Notes for a presentation to the EEN (Canada) Forum

Blair Dimock

Director, Research, Evaluation and Knowledge Management

October 1, 2010

Sharing Practical Learning: the Future Fund experiment

Community Grants vs. Future Fund

$100 million/year $4 million/year

1,500 grants/year 10 grants per year

17 volunteer Grant Review teams across the province

Board Committee

Broad granting across four sectors Strategic granting based on a portfolio of grants

Responsive to local needs Proactive, targeted to specific outcomes and/or population groups

Short-term, mostly capacity building grants

Longer-term grants aimed at transformational change

Pre-application counselling + post-grant evaluation and reporting

Ongoing “high engagement” counselling, monitoring, evaluation

Regular granting vs. the Future Fund

Strengthen the impact of organizations in Ontario working on environment issues by enhancing leadership and building capacity through investments in innovation and collaboration.

Future Fund initiative for the environment sector

From evaluation to action learning: an emergent learning model

“What will it take to build the capacity of the environment sector, in order to increase its impact?”

“What will it take to build the capacity of the environment sector, in order to increase its impact?”

The environment sector in Ontario is smaller, less developed and has lower capacity than the other sectors we fund.

The environment sector in Ontario is smaller, less developed and has lower capacity than the other sectors we fund.

OTF can play a valued role by strengthening the links between grass-roots and large environmental non-government organizations.

OTF can play a valued role by strengthening the links between grass-roots and large environmental non-government organizations.

The sector is made up of a few large, high capacity organizations and many small organizations who lack capacity in key areas.

The sector is made up of a few large, high capacity organizations and many small organizations who lack capacity in key areas.

Capacity building requires a long-term commitment.

Capacity building requires a long-term commitment.

As the largest funder of environmental organizations in Ontario, OTF has an opportunity to be a leader in helping the sector achieve greater impact.

As the largest funder of environmental organizations in Ontario, OTF has an opportunity to be a leader in helping the sector achieve greater impact.

If we invest in innovative collaborations, the capacity of the sector will be enhanced, and its impact will increase.

If we invest in innovative collaborations, the capacity of the sector will be enhanced, and its impact will increase.

Future Fund Round 1Future Fund Round 1

Design of evaluation planDesign of evaluation plan

Future Fund Round 2Future Fund Round 2

Ground Truth Opportunities

HypothesesInsights

If we introduce a “high engagement” approach to evaluation and monitoring, we will learn more effectively and increase our likelihood of success.

If we introduce a “high engagement” approach to evaluation and monitoring, we will learn more effectively and increase our likelihood of success.

Granting widely and for short-term projects may lessen our impact and not lead to lasting results.

Granting widely and for short-term projects may lessen our impact and not lead to lasting results.

If we take a portfolio approach to grantmaking decisions, the impact of the initiative will be greater.

If we take a portfolio approach to grantmaking decisions, the impact of the initiative will be greater.

Granting in high volume leaves little time or resources for effective learning.

Granting in high volume leaves little time or resources for effective learning.

High engagement staff team

High engagement staff team

Learning circles (grantees and staff team)

Learning circles (grantees and staff team)

Theories of change for the environment sector initiative

If we… Then we will…

connect the work of advocates about early environmental exposure to toxins and public health practitioners,

influence practice and policies for chronic disease prevention.

engage a broad range of environmental organizations in the setting of shared environmental priorities for Ontario,

Strengthen the policy effectiveness of the sector.

link regional efforts in the northern and southern parts of Ontario through a North-South Climate Change Network,

build the capacity of communities to respond to common climate-change challenges.

build a provincial alliance to address issues of farmland access and succession,

support a new generation of viable, ecological, local farmers.

foster partnerships between Community Foundations and Land Trusts to raise stewardship funds,

assure the protection of up to 50% of currently owned conservation lands.

inspire environmental non-profits to embrace diversity in their audiences and within their organizations,

transform the sector in terms of its ethno-cultural and racial diversity.

Provincial reach of the Future Fund

• Triad of results, process and relationships guide the plan• Complex issues have no quick-fix• Focus on intermediate outcomes• Grantees as partners in the process

o Little evaluation culture in the sectoro “Evaluation” is intimidating o Evaluation is at the bottom of the ‘to do’ list

Collaborative Evaluation/Evaluating Collaboratives

Evaluation: from “lessons learned” to “action learning”

• OTF and grantees to plan for evaluation up front, including logic model

• Capacity building support is provided, both financial and in-kind

• Benefits to the project:o Ensures a common understanding of project objectives and

activities among participating organizationso Focuses attention on measurable resultso Provides an opportunity to fine-tune project plan

Towards a Learning Agenda

• Learning is embedded in all of our activities

What are we learning about collaboration, capacity building and innovation from this collective experience?

OUTCOMEEmergent Learning Logic Model

Framing Question

Action Learning Plan

Hypothesis Hypothesis Hypothesis

Action Review Cycle (ARC)

Thank you

www.trilliumfoundation.org

bdimock@trilliumfoundation.org