Why do people give? Or better yet, why do people choose more often not to give? I’ve been pondering the sad puppy approach (check out animal shelters), the sad child approach, the human rights arguments (population X should have Y), the lure of the exotic other (i.e. the national geographic approach), the appeal to your superego (“giving is good!”), and other assorted tactics. In the past, very few of these pitches have actually convinced me to donate, more often turning me off. I was reticent to invest, even in groups that I liked. Whether it’s a bystander apathy phenomenon (“well I’m sure someone else will donate”), a lack of direct connection to the results (not being in the office and onsite with the projects, it’s hard to understand exactly where the money goes), or a bit of healthy skepticism (“can that team really accomplish what they say they will?”), giving has never been a straightforward or really tangible process for me.

Over the past year or so, as I’ve worked with, met, and gotten to know more about so many amazing organizations, my views have changed. Investing in a nonprofit, through donations or in-kind services or any form of support, is essentially a statement that you believe in the mission of the organization, you believe in the work it’s doing, and you believe that it should continue to exist. Catapult, along with a number of other nonprofits and social ventures, is able to accomplish its goals in large part due to individual donors. I’ve found that if I really believe that this service should be provided and that the existence of this organization in the world is beneficial, then the most direct way to act is to support it. It’s not at all a given that someone else will, because many people believe the way I used to, that support will come from elsewhere and one needn’t worry. And particularly for many innovative early-stage ventures, initial funding can be make-or-break.

So that being said, where exactly do donations to Catapult go? Well, to be able to provide high-quality design and engineering services to our clients, we first have to support Catapulters with livable salaries. When it comes down to it, our employees are the direct agents of our mission. While we do receive fees from our clients to cover costs, the more we receive in donated funds, the more we can pursue project work with clients based not on their ability to pay but their ability to affect the world. Beyond our human power, we also have to keep the lights on – paying rent, buying equipment, procuring prototyping materials, and funding our machine shop costs. And once we can sustainably cover all of those costs, we can afford to look to expanding our team, our project pipeline, and thus our impact.

If you’re thinking about supporting Catapult, but you’re interested in first learning more about any part of our process, feel free to drop us an e-mail. And we’d love to hear what’s on your mind when you choose to give.