Catalyst Now Awards Criteria

Support evolving paths to systems change & prepare for long-term engagement, lifting funders relinquishing control through multi-year unrestricted funding.

Criteria

• To what extent does the organization you are nominating provide funding to support reasonable salaries for team members of funded organizations rather than focusing on “reducing overhead”?
• On average, what portion of your annual financial contribution is granted/invested without project or programme restrictions? 
• What percentage of your portfolio is represented by each term length? 
• For how long do you typically expect to partner with grantees/investees, even over multiple grants/investments? 

Work in true partnership, lifting funders who acknowledge and work against power dynamics, are relational over transactional, listen to what systems change leaders need, and provide targeted financial and non-financial support in an effort to co-create the desired impact approach and appropriate funding structure. Take time to build trust with their grantees, including through regular, honest, and respectful discussions, and/or simplify and right-size the application and reporting effort.

Criteria

• When selecting among grantee/investee candidates, to what extent does the organisation you are nominating prioritise those who are most impacted by but don’t currently have much power within the system?
• To what extent does the organisation you are nominating address the uneven power dynamic between you and grantees/investees?
• Before deciding to support an initiative, to what extent does the organisation you are nominating work with grantees/investees to refine their application/proposal?
• To what extent does the organisation you are nominating support grantees/investees in building their capacities (e.g., leadership coaching, strategic planning)?
• To what extent does the organisation you are nominating enable coordination among grantees/investees or with other stakeholders (e.g., business, government, media)?
• To what extent does the organisation you are nominating support grantees/investees that weave together partnerships, coalitions, networks, or movements within a system?

Donors who invest in strengthening the ecosystem for systems change by building collective capacity and enabling conditions for social entrepreneurs to thrive.

Criteria

• To what extent does the organisation invest in capacity-building initiatives that benefit the broader field rather than individual grantees alone (e.g., convenings, shared learning platforms, peer networks)?
• How has the organisation funded the development of shared tools, research, or knowledge that strengthens the wider ecosystem?
• To what extent do they support coalition-building among organisations working toward the same systemic goal?
• How do they invest in leadership development programmes that strengthen the pipeline of systems change practitioners?
• In what ways does the organisation engage in advocacy or policy influence to create enabling conditions at a structural level?
• How does the organisation demonstrate a long-term, sustained approach to field building, rather than short-term or project-specific investments?

Donors who deploy capital to support proximate actors’ projects to drive systems change through transformed compliance practices and who are committed to learning and continuous improvement. Their focus is on equitable giving for sustainable development, achieved by streamlining due diligence and compliance processes.

Criteria:

• How does the organisation incorporate an understanding of the broader systems into its decision-making processes regarding funding and support for projects or initiatives?
• Does the organisation actively share knowledge and best practices for simplification of due diligence and compliance that supports localisation strategies?
• Does the organisation openly acknowledge and share failures within the context of efforts to simplify due diligence and compliance?
• Does the organisation invest in research and knowledge dissemination specifically focused on efforts to change and simplify due diligence and compliance processes?
• Does the organisation prioritise context-appropriate solutions, and tailor due diligence and compliance methods and requirements to meet the proportionate needs of local stakeholders – including language and local regulations?
• Does the organisation foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among local actors, funders, and other stakeholders that advance equitable access to funding by removing compliance barriers?
• Does the organisation deliver examples of success stories where streamlined due diligence and compliance methods have led to tangible improvements in efficiency and accessibility for local actors?

This Catalyst Now awards 2026 edition is open only to donors (including corporate foundations, philanthropists, institutional donors, and family businesses) who have been working closely with social innovators, the SDGs, and systems change:

• Any individual or organisation that donates or provides grant funds to support social entrepreneurs in creating systems change.
• Individuals and organisations can be located in any country and can focus on any impact area.
• All nominated organisations are required to move through a due diligence process.
• All nominees must be aligned with Catalyst Now’s values.
• All nominees must treat social Innovators with respect, encourage diversity, collaboration, and support systems change.
• Previous Catalyst Now (Catalyst 2030) Awards winners may not be renominated.
• Previous Awards finalists are eligible for renomination.

*Note: All nominations are treated in the strictest confidence. The nominee should not be informed that they have been nominated to maintain the neutrality of the process.