STRATEGY

We believe that lessons gained from our grantmaking can be used to help keep our work relevant, effective, and valuable to the fields in which we work. The Foundation evaluates the progress of our funding strategies and seeks to create opportunities to learn and share knowledge acquired over time.

This section features major evaluations that we have commissioned or conducted, as well as articles written by our staff about the ways in which the Foundation approaches evaluation, research, planning, program development, communications, and other matters of strategy.

Grantee outputs and outcomes are an important part of monitoring the Foundation's strategic direction. Guidance for prospective grantees seeking to develop effective outputs and outcomes can be found here.

Information and updates on our 2012 Strategic Planning Process are here.

WHAT WE'RE THINKING

Strategic Planning: Marrying Data With Street Smarts

WPF's Shawn McCaney and Helen Davis Picher provide a look into the Foundation's strategic planning process with an example of how we are using data to understand current conditions, identify needs, and measure progress as we think about the intersection of creativity and place.
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Strategic Planning: Learning By Listening

The Foundation is in the midst of a strategic planning process that will guide our work for the next decade. As part of the process, we solicited community input on a range of topics important to our work. In this update, Jeremy Nowak describes what we learned by listening. more...

Using Evaluation to Shape Strategy: How Can We Make It Better? Are We There Yet?

Evaluation is an important tool in our grantmaking program. We use it to review progress in a field, explore what needs to be done, and help us tweak strategies as needed along the way. In this column, we describe how we are using evaluation to help shape our efforts to protect water quality in our region.
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Hints for Program Evaluation: A Funder’s Advice

Helen Davis Picher, WPF’s Director of Evaluation & Planning, offers insights on how we approach evaluation, along with tips for organizations looking to beef up their own ability to assess their effectiveness. more...

Strategic Planning: Thoughts From Our President & CEO

In this column, Jeremy Nowak shares some thoughts on the early stages of the process the Foundation is using to shape its future. more...

A Common Sense Approach to Evaluation

WPF's Sandi Adams describes how the Foundation uses a variety of methods to evaluate the success of our grantees, and ourselves.
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Capitalization, advocacy, and Philly's robust cultural mix: an interview with Olive Mosier

"We believe that the future of a healthy cultural sector is tied to how well it is capitalized," says WPF's Olive Mosier, in an interview with Barry's Blog, a widely read publication for arts administrators. more...

EVALUATIONS AND RESEARCH SUMMARIES

Evaluation of the Nonprofit Finance Fund’s Child Care Initiative Results of a multi-year evaluation of the Nonprofit Finance Fund's Childcare Facilities Fund, conducted by the Child Development Laboratory of Saint Joseph’s University.

Evaluation of Foundation-Supported Capacity Building Services The independent consulting firm LFA Group conducted an assessment of capacity building services supported by the Foundation between 2005 and 2010. The assessment looked independently at consulting services, provided through intermediaries and direct grants, and leadership development programs.

A Common Sense Approach to Evaluation WPF's Sandi Adams describes how the Foundation uses a variety of methods to evaluate the success of our grantees, and ourselves.

Using Evaluation to Shape Strategy: How Can We Make It Better? Are We There Yet? Evaluation is an important tool in our grantmaking program. We use it to review progress in a field, explore what needs to be done, and help us tweak strategies as needed along the way. In this column, we describe how we are using evaluation to help shape our efforts to protect water quality in our region.

Strategy Review: Water Policy Grantmaking 2005 - 2009 A new report evaluates the Foundation's investment of $14 million in efforts to protect the region's water quality.

Monitoring and Evaluating our Strategies WPF's Helen Davis Picher and Sandi Adams recently published an in-depth paper about our approach to strategy and the tools we’ve developed to assess progress toward our goals.

What Does It Mean To Be A “Strategic” Grantmaker? "Being strategic is about more than just having a strategy," writes Sandi Adams in a discussion of the Foundation's approach to strategic grantmaking and the ways that we monitor progress toward our goals.

Evaluating Conservation Landscape Initiatives Pennsylvania's Conservation Landscapes Initiative was evaluated by the OMG Center for Collaborative Learning to document and assess the Commonwealth's approach.

Children’s Stability and Well-Being Study Researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute are studying the effects of placement stability on kids in Philadelphia's foster care system.

Children’s Literacy Initiative – Model Classroom Evaluation Evaluating the success of the Children's Literacy Initiative's kindergarten and first grade Model Classrooms program in the School District of Philadelphia.

Schuylkill River Watershed Cluster Assessment A close study of the Foundation's watershed program finds successes, but challenges too.

Capitalization in Philadelphia's Nonprofit Cultural Sector A new report released by TDC of Boston underscores the need for Philadelphia’s arts and culture groups, service organizations, and funders to address capitalization needs within the nonprofit sector.

Summer Career Exploration Researchers found that implementation was strong, but there was little difference in the long term effects of the program on SCEP students. Nevertheless, the report concludes that SCEP and similar programs have an important place in our region's system of supports, programs and opportunities for young people.