<description>&lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;In episode 134 of Nonprofit Mission: Impact, host Carol Hamilton welcomes guest Kayla Meyers, founder of Bridgepoint Evaluation, for a conversation about reimagining program evaluation in nonprofits. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;They discuss:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr" role="presentation"&gt;Why evaluation is not an audit or judgment as it has sometimes been in the past&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr" role="presentation"&gt;It should be a collaborative, curiosity-driven process that opens communication, supports learning, and improves impact. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr" role="presentation"&gt;How to create right-sized, useful evaluation practices rooted in strategy and driven by purpose. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr" role="presentation"&gt;How evaluation can be a force for good—helping organizations tell fuller, more meaningful stories about their work and the communities they serve.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Episode highlights:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h3 dir="ltr"&gt;🚩 Evaluation's Troubled History - [00:08:10]&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;h3 dir="ltr"&gt;❌ From Punitive to Collaborative - [00:13:10]&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;h3 dir="ltr"&gt;💡 Why Smaller Orgs Should Evaluate - [00:16:10]&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;h3 dir="ltr"&gt;🛠️ Start with Strategy - [00:19:10]&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;h3 dir="ltr"&gt;🔁 Formalizing Feedback Loops - [00:20:40]&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;h3 dir="ltr"&gt;🍽️ Make It Make Sense - [00:22:10]&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;h3 dir="ltr"&gt;🗣️ Turning Data Into Stories - [00:26:10]&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;h3 dir="ltr"&gt;❓The One Question Nonprofit Leaders Should Ask - [00:31:50]&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Guest Bio:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;Kayla (Mueller) Meyers is a seasoned program evaluator with over a decade of experience in assessing and improving programs for nonprofits and public organizations. She specializes in evaluation capacity building and mixed-methods program evaluation, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her clients&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Important Links and Resources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayla-meyers-9a007032/"&gt;Kayla Meyers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.bridgepointevaluation.com/"&gt;Bridgepoint Evaluation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://bridgepoint-evaluation.kit.com/b1a4034c5f"&gt;Bridgepoint Evaluation Newsletter&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.hhh.umn.edu/"&gt;Humphrey School of Public Affairs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Be in Touch:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;✉️ Subscribe to Carol's newsletter at &lt;a href= "https://gracesocialsector.com/"&gt;Grace Social Sector Consulting&lt;/a&gt; and receive the Common Mistakes Nonprofits Make In Strategic Planning And How To Avoid Them&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;📚&lt;a href= "https://bookshop.org/shop/gracesocialsector"&gt;Find the books referred to on Nonprofit Mission: Impact&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;👥 Like what you heard? Please share the podcast with a colleague or friend&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;🌟 Help more people learn about &lt;a href= "https://pod.link/missionimpact"&gt;Nonprofit Mission: Impact&lt;/a&gt; by leaving a rating &amp; review.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;😀 Connect with Carol Hamilton ➡️ &lt;a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-hamilton-0052b71/"&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Nonprofit Mission: Impact

Carol Hamilton

Rethinking Nonprofit Program Evaluation with Kayla Meyers

OCT 21, 202534 MIN
Nonprofit Mission: Impact

Rethinking Nonprofit Program Evaluation with Kayla Meyers

OCT 21, 202534 MIN

Description

In episode 134 of Nonprofit Mission: Impact, host Carol Hamilton welcomes guest Kayla Meyers, founder of Bridgepoint Evaluation, for a conversation about reimagining program evaluation in nonprofits.

They discuss:

  • Why evaluation is not an audit or judgment as it has sometimes been in the past

  • It should be a collaborative, curiosity-driven process that opens communication, supports learning, and improves impact.

  • How to create right-sized, useful evaluation practices rooted in strategy and driven by purpose.

  • How evaluation can be a force for good—helping organizations tell fuller, more meaningful stories about their work and the communities they serve.

Episode highlights:

🚩 Evaluation's Troubled History - [00:08:10] ❌ From Punitive to Collaborative - [00:13:10] 💡 Why Smaller Orgs Should Evaluate - [00:16:10] 🛠️ Start with Strategy - [00:19:10] 🔁 Formalizing Feedback Loops - [00:20:40] 🍽️ Make It Make Sense - [00:22:10] 🗣️ Turning Data Into Stories - [00:26:10] ❓The One Question Nonprofit Leaders Should Ask - [00:31:50]

Guest Bio:

Kayla (Mueller) Meyers is a seasoned program evaluator with over a decade of experience in assessing and improving programs for nonprofits and public organizations. She specializes in evaluation capacity building and mixed-methods program evaluation, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her clients

Important Links and Resources:

Kayla Meyers

Bridgepoint Evaluation

Bridgepoint Evaluation Newsletter

Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Be in Touch:

✉️ Subscribe to Carol's newsletter at Grace Social Sector Consulting and receive the Common Mistakes Nonprofits Make In Strategic Planning And How To Avoid Them

📚Find the books referred to on Nonprofit Mission: Impact

👥 Like what you heard? Please share the podcast with a colleague or friend

🌟 Help more people learn about Nonprofit Mission: Impact by leaving a rating & review.

😀 Connect with Carol Hamilton ➡️ LinkedIn