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5 Steps to Effective
Program Strategy
The questions facing foundations can seem overwhelming. Are we achieving our mission in the most effective way possible? How do we determine which issue is most pressing? How do we make an impact?
TCC has developed a five-step, program design process for foundations that helps answer these questions. Although many funders already engage in aspects of these steps, they do not always apply the structure and rigor that will ensure all the pieces fit together logically. Whether creating new initiatives or reshaping current programs, we have seen how this five-step process helps funders develop strategies that reflect their values, balance internal capacities with the external environment, and address their constituents' needs. Read more.
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Is Advocacy the
Right Strategy?
 With recent shifts in the policy landscape and a need to turn over every rock in search of funding, more nonprofits are experimenting with or, in some cases, increasing their advocacy efforts. It is important, however, that advocacy initiatives align with existing programs and services.
TCC Director of Nonprofit Services Julie Simpson cautions that organizations need to be strategic about their advocacy goals. "It's not just a resource issue that determines whether a nonprofit turns to advocacy as a strategy to achieve its mission," she says. "The stakes around policy initiatives are high with little margin for error these days. And in most cases, there is a limited number of staff devoted to advocacy, so an organization needs to think about time constraints, the pace of legislation, and how others in the field can help."
Does your organization have issue expertise, legal knowledge, and an authentic commitment to policy change? TCC can help nonprofits determine whether advocacy is a viable option to explore, or work to evaluate and strengthen existing efforts to influence and push policy change.
Learn more about the organizational capacities necessary to accomplish fundamental advocacy initiatives.
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Developing Audiences for
Arts Nonprofits
In 2009, the Marin Community Foundation launched an initiative to help arts organizations build and diversify their audiences. As part of the foundation's commitment to transparency and accountability, the funders engaged TCC Group to evaluate grantees' audience development efforts, track results, and analyze whether strategies led to the intended outcomes. TCC evaluators found that all of the grantees increased their understanding of the arts sector in Marin County and formed valuable partnerships within the cohort. According to participants, the cohort approach allowed them to interact with other arts organizations and think strategically about both their own organization and the region's arts sector as a whole. Through this evaluation, The Marin Community Foundation learned that investing narrowly and deeply, facilitating peer-to-peer interaction, and allowing organizations to be adaptable during program implementation yielded strong outcomes. Learn more about the initiative and read about how funders and nonprofits can effectively support audience development efforts.
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Successful Corporate Citizenship: A Framework for Excellence
 As the business case for corporate citizenship becomes widely accepted, strategies to align business goals with social impact and stakeholder expectations are developing quickly -- driven by the growing number of requirements and standards across industries. However, while companies have become more intentional in their initiatives, there remains a spectrum of success when it comes to achieving impact. Why is it that some companies are consistently viewed as leading corporate citizens, while others struggle with their approach and strategies?
Join Director of Corporate Services Tom Knowlton and Senior Consultant Nadia Gomes for a free webinar that explores the essential elements of successful corporate citizenship, based on TCC Group's 30 years in the field. Tom and Nadia will highlight a new framework and will discuss questions such as:
- What does it mean to be effective in corporate citizenship?
- What elements are linked to the success of leading companies?
- How can you assess your situation and determine the best path forward?
Date: April 17th
Time: 1pm Eastern
This webinar is designed for those who lead, oversee, or manage corporate citizenship strategies and programs. Register here.
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Equitable Relationships in International Grantmaking
 When it comes to grantmaking, "how we do our work is as important as what we do," says TCC Consultant Rachel Humphrey. In her recent blog for The Association of Small Foundations, Consultant Rachel discusses a key ingredient for effective international giving: creating fair, equitable relationships. Read the blog.
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