Most funders engage in what can be referred to as Vertical Philanthropy: focusing on one problem, strategy, theory of change, organization, or geographic location at a time. This approach has a long history of creating meaningful social impact and remains central to the work of the social sector.
However, there is another approach funders can employ. It has a longstanding track record of achieving an exceptional ROI and far-reaching results, yet remains almost entirely under the radar. It can be referred to as Horizontal Philanthropy. Propel Philanthropy has partnered with Catalyst Now (formerly Catalyst 2030) and others to help bring this approach to the fore.
Rather than focusing on a single issue, Horizontal Philanthropy can positively impact many people, nonprofits, communities, causes, and environments with the same dollars.
One way this far-reaching impact has been achieved was through highly strategic investments in large-scale organizations such as the Charities Aid Foundation, Foundation Center, Grameen Bank, TechSoup, Candid, Charity Navigator, GoFundMe, and GivingTuesday. You will find additional examples involving mostly modest grants on our Stories of Impact Page.
A Million Dominoes are created when funders identify and fortify a critical linchpin that enables them to achieve an exceptionally far-reaching social ROI.
Case Example: The 355k Catalyst
In 2024, GivingTuesday launched its first large-scale media campaign. Based on promising data from that effort, GivingTuesday and several funders collectively invested $355,000 to scale the campaign in 2025. They recognized that GivingTuesday had built a powerful advertising and distribution engine capable of significantly increasing the value of each dollar invested. They also believed that additional support could unlock a sizable increase in giving across the broader social sector ecosystem.
The funders involved were not focused on advancing one cause or nonprofit. They were focused on advancing many. The campaign benefited a wide range of causes that many of us care about, including health, education, democracy, poverty alleviation, the environment, and more.