Program & Organizational Planning

BTW informing change assists nonprofits and private foundations in planning new projects, programs and initiatives. Services include:

•	Meeting and process facilitation,
•	Gathering and synthesizing data to support planning efforts,
•	Planning and
•	Organizational and project staff support.

Ongoing & Recent Projects
The San Francisco Foundation
BTW recently collaborated with The San Francisco Foundation on a transition plan for its environmental health grantmaking. As the Foundation is planning a new initiative, it asked BTW to review existing research and conduct focus groups and interviews to engage funders, grantees and other stakeholders to help the Foundation assess broader trends within the environmental health and justice movement and identify specific areas of need within the field. The information captured in this process will be used to identify funding gaps within the field and design a new structure for their environmental health grantmaking program.

Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE)
As part of a long-term, ongoing service, BTW provided staff support and program development services to PACE, a community of grantmakers and donors committed to strengthening democracy by using the power, influence and resources of philanthropy to open pathways to civic participation. BTW planned, implemented and produced conferences, workshops and publications that advanced PACE’s mission.

Zip Code Assistance Ministries
A funders collaborative in Houston, led by the Rockwell Fund, Inc., hired BTW to assist them with planning and evaluating a new initiative to build the capacity of Zip Code Assistance Ministries (ZCAMs) in the region. ZCAMs are faith-based nonprofits providing emergency social and human services. This initiative, called the ZCAM Organizational Development Program, was modeled on the Organizational Capacity Grants Initiative (OCGI), a project that BTW evaluated for three Bay Area funders several years ago. Part of BTW's work with the Houston initiative is to develop and facilitate an annual reflection and learning session for funders, ZCAM executives and key program partners. In preparation for last year’s reflection session, BTW prepared a paper on social capital formation and its relevance to building organizational capacity and creating a culture of collaboration and shared learning among ZCAM leaders.

Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation
BTW worked with the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation to design an organizational effectiveness initiative for substance abuse treatment agencies in San Mateo County. The planning process that BTW facilitated among foundation staff and substance abuse treatment providers produced the Building Effective Substance Abuse Treatment (BEST) Initiative. BTW then served as the Management Support Organization for this two-year initiative, facilitating a Learning Community that included eleven substance abuse treatment providers, the foundation program staff and the Initiative's assessment and evaluation teams.

Tides Center
BTW facilitated a values and purpose clarification process for the Tides Center’s senior management team. This internal organizational development process coincided with and complemented the Center’s large-scale business strategy project which included a comprehensive review of new market opportunities for the Center’s provision of fiscal sponsorship and related services.

Peninsula Jewish Community Center (PJCC)
BTW worked with the PJCC to develop board policies and processes that reflect the needs of the organization during a period of pivotal growth. BTW conducted an assessment survey of the PJCC’s board of directors and identified ways in which the board could become more engaged in the work of the Center. BTW also facilitated the PJCC’s nominating committee in creating and implementing a formal process for board recruitment and retention. Once the new board was constituted, BTW planned and facilitated the Center’s first ever board retreat.