Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Social-sector strategist working at the nexus of philanthropy, evaluation, and education to advance education attainment. Experienced relationship manager with a demonstrated history of building partnerships with government, advocates, service providers, researchers, and funders. Expertise in designing and executing the most appropriate and rigorous learning systems and impact evaluations, with both experimental and nonexperimental designs. Strong education professional with a Master in Public Affairs from Princeton University.
• Manages a portfolio of investments in Kresge’s education team, which focuses on getting more low-income, under-represented, minority students into and through postsecondary education. • Invites and reviews funding proposals. • Monitors existing grants. • Leads Education Program’s learning and evaluation work.
• Assessed current state of performance management, researched best practices in performance management in philanthropy, and then proposed recommendations for advancing their practices. • Created a template (pre-populated with the available data) for annual reporting to the Board. • Conducted three workshops on formative and summative evaluations in philanthropy. • Investigated Social Impact Bond (SIB) market in USA & UK by interviewing relevant stakeholders. • Co-authored an article on differences in measurement in the two markets.
• Designed evaluations of five signature grants by collaborating with program staff and grantees to identify key learning questions and by securing and managing independent evaluators. • Managed $1.4 million in evaluation and research agreements. • Identified select programmatic and research opportunities for investment, advanced prospects through foundation investment processes, and monitored the grants. • Shepherded the first direct investment in an evaluation of state policy. • Defined and provided research and policy analysis in support of the Foundation’s grantmaking, e.g., the reformulation of Foundation’s investment strategy in postsecondary education. • Developed and executed strategies for examining and strengthening the Foundation’s performance, e.g., engaged Center for Effective Philanthropy to administer a confidential survey of grantees. • Represented the Foundation: - Co-Chair of the Evaluating for Impact Committee of the Arizona philanthropic association. - Voting member of Summer Youth Program Fund that awards yearly $500K to 40 programs. - Member of Opportunity Youth Incentive Fund Leadership Council. - Representative on the Data Integration Working Group of the Arizona Read On Initiative.
• Led formulation of design, implementation and evaluation for $3 million project on providing adults with no high school diploma a more robust learning pathway to GED credential and college readiness. • Provided oversight to project partners and negotiated participation of professional development, curricula and assessment vendors. • Formalized legal agreements on partner responsibilities, performance benchmarks and budgets. • Fostered relationship with funder, MetLife Foundation.