Julia Coffman
Biographic Data
| ID | 4169978 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Julia Coffman |
| GIVEN NAMES | Julia |
| FAMILY NAME | Coffman |
| SIGNATURE | COFFMAN J |
| AFFILIATIONS | Center for Evaluation Innovation |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 16 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 29 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 16 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2005 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Unpacking Assumptions
Evaluation capacity building (ECB) in the philanthropic sector is often designed around a common set of assumptions: organizations need to be directed toward “correct” evaluation practices, compliance is the primary motivator for engagement, and funder-defined metrics are the most appropriate measure of success. This article challenges these assumptions by sharing insights from a multi-year ECB initiative funded by Houston Endowment called Harnes…
Lost Causal
Editor’s Note: This article, first published in print and online in 2022, has been republished by The Foundation Review with minor updates. What if philanthropic evaluations told us that changes in the world had occurred, as well as how and why they occurred, including whether what foundations funded and grantees did contributed to those changes? What if evaluations made change pathways more visible, tested hypotheses and assumptions, and generat…
Passing in the Dark
While the need for philanthropy to focus on systems change as a way to scale and sustain impact is now widely accepted, we see the sector largely failing to recognize that there are different mental models for how to change systems. Sometimes the approaches foundations use are based on competing mental models or models that are not a good fit for the systems, problems, strategies, or practices they are using. We see two mental models for systems …
Holding Foundations Accountable for Equity Commitments
In recent years, foundations of all types and sizes have made commitments to advance racial equity and justice. But good intentions can be undermined by the strategic and administrative structures and processes that shape foundation decisions. Social critics have deconstructed and shed light on the ways in which institutional operating procedures reinforce racism and other forms of injustice in police departments, the courts, and health and welfa…
Executive Summaries
This article describes the Transformative Impact Model, an approach to donor-led giving employed by the Wynn Resorts Foundation. In support of two capital improvement projects for a pair of nonprofits in Las Vegas, Nevada, the foundation lent its expertise, and leveraged its professional network to encourage and coordinate in-kind donations and cash gifts. In addition, the foundation's engagement of leadership and front
Lost Causal
What if philanthropic evaluations told us that changes in the world had occurred, as well as how and why they occurred, including in what ways foundation funding and grantees contributed to those changes? What if evaluations made change pathways more visible, tested hypotheses and assumptions, and generated new insights based on what happened in the “black box” of systems change strategies? This type of learning comes from causal analysis — inqui…
Executive Summaries
Strategic communications can play a role in implementing organizational change by reinforcing understanding of the changes and encouraging acceptance of those that impact a target audience. The Colorado Health Foundation uses strategic communications as an integral tool in achieving its organizational mission to improve the health of all Coloradans. Evidence reveals that a well-designed communication strategy was critical to successfully announci…
Full Issue
In the Bay-area, a place on the cutting edge of family giving, some of the country's most experienced and entrepreneurial donors will join with national thought leaders for a deep-dive dialogue about a perennial pushpull in family philanthropy
Network Evaluation in Practice
As more funders support networks as a mechanism for social change, new and practical knowledge is emerging about how to build and support effective networks. Based on extensive review of different types of networks and their evaluations, and on interviews with funders, network practitioners, and evaluation experts, the authors have developed an accessible framework for evaluating networks. This article describes the evaluation framework and its t…
Eyes Wide Open
Foundation strategy is hampered by a failure to recognize and engage with the complexity and uncertainty surrounding foundation work. This article identifies three common “traps” that hinder foundation capacity to learn and adapt: 1) linearity and certainty bias; 2) the autopilot effect; and 3) indicator blindness. · This article urges foundations to alter their mindset, questions, and processes to foster a more committed approach to strategy and…
Benchmarking Evaluation in Foundations
Evaluation in philanthropy – with staff assigned to evaluation-related responsibilities – began in the 1970s and has evolved, along with philanthropy, in the four decades since. What has not changed, however, is a regular questioning of what foundations are doing on evaluation, especially since the world of philanthropy regularly shifts, and changes in evaluation resourcing and positioning tend to soon follow. · This article presents new findings…
Implementation Guide for Community Change
Implementation Guide for Community Change: Tools from First 5 MarinCommunity change initiatives (CCIs) are longterm, place-based efforts that offer comprehensive services to residents of poor communities. They seek transformational change by replacing piecemeal approaches to social problems with broader efforts designed to strengthen a community socially, educationally, economically, physically, and culturally.CCIs have been around for many years…
Evaluation for Models and Adaptive Initiatives
In this article, we promote the use of evaluation for unlocking the power of both models and adaptive initiatives. Our aim is to help grantmakers understand the critical distinctions between models and adaptive initiatives, whether these represent individual grants or broader initiatives, and to identify how evaluation can be used to learn about and assess impacts at different stages of development. We do not set out to teach evaluation skills or…
Assessing Nonprofits' Communications Capacity
Foundations increasingly recognize the importance of strategic and effective communications to advance their social-change goals. This article provides a framework that helps foundations to better understand the communications capacity of their grantee partners
Tools to Support Public Policy Grantmaking
This article provides guidance on how foundations can frame, focus, and advance efforts to achieve public policy reforms
Intermediary Organizations as Capacity Builders in Family Educational Involvement
Although a substantial literature examines the outcomes of family involvement in education, and the family and school characteristics that support or deter such involvement, we know little about the role of national nonprofit intermediary organizations in family educational involvement. This article argues that intermediary organizations play a crucial role in capacity building for family involvement by providing alternatives to school-centered a…
Eyes Wide Open
Foundation strategy is hampered by a failure to recognize and engage with the complexity and uncertainty surrounding foundation work. This article identifies three common “traps” that hinder foundation capacity to learn and adapt: 1) linearity and certainty bias; 2) the autopilot effect; and 3) indicator blindness. · This article urges foundations to alter their mindset, questions, and processes to foster a more committed approach to strategy and…
Benchmarking Evaluation in Foundations
Evaluation in philanthropy – with staff assigned to evaluation-related responsibilities – began in the 1970s and has evolved, along with philanthropy, in the four decades since. What has not changed, however, is a regular questioning of what foundations are doing on evaluation, especially since the world of philanthropy regularly shifts, and changes in evaluation resourcing and positioning tend to soon follow. · This article presents new findings…
Evaluation for Models and Adaptive Initiatives
In this article, we promote the use of evaluation for unlocking the power of both models and adaptive initiatives. Our aim is to help grantmakers understand the critical distinctions between models and adaptive initiatives, whether these represent individual grants or broader initiatives, and to identify how evaluation can be used to learn about and assess impacts at different stages of development. We do not set out to teach evaluation skills or…
Intermediary Organizations as Capacity Builders in Family Educational Involvement
Although a substantial literature examines the outcomes of family involvement in education, and the family and school characteristics that support or deter such involvement, we know little about the role of national nonprofit intermediary organizations in family educational involvement. This article argues that intermediary organizations play a crucial role in capacity building for family involvement by providing alternatives to school-centered a…
Holding Foundations Accountable for Equity Commitments
In recent years, foundations of all types and sizes have made commitments to advance racial equity and justice. But good intentions can be undermined by the strategic and administrative structures and processes that shape foundation decisions. Social critics have deconstructed and shed light on the ways in which institutional operating procedures reinforce racism and other forms of injustice in police departments, the courts, and health and welfa…
Tools to Support Public Policy Grantmaking
This article provides guidance on how foundations can frame, focus, and advance efforts to achieve public policy reforms
Intermediary Organizations as Capacity Builders in Family Educational Involvement
Although a substantial literature examines the outcomes of family involvement in education, and the family and school characteristics that support or deter such involvement, we know little about the role of national nonprofit intermediary organizations in family educational involvement. This article argues that intermediary organizations play a crucial role in capacity building for family involvement by providing alternatives to school-centered a…
Tools to Support Public Policy Grantmaking
This article provides guidance on how foundations can frame, focus, and advance efforts to achieve public policy reforms
Assessing Nonprofits' Communications Capacity
Foundations increasingly recognize the importance of strategic and effective communications to advance their social-change goals. This article provides a framework that helps foundations to better understand the communications capacity of their grantee partners
Evaluation for Models and Adaptive Initiatives
In this article, we promote the use of evaluation for unlocking the power of both models and adaptive initiatives. Our aim is to help grantmakers understand the critical distinctions between models and adaptive initiatives, whether these represent individual grants or broader initiatives, and to identify how evaluation can be used to learn about and assess impacts at different stages of development. We do not set out to teach evaluation skills or…
Eyes Wide Open
Foundation strategy is hampered by a failure to recognize and engage with the complexity and uncertainty surrounding foundation work. This article identifies three common “traps” that hinder foundation capacity to learn and adapt: 1) linearity and certainty bias; 2) the autopilot effect; and 3) indicator blindness. · This article urges foundations to alter their mindset, questions, and processes to foster a more committed approach to strategy and…
Benchmarking Evaluation in Foundations
Evaluation in philanthropy – with staff assigned to evaluation-related responsibilities – began in the 1970s and has evolved, along with philanthropy, in the four decades since. What has not changed, however, is a regular questioning of what foundations are doing on evaluation, especially since the world of philanthropy regularly shifts, and changes in evaluation resourcing and positioning tend to soon follow. · This article presents new findings…
Implementation Guide for Community Change
Implementation Guide for Community Change: Tools from First 5 MarinCommunity change initiatives (CCIs) are longterm, place-based efforts that offer comprehensive services to residents of poor communities. They seek transformational change by replacing piecemeal approaches to social problems with broader efforts designed to strengthen a community socially, educationally, economically, physically, and culturally.CCIs have been around for many years…
Network Evaluation in Practice
As more funders support networks as a mechanism for social change, new and practical knowledge is emerging about how to build and support effective networks. Based on extensive review of different types of networks and their evaluations, and on interviews with funders, network practitioners, and evaluation experts, the authors have developed an accessible framework for evaluating networks. This article describes the evaluation framework and its t…
Executive Summaries
Strategic communications can play a role in implementing organizational change by reinforcing understanding of the changes and encouraging acceptance of those that impact a target audience. The Colorado Health Foundation uses strategic communications as an integral tool in achieving its organizational mission to improve the health of all Coloradans. Evidence reveals that a well-designed communication strategy was critical to successfully announci…
Full Issue
In the Bay-area, a place on the cutting edge of family giving, some of the country's most experienced and entrepreneurial donors will join with national thought leaders for a deep-dive dialogue about a perennial pushpull in family philanthropy
Holding Foundations Accountable for Equity Commitments
In recent years, foundations of all types and sizes have made commitments to advance racial equity and justice. But good intentions can be undermined by the strategic and administrative structures and processes that shape foundation decisions. Social critics have deconstructed and shed light on the ways in which institutional operating procedures reinforce racism and other forms of injustice in police departments, the courts, and health and welfa…
Executive Summaries
This article describes the Transformative Impact Model, an approach to donor-led giving employed by the Wynn Resorts Foundation. In support of two capital improvement projects for a pair of nonprofits in Las Vegas, Nevada, the foundation lent its expertise, and leveraged its professional network to encourage and coordinate in-kind donations and cash gifts. In addition, the foundation's engagement of leadership and front
Lost Causal
What if philanthropic evaluations told us that changes in the world had occurred, as well as how and why they occurred, including in what ways foundation funding and grantees contributed to those changes? What if evaluations made change pathways more visible, tested hypotheses and assumptions, and generated new insights based on what happened in the “black box” of systems change strategies? This type of learning comes from causal analysis — inqui…
Lost Causal
Editor’s Note: This article, first published in print and online in 2022, has been republished by The Foundation Review with minor updates. What if philanthropic evaluations told us that changes in the world had occurred, as well as how and why they occurred, including whether what foundations funded and grantees did contributed to those changes? What if evaluations made change pathways more visible, tested hypotheses and assumptions, and generat…
Passing in the Dark
While the need for philanthropy to focus on systems change as a way to scale and sustain impact is now widely accepted, we see the sector largely failing to recognize that there are different mental models for how to change systems. Sometimes the approaches foundations use are based on competing mental models or models that are not a good fit for the systems, problems, strategies, or practices they are using. We see two mental models for systems …
Unpacking Assumptions
Evaluation capacity building (ECB) in the philanthropic sector is often designed around a common set of assumptions: organizations need to be directed toward “correct” evaluation practices, compliance is the primary motivator for engagement, and funder-defined metrics are the most appropriate measure of success. This article challenges these assumptions by sharing insights from a multi-year ECB initiative funded by Houston Endowment called Harnes…
Political science (12 works) · Evaluation and Performance Assessment (8 works) · Business (6 works) · Economics (6 works) · Public relations (5 works) · Computer Science (4 works) · Sociology (4 works) · Engineering (3 works) · Foundation (evidence (3 works) · Management (3 works)