Resources

  • publication Sep 2023

    Using Developmental Evaluation to Support Adaptive Strategies: An Application from a Social Change Initiative

    The chapter, authored by and written from the perspective of both strategists and evaluators, describes the methods used, how the evaluation informed strategy, and reections and lessons on the developmental evaluation experience and approach.

    By Tanya Beer, Kathy Armstrong, Julia Coffman, Daniel Stid

    Using Developmental Evaluation to Support Adaptive Strategies: An Application from a Social Change Initiative
  • insight Aug 2023

    Using Discourse Analysis to Assess Narrative Change: Humanistic Methods

    Discourse analysis is a valuable tool for understanding sociocultural narratives and learning how they can strengthen social justice efforts to work toward lasting change. The humanities offer a useful suite of methods for evaluating and contributing to the work of narrative change.

    By Sowmya Ramanathan

    Using Discourse Analysis to Assess Narrative Change: Humanistic Methods
  • publication Aug 2023

    Supporting Advocacy Ecosystems to Build Power

    Organizers need the support of other actors—professional advocates, think tanks and policy shops, researchers, communications firms, funders, evaluators, and others—to recognize the critical role of organizing and to share the long-term goal of building people power.

    By Julia Coffman

    Supporting Advocacy Ecosystems to Build Power
  • insight Jul 2023

    An Advocate’s Takeaways on Advocacy Evaluation Practices and Needs

    A long-time advocate and advocacy evaluation trainer offers three takeaways about advocates' evaluation practices, priorities, and needs.

    By Susan Hoechstetter

    An Advocate’s Takeaways on Advocacy Evaluation Practices and Needs
  • publication Jun 2023

    Amplifying Nonprofit Voices: Bridging the Advocacy Evaluation Gap

    To better understand advocates’ perspectives and bridge the gap between their evaluation needs and the field of evaluation practice, this research surveyed U.S. nonprofit advocates and recommends six ways that the advocacy evaluation field can shift toward more advocate-focused practice.

    By Annette Gardner, Shannon Williams, Susan Hoechstetter

    Amplifying Nonprofit Voices: Bridging the Advocacy Evaluation Gap
  • publication May 2023

    Toward Power-Shifting Solidarity with Black-Led Change

    This research considers the question: What will it take for institutional philanthropy in MN and beyond to move at the speed of courage and invest wholly in Black lives?

    By Lulete Mola, Chanda Smith Baker, Repa Mekha, Dr. Chera Reid, Dr. Albertina Lopez, Lori Villarosa, Ben Francisco Maulbeck, Lyle Matthew Kan

    Toward Power-Shifting Solidarity with Black-Led Change
  • insight Apr 2023

    What should we benchmark about learning and evaluation work in philanthropy?

    Findings from our fall listening sessions and what we will explore more deeply in our benchmarking research.

    By Dr. Albertina Lopez

    What should we benchmark about learning and evaluation work in philanthropy?
  • insight Apr 2023

    Gazing inward as we align with our values

    CEI is shifting how we approach our benchmarking research on learning and evaluation in philanthropy so that it can better support the sector’s efforts to advance racial equity and justice.

    By Dr. Albertina Lopez

    Gazing inward as we align with our values
  • publication Feb 2023

    Advocacy that Builds Parents’ Power

    CEI partnered with the Center on the Ecology of Early Development to evaluate two projects that supported state policy advocates in advancing equity by centering parents in their early childhood advocacy efforts. This report offers findings on the approach states used, the progress they made, and the barriers they encountered.

    By Mariah Brothe Gantz, Julia Coffman, Melly Kitenge, Dr. Stephanie Curenton-Jolly, Sheniqua Jeffrey, Laura Ottoni

    Advocacy that Builds Parents’ Power
  • publication Nov 2022

    How to do Process Tracing: A Method for Testing “How Change Happened” in Complex and Dynamic Settings

    Process tracing is a causal methodology that can help us to understand how change actually happened within a complex dynamic environment.

    By Jewlya Lynn, Sarah Stachowiak, Jennifer Byers

    How to do Process Tracing: A Method for Testing “How Change Happened” in Complex and Dynamic Settings
  • insight Aug 2022

    Community in Philanthropy: What it is, why we need it, and how we can build it

    If we are to meet justice, then we need to hold ourselves accountable in an environment that asks very little of us, and to support and encourage each other when our surroundings try to pull us back toward a status quo.

    By Dr. Albertina Lopez

    Community in Philanthropy: What it is, why we need it, and how we can build it
  • 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 Julia Coffman, Jane Reisman, Tanya Beer

    A Tool for Systems Change that Supports Learning in Foundations