Resources+-+Case+Studies+-+The+David+and+Lucile+Packard+Foundation—OE+Program+Goldmine+Project

//Overview//
The OE Program Goldmine Project is applying network principles of transparency and decentralization to an in-depth research and engagement process which will yield insights for the Packard Foundation and the field on nonprofit capacity building. The Packard Foundation’s Organizational Effectiveness Program provides funds to Foundation grantees for projects that transform their organizations in sustained and meaningful ways, such as strategic planning, leadership development, and strategic communications planning. Over the past 14 years the OE Program has collected a “goldmine of data” from over 1300 grants. In recent years, moreover, OE Program leaders have been experimenting with taking a network approach to doing their work. They have been transparently sharing resources and learning on a wiki – which they call their “see through filing cabinet” – and inviting the broader community to do the same. The Goldmine Project will apply this network way of working to mining insights from 14 years of foundation data.

“While the OE Program has a relatively robust data collection and learning process, results have not been evaluated and shared. When working on sensitive organizational change projects, there are good reasons to maintain grantee/project confidentiality. At the same time, after interviewing 25 OE Program stakeholders (including Foundation grantees, consultant partners, nonprofit academics and grantmaking peers) it became clear to the OE Team that a) there was a demand for learning information and b) much more could be shared with stakeholders, without compromising the integrity and grantee-responsive nature of the OE grantmaking program. As a result of the stakeholder interviews, the Foundation made a grant to the Oakland-based Data Center to launch the OE Goldmine Research Project in April 2010. After the Data Center collected and organized data on 1300 OE grants, the Packard Foundation made a grant to the TCC Group (a non-profit consulting firm) in April 2011 to analyze the data in a way that engages grantee, consultant and foundation stakeholders.”[1]

 The questions they are interested in answering include:
 * 1) //What is the sustained impact of OE grants, if any?//
 * 2) //How and to what extent can impact on the organization, impact on staff/leaders/board, and impact on program outputs/outcomes be determined?//
 * 3) //In what ways do OE grants build one-time transactional capacity vs. ongoing transformational capacity?//
 * 4) //What contributed to the consultant relationship working or not working?//
 * 5) //What are the factors that contribute to a successful OE project? When and under what circumstances do OE projects succeed or fail?//

By working in a transparent way that prioritizes stakeholder engagement and collaboration, the Goldmine project aims to:
 * //Enable the Foundation and the field to better evaluate organizational effectiveness grants //
 * //Disseminate lessons learned for the field //. Engagement will be part of the dissemination process as well. The research team intends to bring findings along the way to the nonprofit capacity building community and request their input on interpretation and ideas for future exploration.

//Results://

 * The process is still underway, so it’s too early to say much about results. However, engagement thus far has been strong.
 * The OE program selected a sample of 274 grants on which to collect extensive information. About 60% (~165 grantees) responded to the Data Center’s survey of OE grantees.

//Hypotheses being tested about working in a networked way://

 * //It’s possible to work in open ways while maintaining confidentiality//. It has been challenging to structure the Goldmine Project in a transparent way, without compromising grantee confidentiality. The team is experimenting with openly sharing summary insights, being transparent about their process, and engaging stakeholders to co-create analysis and research priorities.
 * //Posting data that’s not too polished encourages stakeholders to give their input//. The foundation is in a good position to share interim findings that aren’t fully baked (e.g. on the wiki and through blog posts) and invite stakeholders to share their input.

//Lessons Learned://

 * Learning in public is still a very new practice, and it’s important to select an evaluation team that understands and is comfortable with the approach. The OE team selected TCC Group through an open RFP process, which was publicized on the OE wiki, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and a number of list-serves. The open process did unearth some “unusual suspects,” but in the end the OE team chose to work with an evaluator who is experienced in evaluating capacity building efforts, and who seemed to relish the idea of trying new approaches to stakeholder engagement.

//Questions Addressed://

 * //How to approach program evaluation and strategy in an open and transparent way?//
 * //What are the tradeoffs for working this way and when does the ROI tip?//

//Sources://

 * Packard Foundation Organizational Effectiveness Wiki
 * NNF Peer Assist on Goldmine Project with Stephanie McAuliffe and Kathy Reich, January 14, 2011
 * OE Goldmine Research Project, Oct 2010