Building Equitable Evaluation Capacity in Communities

Evaluators are adapting their approaches to meet the evolving expectations of philanthropy, particularly in the context of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Funders are increasingly interested in partnering with evaluators who can incorporate equitable practices into their evaluations and establish trusting relationships with their grantees. This positions evaluators as critical thought partners in developing evaluations that address the needs of grantees, funders, and the community. In this session, we will share lessons learned about building the evaluation capacity of grantees and prioritizing learning using a case study from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation’s work on supporting informal caregivers of young children. We will engage participants in a discussion around the following ideas:

• How do we innovate and adapt our thinking, methods, and practices to ensure our evaluations build grantees’ evaluation capacity and focus on learning?

• How do we ensure our evaluation approaches with grantees leave no one behind and promote equity and diversity?