepreneurs.
• Increase capital flow towards social innovation to drive more funding toward systems change and influence the broader financing system.
• Improve the policy, frameworks, and sustainability practices at the country level and issues at a specific level.
• Highlight the foundational role that communities play in realising the mission.

Signals of change:

• Produced high quality thought leadership covering, the complexity of funding systems change, catalytic cooperation between governments and social entrepreneurs, transformations finance, and much more.
• Received over 1,280 signatories to our An Urgent Invitationto Shift Funding Practices letter.
• Developed a donor self-assessment tool used by philanthropists across the globe.
• Held annual awards ceremony to shine the spotlight on governments, corporates and funders who are shifting conditions for social innovation to flourish.

Catalytic Collaborative Action

Our Goals:

• We believe that by working together in true collaboration, the SDGs can be achieved.
• We are working to confront the scale and complexity of systems change to accelerate the SDGs by emphasising collaborative action among social entrepreneurs and other stakeholders pursuing systems change.
• Catalyst 2030 unite members to collaborate on people-driven initiatives at a local, national and international level focused on crosscutting challenges and systemic issues.

Signals of change:

• Facilitated more than 100 active collaborations confronting a range of issues across geographies, including seven completed collaborations.
• Presented education policy recommendations to UNGA in 2022 and launched a seminal report, Pathways to Transforming Education.
• Launched Catalyst Market – connecting marginalised producers and social enterprises with conscious consumers.
• Coordinated 14 Working Groups collaborating on systemic issues including, government, resilient cities and new economics.

Community Driven Action

Our Goals:

• The vision for our Regional and Country Chapters is that by working together at a local level, the collective action of all chapters will result in the realisation of the SDGs by 2030.
• Chapters allow for country / regional advocacy for specific efforts pertaining to the SDGs.
• Chapters strengthen existing ecosystems to ensure collaboration among social entrepreneurs.

Signals of change:

• Facilitated hundreds of members to come together to realise tangible change, test ideas and create new ways of working proactively to achieve progress in attaining the SDGs.
• Supported a global network of 61 Country Chapters and seven Regional Chapters.
• Developed regional and local strategies for further expansion and member engagement.

Systems Change Learning Ecosystem

• Core to the Catalyst 2030 mission is to stimulate a learning ecosystem by and for social entrepreneurs.
• We work to develop and stimulate ongoing learning and sharing for social innovators and we adapt based on learning and evidence.
• We facilitate peer-to-peer learning communities, identifying, sharing and co-creating tools to achieve systems level change and unlock Knowledge Theory as a driver of systems change.
• Catalyst 2030 actively works to improve systems knowledge across the sector.

Signals of change:

• Facilitated an online systems learning series including eight different series, 67 speakers and more than 900 attendees hosted in 2023.
• Launched the Catalyst Academy
• Launched the Social Change Innovators online resource portal with 1,000+ resources to grow the knowledge base of the movement.
• Facilitated the Donor Learning Group for funders interested in the adoption of a systems change mindset. Global membership of 190+ with myriad funder types of all sizes and interest areas.

Catalyst 2030 partners with leading philanthropists and funders to help support our key areas of work.

We are building a broad, multi-stakeholder global movement to transform systems, resulting in a significant dent in the climate crisis, increased sustainability, reduced poverty and a positive impact on the lives of millions.

We believe that without systemic approaches, disparate efforts will leave organisations, governments and civil society with huge/compex clean-up activities without confronting the sources of the problems.