Eligible nominees are Connecticut volunteers or civic leaders identified through third-party nomination who demonstrate a sustained record of civic leadership and volunteer mobilization.  They must live and serve in Connecticut, and be 18 years of age or older.  They must also be able to furnish a W-9 with a valid taxpayer identification number.

Any member of the public can nominate an eligible Connecticut volunteer or civic leader to be considered for the Catalyst Awards.  Nominations are not limited to a particular group; all are encouraged to nominate someone whose community service and leadership they admire.

The Neighborhood first reviews all nominations to determine their eligibility and completeness.  An independent Selection Committee made up of volunteers and civic leaders reviews eligible and complete nominations and ultimately selects up to 10 honorees to each receive a Catalyst Award.  The Neighborhood may interview nominees to gather information to inform the Committee’s deliberations.  

Committee members use a scoring rubric to evaluate nominees against a consistent set of objective, civic-achievement-based criteria, including:

• Sustained service to the community over time: a record of long-term, ongoing civic leadership, rather than a single or episodic contribution;

• Demonstrated record of enlisting and mobilizing others in service: evidence the nominee doesn’t just serve personally, but actively brings others into volunteerism;

• Community trust: evidence of community standing and working across lines of difference;

• Demonstrated interest in peer learning: genuine willingness to learn from and share practices with peers across Connecticut; and 

• Town or city representation: geographic diversity is desired and therefore a town or city may be represented by no more than one honoree each year.

Each Catalyst receives a $15,000 award in recognition of their civic achievement.  The award is intended to advance a Catalyst’s civic work for the benefit of their community.  Alongside it, Catalysts are invited to join The Neighborhood’s Community of Practice with their fellow honorees, beginning with quarterly convenings to build relationships, share what's working, and learn from one another.

The Catalyst Award, including the $15,000 funding, is in recognition of the Catalyst’s record of civic achievement.  Award funds must be used to advance civic work by promoting service and volunteerism for the benefit of the Catalyst’s community.  This requirement is a use restriction, not a service obligation owed to The Neighborhood.  Within this civic-use requirement, the Catalyst may determine the specific application of the funds.  However, the award funds may not be used for purely personal purposes.  Award funds also cannot be used to lobby or promote a political cause or campaign.  The Neighborhood reserves the right to condition or decline payment where a proposed use does not qualify.

The honoree may choose to either (a) receive the $15,000 directly to advance their civic work, in which case the funds are generally recognized as income subject to tax (the honoree should consult their tax advisor), or (b) direct the funding to a qualifying charitable organization, subject to The Neighborhood’s approval, in which case the award should not be reportable income to the honoree.  The Neighborhood will work closely with the Catalyst through each step of the process.

In either option, the Catalyst remains closely involved with the expenditure of funds, since they are intended to advance the Catalyst’s civic work.  This work should inform the Catalyst’s voluntary participation in The Neighborhood's Community of Practice—and, in turn, their peers.  In this way, the funding not only directly benefits the Catalyst’s community, it also furthers the impact of the entire cohort.