Good intentions aren't impact.
And a great story isn't necessarily evidence that something is working.
Whether you're giving, advising a giver, or answering to one, it all comes down to the same deceptively simple question:
how do we know?
How do we know?
Those questions are harder than they look.
I've seen this from both sides.
I've evaluated programs funded by the Gates Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and other major philanthropies. I've also been a nonprofit Executive Director and a Director of Evaluation and Learning.
who wants evidence.
trying to prove its impact.
who wants to know whether their money will actually make a difference.
It comes back to one person: the donor, and whether the gift does what they hope.
Whether you're the one giving or the one helping the gift land, the question is the same. Where do you stand?
You're the donor.
An individual, a family, or a foundation putting real money behind a cause. You want it to accomplish something real, and you'd rather know than hope. I help you understand what the evidence actually says before you commit.
Explore →You advise the donor.
An advisor, family office, or estate attorney helping a client make a major philanthropic decision. You handle the financial and legal strategy. I bring the independent read on whether the impact is real.
Explore →You answer to donors.
A nonprofit that has to stand behind its impact when a funder asks the hard question. I help you get clearer, and more honest, about what your work actually shows, so you can stand behind it.
Explore →of major donors say impact is a top reason they give.
Which makes the next question the one that matters: how would they know if it worked?
The work changes depending on the situation. The question doesn't:
What do we actually know about the impact we're trying to create?
That's the space I work in: philanthropy, evidence, evaluation, and the messy but important space between good intentions and actual results.
What partners say about the work
A decade-plus of evaluation partnerships across education, research, and nonprofit organizations.
Christian entered a role in crisis and within six months created real buy-in for evaluation and built a two-year strategy with strong internal investment.
She took us through building a logic model step by step, compelling, accessible, and incredibly useful. We still use the metrics she created to measure our impact.
Christian guided Muse Knoxville through developing a logic model to support data collection for a new program. A fantastic facilitator and an incredible teacher.
Her ability to communicate outcomes and provide thorough support materials for 30+ coaches was so impressive I've modeled my own work on her approach.
The Before The Gift™ Snapshot
Weighing a major gift? Answer a few questions and see what you can already say with confidence, and what a bit more diligence would strengthen. Five minutes.
The Before The Gift™ Briefing
When the decision is bigger than five minutes can settle: the Before The Gift™ Briefing is a 90-minute working session on one gift and the organization behind it.
If you're wrestling with that question, I'd love to hear what you're trying to figure out.
No pitch. Just a conversation about what you're trying to know.
Let's talk