Writing your first novel is like trying to swim underwater to a place you’ve never been before, without a map, while learning to inhale water and exhale whale song. In this talk, A. Rafael Johnson will describe his journey through the arts and activism, writing his first novel, and how these experiences guide his innovative approach to data, engagement, and evaluation.

How is the notion of evaluation evolving, and how are funders and nonprofits changing their approaches to assessing impact? Join Jara Dean-Coffey, Marcus Walton and Sudha Nandagopal for a candid conversation about what evaluation is and isn’t, the role of funders, the centrality of relationships to addressing inequities, and more. Moderated by Mission Capital CEO Madge Vasquez, the panel dialogue will highlight real-world examples of how these thought leaders and their networks are currently working to advance equity through evaluation principles and practices.

Philanthropic organizations often “aggregate up”, by evaluating each program within their diverse portfolios separately to see if the sum is greater than the parts. In this workshop session, A. Rafael Johnson and Nora Murphy Johnson from Inspire to Change will talk about Principles-focused Evaluation (P-FE), a way of evaluating multiple and diverse initiatives to understand the impact, make decisions, and work together towards a shared vision.

Have you ever taken a survey and were confused by the questions, were unsure how to answer the question, or were annoyed because the survey took so long? Or, have you administered a survey only to find that the participants’ answers didn’t really answer any of your questions? Writing a well-designed survey will avoid these pitfalls. In this session, you will learn how to design clear and concise survey questions that meet your needs without burdening your participants. We’ll provide plenty of examples of good (and bad!) questions and response options, and you’ll leave the session with new confidence in creating an effective survey.

Paulette Blanc, Brion Oaks and Sarojani Mohammad are three community leaders who are working to build more equitable and just systems. Join us for a conversation to learn more about how they are incorporating a diversity, equity and inclusion lens into their own work, and how you can do the same!