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publication Jul 2022

A Tool for Systems Change that Supports Learning in Foundations

Foundations are systems. They have their own cultures and related assumptions, norms, standards, and practices. We encourage foundations to take stock of their learning needs with a dispassionate (evaluative) look at themselves as systems and how people work within them.

By Tanya Beer, Julia Coffman, Jane Reisman

publication Nov 2021

We need to articulate our assumptions so that we can test them. Here’s a guide to help.

This four-page guidance defines assumptions, explains why it is critical to articulate them, and then offers a set of prompting questions to help elicit them. Examples are included.

By Tanya Beer, Julia Coffman

publication Aug 2021

Holding Foundations Accountable for Equity Commitments

Philanthropy needs to transform the structures and processes through which foundations hold power, including how they conceive of and operationalize accountability through their approaches to strategy development, evaluation, and grantee reporting and monitoring.

By Tanya Beer, Patti Patrizi, Julia Coffman

event Mar 2021

What It Was, What It Is, Who We Are Becoming

The 2021 Evaluation Roundtable convening explored the first teaching case the Evaluation Roundtable ever explored: "Evaluation of the Fighting Back Initiative"

event Feb 2020

Benchmarking Foundation Evaluation Practices (2020)

This session was for a group of evaluation and learning leaders from foundations in the New York City area.

publication Jan 2020

Benchmarking Foundation Evaluation Practices 2020

What does foundation evaluation look like today? Is it adapting to meet the changing needs of the sector and society?

By Tanya Beer, Mariah Brothe Gantz, Kat Athanasiades, Julia Coffman, Dr. Albertina Lopez

event Jun 2019

Transitions and Transformations for Evaluation’s Role in Philanthropy

The 2019 Evaluation Roundtable convening explored how evaluation leaders—working within or with foundations—can manage change not just defensively, but proactively and productively.

publication Jun 2019

When Opportunity Knocks, Open the Door: Evaluation Amidst Transition at the Colorado Health Foundation

The Colorado Health Foundation experienced multiple organizational transitions in a short period of time, including two strategy redesigns, culture and values shifts, new expectations and assumption about roles and performance, and a new CEO. This teaching case invites reflection on the role of evaluation staff and consultants amidst the uncertainty and ambiguity of organizational change.

insight Jun 2018

5-A-Day: Learning By Force of Habit

Establishing a learning organization or culture is such a big goal that it can overwhelm our ability to act on it. This piece, published on Medium, explores how building learning habits into common routines makes it more manageable, and creates small wins that can lead to big change. Focusing on habits ensures that learning is not a separate activity, but rather is integrated into our day-to-day work.

By Julia Coffman

insight Jun 2018

Precipitating Events and Rewards in Making a Habit of Learning

Better habits around learning are critical to improving philanthropic practice. This piece looks at what needs to happen before and after habit change to make a new way of working stick.

By Kat Athanasiades

insight May 2018

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: The Consequences of Small Failures in Learning

It was the worst U.S. maritime disaster in three decades, involving an experienced captain with a reputation for safety. This article, published on Medium, explains went wrong and what it can teach us about the often-overlooked factors that affect our learning and decisions.

By Julia Coffman

publication Jan 2018

Addendum to On the Other Side of Complexity: The McKnight Foundation’s Collaborative Crop Research Program

This addendum makes clarifications to the teaching case of The McKnight Foundation's Collaborative Crop Research Program and its evaluation. It adds detail on the program's developmental evaluation.