Chapter One
USING EVALUATION TO
ADVANCE A FOUNDATION'S MISSION
Laura C. Leviton and Marian E. Bass
Why should foundations and their grantees conduct evaluations? Evaluation
should be done for a good reason; there are many good reasons and good
uses for the results. In this chapter, we present several illustrations of the ways
evaluation can be used in foundation-supported work. We want to capture the
reader's imagination, express concretely what is possible to achieve, and point
to some key conditions that we believe are necessary in order to conduct effective
evaluations in the foundation context.
This chapter is intended for both the users and producers of evaluations. A
precondition for useful foundation evaluations is that participants better understand
their purpose. Participants include those who conduct the evaluations, the
foundation staff members, as well as the grantees, who may themselves conduct
evaluations or whose activities may be the subject of evaluation. Equally important,
however, is for evaluation professionals to understand the distinctive context
of foundation work. In the conclusion to the chapter, we summarize important
features of the context, desc ... read full excerpt from Foundations and Evaluation: Contexts and Practices for Effective Philanthropy ebook
