Pathways to Grow Impact: Philanthropy’s Role in the Journey January 2, 2013 By Visceral_Dev_Admin This briefing paper is the result of a collaborative project with Ashoka, Social Impact Exchange, Taproot Foundation, and TCC Group that sought to answer the question: How can grantmakers best support high-performing nonprofits in their efforts to grow their impact? “Pathways to Grow Impact” is for any grantmaker who wants his or her grant dollars … Continued
Thinking Strategically About Networks for Change February 2, 2018 By Visceral_Dev_Admin Created in partnership with The Rockefeller Foundation, this guide helps program officers determine whether—and how—to establish or enhance a network to support their initiatives—featuring the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN).
Partner-Centered Evaluation Capacity Building: Findings from a Corporate Social Impact Initiative January 2, 2018 By Visceral_Dev_Admin Funders can play a proactive role in helping to fill the gap between funders’ expectations and nonprofits’ ability to evaluate grant results. Using a partner-centered design, Johnson & Johnson piloted an evaluation capacity-building initiative that supported eight grantees in strengthening their ability to measure and use findings concerning health-related outcomes by focusing on key evaluation … Continued
Relational Capacity: A New Approach to Capacity Building in Philanthropy January 1, 2015 By Visceral_Dev_Admin “What you see is what you get.” This phrase is often used to describe a person who is very straightforward, but it can have another meaning—what you are able to see, what you choose to notice, affects what you can accomplish. As consultants at TCC Group, where we work with funders of all types to … Continued
(Re)thinking Funder Networks and Collaboratives April 10, 2018 By Visceral_Dev_Admin The field of philanthropy encompasses tens of thousands of funding institutions as well as several hundred philanthropy-serving organizations (PSOs) and funder collaboratives. Funders created these PSOs and funder collaboratives—yet we have heard them question the value of their ongoing support for these entities. Surprisingly, our recent research revealed that funders quickly renewed their appreciation for … Continued
The Missing Link for Maximizing Impact: Foundations Assessing Their Capacity June 30, 2017 By Visceral_Dev_Admin A rapidly changing, global socio-political environment requires foundations to be nimble in maximizing opportunities to advance their agendas. At the same time, grantmakers are establishing ever more ambitious goals that often require grantees to function at peak capacity. Why, then, have more foundations not assessed their own institutional capacity? This article discusses an assessment of … Continued
Shine a Light: The Role of Consultants in Fostering a Learning Culture at Foundations April 2, 2015 By Visceral_Dev_Admin Noticeably absent on the list of reasons foundations cite for engaging consultants is learning—a particularly important attribute for foundations that grapple with complex issues in dynamic environments. Consultants are particularly well positioned to help foundations in the learning process. They help organizations understand and create models and frameworks, implement strategies and mechanisms within them, overcome … Continued
Driving Strategy for Social Impact January 2, 2011 By Visceral_Dev_Admin TCC Group offers frameworks and advice to guide nonprofits and funders through a rigorous strategy process. An effective strategy provides social sector leaders with criteria for making important decisions and increasing the overall quality of their work.
Toward a More Just Justice System: How Open are the Courts to Social Justice Litigation? January 2, 2016 By Visceral_Dev_Admin Authors: Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law This piece, written by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, explores the legal context around pursuing legal advocacy, including factors that favor and obstruct legal advocacy, key strategies to think about while engaged in legal advocacy work, and recommendations for funders and litigators involved in … Continued
Step into the Fight: Philanthropy’s Role in Legal Advocacy January 15, 2016 By Visceral_Dev_Admin Step into the Fight introduces funders and advocates to the concepts of legal advocacy—that is, using the judicial system to achieve social change. It was created as part of the Atlas Learning Project, generously funded by Atlantic Philanthropies and supported by the Center for Evaluation Innovation.
For Foundations: How to Use Logic Model Heat Mapping February 2, 2017 By Visceral_Dev_Admin In this 8-minute video, learn how your foundation can use logic model heat mapping as an effective tool to determine where your group is most active with regard to its stated activities and goals.
Foundation Core Capacity Assessment Tool (FCCAT) January 1, 2016 By Visceral_Dev_Admin The Foundation Core Capacity Assessment Tool (FCCAT) is a statistically validated tool to strengthen the philanthropic sector by helping foundations assess their institutional capacity strengths and challenges. The FCCAT measures capacities critical to a wide variety of foundations. The tool has been carefully crafted to draw upon the field’s current understanding of the capacities foundations … Continued
Capacity Building 3.0: How to Strengthen the Social Ecosystem January 11, 2014 By Visceral_Dev_Admin The social sector has evolved to incorporate multiple stakeholders and organizations to solve social issues, working together in a larger ecosystem to increase efficiency, effectiveness, and scale. The process of building the systems, structures, and skills necessary for success in this environment, commonly referred to as “capacity building,” has played an active role in the … Continued
Ten Keys – Ten Years Later: Successful Strategic Planning for Foundation Leaders January 1, 2014 By Visceral_Dev_Admin In 2004, TCC Group published a briefing paper entitled, “Ten Keys to Successful Strategic Planning for Nonprofit and Foundation Leaders.” Ten years later, the philanthropic landscape has continued to evolve, and we offer an updated set of ten keys for funders considering a strategic planning effort. While this update focuses specifically on funders because of … Continued
Ten Keys to Successful Strategic Planning for Nonprofit and Foundation Leaders January 1, 2004 By Visceral_Dev_Admin A successful plan is, by definition, a usable plan—one that informs the organization’s activities as well as its long-range view, and one that yields meaningful improvements in effectiveness, capacity, and relevance. Although the challenges of funding, governing, and managing each organization are unique, certain lessons apply across the board. The features of a good planning … Continued