Discovery discussions are consultations that will give grantees a deeper understanding of their organization’s current situation, help them explore various ways to address challenges and discover new opportunities, and help them sort through various kinds of providers who can help them. These discussions are required before applying for a capacity building grant from the Blue Cross Foundation.

These discussions are not full organizational assessments. They are confidential conversations with a seasoned organizational consultant. Through this in-depth discussion, organizations will sort through their various needs and opportunities, and explore how various kinds of capacity building resources and assistance might help them. These discussions will help organizations think about sequencing their capacity building work, discuss what kind of provider might be helpful and where to find them, and consider tools and written resources that could guide some of their work without purchasing consultant time.

Although each organization that participates in the Discovery Discussion process has taken part in the Resilient Leaders – Resilient Organizations Convening, the specific staff or board members may not have been present.  Before the discussion, it may be helpful to review the materials from the Convenings and debrief with those who participated on behalf of your organization or partnership.

Scheduling a Discovery Discussion

When you are ready to schedule a Discovery Discussion (after a representative of your organization or partnership has attended a convening), please email the following to Sandy Jacobsen at Fieldstone Alliance. Her contact information is sjacobsen@fieldstonealliance.org.

1. Contact information – name, title, organization or partnership, email, phone of ED and Board Chair (we highly recommend the Board Chair participate in the discussion, though it is not required). If you are a partnership, we suggest a representative of each of two key partners participate in the discussion.
2. Logistical information that will help schedule the discussion, such as times of day or specific days in the next two weeks you are available. Please be as flexible as possible.

Our goal is to schedule the discussion within 7-10 days of your request. We will use the information you provide to schedule your Discovery Discussion with one of the consultants from Fieldstone Alliance, MAP for Nonprofits, or the Nonprofit Assistance Fund. We will identify the consultant for your discussion, based only on a rotating schedule and the match with your availability, and suggest a time(s) for the discussion. We will not accept requests for the discussion to be scheduled with a specific consultant. Please reserve up to 1 ½ hours for the Discovery Discussion.

Once the discussion is scheduled, you and your Board member (or the partnership representatives) will be contacted with the date and time of the discussion and the name and contact information for the consultant you will talk to. The consultant will initiate the phone discussion and will call the Executive Director’s office number, unless you and the consultant agree otherwise.

At least two days before the scheduled discussion, please send an email with the following information to the consultant, so he/she can prepare for the conversation.

1. Whether you are a single organization or a partnership.
2. The organization’s or partnership’s website. If your organization does not have a website, include a paragraph that describes the organization, mission, programs, and other key facts. Partnerships should describe the goal and general structure of your partnership.
3. Your annual budget and a recent audit or financial report (or the organization or partnership).
4. Key issues you would like to discuss. What are your most significant challenges? What’s going especially well? The purpose of this is not to limit the discussion to these issues, but to ensure you have considered ahead of time what you’d like to discuss and to give some guidance to the consultant as you begin your discussion.