Learning Together: Actionable Approaches for Grantmakers

A majority of grantmakers are struggling to make evaluation and learning meaningful to anyone outside their organizations. Not only is evaluation conducted primarily for internal purposes, but it is usually done by the grantmaker entirely on its own -- with no outside learning partners except perhaps an external evaluator -- and provides little value and may even be burdensome to the grantee. It may be that some funders do not consider expanding the scope of learning efforts beyond their own walls. Or perhaps the gap is driven by funding constraints or funder -- grantee dynamics. In any case, grantees and other stakeholders are critical partners in the achievement of grantmakers' missions and are therefore critical learning partners as well.In this publication, GEO offers actionable ideas and practices to help grantmakers make learning with others a priority. The publication includes stories about foundations that are learning together with a variety of partners, plus a discussion of the key questions that can help shape successful shared learning. It is based on research and interviews conducted from late 2013 to 2015, including extensive outreach to grantmakers, evaluation practitioners and others. The focus of GEO's inquiry: documenting the challenges facing grantmakers as they set out to learn with others, lifting up what it takes to do this work successfully and identifying grantmakers that show a commitment to learning together

Learning as We Go: How Emergent Process Supports Sustainable Community and Philanthropic Change

Beginning in 2014, PA Humanities, one of 56 state and territorial humanities councils across the country, drew upon the work of Orton Family Foundation to deploy the Community Heart & Soul method, which centers community planning and civic engagement around connecting people to each other, and to the many assets of the places they live, through individual storytelling and collective narrative building. Between 2015 and 2018, PA Humanities awarded matching grants to three locations in Pennsylvania — Greater Carlisle, Meadville, and Williamsport — to pilot PA Heart & Soul, a humanities-based, resident-driven community planning process that cultivates a shared sense of belonging among residents, engages them in thinking critically and creatively about community life, and involves them in decision-making and development to strengthen the social, cultural, and economic vibrancy of place. The PA Heart & Soul Learning Project, launched to seek greater clarity about the direct experience of participants, was structured as an appreciative inquiry into the model’s implementation and guided by a Learning Advisory Group of funding and implementation partners and community residents. The Learning Project concluded that an emergence-focused and humanities-driven approach can produce sustainable community plans informed by resident voices, particularly those who have been historically marginalized. Perhaps more important, allowing emergent learning to shape PA Heart & Soul strategy led to stronger engagement by residents, improved funder–community relationships, and new ways of showing up for PA Humanities and its partners. This article presents researchers’ findings about the impact of the model; describes how PA Humanities, a nonprofit partner of the National Endowment of the Humanities, is reformulating its civic engagement strategy based on these findings; and explores potential lessons for place-based grantmakers seeking inclusive, peoplecentered community change

Better Together: How Evaluator Collaborations Can Strengthen Philanthropy and Increase Collective Knowledge

Partnerships between evaluation firms have many benefits for both funders and evaluators. The benefits can include increased quality of evaluation and collaboration, greater equity for all stakeholders, and stronger field capacity for learning at scale.Over the last six months, we assembled a work team of seven funders and 11 evaluators to explore how more formal partnerships between evaluation firms can increase collective knowledge within the field and ultimately strengthen philanthropy.Our group identified key rationales for establishing such partnerships as well as emergent best practices in creating and maintaining successful partnerships, analyzed barriers that impede funders and evaluators from pursuing partnerships more frequently, and articulated some field-level strategy to counteract those barriers. In this brief, we share some of our most valuable insights, and a working draft of a best practice guide and decision tool that could, if further developed, aid the field in establishing stronger collaborations between evaluation firms

Internal Culture, External Impact: How a Change-Making Culture Positions Foundations to Achieve Transformational Change

This article argues that a foundation’s internal culture is critical to achieving large-scale social change, but that efforts to build a change-making culture too often are left out of strategy conversations. While there is no one culture that suits every foundation, a particular set of characteristics must be present in those that seek large-scale social change: a focus on outcomes, transparency, authenticity, collaboration, racial equity and inclusion, continuous learning, and openness to risk. This article offers insights into why culture can be challenging for foundations to address and maintain, examines cases of successful culture change at foundations, and offers advice for foundations that aspire to it

Autocrine Interactions of Keratinocyte Growth Factor, Hepatocyte Growth Factor, and Kit-Ligand in the Regulation of Normal Ovarian Surface Epithelial Cells

Ovarian tumors are primarily derived from the layer of epithelium surrounding the ovary termed the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE). Although extensive research has focused on established ovarian tumors, relatively little is known about the normal biology of the OSE that gives rise to ovarian cancer. The local expression and actions of growth factors are likely involved in both normal and tumorigenic OSE biology. The current study investigates the expression and action of keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and kit-ligand (KL) in normal ovarian surface epithelium (OSE). The actions of various growth factors on KGF, HGF, and KL expression are examined. Observations indicate that freshly isolated normal OSE express the genes for KGF, HGF, and KL and expression is maintained in vitro. KGF messenger RNA expression in OSE was found to be stimulated by KGF and HGF, but not KL. HGF expression in OSE was found to be stimulated by KGF, HGF, and KL. KL expression in OSE was also found to be stimulated by KGF, HGF, and KL. Therefore, the various growth factors can regulate the mRNA expression of each other in OSE. Effects of growth factors on OSE growth were examined. KGF, HGF, and KL stimulated OSE growth to similar levels as the positive control epidermal growth factor. Observations suggest that KGF, HGF, and KL interact to promote OSE growth and growth factor expression. The ability of these growth factors to interact in a positive autocrine feedback loop is postulated to be important for normal OSE biology. Paracrine interactions with the adjacent stromal cells will also be a factor in OSE biology. Abnormal interactions of these growth factors may be involved in the onset and progression of ovarian cancer

Caregiving experiences predict changes in spiritual well-being among family caregivers of cancer patients

OBJECTIVE: Although enhanced spiritual well-being has been linked to positive mental health outcomes among family caregivers of cancer patients, little is known regarding predictors of spiritual well-being in this population. The current study aimed to examine caregiving experiences as predictors of change in family caregivers' spiritual well-being during the initial months following the patient's cancer diagnosis. METHODS: Seventy family caregivers of newly diagnosed cancer patients (74% female, mean age = 59 years) participated in this longitudinal survey. Caregivers completed baseline questionnaires shortly before staying with the patient at an American Cancer Society Hope Lodge. Baseline questionnaires assessed caregiving experiences (i.e., self-esteem related to caregiving, family support for providing care, impact of caregiving on finances, and impact of caregiving on one's schedule). In addition, caregivers' spiritual well-being (i.e., meaning in life, peace, and faith) was assessed at baseline and 4-month follow-up. RESULTS: In univariate analyses, all caregiving experiences studied were associated with one or more aspects of spiritual well-being at 4-month follow-up. However, in the multivariate analysis, the only caregiving experience associated with aspects of spiritual well-being at 4-month follow-up was caregivers' perceptions of family support. Specifically, lack of family support was associated with lower levels of meaning and peace. CONCLUSIONS: Findings point to the importance of family support in facilitating the search for meaning and peace shortly after a loved one's cancer diagnosis and suggest that interventions targeting caregivers' support system may enhance their spiritual well-being

Evaluating Precision of a Trachomatous Trichiasis (TT) Super Survey with Modulating Sample Sizes in Tanzania.

As trachoma programs move towards eliminating trachoma as a public health problem, the number of surveys necessary to evaluate the status of trachomatous trichiasis (TT) increases. Currently, the World Health Organization endorses a district-level population-based prevalence survey for trachoma that involves a two-stage cluster design. We explored the validity of implementing this survey design in larger geographic areas to gain cost efficiencies. We evaluated the change in precision due to combining geographically contiguous and homogenous districts into single evaluation units (EUs) and modulating the sample size by running simulations on existing datasets. Preliminary findings from two opportunities in Tanzania show variability in the appropriateness in conducting this survey across larger geographies. These preliminary findings stress the importance of determining what is meant by homogeneity in terms of TT before combining multiple districts into a single EU

2018 Scholars at Work Conference Program

Program for the 2018 Scholars at Work Conference at Minnesota State University, Mankato on March 30, 2018