Research & Evaluation Archives - Nicole Clark Consulting

4 Mar, 2026

Ask Nicole: Why Should Funders Evaluate Their Portfolios?

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2026-03-03T23:32:14-05:00March 4th, 2026|Categories: Research & Evaluation|Tags: Ask Nicole, Funding, Grantees, Philanthropy, program evaluation|0 Comments

Have a question you’d like to be featured? Let me know.

Over the past few years, I’ve found myself increasingly in spaces with funders.

Not only are they hiring me to evaluate individual grantee programs, but I’m also working alongside their grantees, support learning agendas, and strengthen strategy implementation.

In one recent engagement, I partnered with a funder to develop a theory of change designed to sharpen and improve their investments in sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice. That work pushed me to think more deeply about the relationship between how funders award individual grants and the broader ecosystem a funder is trying to influence.

Recently, I’ve shifted my focus toward evaluating at a more strategic level.

Not only should we ask, “Did this grantee meet their outputs?”, funders should also ask, “Is this portfolio coherent?”Is it equitable? What measurable change is this portfolio driving, and how has it increased grantees’ capacity to sustain that change?

These are bigger questions. To answer them, funders — especially program officers responsible for managing funding portfolios — must step back and examine not only what they fund, but how and why they fund it.

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24 Sep, 2025

Making Sense Together: Community-Led Data Interpretation in Practice

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2025-09-24T12:26:53-04:00September 24th, 2025|Categories: Research & Evaluation|Tags: community engagement, Data Driven, Data Sense-Making, Try This|0 Comments

Try this out and let me know how it goes for you.

Collecting data is only one part of the research process. The real power lies in how that data is interpreted, understood, and applied. Too often, interpretation is treated as an internal task—reserved for staff, consultants, or funders—while the communities who shaped the data are left out of the conversation.

When we open up the analysis phase to include participants, we gain context, nuance, and insights that transform findings from raw numbers into lived truths. This is where research shifts from being about communities to being with them.

Objective:

To engage community members in collaboratively interpreting research findings and generating insights that reflect their lived experiences.

This activity is ideal for:

Organizations conducting surveys, focus groups, or interviews with community members
Teams wanting to check assumptions and ensure findings resonate with participants’ realities
Coalitions or partnerships looking to build trust and deepen community ownership of data

What you’ll need:

A set of preliminary findings (e.g., survey results, themes from interviews, charts, or quotes)
Simple presentation materials (slides, posters, or handouts with visuals)
Markers, sticky notes, or virtual collaboration tools (if online)
60–90 minutes of meeting time
A facilitator comfortable guiding group discussions

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17 Sep, 2025

Close the Loop: Sharing Research Findings with Communities

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2025-09-17T11:42:12-04:00September 17th, 2025|Categories: Research & Evaluation|Tags: community engagement, Research, research findings|0 Comments

Too often, the research process ends after data are collected, analyzed, and published.

Reports are sent to funders, findings are tucked away in shared drives, and life moves on. But for the people who make the research possible (community members who gave their time, their experiences, and their stories) silence can feel like a betrayal. They opened up, often about deeply personal or vulnerable experiences, and are left wondering what came of it all.

If communities only hear from you when you need data, but not when it’s time to share results, you’re not engaging in true partnership. You’re extracting.

Reporting back to share research findings isn’t just a courtesy. It’s a commitment to respect, reciprocity, and relationship-building. When we think about equitable research practices, how can we close the loop?

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3 Sep, 2025

Ask Nicole: How Can We Make Research Participation More Accessible?

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2025-09-03T10:32:19-04:00September 3rd, 2025|Categories: Research & Evaluation|Tags: Ask Nicole, Research|0 Comments

Portrait of Nicole Clark smiling confidently against a gray background. The text reads: "Ask Nicole — How Can We Make Research Participation More Accessible?" with branding for Nicole Clark Consulting: Raise Your Voice for Women & Girls of Color. — Have a question you’d like to be featured? Let me know.

When most people think of accessibility in research, they think of translated surveys or hosting meetings in ADA-compliant spaces. While those are important, true accessibility requires much more. In addition to compliance, accessibility also creates conditions where participants feel seen, safe, and supported throughout the research process.

If your outreach starts and ends with “Here’s a link—please fill it out,” you’re likely missing a large part of your community.

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16 Apr, 2025

Try This: Redefine Your Metrics

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2025-04-16T09:57:07-04:00April 16th, 2025|Categories: Research & Evaluation|Tags: indicators, metrics, program evaluation, Try This|0 Comments

Whether your goal is weight loss or muscle gain, the first thing we tend to measure is the number on the scale. But if you want a more accurate view of your progress, it’s time to redefine your metrics.

In program design and evaluation, the indicators we choose shape not only what we measure—but how we define success. By learning to redefine your metrics, you’re evaluating your progress in a more holistic, human way.

This activity is another example of how evaluation shows up in our everyday, identifying more meaningful, context-driven indicators of progress. Whether you’re thinking about your own growth or your program’s impact, expanding how you measure can shift what you learn and how you respond.

Objective

To help staff apply evaluative thinking to both personal and programmatic progress by identifying non-traditional, meaningful indicators of success.

This activity is ideal for:

Program staff involved in design, implementation, or evaluation
Teams who want to move beyond surface-level outcomes
Organizations interested in becoming more data driven

What you’ll need:

Paper and pen, journal, or notes app
A shared document for team discussion
90 minutes of uninterrupted staff time

The steps:

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Objective:

This activity is ideal for:

What you’ll need:

If communities only hear from you when you need data, but not when it’s time to share results, you’re not engaging in true partnership. You’re extracting.

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