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Explore our original research and projects in development.
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Category: Evaluation

Collaboration at the Heart of Community Transformation

August 15, 2023

By Tory Martin

Volume 15, Issue 1 of The Foundation Review highlights ways foundations can support collaboration among nonprofits and communities to increase and sustain the impact of programs and initiatives over time.

Practical Tools to Help Grantmakers Put Learning First

April 19, 2022

By Johnson Center for Philanthropy

Grantmakers who prioritize learning with their grantees ahead of traditional outcomes help to balance power dynamics, promote a shared understanding of the work, and support more equitable and open relationships.

Why Do Foundations Struggle With Evaluation?

July 15, 2020

By Johnson Center for Philanthropy

In this post originally published by PEAK Grantmaking, Teri Behrens explores the difficulties in getting high quality, useful grantmaking evaluations.

Concrete Strategies Are Emerging for Implementing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Principles

October 8, 2019

By Tory Martin

This piece from our “11 Trends in Philanthropy for 2019” report highlights specific efforts to operationalize DEI principles within the social sector.

Evaluation and Impact Investing: A Three-Part Webinar Series

September 11, 2019

By Johnson Center for Philanthropy

This webinar series will engage evaluators and impact investors on the importance of using evaluative thinking in social finance and impact investing.

No time for learning? Take a cue from Ice Cube and “Check yo self before you wreck yo self.”

June 25, 2019

By Johnson Center for Philanthropy

Guest authors Jara Dean-Coffey and Kelly Hannum highlight the dangers of interpreting data in ways that reflect assumptions and reinforce practices that conceal truth rather than deliver it.

Part 2: How We Think About Evaluation Needs to Change

February 5, 2019

By Johnson Center for Philanthropy

Guest author Kelly Hannum believes evaluation is key to both knowing better and doing better, but that we have to evolve how we think about evaluation.

Part 1: Evaluative Thinking Should Be a Critical Leadership Competency

January 29, 2019

By Johnson Center for Philanthropy

In this post, guest author Kelly Hannum encourages leaders and leadership developers to focus more on evaluative thinking and even recommends it as a critical leadership competency.

Whose Needle Are You Trying to Move?

November 27, 2018

By Johnson Center for Philanthropy

Author Liz Gordillo challenges foundation staff and boards to ask not only, “Are we moving the needle?” but also, “Whose needle are we talking about?”

New Frameworks for Evaluating Impact

January 1, 2018

By Pat Robinson

This piece from our 2018 Trends report highlights the shift towards strategic philanthropy and its focus on achieving explicit outcomes.

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