Dalberg Catalyst

Dalberg Catalyst, formerly Dalberg Charitable, is a left-of-center consultancy and nonprofit program incubator that is affiliated with Dalberg Global Development Advisors (DGDA), also known as Dalberg Advisors, a policy advisory firm that consults with governments and nonprofit advocacy organizations. Dalberg Catalyst was formed in 2020 and advocates left-of-center policy towards healthcare, the environment, and international development.  1 2

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Issue Areas: Environmental Policy, Healthcare Policy
Website: www.dalbergcatalyst.org
Formation:

2019

CEO:

Sonila Cook

Parent Organization:

Dalberg Global Development Advisors

Location: Washington, DC View on map
Tax ID: 81-2108637
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $7,139,919 Revenue: $5,985,311 Expenses: $8,605,086

Contents

    Dalberg Catalyst has received funded from several left-of-center organizations including Open Society Foundations (OSF), the  Gates Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation. 1 2

    Background

    Dalberg Catalyst, formerly Dalberg Charitable, was formed in 2019, but first began operations at the beginning of 2020 through a $200,000 seed grant. Between 2019 and 2023, the group claimed to oversee the development of roughly 20 initiatives across 25 countries. 1

    Dalberg Catalyst is affiliated with Dalberg Global Development Advisors (DGDA), also known as Dalberg Advisors, a policy advisory firm that consults with governments and nonprofit advocacy organizations on logistical, resource, and governance issues. DGDA and Dalberg Catalyst, along with five other for-profit Dalberg consulting firms, are collectively known as the Dalberg Group. 3

    Activities

    One of Dalberg Catalyst’s first launched projects was Preventing Pandemics at the Source (PPATS), a group that claims to “utilize science, policy, and advocacy to prevent deforestation, curb wildlife trade global organizations as well as local communities.” 2 PPATS has been funded by several left-of-center environmental groups including the World Wildlife Fund, the Jane Goodall Institute, and the Nature Conservancy. 2

    Other programs launched by Dalberg Catalyst include the Climate Action Platform for Africa (CAP-A), which pushes for left-of-center climate policies in African countries; and the Climate Smart Forest Economy Program (CSFEP), which claims to “build radically new economies that balance ecosystem needs and pressing human needs.” 2

    Funding

    Dalberg Catalyst has received funding from several left of center organizations including the Gates Foundation, Caterpillar Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation, Climateworks Foundation, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Flora L. Thornton Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Hempel Foundation, Mastercard Foundations, Open Society Foundations (OSF), Skoll Foundation, the UN Environment Programme, the Rockefeller Foundation, the UN Development Program, UNOPS, Cisco Foundation Climate Breakthrough, Pilot House Philanthropy, and Dalberg Trust. 2

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $7,139,919 $5,985,311 $8,605,086 View
    2023 $10,684,232 $8,714,154 $8,700,923 View
    2022 $10,946,240 $11,117,088 $9,829,659 View
    2021 $9,274,469 $6,351,402 $4,665,671 View
    2020 $7,121,147 $9,547,192 $3,680,069 View

    Prior year filings: 2019, 2018, 2017

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 6

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Jordan K FabyanskeCHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER$249,996
    Sonila CookPresident/CEO$241,666
    Chris DevairakkamCOO/CFO$229,600
    Robyn Van Den HeuvelSECRETARY (start 10.2024)$130,900
    Leslie ParkSECRETARY (end 10.2024)$41,674

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $12,658,564
    • Number of Grants: 29
    • Number of Funders: 14

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $3,000,0002022 The Rockefeller FoundationGrant In support of administering the “Uncommon Collaboration” fund to support collaborations between experts advancing projects emerging from convenings and other network channels that seek creative solutions to complex challenges the world faces today.
    $2,656,6482023 Climate Breakthrough IncTO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC SOLUTIONS IN AFRICA.
    $1,000,0002023 The Rockefeller FoundationGrant in support of the Africa Climate Action Summit, a convening to articulate and execute on the potential for large-scale, sustainable climate action in Africa, to be held in Kenya in September 2023
    $1,000,0002021 The Rockefeller FoundationGrant in support of designing and administering the “Uncommon Collaboration” fund to support collaborations between experts advancing projects emerging from convenings and other network channels that seek creative solutions to complex challenges the world faces today
    $549,8942022 The Rockefeller FoundationGrant for use by the Climate Action Platform for Africa, in support of building an evidence base of regenerative agricultural practices that improve climate and profitability impacts for smallholder farmers in Africa
    $500,0352022 Gordon and Betty Moore FoundationTo support work to incorporate prevention at the source into broader efforts on pandemic prevention and preparedness.
    $500,0002024 The Rockefeller FoundationGrant In support of an initiative to strengthen Africa’s participation in and ability to benefit from carbon markets
    $400,0002024 Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc.CIVIL RIGHTS, SOCIAL ACTION & ADVOCACY, ENVIRONMENT
    $300,0002022 Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc.GENERAL
    $250,0002023 The Rockefeller FoundationGrant in support of developing an Adaptive Cities solution framework to address extreme heat in urban centers, with an initial focus on Santiago, Chile
    $250,0002022 Mastercard FoundationFinancial Inclusion
    $250,0002021 Gordon and Betty Moore FoundationFor support to develop global guidance for preventing pandemics at the source.
    $231,6372022 Caterpillar FoundationTVET Program Implementation and Scale Up in DRC 2023
    $200,0002024 Open Society FoundationTO PROVIDE GENERAL SUPPORT
    $200,0002023 THE SKOLL FUNDInternational Development
    $200,0002023 Open Society Foundationto provide general support
    $200,0002023 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $200,0002021 CLIMATEWORKS FOUNDATIONTo integrate food systems into the approach for a fund for reducing pathogen spillover from animals to humans
    $100,0002024 CLIMATEWORKS FOUNDATIONTO PROTECT AND SUPPORT THE POTENTIAL OF FORESTED AND OTHER LANDSCAPES TO MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE
    $100,0002023 CLIMATEWORKS FOUNDATIONPROJECT SUPPORT
    $75,0002022 Skoll FoundationSHARING STRATEGIES AND MULTILATERAL DEVELOPMENT BANK LOCALIZATION AGENDA
    $75,0002021 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $43,3502024 Climate Breakthrough IncTO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC SOLUTIONS IN AFRICA
    $40,0002023 Flora L Thornton FoundationGENERAL SUPPORT
    $40,0002021 Flora L Thornton FoundationGENERAL SUPPORT

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $6,094,806
    • Number of Grants: 54
    • Number of Recipients: 24

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $978,7662024 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsExpand CAP-A's mission to position Africa as a global leader in climate action through a systems-oriented approach.
    $573,4102023 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsConvening to articulate and execute on the potential for large-scale, sustainable climate action in Africa, to be held in Kenya.
    $536,9512021 The Nature ConservancyClmiate Smart Forest Economy Project
    $461,0002022 World Resources InstituteCLIMATE SMART FOREST – As lead partner for the Dialogue pillar, WRI worked with the Forests Dialogue and other platforms to engage a broad range of stakeholders across the public and private sector to gather perspectives, identify key "fracture-lines", clarify ideas and build consensus around the scope and nature of the pro-climate forest economy and how it can be achieved.
    $319,3252021 Multiple EUROPE (INCLUDING ICELAND & GREENLAND) RecipientsClimate Smart Forest Economy Program
    $275,0002024 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsThe project led by Breakthrough, Inc. aims to drive systems change toward a Climate Positive Growth vision for Africa-achieving inclusive economic growth and job creation through climate action that delivers net negative emissions. It focuses on aligning national strategies, local policies, international frameworks, and investment incentives to enable this transformation.
    $165,9012023 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsIncrease the sourcing of sustainable forest products and promote sustainable management of forests.
    $152,1542022 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsDefining an action plan that delivers the overall vision of turning Africa into a global hub of economically viable climate action.
    $120,3002021 World Resources InstituteClmiate Smart Forest Economy Project
    $117,3762020 Yale UniversityManage scoping dialogue for Climate Smart Forest Economy Program
    $100,0002024 Igarape IncGENERAL SUPPORT
    $100,0002024 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsDevelopment and piloting of the Green Jobs Index, an interactive tool that tracks green job creation, enabling governments and organizations to drive impactful, evidence-based strategies for sustainable employment and economic growth.
    $100,0002024 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsThis project supports the creation of an African SRM Research Coalition to strengthen Africa's voice in global discussions on solar radiation management (SRM), ensuring the continent is equipped to assess the potential risks and benefits of SRM amid rising climate threats and underrepresentation in current debates.
    $100,0002023 JUST Capital Foundation, Inc.General support
    $100,0002023 Multiple EUROPE (INCLUDING ICELAND & GREENLAND) Recipientsgeneral support
    $100,0002023 Multiple South Asia Recipientsgeneral support
    $100,0002022 Arizona State UniversityTool Development – Building a tool for large-scale investors to estimate the risk of forced labor in their portfolio companies (Forced Labor Open Risk Estimation Tool – FLORET).
    $100,0002022 CAREPiloting a partnership with myAgro to support smallholder farmers in Tanzania with access to inputs, training, and market access.
    $100,0002022 Inspire Project IncBuilding/refining an app-based immersive pandemic simulation for US high school students to support public health/STEM learning (Operation Outbreak).
    $100,0002022 Multiple EUROPE (INCLUDING ICELAND & GREENLAND) RecipientsCLIMATE Innovation – Building the business case for investment in heat infrastructure for Glasgow's Climate-Neutral Innovation District.
    $100,0002022 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsBuilding a youth-driven campaign to change the narrative on Africa's role in climate change, from one of victim to vanguard of climate solutions.
    $100,0002022 Regents of the University of California, DavisAI Project – Building/refining an open-source AI-based tool to target anti-poverty cash microtransfers, using mobile phone records and satellite imagery.
    $66,2632020 Amref Health Africa, Inc.Amref Health Africa is the largest Africa-based healthcare nonprofit, serving millions of people every year across 35 countries in sub-saharan Africa. The Amref Health Africa in the USA office raises awareness and critically needed funds for Amref's work in Africa.
    $63,7622024 Multiple EUROPE (INCLUDING ICELAND & GREENLAND) RecipientsDevelopment and piloting of the Impact Marketplace, enabling smallholder cotton farmers to adopt agroforestry practices, access carbon credit markets, and secure additional income while promoting sustainable farming and biodiversity.
    $55,2832021 Multiple CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN RecipientsClimate Smart Forest Economy Program

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

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    References

    1. “Who We Are.”  Dalberg Catalyst. Accessed October 7, 2024.  https://www.dalbergcatalyst.org/who-we-are
    2. “Our Progress 2020-2023.” Dalberg Catalyst. Accessed October 7, 2024.  https://www.dalbergcatalyst.org/_files/ugd/056cf4_7b5d068c1fee44f8b2afbd99ce731f65.pdf
    3. “Protecting the Mission.” Dalberg. Accessed April 26, 2021. https://dalberg.com/who-we-are/the-dalberg-trust/