# Crowdfunding Community Offshoots CSI's Catalyst is a Platform for Funding Social Projects By Tiana Reid | Published 2013-03-31 | Social Good Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/csis-catalyst References: [socialinnovation](http://socialinnovation.ca/event/csis-catalyst-launch-event-crowdfunding-for-better-world?utm_source=Innovators&utm_campaign=fe40410856-Innovators_March_13_2013&utm_medium=email) & [csicatalyst.org](http://www.csicatalyst.org/) CSI's [Catalyst](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cat-litters) makes perfect sense in terms of expanding the project of CSI as a community organization. CSI is a workspace based in Toronto that recently expanded to New York City. The crowdfunding platform, akin to Start Some Good and [Kickstarter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kickstarter-2025), focuses on social and environmental projects. Some of the current projects include: City Seed Farms: Head Island Project, Regent Park Community TV and Inaugural African Women Artists Festival. CSI's Catalyst was launched relatively recently and works alongside, in many ways, the physical space of CSI, that is, community workspaces where people come together and share ideas on how to enhance and push their own vision of the triple bottom line forward. **Contact Information** CSI's Catalyst [website](http://www.csicatalyst.org/) Catalyst on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/csicatalyst) CSI on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/centreforsocialinnovation) ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.2/10 - Popularity: 29% | Activity: 60% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Social Good](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialgood) > [Social Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialbusiness) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Social Crowdfunding:** The rise of crowdfunding platforms focused on social and environmental projects presents opportunities for individuals and organizations to seek funding for their initiatives. - **Community Workspaces:** The emergence of community workspaces like CSI provides a collaborative environment for individuals to share ideas and work on their vision of a triple bottom line. - **Expanding Impact:** The expansion of CSI from Toronto to New York City demonstrates the potential for organizations to broaden their impact by reaching new geographical markets. ### Where This Applies - **Crowdfunding:** The crowdfunding industry can explore innovative ways to support and promote social and environmental projects through dedicated platforms like CSI's Catalyst. - **Workspace:** The workspace industry can adopt the community-focused approach of CSI to foster collaboration and provide support for individuals working on socially impactful projects. - **Nonprofit/community Organizations:** Nonprofit organizations and community-focused initiatives can leverage crowdfunding platforms like CSI's Catalyst to raise funds for their social and environmental projects. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Crowdfunding Feedback Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/feedfund.md) - [Crowdfunding Platform Improvements](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kickstarter-2025.md) - [Cloud-Native Microservices Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/diagrid-catalyst.md) - [Upgraded Crowdfunding Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kickstarter-late-pledges.md) - [Entrepreneur Support Communities](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hustle-cafe.md) - [Collaborative Project Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cliquest.md) - [Beauty Innovation Contests](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-catalysts-program.md) - [Canadian Entrepreneur-Focused Marketplaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/canadian-entrepreneur.md) - [Startup Funding Directories](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/credit-for-startups.md)