BrunFnd label BrunFnd label BrunFnd label Effectiveness Initiatives
BrunFnd label Effectiveness Initiatives
  • E-TIP
    Evaluative Thinking In Philanthropy

    LESSONS :: PARTNERS :: RESOURCES :: EVALUATIONS

    Extending Bruner Foundation's work in building evaluation capacity and evaluative thinking in grantee organizations, Evaluative Thinking in Philanthropy, E-TIP, was designed specifically for grantmakers. The project provided an opportunity for grantmakers to access current, useful, concise information about evaluation and to address strategies for enhancing evaluative thinking – a type of reflective practice that incorporates use of systematically collected data to inform organizational decisions and other actions.

    E-TIP provided the Foundation an opportunity to explore a Theory of Change and, based on assessments, to further develop and refine it's Assessment Tools for Building Evaluation Capacity and Evaluative Thinking.

    Specifically, the Theory of Change stated that:

    1It was assumed that regional grantmakers would be more likely to have a simpler, more direct grantmaking/program management structure than grantmakers funding in multiple locations.

    In addition, the project posited that the increased use of evaluative thinking would inform the efforts of grantmaking organizations to:

    The E-TIP pilot project was conducted with 8 individuals from the United Way of Greater Rochester (NY) and 11 individuals from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving (CT). It included four 2-hour, on-site sessions over a 6 month period in 2010. Each session was co-led by Anita Baker, evaluator, and Beth Bruner, Bruner Foundation.

    Session topics were:

    For a summary report of E-TIP including a 6-month follow-up, click here