When

Tuesday 20 February 2024

10.00am - 11.00am AEST (VIC, NSW, ACT, QLD and TAS)

9.30am - 10.30am ACST (SA and NT)

8.00am - 9.00am AWST (WA)

Location

Online event - details will be provided after registration.

Overview

Brenda, from Headwaters Foundation in Western Montana is leading changemakers on trust-based learning and evaluation in philanthropy. In this candid session, she will discuss how they moved from dissatisfaction with the way evaluation works and the limits of what it can teach us, to build an approach to evaluation for learning – something that is better, more values-aligned, and that helps us be better funders. 

In rapid time, we have seen trust-based philanthropy grow from a seed of an idea to an often-referenced term in our sector’s largest conferences and publications. Many events in the last few years have fuelled a new and necessary urgency for funders to do this work differently, and more impactfully. Meanwhile, evaluation has been a step behind in the swift uptake of trust-based philanthropy.

Brenda has created a process that centres learning together, positioning grantees and the foundation as true partners. They evaluate for three purposes – accountability to the communities we serve, learning about progress toward the outcomes defined by our partners, and tracking long-term health metrics over time to see if the strategies that Headwaters invests in are contributing to positive trends.

Audience

This event is for Philanthropy Australia members only, if you are not yet a member of Philanthropy Australia or want to find out more about the philanthropic work in this area, please reach out to programs@philanthropy.org.au.

Presenter

Brenda Solarzano - CEO, Headwaters Foundation

Brenda is the CEO of Headwaters Foundation in Montana, in the United States. A change maker, believer in the power of community, driver of innovation and learning, she always makes time for play. Brenda has spent her career working for good in the philanthropic world, on issues related to health policy, the health care safety net and community health issues affecting vulnerable populations.

Brenda is a Terrance Keenan Emerging Leader in Philanthropy Fellow and is well known for her thoughtful leadership on Trust Based Philanthropy. She is a strategy, evaluation, program, and grant making guru with an eye toward local collaboration and a keen sense that change happens when communities come together to engage in good work.

Learn more about Philanthropy Australia membership