Blog
- Foundation Strategy
Embracing an Ecosystem Approach for Philanthropy
Funders are shifting from being at the center of social change efforts to working in close partnership with the…
- Corporate/CSR
Flying through Interference
We believe that corporate changemakers need tools to properly diagnose interference and build enabling conditions for social impact strategies…
What Is the Difference Between Research and Evaluation?
January 8, 2016What images come to mind when you hear the word evaluation? A teacher grading an exam? A dashboard or scorecard with outcomes highlighted in green, yellow, or …
Challenging Three Long-Held Assumptions About Evaluation
July 26, 2013The evaluation field, like most established disciplines, operates on a series of assumptions that govern practices, tools, and modes of behavior. However, in r…
What Does It Mean to Shift? Strategic Planning with the Cleveland Foundation
November 30, 2021What does it take to move a foundation to adopt a new way of planning?In our wildest dreams, strategic plans are these beautifully constructed living document…
The School of the Future
May 9, 2012Helping the Kid with the Giant Hands LearnMy two oldest kids started kindergarten this year and my third is in pre-school. So while I’ve worked in public educa…
Five Lessons from Walmart’s CSR Strategy Efforts
June 6, 2017“We think of ourselves as social change strategists,” explained Gayatri Agnew, Director of Career Opportunity at the Walmart Foundation, distinguishing the as…
If You Remember One Thing From The Getting to Collective Impact Panel Discussion…
February 21, 2014Well now I’ve fooled you. The one thing I’m referring to really represents the several great, insightful, and action-ready points made in the Getting to Collec…
The Riddle of Shared Ownership
November 8, 2011I recently had the rare opportunity to spend the better part of two days reflecting on my work. I spent those days with a group of visitors from Germany who ca…
Reflections on Impact Investing from the GIIN Forum
October 10, 2019What are currently hot topics in impact investing?
What Complexity and Emergent Strategy Mean for Evaluation
December 5, 2014In 2009, the Norlien Foundation established the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative (AFWI), to invest in improving the health and wellness of children and famil…
The New Science of Evaluating Collective Impact
June 5, 2014In her seminal book, Leadership and the New Science, Margaret Wheatley takes a stance regarding the kind of leadership that is required in today’s world. She u…