Our Programs
Building generational wealth is an important element in sustainable economic justice. At Catapult, we support wealth building through paths to homeownership and entrepreneurialism.
RNIH
In Partnership with PHFA
Revitalizing
Neighborhoods
and
Increasing
Homeownership
Next Steps Fund
A new program designed to increase equity in homeownership opportunities for Black families.
Poverty Simulations
Catapult Greater Pittsburgh hosts several simulations throughout the year to promote knowledge and action within our communities.
Day One
Through Day One, we provide stable housing for single-parent families to help them establish their education and career goals.
Startup to Storefront
12-month retail business incubation program for minority entrepreneurs.
Kidpreneurship Training Program
6-month business incubation program for minority youth ages 14-17.
Gallery Retail Incubation
Innovative storefront spaces where retail businesses have access to sell and develop their product in the community.
Catapult for Change
Works to improve local and state policies and practices that are working against economic justice and the best interest of the community.
Catapult:
Support and Connection
Catapult:
B.A.S.I.C.S.
At Catapult, we do not want to see any individual or family lose their footing based on a temporary financial crisis. B.A.S.I.C. (Building Access to Support Intentional Connection) is our emergency resources and support program. We are here to support the needs of those who are in need of food, essential household supplies, feminine care products, personal hygiene items, etc.
We are currently not taking applications for this program. We will make an announcement on this website when applications are open.
Catapult:
L.E.A.P.
Coming Soon
Coming Soon
Poverty is NOT a character flaw. At Catapult, we believe that peer connection is a key aspect of achieving economic justice. LEAP is our peer-to-peer connection program that uses a robust curriculum which helps individuals recognize and heal from the trauma of long-term exposure to poverty, create goals for the future, expand social capital and develop lasting relationships for support and to realize long term stability. The program also prepares peers to support each other through anti-racism and implicit bias training.
Catapult’s L.E.A.P. (Lead, Empower, Advocate, Plan) Program is a 9-month program designed to fuel community members to identify, understand, and reflect on who we are as individuals and how we operate within and may benefit from systems of oppression. Once we understand our own positions within these systems, we will work to unpack how systemic racism and the psychology of poverty impact our communities. We will learn about local and national politics related to issues of poverty, food, education, and the criminal justice system. We hope that this program ignites communities to act from that awareness and advocate for justice and change through collective efficacy. LEAP consists of weekly community meetings.
Who Benefits?
- Those who want to build social capital
- Individuals who are interested in learning more about systems of power, privilege and oppression
- Individuals who want a community of support in setting and reaching goals
- Individuals who are eager to support their community
Catapult:
Poverty Simulations
Catapult Greater Pittsburgh hosts several simulations throughout the year to promote knowledge and action within our communities. We use the Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS), which is a unique tool that community agencies are able to use to educate everyone, from policy makers to local community leaders, about the day to day realities of life with a shortage of money and an abundance of stress. CAPS is a copyrighted tool made available by the Missouri Association for Community Action to organizations that want to promote a greater understanding of poverty.
If you would be interested in co-hosting a private Poverty Simulation for your group or organization, please contact Jodi Salant for more information.
Catapult:
S.A.V.E.
S.A.V.E. (Solid Advice for Valuable Earnings) is our trauma-informed financial counseling program. We believe that a strong foundation of personal financial knowledge and planning is paramount to future individual successes. Through this program, we provide workshops, one-on-one guidance, and materials to keep our community members financially informed and empowered. We address generational poverty through a trauma-informed approach which is unique to the Catapult model.
Catapult:
Day One
Housing insecurity is a critical factor hindering self-sufficiency for anyone, but especially for single-parent households. Through Day One, we provide safe, affordable, and stable housing for single-parent families, allowing them to plan and execute self-guided education and career goals.
Program Benefits
- Weekly one-on-one coaching meetings
- Monthly workforce development and financial education training.
- Weekly group workshops, independent relationship building, and a true "village" environment.
- Programming developed by Executive Director, Tammy T. Thompson, based on "The Psychology of Poverty", helping participants resolve the trauma that can be a major obstacle to achieving long-term goals.
- Safe, secure, affordable housing costing just 15% of their income.
Catapult:
Asset Building
Building generational wealth is an important element in sustainable economic justice. At Catapult, we support wealth building through paths to homeownership and entrepreneurialism.
Catapult:
CLEAR
CLEAR (Clinic for Legal Equity and Repairs) provides support to individuals and families living in their homes, but who do not have title to the property in their name. The program supports these Tangled Title legal matters, or issues related to the legal ownership of real estate, provides quality of life home repairs, and assistance with the completion of estate planning documentation.
Through this programming, we provide legal services via consulting attorneys and home repairs that will improve the health and safety of the home by vetted local contractors. Our goal is to protect existing homes as a key asset for generational wealth building within our communities.
Catapult & PHFA:
RNIH
Learn how we are opening doors to interested homebuyers by reducing purchasing barriers, providing financial assistance for home repairs, and coaching potential homebuyers all with the end goal of you and your family building generational wealth.
Catapult:
D.O.O.R.
Catapult D.O.O.R. (Developing Ownership Opportunities for Residents) is our pre-purchase program. Participants will develop a comprehensive plan to make the dream of first-time homeownership a reality. D.O.O.R. addresses the specific needs and challenges that a prospective buyer may encounter while supporting the buyer every step of the way.Â
D.O.O.R. consists of monthly homebuyer education workshops and one-on-one counseling.
Catapult:
K.E.Y.
Catapult K.E.Y. (Keeping Equity Yours) is our post-purchase program that equips homeowners to maintain their property and build upon their financial fortitude. Homeowners attend workshops focusing on sustainable homeownership. Participants will learn basic home maintenance, how to avoid predatory lending, how to manage estate planning, and more.Â
Consisting of monthly homeowner education workshops and one-on-one counseling, K.E.Y. strives to provide homeowners with tangible skills and tools to maintain and sustain responsible homeownership.
Catapult:
S.A.V.E.
If you’re looking to increase your financial skills and knowledge or have homeownership as a long-term goal, check out our S.A.V.E. (Solid Advice for your Valuable Earnings) program.Â
S.A.V.E. is our trauma-informed financial counseling program. We believe that a strong foundation of personal financial knowledge and planning is paramount to future individual successes. Through this program we provide workshops, one-on-one guidance, and materials to keep our community members financially informed and empowered. We address generational poverty through a trauma-informed approach which is unique to the Catapult model.
Catapult:
Next Steps Fund
The Next Steps Fund is a new program designed to support equity in homeownership opportunities for Black families. 41% of Black families own their homes compared to 68% White families.
Historical discrimination through exclusionary housing policies and practices, a dwindling housing inventory, and many other factors have prevented Black families from purchasing homes at the same rate as their White counterparts.
Finding creative ways to close the Black-White wealth gap starts with an awareness of how we got here and acknowledging the need to correct it. For emphasis, in 1960, 42.4% of homeowners were Black, and in 2019, only 40.9% of homeowners were Black.
How did the Next Steps Fund get started?
The Next Steps Fund is a new program designed to support equity in homeownership opportunities for Black families. 41% of Black families own their homes compared to 68% White families.
Historical discrimination through exclusionary housing policies and practices, a dwindling housing inventory, and many other factors have prevented Black families from purchasing homes at the same rate as their White counterparts.
Finding creative ways to close the Black-White wealth gap starts with an awareness of how we got here and acknowledging the need to correct it. For emphasis, in 1960, 42.4% of homeowners were Black, and in 2019, only 40.9% of homeowners were Black.
Criteria
- Must be purchasing a home within Allegheny County
- Income limit of up to 115% AMI
- Must be a first-time homebuyer
- Owner-occupant (Buyer must be a full-time resident of the property)
- Must participate and earn a First-time Homebuyer Certificate in the D.O.O.R. program
- Buyer must contribute no less than 1% of total purchace price to the transaction
Impact
- Every dollar used towards mitigating the barriers to Black homeownership is decreasing the Black-White wealth gap and playing a role in diminishing generational poverty
- Increased homeownership rates also increase tax revenues which is good for the community overall
- $500,000 allows us to provide grants up to $5,000 has the potential to support up to 100 Black first time homeowners
Catapult:
Entrepreneurship
Catapult:
Startup to Storefront
The Catapult: Startup to Storefront program is a 12-month retail business incubation program for minority entrepreneurs who want to start and/or grow and existing retail business.
Designed to assist in starting, strengthening, and expanding business operations. Program participants participate in monthly cohort learning while receiving, one-on-one mentoring, educational seminars, networking, technical assistance, and opportunities to build strategic partnerships.
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We are no longer accepting applications. If you are interested in applying please sign up for our wait list.
Program Graduates
Catapult Kids:
Kidpreneurship Training Program
Launched in 2021 in partnership with entrepreneurial consultant Debra Titus, the Catapult Kids: Kidpreneurship Training Program’s mission is to inspire, educate, and promote young people on the benefits of financial sustainability and community empowerment through entrepreneurship.
Catapult Kids is a 6-month business incubation program for minority youth ages 14-17. Participants are placed in a supportive cohort learning environment to learn about personal, SMART goal setting, starting a business, marketing, sales, and retail business operations.
Not Accepting Applications at This Time
Catapult:
Culinary
Catapult Culinary is the premiere program for minority food-based businesses. We assist small, food-based businesses and provide them with the tools they need to succeed in the food industry. The program is designed as a business accelerator to assist business owners in starting or expanding food business operations.Â
For more information on this program email Nissa’a Stallworth, Catapult Entrepreneurship Program Manager.
The program provides technical assistance in the areas of:
- Practical business foundations teaching and curriculum
- Restaurant industry business-based curriculum
- Training and development
-
Specific industry mentoring, networking, and more
We are no longer accepting applications. If you are interested in applying please sign up for our wait list.
Program Partners
- Catapult Greater Pittsburgh
- Food 21
- Giant Eagle
- Allegheny Health Network
Catapult:
Gallery Retail Incubation
The Catapult Retail Gallery Incubators are innovative storefront spaces where retail businesses have access to sell and develop their product in the community.
Created due to the historic lack of minority businesses having access to high traffic storefront spaces, we seek to promote economic justice by intentionally creating high-visibility spaces where minority business owners can gain hands-on retail experience in a supported, low-risk environment.
Our gallery retail spaces benefit not only the business owners, but the entire community.
Current Gallery Retail Locations
Now Open
Reopening Soon
- Business Listings Coming Soon
Now Open
Catapult:
Policy Advocacy
Catapult:
For Change
The work that we do is strengthened by just systems, policy, and administrative practices that protect individuals living at or below the poverty line, underemployed or unemployed people. Catapult for Change works to improve local and state policies and practices that are working against economic justice and the best interest of the community.
Graduates of the L.E.A.P. program will be invited to join Catapult for Change action committees to advocate for progress in the areas of food justice, education justice, economic justice, and the criminal justice system.
