Dreaming Bigger: Lessons Learned in Creating the AMP Grant Initiative April 16, 2024 By Catherine Ward “Being part of the cohort made me realize how much of a need there is… hearing about different programs and opportunities made me think about how we could be doing more and go bigger. I’ve always dreamed bigger to do different things, I just didn’t know how to go about it.” – Micro-grantee, ViiV Healthcare Positive … Continued
Grantee Capacity-Building Practice at the Walton Family Foundation December 12, 2023 By Judy Ney Review and Recommendations for Accelerating Impact As part of the Walton Family Foundation’s 2025 Strategy, the intentional building of grantee partners’ capacity emerged as a common practice across all the foundation’s programs and departments. As grantmaking from the 2025 Strategy has grown and matured—including the foundation’s grants to build its grantee partners’ capacity—recognition has increased … Continued
Bold Problems Require Bold Funders, Implementers, and Solutions: Results from Testing a New Philanthropic Model November 28, 2023 By Judy Ney At least 241 pledges have been made by philanthropists from 29 different countries to give the majority of their wealth to charitable causes during their lifetimes or in their wills. Most of this money, however, remains on the sidelines despite the urgency of local, national and global social and economic challenges because would-be donors have … Continued
Accelerating Promising Practices for Small and Rural Libraries (APP) Program Report September 13, 2023 By Judy Ney The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)’s Accelerating Promising Practices for Small and Rural Libraries (APP) program was designed to support libraries serving smaller and more rural communities as they develop community-prioritized services that would document community histories, advance digital inclusion of residents, and transform school-based libraries into centers of learning. The program is … Continued
Evaluating Impact: Pre-K for PA Campaign, Learning & Insights From Eight Years of a State-Based Advocacy Initiative August 7, 2023 By Judy Ney In 2014, TCC Group was funded by the William Penn Foundation to serve as an embedded evaluator to the Pre-K for PA Campaign, an advocacy campaign comprised of members throughout Pennsylvania working together to increase access to, and the affordability of, high-quality pre-kindergarten programs in the state. While we observed the Campaign’s internal dynamics at … Continued
Strategic Roadmap: Scaling Economic Mobility Narrative Change July 6, 2023 By Judy Ney Harmful narratives around economic mobility are becoming pervasive, but promising new narratives are emerging that reveal systemic causes of poverty and inequality, and that elevate shared humanity. These narratives are helping community organizers, journalists, and cultural influencers challenge deeply held beliefs and stereotypes that stand in the way of change. The National Domestic Workers Alliance … Continued
Our Own North Stars: Supporting the Next Generation of Leaders- Learnings from the Positive Action for Youth Initiative April 19, 2023 By Judy Ney “Each young person is so radically different- they each have their north star. And our programs have to reflect that.” – Adult Lead, Grantee Project, ViiV Healthcare’s Positive Action for Youth Funders seeking sustainable change to social issues affecting young people often use a ‘pause and reflect’ time to re-align and re-center to ensure equity … Continued
Culture of Health Leaders: Policy Change Findings February 1, 2023 By Judy Ney Organizational and public policies can heavily impact whether or not equity is achieved in our health system. TCC Group, as evaluators for a set of national leadership development programs funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, analyzed the extent to which Culture of Health Leaders participants and alumni reported involvement in policy change. This report … Continued
Investing in Grassroots Advocacy: A Funder’s Guide December 6, 2022 By Judy Ney Many foundations focused on equity have increased their support for Grassroots Advocacy Organizations (GRAOs) in recent years. The Connecticut Health Foundation, with a mission focused on improving health outcomes for people of color and ensuring that all Connecticut residents have access to affordable and high-quality care, commissioned TCC Group to help it gain a better … Continued
Pathways to Policy Durability: Insights for Advocates and their Funders October 26, 2022 By Judy Ney For over a century, American policymakers have worked to implement policies that conserve natural resources and protect the environment, from Theodore Roosevelt’s efforts to establish national parks and the measures enacted in the wake of the Dust Bowl all the way to the efforts of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. But simply passing … Continued