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4 Tips for Culturally Responsive Programming

Category: Perspective

4 Tips for Culturally Responsive Programming

I’ve always had an inherent appreciation for diversity – yet my training and work in the evaluation space has fostered even greater realization that diversity is a critical component to both program design and evaluation. In my work, I’ve had to assess how people are experiencing programs and whether those experiences match what was intended. Naturally, I’ve been exposed to and come to understand realities and points of view different than my own. I see this call for cultural responsiveness as being relevant to not only evaluators, but program staff as well…

Build Trust With A Purpose Statement

As we enter a new era in US politics, there is increased pressure on companies to build trust with customers, and both deliver and communicate their broader value to society and their employees…How have companies been responding to this pressure?

How to Strengthen Your Family Foundation’s Impact

As with all foundations, family foundations work to have a meaningful and measurable impact on social problems. But they also have a second, unique purpose: to serve as a unifying vehicle for multiple generations, and to provide opportunities for family members to share philanthropic interests. Establishing this unity can be accomplished by articulating a common purpose – be it a commitment to supporting a geographic locale, supporting a certain issue(s) (education, health), or advancing specific strategies (capacity building, research). In order to grow effectively and sustainably, a family foundation must learn where it fits in the larger “ecosystem” that influences – and is influenced by – the issues it seeks to support.

4 Key Stages for Measuring Your Media Outcomes

What can media accomplish? What can it affect? These are questions funders often ask. Restating those questions from an evaluation perspective translates to: how can one measure the impact of media? To understand how to measure media, we must first understand the strategy behind media.

The Story of a TCC-er at Summer Camp

I may not be unique. Like most people who work in or with the social sector, I have a personal drive to give back. But volunteering at a week-long summer camp gave me pause – and I will share with you how this experience reinforced how I embody TCC’s values – that is, a client-centered approach focused on learning, sustainable change, and resourcefulness.

Building a More Effective Community Approach

Companies are developing their corporate citizenship approaches and strategies based on three primary drivers: aligning with their purpose; addressing an operational issue; and/or supporting the communities where they have operations and employees.

Public media and high-profile stories surrounding companies and their corporate citizenship efforts tend to focus on the major programs and initiatives that the company has developed and promoted, such as Unilever’s Sustainable Living commitment (Purpose) or Starbucks’ focus on sourcing products responsibly (Operations). 

The approach to community, however, tends to be less developed…

Grow Stronger & Achieve Greater Impact

What do legal advocacy and organizational effectiveness have in common? TCC Group CEO Richard Mittenthal shares his takeaways from the Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) 2016 National Conference in Minneapolis. 

How Media Affects Social Change

Media, and more importantly its ability to reach the public and provide commentary, has been present ever since the existence of a town crier.  The tradition of oration has evolved to broadsheet, books, radio, television, and now, to the digital age. I’ve been an evaluator for over 25 years and, over the last several years, have done a deep dive into the world of media, its role in communities, and how it can contribute to social and community change.

Grantmaking & Giving Platforms: How Do I Find a System with Staying Power?

With ever-rising expectations and the public’s demand for positive social impact, funders want their grantmaking programs to meet these higher standards. But finding the right system to meet your needs and budget can be a daunting task—especially with so many to choose from. That’s why it’s important to define a clear process to understand your options before investing the time and money. Your organization wants a system that will be a long-term success.

One Size Does Not Fit All: Program Management Software Solutions

As today’s leading companies launch and expand corporate citizenship programs, they continue to seek greater social and environmental impact. While they operate at various levels of scale, they all face critical challenges around tracking and reporting data, operational inefficiencies, and nonprofit relations. When it comes to researching and selecting a software solution, what service areas exist and what questions should be asked? TCC’s James Gaynor sheds some light on the ever-changing technology options, and how clients develop customized criteria to make the best decision.

10 Critical Questions A Smart Impact Investor Should Ask (And Be Able to Answer)

With the rhetoric around impact investing reaching new heights, foundations and nonprofits would do well to keep the following in mind: Similar to grants, or different forms of non-grantmaking support, impact investing is but one tool in the social impact toolbox. Senior Consultant, Marieke Spence, shares ten critical questions a foundation should ask during the planning and investing process.