Passer au contenu principal
logo

The Learning Conference 2011

du 6 au 7 June 2011

Baltimore, MD

Pre-Conference Session: Evaluation in Philanthropy: Five Approaches to Effective Learning

lundi 6 juin 2011 à 09:00–11:00 EDT
Composite Room (Third Floor)
Session description

A pioneering group of grantmakers is redefining the role of evaluation in philanthropy — it’s not solely about tracking the results and the impact of past philanthropic investments. It is also about learning how to do a better job of achieving our goals moving forward. In this hands-on workshop offered by GEO, participants will explore five key approaches to learning that many grantmakers are adopting in order to effectively improve programs and results, and learn practical tools for how they can build these approaches into their own work. Advanced registration is required. Please note: This session is good for people who are new to evaluation and learning.

Speakers

Leonor Alfonso, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations
J McCray, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations

The GEO Community Coffee Hour

lundi 6 juin 2011 à 11:00–11:45 EDT
Marble Room (First Floor)
Session description

Are you new to the GEO community or The Learning Conference? Do you want to start your networking early? Join us for coffee hour, right before the opening plenary luncheon. Learn more about the GEO community as you mingle with other conference attendees and get to know planning committee members. Advanced registration is requested.

Speakers

Opening Plenary Luncheon — Achieving Collective Intelligence: A Thinker's Guide on Why We Need to Think Less

lundi 6 juin 2011 à 12:00–14:00 EDT
Corinthian Room (Second Floor)
Session description

We can do better together than individually, right? We know this is true. There are countless examples in nature, in systems, and in society that validate this premise. And yet, when we try to behave more intelligently collectively, we often seem to fail in spite of our best intentions. Why? What are the factors that allow us to maximize our collective intelligence? More specifically, how can philanthropy both behave more intelligent collectively and catalyze that same behavior in other systems? In this facilitated conversation, Eugene Kim will explain how we can achieve more by thinking less and letting go, drawing from real, practical examples.

Speakers

Eugene Eric Kim, Blue Oxen Associates
Kathleen P. Enright, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations

Short Talk — Philanthropy’s Albatross: Debunking Theories of Change

lundi 6 juin 2011 à 14:30–14:55 EDT
Ionic Room (Third Floor)
Session description

Many foundations tout the importance of theories of change for effective grantmaking and require their grantees to include them in their grant proposals. In this session, Albert Ruesga will outline some of the conceptual and practical difficulties with theories of change. He will argue that requiring grantees to produce explicit theories of change beyond what they usually include in their grant proposals does little to improve the art or science of grantmaking.

Speakers

Albert Ruesga, Greater New Orleans Foundation

Short Talk — Rethinking What Counts as "Evidence"

lundi 6 juin 2011 à 14:30–14:55 EDT
Tuscan Room (Third Floor)
Session description

The Obama Administration has put emphasis on funding “what works,” and federal initiatives such as the Social Innovation Fund, the Investing in Innovation Fund (i3) and Promise Neighborhoods are designed to grow the impact of programs. This approach seems sensible on the surface, but what does it mean? Lisbeth Schorr will explain why prevailing, narrow definitions of what counts as evidence will limit our ability to make progress on social issues. Instead, Schorr promotes a more inclusive approach to judging what works that shifts away from success-or-failure judgments to a richer knowledge base about approaches that are plausible, promising or proven.

Speakers

Lisbeth Schorr, Center for the Study of Social Policy

Short Talk — Philanthropy's Role in Helping Inform Government Policy

lundi 6 juin 2011 à 15:05–15:30 EDT
Tuscan Room (Third Floor)
Session description

Research underwritten by philanthropy has directly influenced government policy on a number of occasions. By conducting and sharing findings about the best use of particular social change strategies, private grantmakers can provide key insights that inform decisions at the federal, state and local levels. Thomas Kalil will challenge philanthropy to consider how more of this research can be done jointly with the government and will urge grantmakers to commit to making all research publicly available.

Speakers

Thomas Kalil, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

Short Talk — The Substance of Story

lundi 6 juin 2011 à 15:05–15:30 EDT
Ionic Room (Third Floor)
Session description

Storytelling is simultaneously the favorite and most-hated buzzword of the moment in philanthropy. We tell stories, but then what? Do we actually use the stories we tell and hear? How? Are stories part of philanthropy’s core business, or peripheral? Why? Are some stories worth the telling, while others should be ignored? How do we know the difference? This thought-provoking talk by Melanie Moore will explore the inherent value of storytelling for advancing philanthropic goals, critique the ways we currently use and misuse stories in our work presently, and suggest a rigorous approach to storytelling for both story creators and story “consumers.”

Speakers

Melanie Moore, See Change, Inc.

Short Talk — Innovations for Scaling Impact: What Have We Learned and Where Do We Go Now?

lundi 6 juin 2011 à 15:40–16:05 EDT
Tuscan Room (Third Floor)
Session description

Going to scale is a priority of stakeholders across public and private sectors around the world. It is an increasing focus of grantmakers in the U.S. and abroad. Have we learned anything about scale over the past several years? What good practices beyond program replication or organizational growth have emerged to scale impact? Sanjeev Khagram will argue that the time is ripe for foundations to catalyze a field-wide collaborative research, development and continuous improvement system that can drive innovations for scaling impact.

Speakers

Sanjeev Khagram, Innovations for Scaling Impact

Short Talk — The Demise of the Proposal (sort of): The Power of a Single Page

lundi 6 juin 2011 à 15:40–16:05 EDT
Ionic Room (Third Floor)
Session description

Grantmakers spend many hours reviewing proposals that they are not interested in funding. Grantseekers spend many hours creating proposals that no one wants to fund. What if a single page could become an effective initial form of communication and possible connection between the two? It’s happening now in New Orleans, La. In this session, Jennifer Henderson will share examples of how the “one-page” investment opportunity has transformed one of the biggest challenges in the grant maker/grantee relationship — establishing the mutually-beneficial “fit.”

Speakers

Jennifer Henderson, Strategic Decisions, LLC

Open Space/ Facilitated Conversations

lundi 6 juin 2011 à 16:15–17:30 EDT
Corinthian Room (Second Floor)
Session description

In response to feedback that one of the greatest benefits of GEO conferences is access to a community of like-minded colleagues, GEO is offering a forum for attendees to connect with one another to discuss topics important to their work. Join a discussion with a Short Talk speaker, form a small group to explore a topic of interest, or use the time to meet with the colleagues you were hoping to see at the conference.

Speakers

Welcome Reception

lundi 6 juin 2011 à 17:30–18:30 EDT
Marble Room (First Floor)
Session description

Enjoy light refreshments and network with conference attendees in the historic Marble Room during a lively reception before your dinner plans. Are you curious about the buzz around innovation and scale? Meet some of your fellow grantmakers who are part of the inaugural cohort of the Social Innovation Fund — a federal initiative to increase the scale of impact in the areas of economic opportunity, healthy futures and youth development — at the evening reception and share your questions and insights with them.

Speakers

Networking Breakfast

mardi 7 juin 2011 à 07:30–08:30 EDT
Roman Strada Ante Room and Corinthian Room (Second Floor)
Session description

Enjoy a continental breakfast as you network with other conference attendees and carry on the conversations from the previous day’s sessions.

Speakers

A1: Developing a Strategic Learning and Evaluation System

mardi 7 juin 2011 à 08:30–10:00 EDT
Tuscan Room (Third Floor)
Session description

Grantmakers and nonprofits increasingly are making investments in evaluation-related activities, such as grantee reporting, process evaluations and impact assessments. A Strategic Learning and Evaluation System aims to help organizations learn from their practices and experiences in ways that inform future actions by determining why, how, when and to what extent to evaluate various initiatives. Join experts and practitioners to explore what it takes to develop a SLES that can ensure grantmakers and nonprofits alike are allocating learning resources efficiently and in ways that inform strategic decision-making.

Speakers

Hallie Preskill, FSG
Jackie Williams Kaye, Wellspring Advisors
John Bare, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

A2: Bolstering Real-Time Learning and Course Correction

mardi 7 juin 2011 à 08:30–10:00 EDT
Doric Room (Fourth Floor)
Session description

Grantmakers have committed to becoming “learning organizations,” but many are facing a mismatch between words and actions. Simple but powerful tools, including Before- and After-Action Reviews, can provide real-time and grounded information for program staff and other key stakeholders. Learn how to use Before- and After-Action Reviews to power organizational learning. Hear from grantmakers who are using learning tools like these, and explore how and when to weave them into the grantmaking cycle. If there is sufficient interest, this session may also serve as a launching point for a grantmaker Community of Practice on real-time learning and course correction.

Speakers

Marilyn Darling, Signet Research & Consulting
Dan Wilson, Ontario Trillium Foundation

A3: Assessing Network Effectiveness

mardi 7 juin 2011 à 08:30–10:00 EDT
Ionic Room (Third Floor)
Session description

Over the past few years there has been growing acknowledgment that grantmaker investments in networks can be as or even more important to achieving social impact than investing in individual organizations. However, assessing the effectiveness of these networks is complicated. Evaluations of networks need to consider networks both as means and ends, as an important capacity in a community and as instruments of transformation for achieving results. Hear from a panel of practitioners on how they are defining and assessing networks, explore methods and tools for evaluating networks, and dig into examples of evaluations currently in progress.

Speakers

Gale Berkowitz, MasterCard Foundation
Tom Kelly, Annie E Casey Foundation
Diana Scearce, Monitor Institute

A4: Using Evidence to Elevate Promising Programs

mardi 7 juin 2011 à 08:30–10:00 EDT
Composite Room (Third Floor)
Session description

There is growing evidence that social programs focusing on work, skills-building and asset development have a positive impact on underprivileged communities. Grantmakers, nonprofits and government can drive resources to those promising initiatives by more deliberately using evaluation to better understand and share what works. The Center for Economic Opportunity, in partnership with the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City and MDRC, is using the Social Innovation Fund as an opportunity to build a broader and more compelling evidence base for effective anti-poverty programs. Hear from a panel of leaders who have been working to build support for sustainable models to reduce urban poverty and explore how grantmakers can use evidence to elevate effective programs.

Speakers

James Riccio, MDRC
Allegra Blackburn-Dwyer, NYC Center for Economic Opportunity
Sinead Keegan, Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City

A5: Putting Emerging Data Standards to Work for Grantmaking

mardi 7 juin 2011 à 08:30–10:00 EDT
Chapter Room (Fourth Floor)
Session description

Online and shared impact assessment tools are more prevalent than ever, but it’s important for grantmakers to know how and when to use these resources, as well as the relative strengths and weaknesses of each. Engage in a discussion with leaders working to build the shared impact measurement framework Charting Impact. Explore how standardized information can improve field-wide learning and evaluation, the benefits and limitations of centralized data collection and dissemination, and the application of comparable data to your grantmaking decisions.

Speakers

Molly G. Martin, Lumina Foundation for Education
Mikaela Seligman, Independent Sector
Dan Moore, GuideStar

B1: Designing a Participatory Learning Agenda

mardi 7 juin 2011 à 10:30–12:00 EDT
Tuscan Room (Third Floor)
Session description

Identifying common learning themes and impact trends across portfolios can be challenging, especially for grantmakers that support projects as they emerge from grantees without requiring them to fit into an overarching grantmaking strategy. As a responsive grantmaker, Firelight Foundation has designed a learning agenda with broad questions to help identify and track community-based actions regardless of the particular focus of the grant. Hear from those working with key stakeholders to successfully implement Firelight’s learning agenda across a variety of types of grants and grantees. The session will employ audience polling to engage attendees on key questions.

Speakers

Susan WIlkinson-Maposa, Independent researcher based in South Africa
Zanele Sibanda, Firelight Foundation
Peter Laugharn, Firelight Foundation

B2: Implementing the Sweet 16 of Communication Success

mardi 7 juin 2011 à 10:30–12:00 EDT
Chapter Room (Fourth Floor)
Session description

Foundations and nonprofits working to achieve social change must leverage every asset to make progress, including communications. Communications is more about quality than quantity. You and your grantees may communicate with key stakeholders frequently, but are you getting the most from these efforts? Using communications effectively isn’t about size or budget; it’s about being strategic with the resources and opportunities available. In this session, participants will assess their knowledge of the 16 things every organization needs to do to be a communicating organization, understand how the communications elements work and learn how to evaluate their use for yourself and your grantees.
Speakers: Fred Mann, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; and Dennis Poplin, Spitfire Strategies

Speakers

Dennis Poplin, Spitfire Strategies
Gina Ivey, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

B3: Creating Communities of Practice to Accelerate Learning

mardi 7 juin 2011 à 10:30–12:00 EDT
Doric Room (Fourth Floor)
Session description

Communities of practice can be powerful tools for managing knowledge and accelerating learning, replication and scaling. Because these communities are intentional, voluntary and unbound by geography, they can cross-pollinate ideas and spark improvements outside the scope of participants’ existing resource networks. Grantmakers can play a powerful role in bringing together and fostering these communities of practice and can transform their own grantmaking approach by becoming a learning partner within a community. But doing this work effectively requires skill, time, sensitivity and commitment. Using your own experiences as a backdrop, learn strategies and tools for creating, managing and improving communities of practice, and explore instances where they have led to improved results.

Speakers

Kat Daniel, Green for All
Horacio Trujillo, Innovations for Scaling Impact
Tanya Beer, Center for Evaluation Innovation

B4: Building Grantee and Community Evaluative Capacity

mardi 7 juin 2011 à 10:30–12:00 EDT
Composite Room (Third Floor)
Session description

Many community-based organizations lack the capacity to conduct comprehensive evaluations or view evaluation beyond the context of meeting funder requirements. Yet having real-time data to make improvements and ensure quality of programs is a key to their success. Both AIDS United and the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky are working to build learning capacity in their grantees and potential grantees by providing access to evaluation support and helping plan for evaluation capacity building. Hear from these grantmakers how they are effectively balancing the desire to fund programs that demonstrate measurable impact with providing resources to build community and grantee capacity.

Speakers

Margaret Jones, Center for Community Health and Evaluation, Group Health Research Institute
Susan Zepeda, Foundation for a Health Kentucky
Susan Kinsky, Aids United

B5: Measuring What Is Hard to Measure

mardi 7 juin 2011 à 10:30–12:00 EDT
Ionic Room (Third Floor)
Session description

An increasing number of grantmakers are investing in broader systems change through advocacy, civic engagement and policy work, but the field still lacks strong frameworks for defining and measuring the impact of those strategies. Join a panel of grantmakers and practitioners to explore challenges and frameworks for evaluating programs that have traditionally been hard to measure.

Speakers

Fatima Angeles, The California Wellness Foundation
Lori Nascimento, The California Endowment
Ted Chen, W. K. Kellogg Foundation

Closing Plenary Luncheon — Closing the Gap between Theory and Practice

mardi 7 juin 2011 à 12:00–14:00 EDT
Corinthian Room (Second Floor)
Session description

Many change agents in philanthropy seek to identify and adopt effective learning and evaluation practices that can bring real improvements to our work. But even when we know what needs to be done, closing the gap between theory and practice is an ever-present challenge. Join with peers to synthesize what you’ve learned during the conference and dig deeper into what it will take to implement lasting changes in your work.

Speakers

Ehren Reed, Innovation Network
Johanna Morariu, Innovation Network
Beth Bruner, Bruner Foundation

Post-Conference Session: Doing Due Diligence Well

mardi 7 juin 2011 à 14:30–16:30 EDT
Composite Room (Third Floor)
Session description

Selecting the right grantee partners is one of the most important jobs grantmakers do. Effective due diligence involves striking a balance between obtaining the information you want and need as a grantmaker and not asking for so much that it places an undue burden on the grantseeker. Knowing what to ask, when to ask it and how to structure information-gathering to best support decisions is still a challenge for many grantmakers. In this hands-on workshop offered by La Piana Consulting and GEO, participants will explore effective grant assessment practices and identify changes they can make to their own due diligence. Advanced registration is required.

Speakers

Jo DeBolt, La Piana Consulting
Chargement en cours …