We perform both commissioned and independent research projects and publications on topics that we hope will be of use to the broader evaluation and nonprofit field.

For more information about our research, or to discuss ways we can work together, contact Director Johanna Morariu 202-728-0727 x103 or jmorariu [at] innonet [dot] org.

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2011 White Paper Series

This year we are sharing lessons learned from our consulting practice through a series of white papers. There are now two papers in the series:

Evaluation Capacity Building: Funder Initiatives to Strengthen Grantee Evaluation Capacity & Practice (248KB .pdf) Myia Welsh and Johanna Morariu reflect on various strategies and techniques Innovation Network has used to build evaluation capacity among groups of grantees. The paper also offers recommendations for funders considering an evaluation capacity building initiative. (June 2011)

Participatory Analysis: Expanding Stakeholder Involvement in Evaluation (429KB .pdf). This paper shares some techniques we have used to give evaluation participants a more active role in the review and analysis of their evaluation data. It also discusses the benefits and challenges of the participatory analysis process. (April 2011)

State of Evaluation

The Publication: The State of Evaluation 2010 report is out! Findings from our survey of over 1,000 organizations paint a fascinating picture of how U.S. nonprofits use evaluation.

Download the report (5.55MB .pdf)

The Project: Nonprofits hear a lot of talk about evaluation these days—metrics and measurements, indicators and impact, efficiency and effectiveness. Everyone, from donors to board members, seems to want evaluation results. But there was a big knowledge gap around evaluation practice: What are nonprofits really doing to evaluate their work? How are they really using evaluation results? What support are they getting? What else do they need?

These are the questions we hope to answer through our new State of Evaluation project. There are many excellent studies available that examine evaluation practice at a particular time or in a particular region. Ours is the first nationwide project that seeks to systematically and repeatedly collect data from U.S. nonprofits about their evaluation practices.

We intend to repeat the survey every two years. We hope the survey results will build understanding:

For nonprofits, to see how their evaluation practices compare to their peers.
For donors and funders, to better understand how they can support evaluation practice throughout the sector.
For evaluators, to have more context for the existing evaluation practices and capacities of their nonprofit clients.

Pathfinder: A Practical Guide to Advocacy Evaluation

This 2009 publication for the advocacy evaluation field 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)
Download the Pathfinder Resource List (212 KB .pdf) for additional sources of information on every topic covered in the guides.

Articles Featured in The Foundation Review

The Foundation Review is "the 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, released in the summer of 2009, focused on advocacy and policy change. Innovation Network staff contributed two articles:

Johanna Morariu and Kathy Brennan co-authored "Effective Advocacy Evaluation: The Role of Funders" (729KB .pdf)
Tanya Beer (at the time with the Colorado Trust, now with the Center for Evaluation Innovation) and Ehren Reed co-authored "A Model for Multilevel Advocacy Evaluation"(919KB .pdf )

Speaking for Themselves: Advocates Perspectives on Evaluation

From the beginning of our advocacy evaluation work, we heard a lot of perspectives from funders and evaluators on the particular challenges of evaluating advocacy--but we weren't hearing anything from the people working on the advocacy front lines. In August 2008, 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 examined the current state of advocacy strategy and evaluation practice.

Download Speaking for Themselves (1.9MB PDF).