Exploring Foundation Capacity: Why Does it Matter and What Do We Know: Preliminary Results from the Foundation Core Capacity Assessment Tool

For many years, the social sector has paid substantial attention to the issue of nonprofit effectiveness, and numerous diagnostic tools exist to help nonprofits assess and build their capacity strengths toward these ends. By contrast, comparatively little attention has been paid to the capacities foundations need to achieve impact. What capacities are essential to advancing a foundation’s mission?  How do these elements compare to the capacities their grantee partners need? How can a foundation’s staff and board productively explore these matters, assessing their own capacity infrastructure and prioritizing the changes they need?

In Spring 2016, 58 diverse foundations took TCC Group’s online, validated, Foundation Core Capacity Assessment Tool (FCCAT), assessing capacity strengths and challenges of their respective institutions. This webinar will share aggregate results across the foundation sample, elucidating what we have learned regarding foundation strengths and challenges in five core arenas: leadership, management, adaptive, technical, and organizational culture capacity.

Learn more about the FCCAT.

Presenters

• Melinda Fine, Ed.D., Director, Philanthropy and Strategic Partnerships, TCC Group
• Jared Raynor, Director, Evaluation, TCC Group
• Deepti Sood, Senior Consultant, Evaluation, TCC Group