Alight’s purpose is to inspire and unleash the abundance in every person— to bring out the potential that exists in all people. This extends not just to those we serve, but to the people who want to help. Whether they contribute modestly or generously, their support reflects their perspective of abundance, shaped by their unique histories and the values they hold dear. In our "Find Others" series, we meet some of these remarkable donors and partners and explore how their life experiences led them to connect with Alight.
In 2014, Catherine Draper moved to St. Paul and was looking for ways to reconnect with her local community while keeping an international perspective. “We had been living in Miami, where I worked in the consumer food industry and was responsible for Latin America," she recalls. "Returning to the Twin Cities, I really wanted to stay connected with the global community.” That’s when a friend on the Alight board introduced her to the organization, which was then known as the American Refugee Committee. Catherine was immediately drawn by Alight’s combination of local roots and global impact.
Catherine had no personal connection to the refugee community, but she was struck by Alight’s mission to support people displaced by political, environmental, or social crises. “These are people who, just by being in a certain place at a certain time, lose their homes, their stability, their safety, their livelihoods,” she says. “They’re just living their lives, going to work, going to school. And when a crisis happens—whether political or environmental—they think, this too shall pass. Things will go back to normal. And horrifyingly, it doesn’t. They find themselves in a very difficult new normal.”
Beyond its mission, Alight stood out from other causes Catherine supported because the organization encouraged involvement and not just donations. Today, Catherine serves as an advisor to Alight’s U.S. Enterprise, where she uses her experience in growth strategy to support its initiatives.
In 2018, Catherine witnessed the organization’s transition from the American Refugee Committee to Alight. She saw the name change as a bold move, understanding that while it required more explanation, it aligned with Alight’s focus on the dignity of its “customers”—the term Alight uses for the people we serve. She appreciated the change as a reflection of the organization’s commitment to seeing displaced individuals as unique and capable people striving for better lives.
Catherine and her family’s philanthropic approach balances local and global causes, with a focus on both immediate and long-term impacts, especially in health and education. To her, impactful giving involves both trust in how donations are used and a meaningful relationship with the organization. She considers Alight a trusted partner with shared values and the space for direct involvement.
Alight’s emphasis on being human centered resonates deeply with Catherine. Her years in growth strategy, where she often visited households across diverse cultures and economic conditions, instilled in her a belief in shared human values around family and community. “For me, the common humanity in all of us transcends so much,” Catherine explains. “Whether your skin tone is different or how you worship is different, or whatever the case may be, there's still so much more we have in common, and that to me is really powerful. I think we need to bring more humanity into every interaction we have.”