Graphic of text that includes the title of the article "Coaching for Growth and Development: In-service to the long term"
November 30, 2021 - 4:52pm

Hi, I am Marsha Base, and I have the best job at IG, at least I think so. My primary role is to support the growth and development of our powerhouse consulting team. I am excited to share with you the first part of an occasional series about my passion—coaching for growth and development.

A table that describes the differences between a strategic framework and strategic plan. The framework: explores emerging factors and their meaning, sets the organization in a powerful direction, is a decision-making tool, and measures success by progress and evolution over time. A strategic plan focused on strengths and weaknesses, sets goals for the org., Acts as an action plan, and measures success by achieving goals.
October 25, 2021 - 5:15pm

As 2021 began, Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery was ready to revisit the direction and focus of its work through a strategic planning process. Like many organizations, the Nursery made major changes to respond to the pandemic and was evolving to find new ways to center equity in its work. The Nursery turned to IG as a partner because we’ve built a strong baseline of trust through our long working relationship.

The Nursery had two key priorities going into the process:

Graphic that includes Karissa Propson's headshot and the title of the article: "Using data for good: How we support clients to act on findings"
October 25, 2021 - 4:16pm

Hi, I’m Karissa Propson, a Senior Consultant at The Improve Group. In my role, I often bring a fresh perspective to the organizations we serve. I want to share some themes I’ve noticed from recent experiences of supporting clients to think deeply about evaluation and use results.

An image graphic that features two women raising their fists and features the article title: "Internship at IG: Learning how evaluation strengthens advocacy"
September 1, 2021 - 4:09pm

Hi—I’m Angel Velazquez Olmedo, and I’ve been an intern at The Improve Group this summer! As I wrap up my time at IG, I just wanted to share a little bit about what I’ve learned through my work. I’m particularly interested in immigration advocacy as a potential career path, and I took this chance to learn more about how evaluation can be a tool to advocate for communities.

An image graphic that features a headshot of Kia Her and the title of the article: "5 Takeaways From workshop on using a culturally responsive and racial equity lens"
September 1, 2021 - 4:00pm

Equity is a personal value of mine, and I am always looking for ways to apply it more at work. The Improve Group is also committed to equity. My colleagues and I know that this requires continued learning, application, and reflection.

A graphic image that says "6 Learnings from an equity-focused study of Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest"
April 30, 2021 - 11:52am

Hi! I’m Becky Stewart, Chief Practice Officer at The Improve Group. It was our joy to collaborate recently with Dr. Nicky Bowman (Waapalaneexkweew, Lunaape/Mohican), President and Founder of Bowman Performance Consulting, on an equity-focused assessment of Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest’s service model.

4 evaluation tips for busy people
April 29, 2021 - 3:38pm

Over the past year, many of us have been busier than ever. A lack of time is not a new barrier to evaluation, so we wanted to share some ever-helpful strategies to make evaluation realistic for clients and their stakeholders to participate. They might be helpful for anyone working to fit evaluation into busy schedules.

April 28, 2021 - 4:57pm

As a registered Public Benefit Corporation with the State of Minnesota, we report on our impact each year. Our recently filed 2020 report describes how we pursued our public benefit mission, the public benefit we saw from our clients, the factors that helped our work or got in our way, and our plans for the future.

Image of text that says "Questions on our mind about evaluation" and features several signs with questions about who does evaluation, why, when, how, and where.
February 26, 2021 - 12:38pm

I recently partook in an inspiring, thought-provoking Minnesota Evaluation Association panel called “What is evaluation?”

An image of The Improve Group's logos over the years represented on a 20-year timeline
January 5, 2021 - 10:20am
Looking back on 20 years of IG has truly been an exciting process. In reflecting on 20 years, we recognized that our work is defined by five eras. We put together a special video that defines each era and provides some context about who we were, where we've been, and what we have done during each of these eras. Take a nostalgic ride on the IG timeline!

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