Susan Misra

Education: BS: Lewis and Clark College, in Psychology, MPP: Harvard University, Kennedy School
Service Expertise: designing, managing, and evaluating capacity-building programs; strategic planning and business planning; executive coaching and board development

Publications:

• Nonprofit Quarterly, "Doing More with More: Putting Shared Leadership into Practice" (2011)
• "Strengthening Organizations to Mobilize Californians Lessons Learned from a Major Initiative to Build the Capacity of Civic Engagement Nonprofits," TCC Group (2011)

Presentations & Speeches:

• "Long-Term Capacity-Building Initiatives," South Florida Donors Forum and Philanthropy Northwest
• "An Introduction to the Four Core Capacities," Goldman Sachs Capacity Academy
• "The Sustainability Formula: How Nonprofits Can Thrive in the Emerging Economy," Weingart Foundation
• "Leadership in Changing Times: The Importance of Adaptive Leadership to Nonprofit Effectiveness," Monterey Community Foundation
• "Partnering with Funders to Develop Capacity Building Programs," Alliance for Nonprofit Management
• "Strategic Planning: A 'How-to' Guide," Interpride
• "Managing Change," The James Irvine Foundation's Arts Regional Initiative
• "Yes You Can! Fundraising in a Recession," Renaissance Journalism

Susan Misra specializes in designing, managing, and evaluating capacity-building initiatives. At TCC Group, she has worked with over 100 nonprofit organizations to conduct organizational assessments and develop strategic capacity-building plans. She has also coached board-staff leadership teams on building organizational capacity and presented on a range of topics from organizational lifecycles and change management to board development and strategic planning. A sampling of her past nonprofit clients include Friends of Hudson River Park, Sacramento Philharmonic, National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, Riverside Art Museum, Center for Race, Poverty, and the Environment, Sierra Repertory Theater, and the Environmental Health Coalition.

In addition, Misra has managed and helped design The Irvine Foundation's Arts Regional Initiative; Strengthening Organizations to Mobilize Californians, a joint initiative of The Irvine Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, and Packard Foundation; and the Ford Foundation, McCormick Foundation, and Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation's Challenge Fund for Journalism. These are multi-year capacity-building initiatives that invest $500,000 to $4 million per year in technical assistance grants and services for arts and culture organizations as well as social change organizations. For these projects, Misra provides overall administrative oversight, conducts organizational self-assessments, helps grantees identify their capacity-building priorities, directly coaches grantees regarding development of their organizational and fundraising capacities, manages technical assistance providers and events, and facilitates peer exchange groups.

Before joining the firm, Misra served as the Co-Director for Policy Research at AWARE in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. Her leadership prompted an emergency loan fund for farmers and restructured the Women's Division to focus on entrepreneurship and health programs. Misra also worked as the Coordinator for the Youth Public Education Campaign, a joint initiative of the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission and Rock the Vote. She led a coalition of arts, advocacy, and educational organizations, directed a council of youth representatives, and managed a media campaign to stop discrimination throughout LA high schools. In addition, Misra has worked as an independent diversity trainer and facilitator with organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Leadership Development in Interethnic Relations. With the ADL, she co-founded the Peace & Diversity Academy, a small public high school in the Bronx. More recently, Misra served on the board of Border Crossers, a program that engages elementary schools students in social action to stop racism; has participated in the Alliance for Nonprofit Management's Cultural Competency Institute; and co-chairs TCC's Cultural Competency Task Force.

Misra received a Master's in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where she gained advanced skills in strategic management, conflict resolution, political advocacy, policy research and analysis, organizing and coalition building, leadership, and economic development. At Harvard University, Misra was also awarded the Kennedy School Social Service Award as well as the post-graduate Sheldon Fellowship to study bridging social capital and community conflict resolution. Misra holds a B.S. in Psychology from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.

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