Date: Thursday, May 7, 2026
How do you ensure your evaluation data is used? From project design, to stakeholder engagement, to report writing and data sharing, evaluators have many opportunities to help ensure the data we collect are actually used for decision-making. In this series of blog posts, Washington Evaluators draws on our experiences in Washington, DC and beyond to share best practices for making evaluations useful.
My name is Malasia Williams, I am the Evaluation Coordinator at the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN). At NDBN, our goal is to make sure every child, family, and individual in the U.S. has access to the material basic needs they require to thrive. We maintain a member network of more than 300 basic needs banks that work in local communities throughout the United States.
During the shutdown of the federal government in October 2025, NDBN evaluated how our members, each independent 501c3 organizations, and the families they serve were coping with the economic shocks resulting from the shutdown. To assess the impacts of the government shutdown, we developed a survey for staff at member organizations. We administered two surveys, one in October 2025 (N=56) and one in November (N=74) 2025. In each survey, we asked questions about first-time visitors to basic needs banks and funding needs to assess how they changed throughout the shutdown.
These surveys showed us that, as a network, our members were able to quickly and effectively adapt their distribution and organizational structure to better reach those affected by the shutdown. We saw NDBN members expand their operations to meet demand, create special distribution events, secure crisis funding, and simplify the enrollment process to quickly serve families in need. Our leadership team used the evaluation findings to better understand how we, as a network, can further mobilize assistance for members during times of crisis and when economic shocks are anticipated in certain communities.
We know that when economic shocks take place, diaper banks are better able to support their community when there are strong partnerships in place before the economic shock or at the beginning of a government shutdown. Since many of our members distribute products through partner agencies, the survey allowed us to understand with whom our diaper banks partnered. These data provide us with the ability to replicate and scale these partnership models to better direct resources and support to diaper banks so we are prepared for future economic shocks.
Based on how diaper banks reported the multiple ways they mobilized to meet the increased demand, we adjusted some of our strategic planning to better assist members during these critical times. Specifically, we enhanced technical assistance and mobilization of resources to those areas most impacted by the government shutdown
We used the survey data to map members impacted by the government shutdown, making it clear which geographies have a large percentage of federal employees who may be impacted by government shutdowns. This facilitated efficient deployment of resources to members in those areas and enables us to do the same during any future government shutdowns.
Now knowing how diaper banks respond in times of crisis, we can better plan, execute, and distribute resources to reach families in need.
Want to learn more about NDBN’s member banks and diaper insecurity, check out these rad resources:
The American Evaluation Association is hosting Washington Evaluators Week with our colleagues in the Washington Evaluators local affiliate group. The contributions all this week to AEA365 come from Washington Evaluators members. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this AEA365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the AEA365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an AEA365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to AEA365@eval.org. AEA365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators. The views and opinions expressed on the AEA365 blog are solely those of the original authors and other contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of the American Evaluation Association, and/or any/all contributors to this site.