PARTNERING WITH FUNDERS TO BUILD INCLUSIVE, EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT ORGANIZATIONS

 

Our Commitment

At The CLU Studio, we believe that empathy and self-awareness are the foundation of more equitable workplaces, and more just communities. We partner with foundations and philanthropy networks to help nonprofit organizations build the skills, tools, and mindsets to navigate bias, unlock leadership potential, and create cultures where everyone feels seen and valued.

How We Work With Funders and Their Grantees

We partner with philanthropic organizations, donor collaboratives, and family offices to support grantees in building the emotional, cultural, and strategic capacities needed to thrive. Our tools and experiences are designed to deepen self-awareness, strengthen relationships, and equip leaders to navigate identity and bias in real time, without performative checklists or one-size-fits-all models.

✅ Storytelling
We help grantees practice equity-centered storytelling to communicate their mission, values, and impact with authenticity. Drawing from our roots in advertising, we treat storytelling as a vital capacity-building skill. Through workshops and coaching, grantees build audience fluency (understanding cultural and generational context), mission fluency (clarity of purpose and value), and emotional fluency (using empathy to connect and inspire).

✅ Capacity Building
We support individual grantees and grantee cohorts in two essential areas: leadership development and organizational sustainability. Our approach focuses on the people behind the mission, equipping teams to lead with awareness, navigate cultural complexity, and sustain impact over time. Whether through standalone engagements or multi-session learning journeys, our offerings are built to meet grantees where they are.

✅ E-Learning
Our online learning platform, The CLU Academy, provides flexible, self-paced courses that help grantees build emotional intelligence, address bias, and lead inclusively. With content tailored to the challenges of modern workplaces, our e-learning modules allow grantees to scale learning across teams, reinforce key concepts, and embed growth into everyday practice.

✅ Workshops and Facilitated Experiences
Our live experiences include Unlocking Awareness, Unlocking Empathy, and The Viewing Deck™ – each designed to surface blind spots, deepen perspective-taking, and build psychological safety. These experiences are ideal for convenings, capacity-building cohorts, or as part of a funder’s grantee support strategy. We create brave spaces for honest dialogue and lasting change.

Clients We’ve Worked With

Flexible Funding Pathways

We understand that every foundation has unique requirements. We can partner through:

  • Direct Service Contracts: Engaging CLU to deliver workshops or tools as a vendor.

  • Grants to Grantee Organizations: Funding nonprofits to bring CLU into their teams.

  • Fiscal Sponsorship Arrangements: Structuring support through a qualified 501(c)(3) partner if needed.

Recent Collaborations

Organizations and funders have worked with CLU to:

  • Facilitate bias and empathy workshops for multi-site nonprofit teams.

  • Equip leaders with practical tools to build trust and belonging.

  • Develop shared language and practices for more inclusive decision-making.

Insights on Capacity Building and Equity

Let’s Connect

We’d love to explore how our work can support your mission and the organizations you champion.

Reflections from Our Collaborators

boldly
Natalie Mack
Chief Deputy Executive Officer | California Victim Compensation Board
Natalie Mack
Chief Deputy Executive Officer | California Victim Compensation Board

The Unlocking Awareness workshop with Steffon Isaac of CLU Studios created an honest, engaging and thought-provoking space for our department. Steffon deftly steered us through difficult topics with compassion and wisdom. Our teams felt like it was a safe space to open up and explore unconscious biases through examining how assumptions influence us daily with peers, assisting customers and in our work culture. We came away with strategies and tools to continue building self-awareness, listening with empathy, and making room for others. The session flew by, and the majority of the department found great value in the time together and left many staff asking for future sessions. The takeaways from this one session will continue to benefit our interactions with each other and those we serve.

Chief Deputy Executive Officer | California Victim Compensation Board
Tara Nesbitt
Senior Director of Growth Marketing | Amperity
Tara Nesbitt
Senior Director of Growth Marketing | Amperity

The Unlocking Awareness workshop led by CLU Studios created space for honest, human conversation with the people I work with day in and day out. As a Black person, I’ve often had to carry a lot silently in workplace settings—but this session made room for vulnerability, reflection, and connection without putting the burden of education on me. It helped surface unconscious patterns and assumptions in a way that felt constructive, not performative. Steffon's tone was real—not blaming, but deeply eye-opening. I walked away with practical ways to lead with empathy, to listen more intentionally, and to create space for others, too. The experience has stayed with me—it shows up in how I show up.

Senior Director of Growth Marketing | Amperity
Bree Hann
Partner | The Norton Law Firm
Bree Hann
Partner | The Norton Law Firm

Steffon guided our team through thoughtful introspection with compassion, wisdom, and humor. I came away with a deep appreciation for the nuances and complexities of communication, and with new, effective tools to improve my own style and approach.

Partner | The Norton Law Firm
Susan Hill
Head of People | Amperity
Susan Hill
Head of People | Amperity

The Unlocking Awareness Workshop was an engaging, interactive experience that helped us recognize and challenge the unconscious biases we all carry. Together, we explored how our assumptions shape interactions, decisions, and culture—and learned practical ways to foster a more inclusive workplace. It was about deepening empathy, building trust, and showing up better—for each other and for our customers. The time flew by, but the investment in time and energy continues to show up in our everyday actions.

Head of People | Amperity