2020: What A Year!
The longest year ever is finally coming to an end and we are so grateful to our community for your support this year! Just like you, our organization hustled through the early months of COVID to make sense of how we could continue to deliver on our mission - activating companies in friendly competition to create tangible impact in the community. The world went virtual and so did we. In May, we tested the appetite for virtual competitions with virtual trivia and we were shocked by the energy you all displayed. Over 260 people formed 53 teams across 7 cities to play and we were able to donate 21,600+ meals to food banks in Austin, Atlanta, and Denver. This gave us the inspiration that we needed to create and launch the first ever national season. We were amazed once by your engagement and energy as we revealed the winners and the impact from the season. Our team is so grateful for the grace you gave us as we created a new experience and for being willing to pivot with us. You can read the national season recap here.
In the Spirit of the Holidays…
Today is Giving Tuesday, a HUGE day for nonprofits and we want to celebrate that by sharing the generosity of one of our own community members, Enverus. Enverus competed during the National Season for E4Youth, and have decided to continue & scale their support of this nonprofit with an additional gift of $2,500! This example of ongoing support and partnership between socially-minded companies and local nonprofits is exactly the type of connective tissue Catalyst Games hopes to foster and scale!
“We asked ourselves: ‘As a team, what matters to us?’ We realized that giving not only our time but also our funds could make a much more substantial difference for others than it could for us at the end of this really challenging year.”
As we go into the holidays, we hope that the national season and the tangible impact you all made during that time inspires you to explore, get involved, and think about how your company can leverage impact as a way to engage and retain culture and connection. We’ve acquired quite a bit of data over the last 10 years on cause areas that matter most to you, and so if your company is looking for ways to activate and expand relationships with organizations lifting up the community, we’d love to highlight the shining stars below!
Engage with Access to Opportunity Organizations
National: SaulPaul Foundation - Focusing on opening doors, revealing opportunities and giving young people a step up to make better choices and create better lives.
Texas: Beam - Providing women founders with the connections, education, and capital to scale their companies.
Austin: Code2College - Developing a national network of diverse, homegrown technical talent and are always looking for volunteers from companies for various opportunities.
Community Pods - Providing a safe environment for children and are looking for volunteers to monitor classes, tutor, and more.
E4Youth - Providing professional level training and employment opportunities for college age youth.
Denver: A Precious Child - Providing opportunities and resources to children in need o empower them to achieve their full potential. You can help by providing A Precious Gift for children (babies through teenagers) in the most need in the community.
Youth on Record - Inspiring at-risk youth to see the potential for a better life through music.
Atlanta: Computer Museum of America - Committed to building, marketing, and launching educational programs for children and adults by providing field trips, Tech Talks, Tech Tales. STEAM camps, and more.
Engage with Racial Justice Organizations
National: ACLU - Dares to create a more perfect union — beyond one person, party, or side. Their mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.
Austin: Notley Tide - Provides the opportunity for the community to engage in racial justice on and ongoing basis and amplify the work of 5 Racial Justice Partners working on the ground to effect change in Texas and beyond.
Ripple Reads - Provides educational books and discussions for families to have honest discussions on race, justice, and empathy.
Lone Star Justice Alliance - Improves the lives of youth and emerging adults in the justice system.
The Catalyst Games team and how we deliver our mission has one central focus - bringing people together for fun and shared experiences that make a difference in our communities and our relationships. 2020 has truly tested that for all of us! A heartfelt thank you -- to all of you teams, nonprofits, and sponsors. You all have come together and shown your commitment to this amazing community and to the spirit of innovation when our world has needed it most! Thank you for prioritizing your engagement with one another and giving back to those who need it.