4 Predictions for the Future of the Nonprofit Sector December 1, 2015 By Marketing Admin How will the nonprofit sector evolve? What will change and what will stay the same?TCC Group President and CEO, Richard Mittenthal, shares his four predictions about the future of the nonprofit sector.
From “Good” to “Great” (or Better Yet, Impactful) November 1, 2015 By Marketing Admin Does a “good board” really a strong organization make? Fixing your board…that’s what many of us in leadership positions in the nonprofit sector believe it takes to improve our organizational impact. But how much does developing and educating your board really improve the way your organization does its work?
Toolkit Troubles? TCC’s Evaluators Share Their Top Tips October 18, 2015 By Marketing Admin Toolkits have the potential to impact nonprofit effectiveness. TCC Group’s work evaluating toolkits has identified 5 essential elements of creating and maintaining this powerful resource.
CASE STUDY: Supporting Organizational Effectiveness Within Movements October 6, 2015 By Marketing Admin Funders supporting movements face a unique set of challenges when trying to support organizations working for the same cause. In their efforts to increase organizational effectiveness, foundations invariably face questions of credibility and control, and sometimes encounter diverging understandings of success. This case study profiles how TCC Group – with its partner, the Wikimedia Foundation – developed an innovative, participatory approach to these challenges, resulting in increased organizational effectiveness in the Wikimedia movement.
Successful Corporate Citizenship: What Sets Leading Companies Apart? September 27, 2015 By Marketing Admin Over the years of working extensively with countless corporations, TCC Group has developed a framework, “Successful Corporate Citizenship – What Sets Leading Companies Apart”, for identifying the key elements of building an effective corporate citizenship approach.
Are Your Trustees Involved Too Much—or Too Little—in Grantmaking? August 22, 2015 By Marketing Admin It can be difficult to determine the right role for foundation trustees in the business of grantmaking. Ashley Blanchard, Associate Director of Philanthropy, drawing on her experience as a consultant and trustee, offers several strategies to help foundation trustees use the grantmaking process as a learning opportunity, positioning them to more effectively fulfill their duties of strategy-setting and oversight.
Game-Changing Philanthropy: Is Sean Parker the Daenerys Targaryen of Philanthropy? July 12, 2015 By Marketing Admin Senior Consultant Marieke Spence recently wrote a blog post for the Stanford Social Innovation Review, commenting on an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Sean Parker (“Philanthropy for Hackers“). In the post, Marieke critique’s Parker’s approach and suggests some guiding principles for Parker to consider as he launches his new private foundation.
4 Steps to Leverage Your Philanthropic Impact with Non-Grantmaking Roles April 11, 2015 By Marketing Admin Increasingly, funders want to take on more catalytic roles within their communities. Creative grantmaking can help them move in this direction. But without realizing the potential of their non-grantmaking activity—convening, advocating, training, or educating—foundations may be leaving significant value on the table. In a recent GrantCraft blog post, TCC’s Philanthropy Senior Consultant Marieke Spence outlines a straightforward but holistic process for funders considering non-grantmaking roles using relevant examples from the field.
Meeting a Family’s Growing Philanthropic Needs February 23, 2015 By Marketing Admin Over the past 10 years, TCC Group has provided the Ohrstrom Foundation with administrative and grantmaking support and has guided its governance planning, program and operations, and grant assessment. Through our day-to-day management of the foundation, we identify and address emergent issues, drawing on our years of experience working with family foundations to develop solutions that balance effective philanthropic strategy within the unique context of family giving.
Coordinated Funding: Lessons from a Place-Based Grantmaking Collaborative January 10, 2015 By Marketing Admin Three grantmakers in Michigan, including Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, the United Way of Washtenaw County, and the Joint Office of Community and Economic Development, recently coordinated the leadership and funding of the region’s human service programs in order to maximize community impact. During TCC Group’s evaluation of the initiative, we identified several community assets and early successes that aided the implementation of this innovative funding model, which may prove useful to others considering engaging in such a collaborative effort.
A New Approach to Capacity Building January 1, 2015 By Marketing Admin TCC’s Directors published “Relational Capacity: A New Approach to Capacity Building in Philanthropy” in the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy’s winter journal. The article outlines a new vision of the relationship between funders and nonprofits, one that is collaborative, mutual and iterative. Today’s complex challenges require more effective collaboration within and across sectors.
Foundation Strategies to Inform Federal Policy in the United States December 5, 2014 By Marketing Admin Commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation, TCC Group’s latest research examines what motivates foundations to engage in advocacy, the methods they apply, and the results they achieve. Although the study focuses on federal policy, many of factors and strategies relate directly to foundation policy reform activities at all levels of government.
10 Key Factors to Help Funders Thrive November 17, 2014 By Marketing Admin Drawing on our client work in the intervening decade, TCC Group professionals have identified important key factors that help foundations overcome unique challenges, provide strategic clarity, and chart a successful path forward. In our latest briefing paper, Ten Keys – Ten Years Later: Successful Strategic Planning for Foundation Leaders, we discuss 10 factors that can help funders thrive in today’s philanthropic landscape.