At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, nonprofits, like all other organizations, had to make immediate changes and pivot their programming to a virtual model in order to continue serving people throughout the pandemic. Recognizing the complexity and difficulty of such rapid adaptations, the State Street Foundation partnered with Root Cause to develop a customized technical assistance program for their grantees. 

Beginning in June 2020, Root Cause designed and provided virtual workshops, peer-to-peer learning opportunities, tools/resources, and 1-on-1 coaching to help participants adapt their nonprofits in the areas below. These topics were identified by participating nonprofits as the topics in which they needed the most help. 

• Virtual Service Adaptation and Performance Measurement
• Financial Sustainability and Targeted Funder Messaging
• Organization Wellness, Staff Support, and Mental Health
• Leading Teams: Communications, Culture, and Morale

Virtual workshops were 90 minutes of topic-specific content, including best practices, case studies, and peer-to-peer learning opportunities. Experts from Root Cause, the State Street Foundation, and other guest speakers presented on each topic and facilitated discussions. 

Each nonprofit organization also received four hours of one-on-one coaching, which they could use for up to two different topics. Participating nonprofits were able to share their challenges and receive individualized feedback and coaching from Root Cause or the State Street Foundation.  

After receiving positive results and feedback from the 2020 program, Root Cause and the State Street Foundation partnered to design a second program for a new group of grantees in 2021/22. This Phase 2 provided eight months of one-on-one capacity building coaching for nonprofits to strengthen their services and impact. After the Phase 2, a final Phase 3 cohort completed another program of capacity building coaching and workshops in 2023.

2020 Program Results: June 2020 – January 2021

• A majority of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the workshops and coaching provided had been effective.
• Additionally, nonprofits gained a greater understanding of their networks and strengthened and grew their peer networks as a result of their participation. 
• 100% of participants agreed or strongly agreed with “I received valuable input from my peers to address challenges we are facing as a result of this series.” Many said their engagement with other programs was an invaluable part of the experience and appreciated the opportunities for peer-to-peer learning. 
• 9 out of 10 participating nonprofits took advantage of one-on-one coaching. 100% of participants agreed or strongly agreed with “coaching helped me to focus on a pressing organizational challenge.” They praised coaches for providing actionable feedback and providing helpful tools and resources to address their challenges. 
• Coaching helpfulness was rated on average 4.4 out of 5.0.