Catapult Greater Pittsburgh

About Catapult Greater Pittsburgh

Catapult Greater Pittsburgh is a comprehensive organization dedicated to promoting economic justice and empowering individuals and families through various programs and initiatives. Their services span multiple areas, including housing, financial education, entrepreneurship, and community support.

Services include:

Housing and Homeownership Programs

Catapult recognizes the importance of stable housing and homeownership in building generational wealth. They offer several programs in this area:

Day One and Day One Residential

These programs support single-parent families with children under 5 years old. Day One is a two-year program that provides a supportive environment with monthly workshops covering topics related to the psychology of poverty. After completing Day One, participants can transition to Day One Residential, which offers safe, affordable housing costing just 15% of the participant's income.

CLEAR (Clinic for Legal Equity and Repairs)

This program assists individuals and families living in homes without clear title to the property. CLEAR provides support for tangled title legal matters, offers quality-of-life home repairs, and helps with estate planning documentation. The goal is to protect existing homes as key assets for generational wealth building.

D.O.O.R. (Developing Ownership Opportunities for Residents)

D.O.O.R. is a pre-purchase program that helps first-time homebuyers develop a comprehensive plan to achieve homeownership. It includes monthly homebuyer education workshops and one-on-one counseling.

K.E.Y. (Keeping Equity Yours)

This post-purchase program equips homeowners with skills to maintain their property and build financial fortitude. It offers monthly homeowner education workshops and one-on-one counseling, covering topics such as basic home maintenance, avoiding predatory lending, and estate planning.

Next Steps Fund

This program is designed to increase equity in homeownership opportunities for families by providing assistance with closing costs, addressing one of the significant barriers to homeownership for many families.

Financial Education and Support

S.A.V.E. (Solid Advice for Valuable Earnings)

S.A.V.E. is a trauma-informed financial counseling program that provides workshops, one-on-one guidance, and materials to keep community members financially informed and empowered. It addresses generational poverty through a unique trauma-informed approach.

B.A.S.I.C. (Building Access to Support Intentional Connection)

This emergency resources and support program provides assistance with food, essential household supplies, feminine care products, and personal hygiene items for those facing temporary financial crises.

Entrepreneurship Programs

Catapult offers several programs to support minority entrepreneurs:

Startup to Storefront

A 12-month retail business incubation program for minority entrepreneurs looking to start or grow existing retail businesses. It provides monthly cohort learning, one-on-one mentoring, educational seminars, networking opportunities, and technical assistance.

Catapult Kids: Kidpreneurship Training Program

A 6-month business incubation program for minority youth ages 14-17. It teaches personal goal setting, business startup, marketing, sales, and retail business operations.

Catapult Culinary

This program assists small, food-based businesses owned by minorities. It provides technical assistance in areas such as menu development, pricing strategies, and food safety regulations.

Retail Gallery Incubators

These are innovative storefront spaces where retail businesses can sell and develop their products in the community. They provide high-visibility spaces for minority business owners to gain hands-on retail experience in a supported, low-risk environment.

Community Engagement and Advocacy

L.E.A.P. (Lead, Empower, Advocate, Plan)

A 9-month program designed to help community members understand systemic issues related to economic inequality. It includes weekly community meetings and aims to ignite communities to advocate for justice and change.

Poverty Simulations

Catapult hosts poverty simulations throughout the year to educate policymakers and community leaders about the realities of living with financial constraints.