Working with Philanthropies
In a time of great challenges and greater opportunities in the philanthropic sector, TCC Group has the skills, background, and resources necessary to help foundations maximize their effectiveness. TCC staff have firsthand experience working as program officers and directors of philanthropies of all sizes. We have extensive backgrounds in fields such as human services, youth development, arts and culture, education, healthcare, advocacy, international studies, and economic development. Our expertise lies not only in a thorough understanding of the sector, but also in our detailed knowledge of nonprofit organizations.
What We Do
TCC has more than 30 years of experience serving foundations spanning the philanthropic sector. Our clients represent a range of asset sizes and areas of programmatic interest — from smaller family foundations, to community foundations and large independent philanthropies operating complex programs on a global scale. Our services include:
- Strategy — needs assessment, strategic planning, program planning and design, and start-up assistance for new foundations.
- Program and Grants Management — design and management of program initiatives, full-service foundation management, and grant review and monitoring.
- Capacity Building — organizational assessment of grantees as well as design, management, and evaluation of capacity-building initiatives.
- Evaluation — evaluation system planning, program evaluation, evaluation of capacity-building initiatives, cluster evaluation, and formative evaluation of major grantmaking initiatives and strategies.
Cases In Point
For three years, 27 community-organizing nonprofits in California took part in an unusual and ambitious statewide initiative, Strengthening Organizations to Mobilize Californians. Funded by three leading foundations — The James Irvine Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and David and Lucile Packard Foundation — the initiative sought to strengthen nonprofits by focusing on such key areas as leaderÂship, decision-making, communication, and fundraising. TCC managed the initiative, assisting with the application and selection process, facilitated technical assistance, created learning communities, and provided leadership coaching, peer exchanges, and convenings for grantees. With TCC's guidance and management, the initiative helped create stronger organizations to better meet the needs of communities and give their residents more of a voice in civic life.
TCC Group developed a comprehensive strategic plan to help the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo (CFGB) more effectively use its resources to benefit the community. TCC Group worked with CFGB to create a plan that focused on a core set of issues with the potential for greatest impact. The strategy also identified collaboration and partnership as key to leveraging resources more effectively. To achieve these programmatic aims, the strategic plan also included aggressive goals related to building the pool of donors with a focus on increasing unrestricted funds.
The Freeman Foundation's Undergraduate Asian Studies Initiative (UASI), a five-year, $100 million initiative, provided support for college Asian Studies programs nationwide. TCC Group was engaged to conduct an evaluation that enhanced the Foundation's understanding of the initiative and provided data for ongoing decision-making.
