Creating Momentum: The Atlantic Philanthropies' Investments to Repeal the Death Penalty in the United States

The Atlantic Philanthropies invested about $60 million between 2004 and 2016 to support efforts to repeal the death penalty in the United States. To assess the effectiveness of this work and to generate lessons for human rights activists and other funders involved in the repeal movement, the foundation commissioned this evaluation. The findings contained in this report are the result of extensive documentation review as well as interviews with foundation and grantee board and staff

Changing Stakeholder Needs and Changing Evaluator Roles: The Central Valley Partnership of the James Irvine Foundation

This case study describes the evolution of the evaluator's role as the program evolved and developed, and as the needs of the client and intended users changed over time. The initiative aimed to assist immigrants in California's Central Valley. The case illustrates important tensions among accountability, learning and capacity building purposes of evaluation

A Foundation\u27s Theory of Philanthropy: What It Is, What It Provides, How to Do It

This article argues that philanthropic endeavors should be undergirded by a theory of philanthropy. Articulating a theory of philanthropy is a way for a foundation to make explicit what is often only implicit, thereby enabling internal and external actors to pose and resolve significant questions, understand and play important roles more fully and effectively, and improve performance by enhancing alignment across complex systems. A theory of philanthropy articulates how and why a foundation will use its resources to achieve its mission and vision. The theory-of-philanthropy approach is designed to help foundations align their strategies, governance, operating and accountability procedures, and grantmaking profile and policies with their resources and mission. Some 30 elements that can feed into a comprehensive theory of philanthropy represent a customizable tool for exploring the issues foundations face. A foundation can use the tool to gather data and perspectives about specific aspects of its heritage and approach; what is learned in addressing the elements can then be synthesized into a succinct and coherent theory of philanthropy

The Theory of Philanthropy of the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative

This article presents the theory of philanthropy of the Palix Foundation, which seeks to improve health and wellness outcomes for children and families in Alberta, Canada, by mobilizing and applying knowledge about brain and early childhood development and the link to lifelong mental health and addiction outcomes. Through years of intuitive exploration and adaptation, the foundation evolved its role to include brokering access to the latest scientific knowledge, convening key players in multiple forums to explore applying that knowledge, and serving as a learning partner to public systems and communities in Alberta. Following evaluation of a major phase of the foundation’s work, its leaders asked the authors to work with them to address questions emerging from the evaluation relating to the next phase in its development. This led to a concentrated effort to synthesize the foundation’s underlying theory of philanthropy and apply it to those questions. · Articulating the theory of philanthropy helped “make the implicit explicit” and provided a useful way for the foundation to engage with its stakeholders and recalibrate its approach for a new phase of work

Learning from doing : reflections on IDRC's strategy in action

French version available in IDRC Digital Library: Apprentissage par la pratique : réflexions sur l'exécution de la stratégie du CRDIThe aim is to extract lessons from IDRC program reviews conducted over the last 18 months. The paper reviews and analyzes types of strategy that emerge as patterns in “perspective” (values, coherence and alignment in programming) and “position” (rationale, research capacity, outcomes). The strategic analysis presented in this paper builds upon work that is ongoing at the centre which enables evaluation of organizational effectiveness and program strategy in philanthropy. IDRC strives to produce evaluative understandings of their projects and programs and has diligently shared this knowledge with others in the field

Apprentissage par la pratique : réflexions sur l'exécution de la stratégie du CRDI

Version anglaise disponible dans la Bibliothèque numérique du CRDI: Learning from doing : reflections on IDRC's strategy in actio

End of One Way

Describes the role of three South Minneapolis community-based organizations. Demonstrates how the organizations form partnerships and share leadership with their communities. Explores a set of themes derived from each example of community engagement