Here you will find answers to questions that are frequently asked about Catalytic Communities.  If you do not find an answer to your question, click here:

• What is CatComm?

  Catalytic Communities (CatComm) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) founded in 2000 to provide communities around the world with a central space for the documentation and consultation of their own collective wisdom.

• What is CatComm’s mission?

  Our mission is to administer virtual and physical spaces designed to empower and inspire a global network of community-generated solutions.

• What are CatComm’s main activities?

  Through our Website CatComm provides community organizers with tools including our Community Solutions Database (CSD), discussion forums, capacity-building resources, and more. Through our Casa, a community technology center in Rio de Janeiro that serves as a hub for local leadership, we support local organizers as they exchange skills, knowledge, and access the Web. Both our spaces -- online and off -- are designed to scale into a growing global network of community-generated solutions.

• What free services does CatComm offer to support community programs and their leaders?

  1. CatComm publishes your project here, attracting global visibility among other communities, the press, volunteers, and potential funders;
  2. Our staff edits your project before publication;
  3. Volunteers translate your initiative to Spanish and Portuguese;
  4. We occasionally raffle capacity-building resources among projects posted.

• What sorts of results have come from this work?

  Catalytic Communities' results come in the form of what we call "Victories," each one of which makes a difference in the lives of the beneficiaries of the community project benefitted, and which add up to significant long-term improvements for society. These victories range from media coverage attracted through the CatComm site to inkind collaborations among leaders. For a full listing, visit our site's section on Victories.

• What is CatComm’s country of origin?

  Catalytic Communities is classified as a 501[c][3] not-for-profit organization in the United States, in addition to its affiliate status in Brazil. The lack of exchange among community projects that CatComm addresses is a reality around the world.  Though the organization was inspired by local realities in Rio de Janeiro, the need for our work knows no borders.  For this reason we established the organization legally in both the United States and Brazil.

• What is a community organizer?

  A community organizer mobilizes their community or is the manager of a community-based social or environmental project.  Within our site there are many different examples of this: presidents of Neighborhood Associations, health agents, individual protagonists of community action projects, and any local social entrepreneurs, who develop programs to improve their communities.

• Should I have a login and password to enter the CatComm site?

  The following membership categories within the Catalytic Communities (CatComm) Network are currently provided logins and passwords in order to add content to the CatComm site:
• Community organizers posting projects to the Community Solutions Database. To post your project click here.
• Outreach volunteers posting projects to the Community Solutions Database. Not yet an outreach volunteer? Click here to join.
• Translation volunteers translating projects within the Community Solutions Database. Not yet a translation volunteer? Click here to join.
• Staff responsible for updating and maintaining the CatComm site

If you would like to recommend content other than a project for the Community Solutions Database, simply visit the page you are interested in and click on "Suggest content for this page!" or email us.

• What is the Community Solutions Database (CSD)?

  The Community Solutions Database publishes and disseminates solutions for community challenges, networking community leaders globally. It makes these solutions available in three languages: English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

• What is unique about CatComm's Community Solutions Database?

  Only CatComm's CSD:

  • Welcomes all community-initiated projects, regardless of scale or formality. These may be projects run by official organizations like 501[c][3]s, or they may be "mom and pop" enterprises supporting a dozen youth with no formal institution behind them. We are aware that smaller programs tend to be more inspiring to peers who may feel incapable to make a difference. Larger projects may be more intimidating examples to communities encountering a challenge for the first time.
  • Displays extensive detail of each project, allowing community programs to describe their efforts step-by-step, in thorough detail. Projects also post links to articles, upload budgets, photographs, presentations, and sound files.
  • Is a living database, where communities can return and update their projects as often as they like.
  • Does not assert that one program is more valuable than another, nor do we believe quantity dictates value. We believe the best solutions are those communities identify as working for them, and are often tailored to meet local needs by local protagonists of change.
  • Exists in three languages and growing, so community organizers can post the solutions they develop to the CSD from English, Portuguese, or Spanish, knowing that within a short period their program is translated and available to readers across all the Americas and much of the rest of the world (we hope to expand into other languages in the coming years).
    

• What are the requirements for a project to be published in the Community Solutions Database?

  There are three requirements: (1) the project must be helping to solve at least one community challenge; (2) the project was developed by a member of the community or, if not, it comes from an experience that could realistically be used as a model by members of a low-income community; and (3) the project serves as a positive and ethical example for other communities.

• Why did we choose these criteria? 

  We chose these criteria because CatComm’s greatest concern is to serve, inspire and empower community members living in low-income areas to respond actively to their communities’ challenges. Projects of greater scale, or projects organized by outside professionals can be very important for society, but they do not offer the same type of inspiration for those working within the community who lack professional expertise or outside support.

• What are the various ways I can post a project to the Community Solutions Database?

  Choose the method you would like to use to prepare and send your project to us. Please take into consideration that the form needs to be mostly complete, which takes dedicating a few hours to the process. There are currently four ways you can include your project in the CSD:

  1. To post your project as quickly and efficiently as possible, complete it online by clicking here, then entering your email address in the "First time documenting a project?" and following the directions thereafter. Please note that we recommend you save your work frequently to ensure no information is lost due to Internet connectivity issues or lapses with our server.
  2. If you have limited Internet access, or pay for access by the minute, we have an alternative option. You may fill out the form for inclusion of your project in Word format on a computer (or print it and fill it in by hand). After this is completed send it as an attached file by email or by regular postal mail so we can include it in the CSD.
  3. If you would like us to send you the questions by email simply email us requesting that this be done.
  4. In some locations we may be able to visit your community program on site and have a volunteer or staff member document your work. Inquire into this possibility by emailing us.

• Once I begin documenting my community's project, must I finish all in one go?

  No, you may fill in the form at your leisure. Once you have a login and password, you can return as many times as you wish until the form is complete.

• When a project is documented on the site is it reviewed for content before publishing?
  Yes, after the documentation of the project in the Community Solutions Database, the project is read by a member of CatComm’s staff who checks to make sure the project meets all of our requirements (listed above).

• To publish a project in the Community Solutions Database in all three languages is it necessary that the project is already written in each of these languages?

  No, you only need to post the project in your native language. After that, we send it on to our network of volunteer translators.

• If the community organizer wants to translate their own project, may they?

  Yes, if they have the facilities and fluency to translate their project, it will be of benefit to the project to have it translated by the group responsible.  This will ensure a more faithful translation and faster publication to our site.  To do this, please contact us at catcomm@catcomm.org.

• Are the sent materials edited before added to the site?

  Yes, all material sent to the CatComm site is edited for correct spelling and grammatical errors, and the attached photos and documents are reviewed for compatible size with the capacity of the site.

• What are the advantages to documenting my community's project in the Community Solutions Database (CSD)?

  Directly, documenting your project in the CSD increases its visibility nationally and internationally. Once published, your project is translated among three languages: English, Spanish, and Portuguese. 

The CSD provides a way of publishing your project that will attract people and institutions that are looking for community initiatives.  These people include: volunteers, potential funders, the press, and others. In addition, CatComm works actively to spread the word about the projects posted in the CSD. Some projects are published in CatComm's newsletters with a link to the site. Some are presented by CatComm in lectures in diverse locations around the world.

As you post your project to the CSD, you end up preparing the project in such a way that helps you organize your thoughts and the project itself, and this material can be reused in the preparation of funding proposals. When you are done, you will have a thorough and organized written version of your project. 

In addition, your work may occasionally be eligible for prizes that CatComm receives to distribute to projects posted in the CSD, as has occurred with computers, clothes, a donation of yards and yards of fabric, and educational exam-training materials. In a few select cases, specific to Rio de Janeiro where we have close contact with the community initiatives posted in the CSD, CatComm has served as a fiscal sponsor for projects that received financial contributions but needed a formal institution to receive the funds.

To read about specific cases detailing victories such as thee, visit our Victories page.

Despite so many forms to benefit directly by including your community solution in the CSD , perhaps the greatestbenefit to your project through publishing here comes indirectly. CatComm works to strengthen networks between community projects and also with possible partners interested in learning with and supporting such projects. The contruction of a better world through exchanges with other projects is an enormous advantage in having your project published in the CSD . You, and other citizens who want to improve their local reality, will be able to learn with the projects posted here.

• What is CatComm's Community Awards Program all about?

  This is a program specific to the projects that are listed in the Community Solutions Database.  We often receive material donations offered for projects posted to the CSD. 

  These donations are diverse having included in the past materials ranging from cloth to computers. Miles for community groups to attend programs around the world, bus tickets, cameras, conference fee waivers, and software programs are all welcome!

• How can I get in touch with the contact person for a project in the CSD?

  At the end of each project description contact information is listed with telephone, address, and email.  In the case of email, it will first be directed to CatComm and we will redirect it to the community organizer.  There is no direct communication through the site.  We have chosen to do this for three reasons: (1) some managers of community projects change emails frequently and we want to guarantee that emails sent through our site are not lost in cyberspace; (2) we want to prevent Spam being sent to the participants of our Website; and (3) we need to know if the site is stimulating contact between its users.

• How can I interact with community organizers through the CatComm site?

Currently there are three ways to interact with community organizers using the CatComm site. For direct, private contact with a specific community organizer whose project is posted in the Community Solutions Database, you can send an email (see above question).

To publish comments relating to a specific project posted in the CSD, scroll down to the end of that project description. At the end of each project listing in the you will find a spot where you can publish comments relating to that project. This message will be sent to CatComm's staff who will then pubish it directly on the page related to that project. The message will not be pubished if it contains offensive content.

Finally, to interact generally with community organizers through the CatComm site, use the CatComm Forum, where you can post questions, comment, and offer suggestions among the wider public visiting our site.

• What is the CatComm Forum?

The CatComm Forum is a dynamic and interactive discussion space, composed of several forums for exchange among community organizers and others who would like to collaborate. The Forum is a space to dialogue online about issues in community-based development.

• Can anyone participate in the CatComm Forum?

Yes, the use of our Discussion Forum is completely open.  Anyone is welcome to participate! 

• What is the CatComm Mural?

  The CatComm Mural is where we post timely information for community groups, including funding opportunities, events by and for community organizers, and tools. It is updated on an almost daily basis, as we learn of new initiatives and resources that may be useful to communities around the world.

• What will I find in the “Capacity-building” part of the site?

Take Your Project to the Next Step offers tools and tips for strengthening your project (including legal tips, project development, fundraising, and tips for how to maintain your work), the CatComm Forum provides discussion spaces for dialogue and debate online.

• What will I find in the “Inform Yourself” part of the site?

  The CatComm Mural, Journal and Links sections of the site.

• What is the CatComm Journal and can I contribute to it?

  The CatComm Journal is organized around four key areas: Articles on community development, horizontal community exchanges, and a host of other topics central to CatComm's work; Interviews and Testimonials with or by community organizers relating their experiences; Community Literary Art including lyrics, poetry, and short stories by community organizers; and Academic Materials comprised mainly of otherwise unpublished academic dissertations and theses relating to themes of community development, networks, and organizational development. If you are engaged in community organizing or social movements, contribute to the CatComm Journal. Get in touch with us!

• How can I contribute content for you to post on your Website to share with others around the world? In particular, how can I post to the Mural, Links, Capacity-building, Journal, and other pages on your site?

  All of the pages have a button “Suggestion box” where you can click to post information.

• What is the “Casa do Gestor Catalisador” ?
  
  "Casa do Gestor Catalisador" literally means "Catalytic Community Manager's House," borrowing a term from Portuguese -- community manager -- that is similar to the expression "community organizer" in English. The Casa is a physical space managed by CatComm.  It’s a technology hub in downtown Rio de Janeiro where community organizers do, face-to-face, what we encourage through our Website: exchange ideas, build networks, write project proposals, and work to improve their communities.
  
  
• What do community organizers do at the Casa?
  
  Community organizers use the Casa to document their projects in the Community Solutions Database, develop project proposals and email them to potential supporters, contact public officials through the Internet, prepare outreach materials, research content online to strengthen the content of their community education work, hold cross-community meetings, offer and participate in workshops, communicate their work and events in the community, find others involved in social projects, locate new capacity-buiding resources, create networks, see exhibitions in the CatComm Gallery, and even as a space for reflection.
  
  
• What are the criteria to be able to use the “Casa do Gestor Catalisador”?
  
  The main criterion for use of this space is that the organizer is using the space to work on a not-for-profit project for community development or social mobilization. Workshops at the space are always designated for community organizers who can take workshop lessons back to their communities, as opposed to community residents in general.
  
  
• Is it necessary to schedule an appointment to visit the Casa?
  
  The Casa is open for public visitation from Monday to Friday 09:00am to 5:00pm. However, occasionally a particular workshop, holiday, or event leads us to close the Casa to the general public despite these official hours. For this reason it is always useful to double check our Coming Attractions where we post the Casa calendar, in addition to our Website-improvement schedule. In case you would like to schedule an appointment with a specific member of the CatComm team, please telephone or email to set up a time. The telephone of the Casa is +55-21-2213-2798.
  
  
• Is it necessary to schedule ahead of time to utilize a meeting room or a computer at the Casa?
  
  Depending on the number of people or the time of day, there may well not be any problems in just showing up to use a meeting room or a computer at the Casa, but it is advisable to schedule use of the computers or the workshop room ahead of time just in case. The telephone of the Casa is +55-21-2213-2798 (email).
  
  
• Are there regular workshops at the Casa?
  
  Not usually. The content and schedule of workshops offered at the Casa are determined by the community leaders and volunteers planning such events to share knowledge through the space.
  
  
• Who can host a workshop at the Casa?
  
  Any person who is interested in sharing knowledge or a skill with community organizers can organize a workshop.
  
  
• Is there a fee for use of the Casa?
  
  No, all activities and resources at the Casa are available free of charge for community organizers to use in strengthening their community projects or mobilizing social movements.
  
  
• Can I use the Casa for personal work?
  
  No. The Casa has limited resources. Moreover, we count on users working on projects to improve their communities and to form larger grassroots networks. Using this space for personal agendas detracts from the essential spirit of the Casa.
  
  
• What is the CatComm Gallery?
  
  The CatComm Gallery is a space for the promotion of community artists and artisans engaged in social movements in Rio de Janeiro. Each exhibition lasts two months, with an official launch. Visitors will find the Gallery artwork in the entrance and Multimedia Workshop Room of the Casa.
  
  
• To display your work in the CatComm Gallery is it necessary to be a community organizer?
  
  No, our criterion is that the artist is either a member of the community or that s/he donate 10% of the value of any art sold to a project posted in the Community Solutions Database.
  
  
• Are the works displayed in the CatComm Gallery for sale?
  
  The works displayed in the Gallery are available for sale if that is the wish of the community artist. If the artist whose work is on display is not a community artist or artisan, then his/her work is for sale and 10% of proceeds are dedicated to a community group featured in the CSD.