The Williamsburg Health Foundation (WHF) aims to empower health and human service nonprofits in Greater Williamsburg to be better able to accomplish their missions now and in the future.
“We give organizations resources to improve their operations.” said Carol L. Sale, President and CEO of WHF. “We call this ‘capacity building.’ Capacity building is part of our strategy for making our community healthier.”
Over the past two and half years, WHF has helped nonprofits by sponsoring membership in a website platform called Catchafire.
“In our first two years with Catchafire, the nonprofit organizations we sponsored received over one million dollars’ worth of consultation calls and project support,” said Sale.
What is Catchafire?
The website Catchafire.org states, “We’re on a mission to mobilize the world’s talent for good.” Catchafire is a web platform where nonprofits can find, interview, and select skilled volunteers to do what they need done. Projects are carefully scoped so everyone knows what to expect on timing and deliverables. Catchafire even helps nonprofits and volunteers match up their schedules and reach each other.
“We have agencies who are absolute stars at using Catchafire,” said Sale. Natasha House, which serves homeless, female-headed households, is one. Natasha House has done 17 projects and calls worth over $50,000 on Catchafire. In September 2021 alone, Natasha House completed three projects: an infographic, a donor letter, and graphic design for a long-term impact report.
Another star is FREE Foundation For Rehabilitation Equipment & Endowment whose website was done by a volunteer from Catchafire. FREE has done 10 projects and calls worth $67,000. “They’ve actually done much more than that,” said Sale. “One of those projects is a long-term, long-haul project of creating an inventory system with client and donor integration. They have a great consultant.”
“While we love to see numbers like this,” said Sale. “The stories we hear from nonprofits are what compels us to continue this work. Executive Directors just keep telling us that they cannot believe they got translation services, an employee handbook, or HR consultations at no cost.”
United Way of the Virginia Peninsula has completed seven projects worth nearly $26,000. Chief Operating Officer, Charvalla West, writes, “Catchafire provides access to high-level executive professionals willing to share their skills and expertise. In addition to quality products . . . the knowledge that staff gain during these projects in invaluable and further builds our agency’s capacity.”
“I think the most productive consulting phone calls usually have to do with organizational strategy or HR questions,” said Allison Brody, Director of Community Engagement at the Williamsburg Health Foundation. “Most nonprofits cannot afford an in-house expert on retirement plans or COVID-19 policies. Catchafire has HR experts from Fortune 500 companies who would love to volunteer.”
“It used to be that nonprofits could only get volunteers based on who they knew in their immediate geographic area. Now, there is an equitable world-wide marketplace for all volunteers regardless of a nonprofit’s size, age, or mission. Catchafire.org is truly revolutionary.” said Brody.
Not every agency can be a member of the Catchafire program. The Catchafire business model is to have foundations like WHF purchase memberships for nonprofit agencies. WHF and the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters Foundation (BFSF) have created a shared site – Virginia Peninsula Catchafire. Currently WHF supports 56 health and human service agencies that serve Williamsburg, James City County, and York County; BFSF sponsors 50 agencies that fit its mission and service area.
Carol said, “One day, we would love to see a world in which all nonprofits have access to Catchafire.org. For now, we hope that all those who currently have it are thinking about everything they need to do and asking themselves, ‘Can we Catchafire that?’”
Charvalla West, COO of United Way of the Virginia Peninsula 
Karen Brown, Executive Director of Natasha House 
Robin Ramsey, Executive Director of Foundation for Rehabilitation Equipment and Endowment
Charvalla West, COO of United Way of the Virginia Peninsula, and her team use Catchafire to work more effectively.
“It’s wonderful,” says Karen Brown, Executive Director of Natasha House when asked about Catchafire.
“Catchafire has increased our service capacity, efficiency, and quality. We have also made friends across the nation. Thanks Catchafire!” says Robin Ramsey, Executive Director of Foundation for Rehabilitation Equipment and Endowment
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