Spotlight on TCC Group Changemakers: Naomi Korb Weiss

In your view, what is the value of creating space to bring people together around a shared objective?

People and planning are among my favorite things, so convenings are a match made in heaven for me. My deepest work in this area is in leading our Convenings work group – a committee focused on developing a service around the incredible work we do designing, facilitating, and evaluating convenings. Part of what I love about this work is that while on the surface it does not closely overlap with my other day-to-day work with clients, I am always working to create space for varied stakeholder groups to influence action on a particular topic.

What innovative approaches are you bringing to your work?

Underneath the scopes and proposals and meetings are the personal dynamics at play in organizations. As projects unfold, I find it fascinating to understand the change management that needs to happen inside an organization. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what goals we develop or roadmaps we design if our clients aren’t committed to addressing interpersonal dynamics. It has been exciting to build this muscle organically with every project.

What do you think TCC does differently with our clients?

 We tailor processes and templates and make sense of the data together.  We talk to our clients constantly. When the frameworks we have don’t fit, we build new ones. It is key to make sure that the work is embedded into our clients’ culture so that our impact extends even when the work is finished.

Tell us about a project you are working on right now!

We have partnered with the Danville Regional Foundation, a health conversion capacity building-focused funder, for over 5 years. In addition to supporting their grantees with individualized coaching, we provide strategic advising to the foundation. In our latest round of advising, we partnered with the other capacity-building providers and began to chart out a pipeline to better serve and support nonprofits as they move throughout their lifecycle. One of the most exciting ideas to emerge is a ‘concierge’ service for nonprofits, which will guide them through an assessment process (CCAT and other) and support them through the messy journey of training, coaching, grant writing, and more. I’m excited to see how we can apply this concept to other regions.

Can you share an example of a time you have seen your work at TCC make an impact?

You know those projects that begin to feel like a part of your identity? That you wake up thinking about? It was really gratifying to partner with the Samis Foundation in Seattle in 2019 and chart out a bold strategic plan to deepen and diversify education in their region. To do so, they needed to shift the culture of their own foundation and board. A few months ago, they announced a groundbreaking affordability initiative (which will serve as a model for other communities across the country) and courageous plans for facilitating mergers amongst core grantees. Families in their community will now be able to access high-quality educational programs as a result of our work.

You can learn more about Naomi and her work at TCC Group here.