Participation and collaboration are at the heart of our work, and we use facilitation tools to help clients, stakeholders, and community members participate in the design and implementation of every phase of a project. We schedule regular meetings with clients and community stakeholders to better understand the local community and incorporate feedback in our services and products.
Across our research and evaluation projects, we use a mixed-methods approach that incorporates qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods to provide a comprehensive picture of the situation and data-driven strategies for program implementation and improvement.
We are committed to action-oriented and utilization-focused work that will make your organization and program more effective. We work together with clients to plan projects that meet their specific goals and needs, so the services and products we provide are relevant, timely, accessible, and engaging.
We are committed to equity-focused work, and we strive to incorporate the perspectives and voices of underrepresented individuals and communities in our research, planning, and evaluation projects.
Sample Project:
Maine Community Foundation Statewide Needs Assessment and Issue Identification Project
Elkin Consulting partnered with Maine Community Foundation to facilitate a statewide needs assessment project that provided the opportunity for over 1,500 community leaders, donors, nonprofits and stakeholders from across the state to share their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing diverse communities. The project included:
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Extensive literature review around local, regional, and statewide community health indicators.
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Focus groups with diverse populations across the state.
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Community meetings in all regions.
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Large-scale grantee and public surveys.
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Interim and summary reports.
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Guided discussions with the leadership team.
The input gathered from the assessment helped the foundation leadership to identify key focus areas for their work and refine their strategic directions.
“Through this broad and deep process, MaineCF heard perspectives from Maine people across the state that provide invaluable context on how the foundation can engage its resources – from grantmaking to donor and community partnerships, investments and advocacy – to make the biggest impact.”