We at Spark Policy Institute and ORS Impact are excited to release the findings of a ground-breaking study in partnership with 25 collective impact sites in the US and Canada as part of the Collective Impact Research Study. The study sought to shed light on a fundamental question: To what extent and under what conditions …
Category Archives: Learning and Evaluation
Journey to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Capitalizing on the new year’s encouragement of new habits and improvement, we are excited to announce a renewed focus to build and improve on Spark’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts. This undertaking reflects our organizational and individual staff values. Much like New Year’s Resolutions that last, we know this type of work requires ongoing …
Continue reading “Journey to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion”
How has Health Impact Assessment been used? Findings from a new study
Health is impacted by multiple factors outside the direct control of the public health and health care system, such as education, income, and the conditions in which people live, work, and play. Health impact assessment (HIA), provides a structured process for examining the potential health impacts of proposed policies, plans, programs, and projects. Conducting a …
Continue reading “How has Health Impact Assessment been used? Findings from a new study”
From Learning to Action
With the American Evaluation Association annual conference coming up Nov. 6-11 in Washington, D.C., our team has been thinking about the theme of the conference “From Learning to Action.” We constantly challenge ourselves to ensure our values are present in our work; our practices produce actionable learning; and that we share our experiences to build …
Measuring the Impact of Communications
Many of us have fond memories of PBS, whether it be watching a documentary with family or engaging with development programs in school. PBS is continuing its mission to serve the American public with high-quality programming and services by launching the New Generation Initiative (NGI). The 18-month collaborative pilot spans six PBS stations across the …
Spark Update: In Systems Change, Individuals Matter
Individuals Matter. Many of the problems our partners are working to address cannot be solved by organizations working in isolation: our impact is greater when we work together and ensure those most impacted by the change are part of the problem-definition and solution. Spark’s approach to systems change is fundamentally grounded in an inclusive and …
Continue reading “Spark Update: In Systems Change, Individuals Matter”
Case Study: Emergent Philanthropy
A new article in the Foundation Review describes the tools we used in partnership with Harder+Company and The Civic Canopy to support an adaptable design for The Colorado Health Foundation’s (TCHF) Creating Healthy Schools funding strategy. The article dives deep into the principles of emergent philanthropy, and how TCHF worked to co-create their strategy, funding …
Making real change that impacts real lives
By Kyle Brost, CEO, Spark Policy Institute When I was a young boy my father moved to a remote island in Alaska. I spent some middle school years and every summer after on this remote island. At one point I was fortunate enough to get a job with Ounalashka Corporation, the Alaska Native Village corporation …
Continue reading “Making real change that impacts real lives”
August Spark News: Getting Unstuck – Equity, Advocacy, and Collective Impact
Are We Getting Anywhere? At Spark, we’re experts at developing actionable strategies to achieve meaningful, measurable outcomes. But in today’s complex environment, it’s sometimes challenging for our partners to see the progress they’ve made. In our August newsletter, we’re sharing resources you can apply in real-life settings to measure your progress and take positive steps …
Continue reading “August Spark News: Getting Unstuck – Equity, Advocacy, and Collective Impact”
Evaluating Multi-stakeholder Advocacy Efforts
This is the second in a series of blogs on topics we’ll be presenting on at the American Evaluation Association’s (AEA) annual meeting, which will be in Atlanta, GA October 24-29. Today’s advocacy environment is complex, with multiple stakeholders working together in campaigns that range from informal networks to collaborative impact and other similarly coordinated …
Continue reading “Evaluating Multi-stakeholder Advocacy Efforts”