Innovation Network Services: Overview

Your organization wants to see results. What did you do? How well did you do it? Did you make a difference?

Innovation Network offers evaluation and capacity building services online and in person, and we carry out original research for the evaluation field. Primarily, we're teachers. We teach program planning and evaluation. We believe in the power of evaluation to improve the results of the entire nonprofit and philanthropic sector.

There is no "typical project." An engagement with us can range from a half-day training to a five-year evaluation. But all of our projects are informed by three key ideas:

Ongoing Learning: Effective organizations commit to a cycle of measurement, reflection, and improvement. Our services help nonprofits and funders build the know-how they need to implement ongoing learning in their own organizations—and use that learning to create lasting social change.

Participatory approaches: Many organizations view evaluation as a punitive process that is "done to" them—a hoop they have to jump through in order to justify their work to outsiders. We seek to change that perception. We believe that practical, participatory approaches to evaluation can empower organizations. Where appropriate, involving program staff and stakeholders in evaluation means an organization can define success on its own terms, create buy-in that fosters acceptance of results, and tell its story from a broad range of perspectives.

Breaking down barriers: Most people are baffled and alienated by the complex, jargon-filled language common to the evaluation field. We strive to explain evaluation concepts in simple, practical terms, putting evaluation know-how within reach for as many people as possible.

Read more: Who We Work With | Consulting | Training | Research | Focus Areas