1. 2010 Webinar Series
  2. Evaluations that Make the Mark

Evaluations that Make the Mark

Tuesday, July 13, 2:00 EDT/ 11:00 PDT [PASSED]
Suzanne Callahan, Founder, Callahan Consulting for the Arts

Session 4 of the 6-part  2010 Web Conference Series
Video of this presentation is available here.

Description:

We’ve all seen evaluations at both ends of the spectrum: some capture a program’s impact and others miss the mark. How can funders know at the outset if our evaluations are heading in the right direction? Callahan will discuss the key components of designing good evaluations and will highlight new trends in evaluation that are appropriate for the arts field. Using stories and Web-based examples, she will touch on content areas such as evaluations of youth and the arts, and social impact. Time permitting, Callahan will lead a two-minute tour of IMPACT Arts, the new online evaluation resource that Callahan helped design for Americans for the Arts.

Presenter Bio:
Suzanne Callahan, CFRE, founded Callahan Consulting for the Arts, which serves funders and nonprofits through planning, fundraising, evaluation, and philanthropic counsel. She has lead national funding programs for 20 years and, for the past decade, has run Dance/USA’s Engaging Dance Audiences and National College Choreography Initiative. As Senior Specialist for the NEA Dance Program until 1995, she received a Distinguished Service Award for her leadership as Chair to the agency's AIDS Working Group and her response to artists’ need for health insurance. Her book Singing Our Praises: Case Studies in the Art of Evaluation was awarded Outstanding Publication of the Year from the American Evaluation Association. Callahan is a frequent trainer in evaluation and fundraising for foundations and associations. She has conducted research and/or evaluation for The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Andrew Mellon Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Covenant Foundation, and Chicago Community Trust, in addition to many nonprofits. She served as panelist or site visitor for the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, the New England Foundation for the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the NEA. A former dancer and teacher, Callahan holds a M.A. in Dance Education and a Certificate in Fundraising from George Washington University (where she also completed post-graduate study in evaluation) and a B.A. from Northwestern University.