Transforming Funder and Evaluator Relationships for a More Equitable and Effective Field: A Field Conversation

This summer, the Funder and Evaluator Network (FEAN) partnered with GEO to present a pair of webinars drawing from FEAN’s Call to Action Series. The webinars were a culmination of four years of work, as an informal network of nearly 400 FEAN members engaged in dialogue and crowd-sourced solutions for the field. The webinars generated lively discussion in a shared space for funders and evaluators to discuss ways to implement actionable strategies for today’s most urgent issues in philanthropic evaluation.

In the two webinars, the authors of FEAN’s briefs on Knowledge Sharing, Global Transformation, Collaboration and Partnership, Strategy and Practice and Evaluators of Color, representing volunteer Action Teams, each shared five strategies for addressing each issue area. The strategies were only a subset of the thoughtful and practical information contained in the Call to Action Series, but they set the stage for engaging conversations, focused on actions that promote a more equitable field. Some of these strategies included:

• Make a commitment to sharing knowledge by signing an Open Letter (Knowledge Sharing)
• Build evaluation capacity in the global transformation ecosystem (Global Transformation)
• Form strong bonds between evaluation firms with complementary skills by engaging early and in lower-stakes settings (Collaboration and Partnership)
• Approach evaluation in ways that share power (Strategy and Practice)
• Value and resource the internal diversity, equity and inclusion work needed in evaluation firms (Evaluators of Color)

Read more and view slides from the June webinar, focused on Knowledge Sharing, Global Transformation and Collaboration and Partnership here, and from the July webinar on Strategy and Practice and Evaluators of Color.

Relationships have been central to FEAN from the start. The webinars had a feeling of togetherness and collegiality that felt special in a time of remote work and Zoom meetings. Breakout groups provided a more intimate opportunity to discuss the strategies presented and how they apply in real-life scenarios.

Shared learning and convening between funders and evaluators in shared and trusted spaces has been FEAN’s greatest asset, and as the initiative winds down, we hope there will be new opportunities, led by emerging voices, to continue to shift the field to become more equitable and more effective. Look for a final blog post from FEAN in September, when we share the results of our membership survey and how our collaborative efforts have advanced the field.

For more information on FEAN visit fdnweb.org/fean/.