B6: Embrace Complexity! Practical Evaluation in Complex Communities
Session Designer
Jessica Bearman, Bearman Consulting
Session Description
Foundations and government funding agencies are increasingly interested in funding comprehensive community initiatives or place-based work – and measuring its impact. But how do you evaluate such complex efforts in ways that are meaningful for communities and funders alike? GEO has convened a year-long community of practice, bringing together private foundations and federal grantmakers and evaluators, to tackle this question. During this lively session, members of this group will share the top challenges inherent in evaluating place-based grantmaking - and discuss practical strategies that have worked to engage communities and colleagues, share data and results, and embrace the complexity of real world efforts. They will also reflect on the benefits and challenges of taking part in a cross-sector learning community.
Conference Theme
Evaluation and Learning
Speakers
![[photo]](https://8ca84662c5b8f0cff50d-4baaaf97d63fd7b01243e1b1c57f0cc1.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/179/profile_ba7cc93eab81131e4fa1a0d0bfe418db.png "Jessica Bearman, Bearman Consulting")
Jessica Bearman, Bearman Consulting
Title
Speaker Biography
Jessica Bearman loves working with philanthropic and other mission-based organizations, providing facilitation, planning, and program R&D to help them become more effective and responsive to the communities they serve. She facilitates GEO's year-long Place-based Evaluation Community of Practice. Bearman is the author of "Drowning in Paperwork, Distracted from Purpose", a study of grantmakers’ application and reporting practices, as well as many supporting materials and workshops on this topic. As a consultant, and in her prior role as deputy director of the New Ventures in Philanthropy, she has written and spoken widely about new and established philanthropy and is the author of several studies on giving circles and shared giving. Bearman has a master's in organization development from American University/National Training Laboratory. She lives in Idaho with her husband and two wild boys.
![[photo]](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/07b0da04a337e35db76d2fdab9b211e7.png?d=https://proposalspace.com/images/no_photo.png&r=PG&s=50 "Sarah Zevin, U.S. Department of Education")
Sarah Zevin, U.S. Department of Education
Title
Management and Program Analyst
Speaker Biography
Sarah Zevin is a program & management analyst within the Department of Education’s Office of Innovative and Improvement(OII). She works on Full-Service Community Schools and Promise Neighborhood programs at the Department. She serves as the point person in OII for evaluation work on the Promise Neighborhood team. She is currently the liaison for Department of Education White House Strong Cities Strong Communities initiative. Prior to joining the Department, Zevin has worked in the educational sector for over 15 years in numerous roles, in an educational software company, a publishing company that developed curriculum for lifelong learners and in private school and university administrative roles.
![[photo]](https://8ca84662c5b8f0cff50d-4baaaf97d63fd7b01243e1b1c57f0cc1.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/11/profile_b3580b19847a0f56e84c7c0187373ece.png "Marie Colombo, The Skillman Foundation")
Marie Colombo, The Skillman Foundation
Title
Senior Program Officer for Knowledge Management
Speaker Biography
Marie Colombo is senior program officer for knowledge management at The Skillman Foundation and is responsible for aligning the Foundation’s grantmaking practices and evaluation policy with an organizational culture focused on real-time learning and accountability. Prior to coming to the Foundation in 2005, Colombo directed the Evaluation Research unit at Wayne State University’s Center for Urban Studies in Detroit. Her 25-year research career includes a wide range of program evaluations, with a focus on school-based initiatives and education reform.