Catalyst Team Retreat - Jan 2009

January 2009.

This begins a new year. It also marks the beginning of a new Catalyst. We've spent the last several months (and even previous years) hashing out vision and direction. Last year, formed a Board of Directors and we secured our 501(c)3 status to make us a legit non-profit organization and now with a new team, we're ready to begin working more publicly to catalyze communities!

We had our first Catalyst Team Retreat on January 23-25, 2009 at Idyllwild in the San Bernardino mountains. It was a fun time of team building, getting to know one another, unpacking the vision and mission for Catalyst Community, and brainstorming.

Check out some of the pics here!

Pru took some pics too!

Mission of Catalyst Community

Our mission is to provide tools for individuals and organizations that empower them to connect around shared interests and affect the broader community.

Our Slogan: “Connect and Affect”

We accomplish the vision by catalyzing collaborative communities to build relationships, establish partnerships, inspire growth, and encourage contribution.

To “Connect”:

* build relationships
* establish partnerships

To “Affect”:

* inspire growth
* encourage contribution

We catalyze collaborative communities:

* Creative Communities – Arts & Culture
* Green Communities - Eco- Friendly & Sustainability
* Faith Communities – Religious & Spiritual
* Growth Communities – Education & Learning
* Business Communities – Business & Professional Services
* Care Communities – Health & Support
* Recreational Communities – Sports & Recreation
* Neighborhood Communities – Residents & Neighborhood Groups
* Other Common Communities - Any other community of common interest

Common Community Values

As a diverse community, we may disagree about any number of things. But we can find our common ground in our Common Community Values. These are what bring us together.

Building RELATIONSHIPS - we believe that intentional connections that foster authenticity and understanding enhances the peaceful climate of our community.

Establishing PARTNERSHIP - we believe that the strategic partnerships of individuals and organizations in collaboration towards a common interest make us more effective in our community.

Inspiring GROWTH - we believe that experiencing a broader understanding of ourselves, the community, and our world enhances our potential.

Encouraging CONTRIBUTION - we believe that the strategic sharing of resources and the active participation of residents giving back to their community is the most effective way of addressing our practical and tangible needs.

Vision of Catalyst Community

Our vision is to see every area and region inspired with a greater sense of community, collaboration, and citizenship through meaningful relationships.

*community - the tangible experience of relationships within connected people

*collaboration - the cooperative partnerships of individuals and organizations around a common interest or purpose

*citizenship - the expression of hospitality towards our neighbors and the participation of residents in shaping our community

Our core approach to community development is through meaningful relationships. A common cause may bring people together, but it's relationships that keep people together. The goal should be something sustainable and long-lasting. Often times, organizations will host an event that brings people together but few stay meaningfully connected after the event. We believe that effective and long lasting partnership can't occur without trust; we can't have trust without relationships.

So that's where we start.

From "my"space to "our"space

In an age of social media, Web connections, and viral technology, people are increasingly using tools to stay connected with peers and partners, news and current events, trends and issues. As these “tech tools” become increasingly popular, we could easily replace important real world interaction with email, text messages, and social networking message systems. Instead of replacing relationships, we can find ways of using online tools as a way of facilitating and nurturing offline connections.

In addition to using the Web to connect with others, people are also finding ways of engaging the community. What does the pulse and personality of a city look like? How connected are the residents of a city? Do we celebrate the life of our city? Do we participate in the life of our city? How do we measure the life of our city? How do we map the relational infrastructure of our city?

Catalyst Community fills the gap. It’s where we connect, give back, promote events, and mobilize on common ground. It’s a place where we all hold a stake; a community that we all help shape. This is where we catalyze the shift from “my”space to “our”space.

Catalyst Community is a registered 501c3 non-profit grassroots organization with a vision to see every area and region inspired with a greater sense of community, collaboration and citizenship through meaningful relationships. Our mission is to empower both individuals and organizations with tools that enable them to accomplish their own passions for the broader community. We are a community of catalysts.

Our campaign is to “Connect and Affect” – to catalyze collaborative communities to build relationships, establish partnerships, encourage contribution, and inspire growth.

Often times, organizations will host an event that brings people together but few stay meaningfully connected after the event. We believe that effective and long lasting partnership can’t occur without trust; we can’t have trust without relationships.

So that’s where we start.