Focusing on systemic change from the perspective of causal thinking and analysis, attendees will gather insight into one of the most challenging aspects of their regenerative projects.

"As social sector leaders, what if we understood not just our theories for how to change the world, but the reality of how the world changed and why?

In this LIVE complimentary session, we will explore how philanthropists, nonprofits, and evaluators can discover how change is really happening, even in complex, systems-focused initiatives.

In this program, we will:

• Discover how and why we need to test theories of change, challenge assumptions, and explore cause and effect relationships that result from intentional systems-change efforts.
• Unpack and debunk myths preventing the social sector from exploring causal pathways when evaluating social and environmental change initiatives, including myths about their usefulness and appropriateness for advancing equity.
• Hear from diverse panelists about why understanding causality matters.
• Build awareness of a larger network of leaders who are inspiring and supporting efforts to make visible how change is really happening in the world, so we can learn, adapt, and have greater impact.

This program will add valuable learning tools to the toolkits of philanthropists, nonprofit leaders, and independent players involved in impact measurement and evaluation of projects. The content is equally relevant to those in the United States and other countries. This webinar will contribute to the discourse explored in a recently published article about causal analysis in philanthropy.

Program Features:

 Expert Speakers: 

Matthew Carr, strategy, learning, and evaluation director at the Walton Family Foundation (WFF), will share details of the foundation’s new causal pathways initiative to advance the practice of evidence-based learning in philanthropy. Jewlya Lynn, founder of PolicySolve, lead author of “Lost Causal: Debunking Myths About Causal Analysis in Philanthropy” in The Foundation Review, and also the facilitator and designer of the causal pathways initiative at WFF, will share about her role in the larger field-building effort to advance innovative approaches to evaluating causal pathways. Hanh Cao Yu, chief learning officer at The California Endowment, will share details of her work exploring the use of innovative methods in complex community change evaluations. This session will be moderated by Barbara Wheeler-Bride, editor of Stanford Social Innovation Review.

Who Should Attend? This program will provide insights for leaders across the social innovation ecosystem. This session will add valuable learning tools to the toolkits of philanthropists, nonprofit leaders, and independent players involved in impact measurement and evaluation of projects. The content is equally relevant to those in the United States and other countries.

Closed Captioning Available: Live transcription is available for this program. To activate Closed Captioning during the LIVE broadcast, click on the upward arrow next to the CC icon and select the Subtitling option. To disable Closed Captioning, click on the upward arrow next to the CC icon and select the Hide Subtitling option.

On-Demand Version: Register and access the recording of the live event on-demand 24 hours after the webinar ends and anytime over the next 12 months.

Complimentary Registration: Register for FREE for this webinar, sponsored by Walton Family Foundation. Your registration provides you with access to the live interactive webinar, downloadable slides, and unlimited access to the recorded webinar video for 12 months from the date of broadcast.