Samantha speaks to visitors who are interested in learning more about The Improve Group at an Exhibitor booth at the University of Minnesota's career fair
October 25, 2017 - 2:53pm

This month, we said a big thank you and good luck to Samantha Hagel—but not goodbye. After more than nine years with The Improve Group, including as our office manager, business manager, and most recently as our Chief Human Resources Officer, Samantha is moving to new adventures—including as a consultant to us as we launch several exciting new initiatives for our team.

I will miss working with Samantha immensely. Through her leadership, The Improve Group matured from a small, scrappy consulting company to an established firm. Some of the successes she helped us achieve are:

Domestic Violence Awareness Month - 30th Anniversary
October 25, 2017 - 1:55pm

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence - Honoring the 30th Anniversary of Domestic Violence Awareness MonthDid you know October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month? While domestic violence can happen any day of the year, we wanted to take some time this month to focus on the important work being done in this field, including by many of our clients.

Rebecca Lucero (left), Public Policy Director and Corinna Turbes, Federal Policy Campaign Coordinator of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits use the e-Learning Studio to create an informational video on MCN’s federal policy work
September 27, 2017 - 2:44pm

Training from the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits  (MCN) is about to get a lot more interactive with the addition of an e-Learning Studio. We appreciate our partnership with MCN, which goes back more than a decade, and stems from our shared value of building the capacity of people and organizations in the nonprofit sector. As a longtime partner of MCN, we cannot wait to see the new opportunities this addition will bring to light. 

Graphic image of a barn standing in front of the outlines of the State of Minnesota
September 26, 2017 - 2:26pm

Sowing the Seeds of Success

Thoughtful planning process yields better results for a new program at the MDA

Headshot of Valerie Gamble, Minnesota Department of AgricultureLast spring, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) partnered with The Improve Group (IG) on a strategic planning process to implement a

Headshots of new and promoted team members, from upper left corner to bottom right corner: Derek Hazeltine, Maria Moeller, Tia Bastian, and Jenny Franklin.
August 31, 2017 - 11:05am

Evaluation Firm Hires, Promotes Key Staff

The Improve Group (IG) is pleased to announce several key changes to the company’s top leadership. The new structure will allow IG to continue providing excellent client service while building a solid infrastructure to carry out our strategic goals: Expand our tools and services to meet community needs; lead with a joyful and powerful team; and use our practice to promote positive social change.

Graphic that includes The Improve Group logo and a headline that states "Building a robust and diverse talent pool of evaluators in the field"
July 27, 2017 - 2:13pm

Although summer has reached the halfway mark, we can’t let it go by without reflecting on the experiences of our recent interns—Audrey McIntyre and Michael Prideaux.

Our interns over the 2016-17 academic year, Audrey and Michael, worked on team projects for the Angel Foundation, the Highland Friendship Club, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and our work with Minnesota’s Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs (ATOD) grantees.

Both Audrey and Michael said that interaction with clients and involvement in project work were highlights of their internships.

July 26, 2017 - 4:50pm

IG shares evaluation tips and tools with evaluators and non-evaluators alike!

It’s almost that time of year again—fall conference season—and The Improve Group is preparing for a flurry of presentations and trainings. Building people’s evaluation skills aligns with our commitment to capacity building. We value this work because of the importance of equipping communities and organizations to navigate complexity so that they can make a sustained impact.

Image of the We are Water Exhibit
June 29, 2017 - 10:22am

Water touches all aspects of life in our state, including health, industry, and recreation. Even the name Minnesota—from a Dakota word meaning "land where the water reflects the sky”—demonstrates the importance of water in our lives. It is this deep connection that inspired an unlikely partnership of state agencies and six local communities to create We Are Water MN, a traveling exhibition that celebrates Minnesota’s love affair with water and engages residents in caring for this precious resource.

Graphic image of the article's title: "Better Together: Approaching Evaluation as Equals" by Claire Stoscheck
June 29, 2017 - 10:10am

One important aspect of our work that I am constantly reminded of is how creating space for clients to contribute their specialized knowledge leads to innovation and great ideas in evaluation projects.

Image of Research Analysts providing Capacity Building to clients with text box that says "Capacity Building Over Time: Seeing Clients Grow"
May 31, 2017 - 10:30am

Here at The Improve Group, we have had the pleasure of developing relationships with certain clients, including some we’ve watched grow through our capacity-building partnerships. We value this type of work because of the importance we see in equipping communities and organizations to navigate complexity and have sustained impact. One client we have done extensive capacity building with is VocalEssence, a Minneapolis-based choral music organization.

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