Out in the Open: A Multi-State Perspective on LGBTQIA2S+ Data and How Evaluators Can Support its Collection January 5, 2026 By Judy Ney Part 1: The Big Picture Since January 2025, there has been the signing of Executive Order #14168, removal of LGBTQ+ information (particularly certain gender identity information) from national datasets, and changes to planned federal data collection, including stopping the expected addition of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) questions to the 2030 census. These changes threaten to exacerbate … Continued
The Year That Changed Everything and the Year(s) Ahead January 5, 2026 By Judy Ney There is a striking irony to this moment: the social sector is under direct assault by the government that helped to build it. Let’s not forget that nonprofits and philanthropies came into existence because the federal government failed to meet the needs of the public. In the decades following the Great Depression, the government acknowledged … Continued
The Work Continues: Advocacy, Community, and the Future of Black Queer Health November 5, 2025 By Judy Ney For decades, Black gay and queer men have stood at the intersection of multiple identities, and have fought not only against racism and homophobia, but also against systems designed to erase or overlook us entirely. From the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic to the ongoing struggle for equitable healthcare and safety, our stories have undoubtedly been marked … Continued
Beyond the Silo: Why Integrated Communications Is Critical for Social Impact October 1, 2025 By Judy Ney Across the country, nonprofits, advocacy groups, and philanthropic institutions are being forced into survival mode. Executive orders threaten public funding, communities face mounting attacks, and nonprofit organizations operate in crisis mode. In the scramble for survival, many organizations are overlooking an issue that undermines their impact: siloed communications. While external threats mount, fragmented messaging and … Continued
Insights from Leaders in the Field August 6, 2025 By Judy Ney Immigration in the U.S. Today The history of U.S. immigration enforcement laws, policies, and practices is one of exclusion, leaving many immigrants unable to adjust their citizenship status and forcing them to remain undocumented or in legal limbo. Immigration scholars and community leaders have long documented the impact of living in the U.S. with limited … Continued
Leading the Fight: Legal Advocacy as a Frontline Tool July 30, 2025 By Judy Ney As we reach the midpoint of 2025, the political and legal environment is sending a clear signal to funders, nonprofits, and corporate social impact leaders: legal advocacy is no longer a side strategy—it’s central to protecting and advancing mission-critical work. When we first explored legal advocacy in our 2017 series, “Stepping into the Fight: Philanthropy’s … Continued
New Year, New “Normal” January 30, 2025 By Judy Ney 2025 has barely begun, and we have already been confronted by a devastating natural disaster, while the political situation at the federal, state and local levels pose threats to the stability and future of our nonprofit and foundation clients. Most of us anticipated the new administration in Washington would bring change; but the speed of announcements … Continued
Cheat Sheet: What You Need to Know About Gaming for Social Impact December 18, 2024 By Judy Ney The gaming industry is a powerful tool for social change, offering innovative solutions to pressing societal challenges like education, public health, and community engagement. By leveraging scalable, data-driven initiatives, games can revolutionize learning through simulations, drive behavioral change for wellness, and inspire meaningful action. For funders and partners, gaming presents a unique opportunity to support … Continued
Engagement Shift: From Gaming To Action – A Conversation with Glenn Gillis and Charles Gasper December 17, 2024 By Judy Ney In my recent discussion with Glenn Gillis, CEO of Sea Monster Games, which streamed on LinkedIn Live and Twitch, we discussed how games can effect positive change, on both a personal as well as global level. As someone with decades of experience in the social sector, I’ve always been intrigued by various ways to affect … Continued
AI in Evaluation: Where Do We Go From Here? December 10, 2024 By Judy Ney Last month, I attended the American Evaluation Association’s (AEA) annual conference in Portland, Oregon. The event brought together evaluators, researchers, and practitioners from around the world to explore emerging topics and share innovative practices. One of the most captivating themes of this year’s conference was the surge of interest in artificial intelligence (AI) as a … Continued
An Evaluator’s Guide to Engaging ‘Non-Data People’ in Interpretation and Use of Findings December 10, 2024 By Judy Ney While we know that meaningfully including and centering the voices of stakeholders, partners, and community members in the evaluation process is crucial (and was in fact, the theme of the 2024 American Evaluation Association (AEA) Annual Conference), in practice, it can often prove challenging. Including non-evaluators can increase buy-in to evaluation processes, build evaluation capacity, … Continued
Amplifying Voices: Shaping the Future of Evaluation December 10, 2024 By Judy Ney Sometimes, when it's hard to articulate your thoughts, art can be an excellent way to spark ideas. At the American Evaluation Association (AEA) 2024 Conference, I found myself wrestling with how to capture the conference's transformative spirit. After three unsuccessful attempts at writing this blog post about the future of evaluation, I decided to try … Continued
Navigating Health Policy in an Uncertain Landscape December 10, 2024 By Judy Ney The policy landscape just shifted drastically- and the philanthropic sector is bracing for impact. Just one week after a pivotal general election, the Grantmakers in Health Annual Health Policy Exchange provided a timely forum for leaders from government, media, and philanthropy to grapple with the uncertainties that lie ahead. While much remains uncertain, what is … Continued
The Power of External Review Committees in Community-Centered Grantmaking November 20, 2024 By Judy Ney Centering communities in grantmaking isn’t just an ideal in today’s philanthropic world—it’s essential. Innovative funders recognize that true impact comes not from simply working in communities, but by partnering with them as active collaborators in shaping lasting change. Community members bring invaluable lived experience to the table; their insights reveal challenges, opportunities, and cultural subtleties … Continued
Game Changers: Unlocking Gaming’s Potential for Good October 14, 2024 By Judy Ney I’ve spent the past year diving deeply into the world of gaming and social impact. Starting with a literature review, what I found offered me tantalizing evidence that games can and do affect aspects of change[1]. Research study after research study demonstrated that it can and does affect change – but these were research studies. … Continued