Community Evaluation Solutions

Susan M Wolfe, PhD and I brought our participatory A game to support National Council on Aging’s Preventing Falls Coalition grantees at conference. Beach balls, build your coalition (spaghetti and gumballs), Action Ladder, Journey Mapping, Convo Cards, Focused Conversation and more! Our coalition leaders were engaged the whole time. Thank you for all who participated and for the opportunity NCOA.

What makes a strong coalition? Here is what it isn’t:

🚫a meeting
🚫a networking event
🚫 information sharing

If coalition work has felt like it’s plateaued, it’s often not because people don’t care. It’s because the coalition is missing a few “growth conditions,” like:

🛫 A member structure that keeps people meaningfully engaged
🔗 A clear focus on systems strategies (not just activities)
🎬 Meetings designed to make decisions and move work forward
🗺️ An evaluation plan that's linked to your coalition’s strategy
📈 Data collection that’s connected to action from the start

This spring, if you want to strengthen the roots of your coalition and create sustainable momentum, check out our Coalition Self-Assessment Tool. It will help you identify your blind spots and point to actionable next steps.

Coalition Self-Assessment Tool — Community Evaluation Solutions FREE TOOL Coalition Self-Assessment Tool As a coalition, you have a vision for your community.But sometimes obstacles get in the way and sidetrack your mission. This free tool is designed to help you assess your coalition’s strengths and pinpoint opportunities for improvement.How it helps:Identify...

Why do good nonprofits still miss out on grants?

According to grant strategist, Lisa Eaves, it’s rarely about the quality of the work and almost always about readiness.

In the latest episode of my podcast, Community Possibilities, Lisa shares what funders really want to see, why grant writing isn’t something you can just outsource, and how nonprofits can build a sustainable path to funding. She talks about the heart of every grant decision: community need, organizational capacity, and alignment with funder goals.

We also explore her “Grant Quest” method, what strong grant management looks like after you win, and why counting activities isn’t enough. Impact is what matters.
Most importantly, Lisa reminds leaders that community listening, collaboration, and consistency are essential, especially when funding gets tight.

If you’re leading a nonprofit, serving on a board, or supporting community work, this conversation may be just what you need before heading out on your grant quest.

For more than two decades, Georgia Appleseed Center for Law & Justice has fought for justice for George’s children and families. Years ago, I was asked to provide evaluation services and create their first evaluation plan. Later, COMMUNITY EVALUATION SOLUTIONS evaluated a project to support children in care get educational support and justice. Now my husband and I are proud supporters. Many people and organizations talk about systems change. Georgia Appleseed leads the way.

Seeing peonies bloom always makes me think about the slow, steady work that leads to real change.

Building a strong health coalition is a lot like spring growth when the “roots” are solid (structure, shared strategy, and meetings that move the work forward), everything else has a better chance to thrive.

If your coalition has big goals but feels stuck, you’re not alone and you don’t have to figure it out by trial and error.

Want support? You can:
1) Schedule a call to talk about how Community Evaluation Solutions can help, or
2) Ask about our Coalition Academy for coalition leaders who want practical tools and momentum.



Comment “CALL” or “ACADEMY” and I’ll message you with details.

Had such a good Community of Practice (COP) meeting today. We lead the COP for our amazing client, Communities In Schools of Georgia.

We meet for an hour once a month (about six times a year, fall–spring) so CIS site staff can connect without adding to their busiest seasons. We start with a quick icebreaker, share the topic, spotlight a few site coordinators, and end with reflections + everyone’s key takeaway.

Today we talked about building good relationships with school administrators, and people shared some really helpful tips:
• Show up and be present
• Help where you can
• Share information + schedules with school staff (handout, Google Doc, and/or group text)

We also talked honestly about what a lot of folks are dealing with, like morale and overwhelm. It was genuinely heartwarming to see people encourage each other with affirmations, reminders to reach out for support, and self-care.

We ended by asking what folks want next year. Huge thank you to Katie Hale and Cheralynn Corsack for guiding COP conversations this year.

Big takeaway: COP isn’t about us “teaching”—it’s about creating space for the community to learn from each other.

I hopped on the sticker train. Who wants one? We knead community.

🎙️ New Episode Alert!

Real community change rarely fails because people don't care. It fails because leadership gets reduced to titles, meetings become status updates, and "helping" ends up reinforcing the very problems we're trying to solve.

This week, I sat down with Gabrielle Hawkins Stewart, the powerhouse behind Changemakers Leadership Institute, and we got into ALL of it.

Gabrielle uses systems theory, racial equity practice, and a trauma-informed lens to help nonprofits and coalitions do better work together. She's thoughtful, practical, and not afraid to name what's getting in the way.

In this episode, you'll learn:
✅ What separates effective community leaders from well-meaning ones
✅ How to collaborate without clinging to control
✅ Why the language we use around poverty matters more than we realize
✅ What to do when you realize you're teaching people to fish in an empty pond
✅ How to run meetings that create real momentum, not just updates

Whether you're running a nonprofit, sitting on a coalition, or just trying to make a difference in your community, this conversation will give you something you can use RIGHT NOW.

👉 Hit the link to listen, share it with someone who needs to hear it, and drop a review if it resonates. It helps more community leaders find us! 💙

Grateful for another week of site visits to support Communities In Schools of Georgia ‘s Georgia ACRES Full Service Community Schools grant. Besides enjoying the local community’s favorite 🤩 ice cream place, we collect data in creative ways. It’s an honor to serve as the evaluator on a project that is yielding + outcomes for children and families. Katie Erickson Hale, PhD Cheralynn Corsack, MPH Scot Seitz, PhD Linda Kelley Scott Pollack Cheryl Magby, MBA, EDFP, CPIF Lowell Fuchs Julianna Lorey