Ways we work together

The work changes.
The question doesn't.

Every engagement starts the same way: a conversation about what you're trying to figure out. What follows depends on the decision in front of you, not a package I'm trying to sell.

Donors &
families

Figuring out where to give, and whether it's working.

You want your giving to accomplish something real. I give you an independent read on the organizations you're considering, or already supporting, so the decision rests on evidence rather than a well-told story.

·An independent review of a nonprofit before a significant gift

·A fresh look at an organization you've been giving to for years

·Help thinking through a giving strategy across several organizations

Foundations

Understanding whether your grantmaking is working.

I've been the external evaluator, the internal Director of Evaluation and Learning, and the grantee writing the report. That vantage point makes it easier to tell you what your data is really saying, and what it isn't.

·Strategy and portfolio evaluation

·Grantee assessment and due diligence

·Building measurement approaches your grantees can actually use

Advisors &
family offices

Helping a client make a major philanthropic decision.

You handle the financial and legal strategy. I bring the piece your team isn't set up to produce: an independent, evidence-based read on whether the impact is real. Your client gets a better decision, and you're the one who brought it to the table.

·Independent impact review before a client's major gift

·Ongoing support for clients giving across multiple organizations

Nonprofits

Getting clearer about your impact.

I've run a nonprofit. I've sat in rooms when funders have asked harder questions about proof of your concept. Questions that you can't answer. Not because you don't care but because you lacked the capacity. I help you find the story your evidence supports.

·Logic models and theories of change

·Evaluation design and measurement you can sustain

·Getting funding-ready before a major ask

Where to begin

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, free.

Try the Snapshot →

The Before The Gift™ Briefing

When the decision is bigger than five minutes can settle. A 90-minute working session on one gift and the organization behind it, whether you're the one giving or the one helping a giver decide. You leave knowing where you stand.

See the Briefing →

How I work

Four things that hold true no matter who's asking.

Evidence over optics

Impact claims need more than a compelling story. I assess whether the evidence behind them holds up.

Independent by design

I have no relationship with the organizations I evaluate. That independence is what makes the answer worth having.

Rigorous but practical

Fifteen years of formal evaluation methodology, translated into findings you can actually act on.

Honest about uncertainty

Sometimes the right answer is "we don't know yet." Knowing that is more useful than false confidence.

Deepest expertise in education and youth-serving organizations. Other sectors welcome.

Not sure which of these you need?

That's usually the right place to start. Tell me what you're trying to figure out and I'll tell you what would actually help.

Let's talk

Email: info@eleven11consulting.co
Phone: 512-387-0743
LinkedIn: /in/christianmbell

About How We Help

The work changes. The question doesn't.