query: evaluating grassroots organizing

Thu Jul 17 11:31:24 CDT 2008

[ed:  thanks to Bob, Michelle, Corey, Kathy, and Matt for replying to 
Dan's query.]

From: "Robert O. Bothwell" <bob at bobbothwell.org>

Dan:  You might want to review my work, Foundation Funding of Grassroots 
Organizations, which might offer some insights from funders' 
perceptions.  See http://comm-org.wisc.edu/papers2001/bothwell.htm
Bob Bothwell

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From: Michelle Renee <mrenee at ucla.edu>

Hi Dan,

I would check out the work of Research for Action  
http://www.researchforaction.org.  They are in your backyard and have 
done some fantastic work in collaboration with community organizations.  
Another good start is the recent report from the Annenberg Institute for 
School Reform-- they developed very interesting indicators of the impact 
of community organizing for education reform 
http://www.annenberginstitute.org/CIP/ (it can be downloaded from the 
left side of the page).

Best,
Michelle Renee
Postdoctoral Fellow
UC All Campus Consortium on Research for Diversity

*******************************

From: "Shdaimah, Corey" <CSHDAIMAH at ssw.umaryland.edu>

Hi Dan
This might may be a bit of a side issue, but one of the concerns coming 
out of the push for accountability often involves the benefits and risks 
of collaborations between academic researchers and grass roots 
advocates.  These collaborations are mandated sometimes by funders or 
considered strategically important by advocacy groups. Grass roots 
groups may not have existing capacity to do evaluations completely on 
their own, and so may have to work with others who do. From the other 
side, many academics (myself included) seek work that is relevant and 
makes a difference out in the world and so are drawn to collaborative work.
I have written a couple of pieces on that with a colleague, Roland 
Stahl, on a project that we did with the Women's Community 
Revitalization Project in your neck of the woods (Philly).

The one most that is most relevant for practice is:
Stahl, R., & Shdaimah, C.S., (2007) “Collaboration between community 
advocates and academic researchers: Scientific advocacy or political 
research” British Journal of Social Work, doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcm069

David Koppisch and Amy Hillier also did a piece on another 
Philadelphia-based collaboration that addresses similar issues.
Hillier, A. and Koppisch, D. (2005) ‘Community activists and university 
researchers collaborating
for affordable housing: Dual perspectives on the experience’, Journal of
Poverty, 9(4), pp. 27–48.

While I can only hope that someone would consider our work seminal :) I 
do believe that both of these articles might provide some reflection and 
concrete advice that might be useful.

Best
Corey

Corey Shdaimah, LL.M., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Academic Coordinator, MSW/JD Dual Degree Program
School of Social Work
University of Maryland, Baltimore
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
410-706-7544

*****************************************

From: Kathy Partridge <interfaithfunders at yahoo.com>

Hi,

I want to let Dan and the list know that we at Interfaith Funders are 
also interested in doing a thoughtful critique of the "outcomes based" 
or "accountability based" or "logic model" of evaluation that seem to be 
increasing in popularity amongst grantmakers.  We are both concerned 
that the model is not a fit for community organizing and want to present 
that concern to our colleagues, but are also wanting to explore how 
community organizations can better describe their work using the model.  
Dan, I'd be very interested in staying in touch with you about your 
research.

Best regards,

Kathy Partridge
Executive Director
Interfaith Funders
www.interfaithfunders.org
2719 Denver Ave.
Longmont, CO  80503
Voice 720-494-9011
Fax 708-585-6434  Cell 303-594-6434

************************************

From:  matt oppenheim <oppenm at earthlink.net>

I AM ALSO EAGER TO GAIN NEW KNOWLEDGE IN THIS AREA, ESPECIALLY 
UNDERSTANDING HOW PARENT AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IMPACTS ACADEMIC 
ACHIEVEMENT.  THERE IS A LARGE BODY OF WORK REGARDING THE IMPACTS OF 
PARENT INVOLVEMENT ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THAT WOULD BE RELEVANT TO 
OTHER AREAS OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZING. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE MANY STUDIES 
OF LEADERSHIP AND ITS IMPACTS.  GOOGLE "A NEW WAVE OF EVIDENCE; THE 
IMPACTS OF SCHOOL FAMILY AND COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS ON ACADEMIC ACHEIVEMENT"

KEEP US POSTED

Matt Oppenheim, MAA, PhDc
Family Involvement Coordinator
Albuquerque Public Schools

Discussion list for COMM-ORG wrote:
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> This is a COMM-ORG 'colist' message.
> All replies to this message come to COMM-ORG only.
> --------
>  
> [ed: please feel welcomed to copy COMM-ORG with replies to Dan's query.]
>
> From: Dan Weinles <DWeinles at gpuac.org>
>
>
> Hi All,
>
>
>
> I am trying to develop a research agenda that seeks to examine 
> challenges to grass roots programming / organizations related to the 
> growing level of accountability-based funding requirements they are 
> facing. Specifically, I would like to detail the barriers that grass 
> roots initiatives must overcome in order to gain capacity to effectively 
> measure and evaluate the quality and the effects of what they do. The 
> end goal would be to develop a set of concrete recommendations to assist 
> grass roots organizations in developing evaluative capacity. I am new to 
> this area of study and am not familiar with existing research. I was 
> hoping that someone out there in the field might be able to direct me to 
> any seminal work that has already been done or to the key search words 
> or phrases that would be most effective for findings such a body of 
> research. Randy Stoecker has already given me some food for thought, 
> which I will pursue. I’d like to hear from as many people as have 
> knowledge and experience in this area.
>
>
>
> Thanks in advance for your guidance.
>
>
>
>
>
> Dan Weinles, PhD
>
> Senior Research Associate
>
> Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition
>
> 1207 Chestnut St., #622
>
> Philadelphia, PA 19107
>
> Office (215) 851-1986
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