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Evaluation Planning with Intention: Right-sizing evaluations that shift us from compliance to impact
May 20, 2026 @ 12 PM ET
How might we make more informed decisions about what we can or need to measure so that we can make more nuanced decisions about strategy and impact? Join Data+Soul Research for a lively conversation where we explore this question and review tools that can help us get there.
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Funders who commission evaluations
Funders who require evaluation activities and/or reporting of their grantees
Non-profit leaders or staff who write evaluation plans into grant proposals
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In this workshop, we will demonstrate how to right-size evaluation expectations and approaches based on where a program is in its development. We will also explore how traditional evaluation planning tools (logic models, theories of change) sometimes get us stuck in a compliance mindset and introduce the Story+Data Map, a person-centered, assets-based tool for articulating program theory and planning for data collection that speaks to impact. Using practical tools and real-world case studies, participants will leave with a stronger foundation in finding balance between community-forward evaluation and demonstrating impact.
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Articulate appropriate evaluation expectations based on where a program is in its development
Discuss the pros/cons of three evaluation and program planning tools: theories of change, logic models, and the Story+Data Map
Meaningful Measurement: Rigorous, qualitative-first data collection approaches for demonstrating impact
September 30, 2026 @ 12 PM ET
Join Data+Soul Research for a conversation on how using qualitative data collection approaches can help you gather deeper, more nuanced insights while measuring impact.
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Funders who commission evaluations
Funders who require evaluation activities and/or reporting of their grantees
Non-profit leaders, decision-makers, and staff who rely heavily on quantitative data for measuring impact
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In this workshop, we will discuss key considerations for identifying and using culturally-responsive data collection approaches to gather feedback and understand impact. We will also address the desire to “quantify the qualitative” and make the case for how a qualitative-first approach can lead to more rigorous, meaningful, and robust data. Using recent case studies, we will highlight qualitative data collection approaches – Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) and Outcome Harvesting (OH) – and demonstrate how these methods can be used by non-profit organizations and funders to rigorously gather meaningful evidence and articulate impact.
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Describe key aspects of culturally responsive data collection approaches
Identify qualitative data collection approaches for demonstrating impact
Articulate how qualitative data can be used to increase the rigor of quantitative approaches
Beyond Reporting for Reporting’s Sake: How can we use data in our work to strategize, adapt, and grow?
September 30, 2026 @ 12:00 PM ET
What would it take for evaluation findings to extend beyond the evaluation report and actually inform strategy, design, and organizational learning? Join Data+Soul Research for a practical discussion of how we all navigate this question in our daily work.
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Funders who commission evaluations
Funders who require evaluation activities and/or reporting of their grantees
Funders, non-profit leaders, and evaluators who are eager to use data to inform strategy and encourage a culture of learning
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In this workshop, we will explore what gets in the way of using data for learning and showcase strategies for building a practice and culture of learning. We will introduce two tools and use real-world case studies to illustrate how these tools have been used effectively to cultivate a culture of evaluative thinking and ensure that evaluation is used to inform organizational strategy and program.
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Articulate key audiences for evaluation and how those audiences use evaluation
Apply tools to use evaluation for learning and strategic adaptation
