TSC’s capacity building model centers partnerships between trans capacity coaches with lived and professional expertise and grassroots trans-centered organization leaders.
Our approach is specifically tailored to the needs of growing trans-led organizations. After working with over 100 trans-led organizations, we have refined a capacity-building model around the following principles.
Customized
Holistic
Iterative
Strengths-based
Trauma-informed
We perform a comprehensive needs assessment for organizations seeking capacity building services and design a tailored workplan to include a minimum of 10 hours of focused support from an expert coach. This ensures that organizations have adequate time not only to learn new skills but to implement them in their work and receive expert feedback and guidance for overcoming context-specific implementation challenges. We perform longitudinal assessments and offer follow-up coaching as needed to ensure that organizations are successfully able to implement what they have learned.
Our national network of expert coaches is equipped to address a variety of key infrastructure topics for trans-centered organizations. While these are the core topics offered, each capacity-building engagement is unique and structured around the needs of the individual organization.
Support may include developing a grants strategy, identifying suitable opportunities, and drafting key elements of a grant proposal. We can also provide support regarding developing an individual donor program or strengthening skills in donor organizing.
Support may include skill building in budget preparation, developing a bookkeeping system, understanding financial reports, and preparing for grant reporting and audits.
Support may include coaching the executive director or other organization leaders regarding topics including organizational culture, planning, time management, self-care, and other key aspects of sustainable leadership.
Support may include skill-building around developing a program evaluation plan that is suited to the organization's goals and resources, including developing survey materials or plans for qualitative data collection, and skill-building regarding analysis and interpretation of results.
Support may include developing a comprehensive strategic communications plan, preparing materials, and crafting key messages for advocacy work.
Support may include assessing organizational needs, implementing new systems and policies, and providing staff training to support use of the new infrastructure.
Support may include developing a strategic vision for the board of directors, creating a plan for board recruitment, assessing the board, and planning for board succession.
Support may include skill building around developing curriculum for workshops or class series and developing plans for implementation and assessment.
Support may include organizational assessment, developing policies and procedures, preparing job descriptions, and creating other relevant organizational processes.
Support may include developing plans to integrate art into organizational work and to use art for advocacy campaigns.
Support may include skill-building regarding developing and advocating for local policy change, including communications and advocacy strategies.
Support may include training around what a trauma informed work culture can look like, developing leadership skills for leaders in organizations impacted by trauma, and understanding the ways in which historical trauma can impact organizational culture.
“Having the ability to call [TSC] whenever I have a question, or just need support, or someone to talk to really uplifts me and helps me continue the work that I'm doing.”
“[TSC] provided a lot of support, and strategies on how we could grow the organization, coaching and mentorship. That was really vital because it gave us the tools that we needed to be able to lift up the organization.”
We conduct intakes for capacity-building cohorts several times per year. Please reach out to us to discuss your organization's capacity-building needs.
We collaborate with funding partners to offer wraparound capacity-building services to strengthen funding impact. Please reach out to us to discuss.
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