The National Center for Appropriate Technology or NCAT has been helping people build resilient communities through local and sustainable solutions that reduce poverty, strengthen self-reliance, and protect natural resources since 1976. NCAT is a trusted, practical connector for individuals and businesses who are working to leave our world better than we found it. 

We do this work through a trusted knowledgebase, providing individualized technical assistance, facilitating practical solutions, and connecting people with each other to support sustainable agriculture and clean energy systems. 

Headquartered in Butte, Montana, NCAT has field offices in Arkansas, California, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah. 

HISTORY
NCAT was created in response to the energy crisis of the 1970s to develop appropriate, low-cost, energy-saving strategies for underserved communities. In 1987, NCAT expanded its mission to include sustainable agriculture. 

The “appropriate technology” movement started in the 1960s following a period of heavily-funded “high technology” after WWII. With roots in the United States and Great Britain, the term “appropriate technology” featured five key elements, all of which remain core to NCAT’s mission:

Small-scale

Simple to use and operate

Low-cost and labor intensive

Local or decentralized

Environmentally sound

COMMITMENT TO RACIAL EQUITY
NCAT’s work brings together diverse partnerships and communities to help reduce poverty and protect our natural resources. We strive to be a multicultural organization that embraces the rich dimensions of diversity, and we partner with vulnerable communities of color engaged in food systems and energy solutions. NCAT works in partnership with low-income and historically underserved communities of color to build resilient communities.

CAREERS AT NCAT
The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to help people build resilient communities through local and sustainable solutions that reduce poverty, strengthen self-reliance, and protect natural resources. 

NCAT is a trusted, practical connector for individuals and businesses working to leave our world better than we found it. We do this through a trusted knowledgebase, providing individualized technical assistance, facilitating practical solutions, and connecting people with each other to support sustainable agriculture and energy. NCAT’s work includes nationally recognized projects in agriculture, food, and energy.