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Who We Are

Our Vision
A world where systems are designed for justice and support equitable access to resources and opportunities for all Californians to thrive.

Our Mission
Catalyst California advocates for racial justice by building power and transforming public systems. We partner with communities of color, conduct innovative research, develop policies for actionable change, and shift money and power back into our communities. 

Board of Directors

Annual Report

Dive deeper into the impact we have in policymaking and systems change in service of low-income communities of color in California with our Annual Impact Reports.

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Our Impact: Affecting Racial Justice

Catalyst California...Change rooted in truth, partnered with community, fueled by justice. Dive deeper into how we dismantle racial injustice and redesign systems for access and equity.

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Our History: Fighting For Racial Equity

In the throes of a conservative takeover of the courts and a retrenchment on civil rights, former NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund attorneys, Constance L. Rice, Penda Hair, and Molly Munger, along with attorney Stephen R. English, established Advancement Project in 1999. Knowing the limits of litigation, they sought to employ cutting-edge strategies to achieve social change. For more than 20 years, Advancement Project National Office and Advancement Project California have operated as co-equal offices linked by a shared vision of a multiracial, just democracy. The substantial impact of the two offices since their inception is undeniable. With racial justice issues front and center in society, the significant roles the National and California offices have played, our organizational strength, and extraordinary leadership in both offices, now is the opportune time for them to become separate and complementary institutions to continue the fight for racial and economic justice: Advancement Project and Catalyst California. The next chapter will mean more innovation, and we’ve got a plan – join us

Advancement Project will continue to build power in local communities by supporting campaigns to dismantle structural racism using law and policy, while shifting harmful narratives. With the collective impact of community, data, and policy, Catalyst California will work with our partners to redesign public systems for equity.