Crowdfunding Site Connects NU Loyal Members with Students

It’s never been easier to stay NU Loyal—and give direct support to the Northwestern student causes you care about most.

Catalyzer, the University’s new crowdfunding web platform, enables donors to make gifts directly to student organizations that are raising funds for specific projects. NU Loyal members can give through the Catalyzer site to keep their membership active, while targeting their annual gifts to make a timely difference.

How does it work?

It’s simple: Student groups post a brief description of their projects on the Catalyzer website, along with short videos and fundraising goals. Students also reach out to potential donors and promote their projects on social media. With just a few clicks, supporters make gifts through the Catalyzer site.

Different from commercial crowdfunding websites, Catalyzer is administered by Northwestern Alumni Relations and Development—and 100 percent of each gift goes to the student group seeking the money, even if the group falls short of its fundraising goal.

Since Catalyzer launched just over a year ago, 23 student groups have raised more than $130,000 from alumni, friends, and family—including many NU Loyal members. The money has supported a variety of causes, such as helping the club rowing team buy new boats, assisting a student engineering group that’s developing a sustainable water source for a village in Kenya, and expanding the inventory of NU Threads, an organization that lends formal clothing for job interviews and networking events to students who can’t afford such purchases.

Student groups currently raising money through Catalyzer include Baja SAE, CampusCATALYST, and House by Northwestern. To learn more about their projects and make your gift to support their goals and stay NU Loyal, go to catalyzer.northwestern.edu.

For more information about Catalyzer, view the site’s FAQ page or this story from the spring issue of Northwestern magazine. All gifts made through Catalyzer are tax deductible and count toward NU Loyal membership and We Will. The Campaign for Northwestern.