Toward Better Engagement: Engaging diverse voices in foundation strategy design and evaluation

Abstract Information: Over the years, foundations and evaluation practitioners have been engaging grantees and community members in evaluation through advisory groups, collective sensemaking, and learning spaces. Typically, grantees are brought into evaluation long after a foundation’s strategy has been defined, diminishing their influence and power in defining success and shaping the overall approach. As a result, evaluation continues to be largely in service of foundation needs - rather than the collective social change efforts of grantees - and undermines efforts to advance equity and inclusion in more transformative ways. Without efforts to engage diverse voices iteratively, continuously, and authentically, foundation-funded evaluations continue to maintain the status quo. What engagement strategies and/or conditions help us move beyond listening and feedback toward authentic relationships and collective ownership? This session will present a tangible case example from the design and implementation of The James Irvine Foundation’s Just Prosperity initiative. The foundation’s program and internal evaluation leads as well as a grantee design participant and the facilitation consultant will share actionable insights from the engagement of grantees in the strategy development and subsequent evaluation design of a complex statewide policy and advocacy initiative. Through early, iterative, and authentic engagement of statewide advocacy agencies, community organizers, and research partners, a core group of foundation grantees influenced and shaped a multi-million-dollar foundation strategy and evaluation. With the hypothesis that better engagement leads to a more grounded strategy, presenters explore the meaning, core elements, and reciprocal benefits of “better engagement” and how it leads to stronger relationships, sharper strategy, equity-centered evaluation, and increased collaboration in the broader advocacy ecosystem. Based on a 2024 white paper to capture the insights from this case example, presenters will share practices and process considerations for fostering authentic engagement in evaluation design and ways to harness the collective intelligence of a diverse group of advocates. The Just Prosperity experience provides a compelling case example for how to elevate the voice, influence, and power of diverse social change advocates and movement leaders in learning and evaluation.