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Measuring Apples, Doctors, and Insurance Coverage with the Same Yard Stick: Innovative Evaluation in a Foundation Setting
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| Presenter(s):
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| Marisa Allen, Colorado Health Foundation, mallen@coloradohealth.org
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| Kaye Boeke, Colorado Health Foundation, kboeke@colradohealth.org
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| Abstract:
Evaluation in foundation settings presents a number of challenges, chief among them the difficulty of assessing the collective impact of a diverse set of grants and ensuring that evaluation is truly used to guide strategic grantmaking. This paper presents a history of how the Colorado Health Foundation (TCHF) implemented an innovative evaluation model and documents evaluation's use and influence within the Foundation. While the primary benefit of implementing the model has been the ability to track the collective impact of a diverse set of grants, the process of implementing the framework has been instrumental in building the Foundation's own internal evaluation capacity. This paper documents how the implementation of this model promoted evaluative thinking and how the metrics in the model serve as a powerful mechanism to assess the collective impact of the Foundation's entire portfolio of grantmaking.
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Restructuring the Human Services Sector: Evidence from a Innovative Pilot Initiative
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| Presenter(s):
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| Rob Fischer, Case Western Reserve University, fischer@case.edu
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| Claudia Coulton, Case Western Reserve University, claudia.coulton@case.edu
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| Diwakar Vadapalli, Case Western Reserve University, diwakar.vadapalli@case.edu
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| Abstract:
Nonprofit agencies face increasing competition for scarce funding resources. Many agencies are considering ways to restructure themselves, often via mergers and acquisitions, as a way to become more effective and competitive. This study examining a pilot initiative in Cleveland, OH in which funders supported nonprofits in the pursuit of significant restructuring efforts. Health and human service nonprofits were recruited into a three-phase facilitated pilot that assisted the agency executive directors and boards in determining what type of restructuring was feasible and desirable. The study highlights key learnings from the initiative.
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Foundation Performance Assessment: The State of Practice
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| Presenter(s):
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| Ellie Buteau, Center for Effective Philanthropy, ellieb@effectivephilanthropy.org
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| Andrea Brock, Center for Effective Philanthropy, andreab@effectivephilanthropy.org
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| Abstract:
When the topic of foundation evaluation practice arises, it is often in relation to foundations conducting or reviewing evaluations of their grantees' work. But what are foundation CEOs doing to evaluate their own foundations' performance? For foundation leaders, answering the question, 'How are we doing?' is anything but simple.
In a recent survey of CEOs of foundations with at least $5MM in giving, the majority of CEOs believe that foundations have made great progress over the last decade in being able to assess their effectiveness. Findings from this research indicate that while foundations are making concerted efforts to assess their performance, there is still progress to be made. This paper examines these issues and explores potential ways for foundations to continue to improve their work to assess their own effectiveness.
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