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TCC is Now a B Corp  TCC Group is pleased to be a Certified B Corporation, recognized for work that meets higher standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. We are passionate about helping the social sector achieve greater impact. |
Q&A with TCC President and CEO Richard Mittenthal
 Q: Given your experience working with funders and nonprofits in the arts, what challenges and opportunities do you see in the sector?
Cultural organizations across the country have been under great pressure in recent during the past few years. Many time-honored institutions, including symphonies and opera companies, are struggling with declining audiences, less private funding, and limited public sector support.
Given the increased demand for basic necessities such as food shelter, and health care, many private foundations have chosen to focus attention on these critical needs rather than the arts. In addition, competition for audiences is increasing. Television and films have competed with live entertainment for years. Now, with mobile devices, apps, and social media sites, people of all ages have more options for how to spend their leisure time have increased. With so many other -- often less costly -- choices, individual ticket buyers are not providing the same level of support as in the past.
Q: How can funders and nonprofits address these challenges?
TCC has seen arts organizations and foundations come together to build new, innovative business models. For instance, we are working with a private foundation active in the Midwest that has supported the merger of three performing arts organizations. The foundation recognized that by banding together, the local symphony, ballet, and opera could increase efficiencies and expand their audiences. The same foundation is also working with the cultural community in Sarasota, Florida, helping arts nonprofits think about ways to consolidate back office services and share costs to build their sustainability.
Capacity-building efforts also play an important role in strengthening the arts. In our work with the James Irvine Foundation's Arts Regional Initiative, we witnessed how coaching, technical assistance, and peer exchange help deepen and diversify arts audiences and increase audience participation.
Read more about TCC's work with arts and culture organizations.
Richard Mittenthal is a member of the New York State Council on the Arts and is a board member of Symphony Space. He has served for many years as a trustee of the Alliance for the Arts, the Orchestra of St. Luke's, and the American Symphony Orchestra League.
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Learning How to
Engage Youth Better
Instead of turning to their local synagogue, young Jewish adults are reinventing their religious identity through peer interactions, according to TCC Group's recent evaluation of Moishe House, a nonprofit that builds peer-based Jewish communities. TCC Associate Director PeiYao Chen notes that "Historically, the Jewish community has effectively engaged young people in religious activities -- from preschool through college, and again after marriage." However, more young people are marrying later in life and lose traditional connections to the Jewish community.
To fill this gap, Moishe House is engaging youth in new ways. By creating an atmosphere where young Jewish people can build new friendships and strong ties to the community, Moishe House successfully connects a new generation to their faith. The organization has expanded rapidly and currently supports a growing social network of 46 houses in 14 countries, serving over 60,000 people.
"Young people are redefining their Jewish identity," says Chen. According to one Moishe House resident, "Before, Judaism was my parents and community. With Moishe House, I feel like it's our Judaism."
Read more about what makes the Moishe House model so successful. Watch a video featuring Moishe House on The Economist online.
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Evaluating Programs?
Ask Clients What They Think In a recent conversation with The Chronicle of Philanthropy, TCC Senior Partner Peter York discussed why it is important for nonprofits to solicit -- and act on -- client feedback. Responses from direct recipients can help organizations improve their programs and inspire new ideas. Click here to read the blog. |
A Balanced Approach to Community Foundation Giving Mirroring the philanthropic sector as a whole, community foundations are increasingly focusing on strategic philanthropy and local leadership. Yet some in the field believe that foundations are dictating solutions instead of responding to the needs of their communities. Join Senior Partner Paul Connolly at the Council on Foundation's 2012 Community Foundations Conference. He will moderate a discussion of how community foundations can balance responsive and adaptive approaches with the need to apply rigor and strategy to their giving. Joining the panel are Eleanor Clement Glass of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker from the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, and Grant Oliphant of The Pittsburgh Foundation. Register for the event here. 
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The Strength of
Adaptive Organizations  Why do some nonprofits stumble after a few years, while others thrive for decades? TCC Group Senior Partner Peter York will moderate a panel and share data on how a nonprofit can build its adaptive capacity -- the potential to respond in a timely and creative fashion to internal and external change. York will discuss how to monitor and assess change, and prepare action plans that use organizational strengths to take advantage of opportunities found in challenging situations. Panelists Robin Burstein, the Executive Director of Encore Experiences, and Doug Eschbach, the Executive Director of Generations of Indian Valley, will share their insights. Register here.
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