Earlier this year, as the reality of life during a global pandemic started to take hold, we launched Re-Envisioning Readiness in Response to COVID-19—a pro bono offer of strategic consulting services. This offer has been our way of assisting you—the social sector organizations we value and the communities you support—during an extraordinarily challenging time.
I am writing to share some of the insights TCC Group senior leaders have captured over the past few months from our conversations with a range of funders and nonprofit organizations, learning about each situation and providing individualized guidance to help set a path forward. The organizations we met with are focused on addressing complex social issues ranging from health equity and access, to criminal justice reform and education, to the arts and freedom of expression.
What are the biggest challenges these organizations face today? During our conversations with nonprofit and foundation leaders—on topics related to convening, values-based communications, nonprofit and foundation capacity building, and organizational effectiveness—TCC Group staff have listened and carefully recommended strategies for responding to the crisis.
One of the central themes we’ve identified is that many organizations are facing similar challenges in deciding whether and when to radically shift gears, pivot, or stay the course. By listening and asking targeted follow-up questions, we gained a quick appreciation for the adjustments these organizations have made and what additional information they should gather—enabling us to pinpoint strategies to immediately address their most urgent needs. We offered processes for identifying what they need to know, tools for how to get it, and the various types of partnerships they can leverage to navigate their way forward.
Evan Klonsky 