How Philanthropy Can Leverage Equity-Centered Evaluation as an Essential Tool for Social Good During Unprecedented Times

Over the past decade, philanthropy has made significant strides in centering equity in evaluation. Now, we face an inflection point that will determine the future of our field’s infrastructure. In partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Engage R+D and Informing Change spoke with ten funders about how they’re navigating unprecedented challenges while preserving equity gains. This brief shares insights from those conversations, including how funders are strategically using learning and evaluation in the current environment to support scenario planning, forecasting, and rapid response strategies.

This field brief elevates some of the tensions in philanthropy and the implications for learning and evaluation. It serves as an invitation to explore what’s needed and what it will take not just to preserve but to strengthen the gains we have collectively made in culturally responsive and equitable evaluation practices in the years to come.