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Stories of Impact

The Million Dominoes Effect: Catalyzing Social Impact

While the stories below do not prove causalities, they reveal patterns. They suggest that even modest strategic social-sector funding can generate highly leveraged results.
When the right fuel meets the right moment, it creates what Propel Philanthropy and Catalyst Now call the Million Dominoes Effect. When funding is also designed to achieve far-reaching results, as in the examples below, it can yield unusually large outcomes.

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A $17,000 grant
increase
📈 400%

A $17,000 grant helped Millennium Campus Network expand, enabling them to graduate an additional 50,000
international students dedicated to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. An overseas assistant was funded
to support a high-powered executive director, leading to rapid, strategic growth. In just one year, their
graduation rate soared by 140%, empowering young leaders worldwide.

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Anonymous Organization:

$1.4M+ raised annually

A $100,000 Propel grant helped develop a new revenue-generating model for a dynamic advocacy group working to create systemic long-term change. This seed funding sparked innovation, leading to over $1.4 million in new annual revenue. With their sustainability secured, the organization has multiplied its advocacy efforts,
reaching and empowering countless communities with greater resources and stability.

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TechSoup:

$11.5M in leveraged funding

TechSoup: $11.5M in leveraged funding

A $65,000 strategic grant from Propel enabled TechSoup to secure $11.5 million from major funders in a catalytic
global capital campaign. This resulted in the modernization of TechSoup’s platform, significantly enhancing its
capacity to serve hundreds of thousands of organizations across 236 countries.

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WINGS

$35,000 grant strengthened CRM & fundraising strategy

A $35,000 grant (of a $70,000 total provided) was used to update the organization’s CRM and fundraising strategy. As the largest global network representing the philanthropy sector, these infrastructure upgrades were designed to help WINGS more effectively improve the capacities of its sizable membership of grant-makers, nonprofits, consultants,
and networks, with a significant portion located in the Global South.

Synergos

$100,000 for global CRM integration

A $100,000 grant supported the integration of a comprehensive CRM system across the full team. This allowed Synergos
to organize its vast network of contacts and partnerships, strengthening its ability to prepare for events and facilitate
collaboration between influential individuals, governments, and social initiatives.

Creative Visions

$100,000 grant fueled growth + a $1M+ follow-on

A $100,000 grant funded two staff positions and helped grow and diversify its board. Following this expansion, the organization secured a grant exceeding $1 million, raised millions for impact media films, and established a new partnership with Discovery Education.

SDG Philanthropy Platform

$17,000 → $240,000 raised

A $17,000 grant enabled a temporary grant writer to raise $240,000. These funds helped women in 72 Indian villages to reclaim land, support entrepreneurship, and implement water harvesting and girl-empowerment programs.

Epic-Africa Foundation

$5,000 seed for AI capacity

A $5,000 grant provided foundational AI knowledge to eventually offer digital training to more than 4,000 civil society organizations
and infrastructure groups within its network.

Catalyst Now

$75,000 (matched) for global coordination

A $75,000 grant (matched by another funder) led to hiring a coordinator to strengthen communication and collaboration among thousands of members and organizations across 156 countries.

Impact Beyond Propel: Lessons from Other Funders

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82% growth

The End Fund’s revenue escalated from $57 million to $104 million in two years—an 82% increase that markedly expanded the organization’s
capacity to save lives by combating neglected tropical diseases.

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$120 million

The Give India Platform raised $120 million from $3.6 million awarded by the A.T.E. Chandry, Bill and Melinda Gates, and Omidyar Foundations.

Transforming Nonprofits With Grants

Providing far-reaching grants can do more than create an impact multiplier effect. They can change the trajectory of organizations, including the largest and most influential. In some cases, even modest funding can be the catalytic fuel that creates the million dominoes effect.

Putting a Human Face to the Numbers

Numbers only matter if they translate to improved lives and healthier environments. Far-reaching grants can reach deeply within many cause areas, communities, people, and environments. They can help many children who might otherwise never have a chance, support many people working to transform trauma into leadership, fight climate change, and train large numbers of individuals who might not have otherwise had a future.

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