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4 Predictions for the Future of the Nonprofit Sector

Category: Perspective

From “Good” to “Great” (or Better Yet, Impactful)

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?

CASE STUDY: Supporting Organizational Effectiveness Within Movements

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.

Are Your Trustees Involved Too Much—or Too Little—in Grantmaking?

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?

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

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

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

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.

10 Key Factors to Help Funders Thrive

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.