SCHOLARSHIPS
The world of social activism is driven by the innovation of relentless and passionate people who work toward a mission of creating social change.
Everyone has the power to be a champion of change in their community, no matter how big or small it is. The purpose of the CATALYSTS (Cultivating Achievers To Actively Lead and Yield Strategic and Transformative Success) Scholarship is to provide financial support to student leaders of color who are active within the nonprofit ecosystem and/or development of high potential philanthropy that drives social change and impact. The goal is to better propel emerging community leaders to be catalysts of change in their community while still being able to remain involved in college life.
Each year, the CATALYSTS Foundation provides two $1,000 scholarships. Black/African American undergraduate students are encouraged to apply if they have a GPA of 2.8 or higher and have internship or work experience tied to social impact.
Applications for the scholarship in the 2025-2026 cycle will open on March 1 and close on June 27, 2025. All 2025-2026 scholarship applicants will be notified of decisions by August 8, 2025.
Have questions about our scholarship application instructions or about the application process? Email Chaz Chapman at cchapman@catalystsfoundation.org
CATALYSTS Scholars
“During the Spring of 2024, I organized and led a community service initiative called “A Minute with Morehouse.” Thirty students from the Atlanta University Center along with fifty students at Booker T. Washington and again with sixty students at Tri-Cities High School spent a day filming with their cell phones. The next day, they edited the footage into a one-minute short which was shown at a community screening with parents a week later. Many of these students who initially said they were not going to college came to us after the showcase and said they were filling out college applications so they could be leaders in the filmmaking industry. Through this initiative, my team and I taught Black high schoolers that they have the power to be leaders in their storytelling journey through film.”
— Amira Barrett, 2024 CATALYSTS Scholar
“While volunteering at a drive-thru food pantry, I founded a monthly Zoom teen cooking club. The pantry received fresh vegetables and fruit from local farms but many clients did not have access to cooktops or ovens due to living in temporary housing or extended-stay hotels. So my cooking club started to demonstrate some cooking techniques using ingredients from the food pantry and a microwave or toaster oven.”
— Xavier Doyle, 2023 CATALYSTS Scholar
“As President and Cohort Lead for the University Innovation Fellows Program and proud owner of Motion Academy, a classified discord community dedicated to helping individuals navigate the complexities of life and find success in a sea of choices, I am currently promoting awareness of existing educational resources and supporting initiatives that aim to make healthcare training more accessible.”
— Jeremy Hall, 2024 CATALYSTS Scholar
“I will continue to voluntarily tutor and read to kids, always aiming to instill confidence in them and show them that their opinions matter. In the future, I would like to start a nonprofit similar to Ebookbuddy, where volunteers read to children. Instead of focusing solely on reading, I want my program to encompass various subjects like math, science, and social studies. This way, children can get a more comprehensive tutoring session, getting help in all their classes if need be. I want to give back to the community by setting children from all walks of life up for success.”
— Michelle Morel Perez, 2023 CATALYSTS Scholar