At the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, we believe one of the most powerful pathways to transformational change is investing in the strengths and capacities of leaders and organizations to adapt to a quickly changing world and amplify their impact. Over the past two years, we have seen how these investments have helped grantee partners to navigate crises.

Looking across the organizations we support, we have observed that those who had benefited from investments in organizational and leadership development in the past were overall better able to weather the challenges. As one leader shared, “I think my organization was well-prepared to adapt and be resilient in the 2020 crisis in part because of the solid [organizational development] groundwork set prior.”

To support our partners during the chaos of the past two years, the Packard Foundation launched a series of easy-access COVID response programs across the U.S., Mexico, Indonesia, and India, designed to specifically address the needs of organizations and leaders during a volatile time. Following more than a year of programming, evaluation, and learning led by a team from Learning for Action, we have gained the following insights on how organizational development and leadership support can be especially critical in times of crisis.

  • Easy-to-access, bite-sized organizational development support can be a valuable tool for organizations during times of crisis.
  • Organizational support offered during times of crisis needs to be flexible and adaptable to organizations’ and leaders’ changing needs and feedback.
  • In times of crisis, wellness support and connection are critical for organizational resilience.
  • Find and fund local partners to carry out the work and invest in their capacity and in the region.

Read the full article about investing in people and organizations by Maria Tourtchaninova at The Center for Effective Philanthropy.