New Advocacy Evaluation Guide Series
Our latest publication for the advocacy evaluation field, Pathfinder: A Practical Guide to Advocacy Evaluation draws on our consulting experience and research. Three tailored editions—one each for advocates, evaluators, and funders—offer a guided pathway through the advocacy evaluation experience. Pathfinder encourages readers to adopt a “learning-focused evaluation” approach, which prioritizes using knowledge for improvement. The Pathfinder series was commissioned by The Atlantic Philanthropies.

Download the Advocate Edition (1.2MB .pdf)
Download the Evaluator Edition (1.4MB .pdf)
Download the Funder Edition (1.2MB .pdf)

Also, see the Pathfinder: Resource List, for additional sources of information on every topic covered in the guides.

Download the Resource List (212 KB .pdf)

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Detail of cover of Pathfinder: Advocate Edition - A Practical Guide to Advocacy Evaluation

Foundation Review Contributions
The Foundation Review is "first peer-reviewed journal of philanthropy, written by and for foundation staff and boards and those who work with them implementing programs." Its third issue, focused on advocacy and policy change, includes two articles by Innovation Network staff.

Johanna Morariu and Kathy Brennan co-authored "Effective Advocacy Evaluation: The Role of Funders" (729KB .pdf)
The Colorado Trust's Tanya Beer and our own Ehren Reed co-authored "A Model for Multilevel Advocacy Evaluation"(919KB .pdf )
See the complete table of contents for the Foundation Review / Advocacy & Policy Change Issue (4.65MB .pdf)
Read more about the Foundation Review

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Newsletter: Advocacy Evaluation Update
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This free newsletter offers tips and trends from the fast-growing field. Nine issues have been released since the Update's debut in June 2007; the two most recent issues were produced through our strategic partnership with the Center for Evaluation Innovation.

New Issue, May 2010: Jeremy Shiffman explains his framework of factors that affect political support; spotlight on evaluating community organizing; profile of social scientist Eva Schiffer and her Net-Map method; and four new events and resources.
Read AEU#9 online | Download AEU#9 as .pdf (265KB)
Eighth Issue, January 2010:
Read AEU#8 online | Download AEU#8 as .pdf (265KB)
Seventh Issue, October 2009:
Read AEU#7 online | Download AEU#7 as .pdf (490KB)

Sixth Issue, June 2009:
Read AEU#6 online | Download AEU#6 as .pdf (390KB)

More back issues available on our Newsletters page

Earlier Research
Last September, Innovation Network released Speaking for Themselves: Advocates' Perspectives on Evaluation.
Produced with the support of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and The Atlantic Philanthropies, the report examines the current state of advocacy strategy and evaluation practice.

Download the enhanced version (1.9MB PDF).
Download the basic version (680KB PDF).

Resources
The Evaluation Resource Center at the Point K Learning Center contains 140 reports, white papers, websites, and tools for advocacy evaluation. More resources are being added all the time.
Visit the Resource Center (free registration required)

Projects
Advocacy evaluation projects now in progress or recently completed include:

The Advocacy Evaluation Project
Advocates for Youth
California Immigrant Policy Center
Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Colorado Trust
Initiative for Inclusive Security
Kansas Health Foundation
The Packard Foundation: Rapid Response Methodologies
Reform Immigration FOR America
Strategic Alliance
U.S. Human Rights Fund
Washington Area Women's Foundation