What is the A Million Dominoes initiative?
Launched in September 2025, A Million Dominoes is a collaborative effort between Propel Philanthropy, Catalyst Now, and a network of seasoned philanthropists. We identify and vet funding opportunities (candidates) we believe are uniquely positioned to achieve a far-reaching, impact-multiplying effect.

Our ideal find involves a proposal with low investments, small risks that are likely to bring about an exceptionally, far-reaching ROI.

Example of a Successful Million Dominoes Project
Our first initiative in late 2025 served as a benchmark for high-leverage giving. By identifying a strategic opening in GivingTuesday’s media campaign, we facilitated a combined investment of $355,000, with giving beginning at 10k per funder.

The Result: Making more than a million more people aware of GT’s movement raised an estimated $35 million to $50 million, benefiting thousands of organizations simultaneously. Beyond the financial return, it increased awareness of its movement and will benefit from repeated giving from some first-time givers It also demonstrated that a single, well-placed investment can orchestrate results far greater than the sum of its parts.

Discussion
The project likely worked because it met the numerous criteria listed below. GivingTuesday’s metrics from its first media efforts in 2024 reported exceptionally promising results. The organization has an excellent reputation and track record. We had confidence in the team’s ability regarding data analysis and media outreach. Based on GivingTuesday’s extensive collaborative partnerships, we anticipated that the media dollars invested would be exceptionally well-leveraged. Finally, we understood that because many actual donation dollars are not reported, previous and upcoming successes would be higher than what is publicized.

Significant Consideration: We were confident that the campaign would raise significantly more than the $355,000 invested.

A Non-Exhaustive List of Our Criteria:

• Shovel-ready: Prepared for immediate implementation.
• ROI Potential: Organizations positioned to create a sizable, far-reaching, impact multiplier effect.
• Streamlined: Involving few “movable parts” to minimize complexity.
• Observable: Capable of producing a measurable impact within a definitive timeframe.
• Capable: Involving reputable, stable organizations with competent teams and leadership.
• Far-Reaching Impact: Bettering many nonprofits, causes, or communities, or improving social sector capacities in multiple locations.
• Simple Processes: Involving doable processes and clear timelines that are capable of being evaluated, if not strictly measured.

Our Social Sector Building Framework

We prioritize projects that solve “horizontal” problems. While the following examples are not exhaustive, they represent the types of “Dominoes” we seek to tip:

• Unlocking Capital: Initiatives that significantly increase charitable giving or volunteerism (like the GivingTuesday campaign).
• Sector Infrastructure: Tools, systems, or AI integrations that could save thousands of hours for nonprofits and funders alike.
• Collaborative Glue: Capacity support that enables disparate organizations to work as a unified force.
• Removing Bottlenecks: Identifying and clearing major “jams” in the system that prevent existing funding from reaching its full potential.
• Capacity Building: Improving the ability of social sector actors—nonprofits, funders, and social entrepreneurs—to perform their work more effectively.

Join the June Review Cycle
We are currently assembling a portfolio of high-leverage opportunities for our June 2026 review. These proposals will be evaluated using a “hard-floor” analytical approach to ensure they are shovel-ready and measurable.

For More Information, Contact:
Peter Brach: info@propelpy.org
Gannon Gillespie: gannon@catalystnow.net

Important Notice & Disclaimer
Nature of Service: A Million Dominoes and Propel Philanthropy provide curated research, initial vetting, and scoring of potential funding opportunities. Our findings represent a preliminary analysis based on information provided by third-party organizations and are intended for informational purposes only.

Due Diligence: The provision of these materials does not constitute an endorsement or a recommendation to fund. Each funder acknowledges and agrees that they are solely responsible for conducting their own independent due diligence, financial analysis, and legal review before committing capital.

No Guarantee of Results: While we seek out “shovel-ready” opportunities with high success potential, past performance (such as the GivingTuesday initiative) is not a guarantee of future results. Philanthropic investments involve inherent risks, and outcomes may vary based on external factors beyond our control.

Limitation of Liability: By using these resources, funders agree that Propel Philanthropy, Catalyst Now, and their respective officers, employees, and partners shall not be held liable for any direct or indirect losses, damages, or unintended outcomes resulting from funding decisions. Our work is provided “as is,” without warranties of any kind, and does not create a fiduciary relationship between our team and the funding entity.