Catalyst reviews

2.0

15% would recommend to a friend

(108 total reviews)
avatar

Jennifer McCollum

5% approve of CEO

13% positive business outlook

Catalyst has an employee rating of 2.0 out of 5 stars, based on 108 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a poor working experience there. The Catalyst employee rating is 47% below average for employers within the Nonprofit & NGO industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

108 reviews
1.0
Mar 12, 2026

Cruel, Vindictive Culture; Only "Yes Men" Rewarded

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The positive aspects of this company are gone, after a descent into toxicity.

Cons

Myopic self-interest. Gross ineptitude. Whole teams running on fumes. Layoffs year after year, with seemingly no coherent strategy to continue building, growing, or evolving the organization. I got the sense that leadership did not realize the huge losses of institutional knowledge happening with these layoffs. Often, there was no one left to run vital functions. Employees did as much as they could to fill the gaps, and some leaders even tried to ask smart questions and share new ideas (these leaders have since been laid off). But there were just too many gaping holes created by the organizational strategy. I had panic attacks weekly, and sometimes daily, from working here. As an employee I felt bullied, expendable and devalued. It's a very confusing shift in the organization's environment, given that the research is focused on creating positive and productive work cultures, and for a many years Catalyst was a good place to work. No longer. This is my experience. I would not recommend anyone work here.

1.0
Jan 21, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

None, They blow through so many people. I watched some people be Let go without getting the chance at all to prove themselves.

Cons

This company does not pay for gas or mileage, even when travel is required. They also give you very little opportunity to actually work or demonstrate your abilities. Training is extremely limited and inadequate. As a disabled veteran, I was not provided with reasonable accommodations. Based on my experience, I strongly recommend that veterans—especially disabled veterans—not work for this company. I was told by leadership that I was ready to work in the field. I was even encouraged to pursue sales outside of my assigned territory and told that leadership would assist me in completing orders if I secured them. Despite having potential orders lined up, I was terminated that same night without warning. Leadership is highly toxic. If you are new, they frequently interrupt your sales pitches or take you to locations where they already know you are unlikely to succeed. There is very little coordination, guidance, or access to information that would help you succeed. Employees are treated as competition rather than team members. If you question leadership or express concerns, you are quickly removed rather than supported. I cannot emphasize this enough. DO NOT WORK FOR THIS COMPANY!!! If there are words that I could say to describe how it was working for them its like sitting there not moving at all and allowing Mike Tyson to repeatedly punch you in the face while scratching the back of your throat with a 12 gauge shotgun and expecting something to change. If you upset any of the leadership even slightly they will remove you quickly to silence you. Which I very much believe to be the case for myself, Someone wanted me on their team and I wanted a separate team that I believed could do better with but they may have taken it personally.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 108 Reviews

Glassdoor has 125 Catalyst reviews submitted anonymously by Catalyst employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Catalyst is right for you.