February 5, 2026 | By: Emily Drake

As we close our first month of 2026, the urgency facing communities is unmistakable. The challenges are not abstract or distant; they are intensifying, immediate, and demanding more of all of us. And yet, even in this sobering reality, the momentum for justice and meaningful change remains alive. This year, we’re deepening our commitment to long-term systems transformation, elevating community voice, and supporting a more pluralistic, thriving democracy. We’re energized, aligned, and ready to partner with organizations shaping what’s possible. Another world is on her way, but only because people are pushing for her with courage and persistence. We’re here for that fight, alongside all who are doing the work.

Read more about LFA’s vision for our work in 2026 in our latest blog.

December 17, 2025 | By: Allison Sponseller

As winter days get shorter, we at LFA are taking a beat to reflect on the past year. Instead of dwelling on what’s missing, we’re celebrating what’s here – the bright spots, the wins, and the “good things” that made 2025 meaningful. We hope this list sparks something for you, too – maybe a reminder that challenges can carry hidden gifts, a desire to send a thank-you note to someone in your life, or even inspiration to make your own list of good things.

October 30, 2025 | By: Jessica Xiomara García

In the wake of growing challenges to racial equity work, organizations need more than good intentions; they need tools that drive meaningful change. The Organizational Equity Reflection Tool (OERT) offers a practical framework that helps you weave equity into the very fabric of how you operate. This blog highlights the Equity Learning Lab’s OERT and explores how organizations can move from curiosity to embedding more equitable practices into core systems and culture. Whether you're just beginning or deep into your equity journey, see how the OERT can help you create meaningful, measurable progress.

July 30, 2025 | By: Allison Sponseller and Annie Lindsey

LFA has partnered with many nonprofit organizations that need a custom-made dashboard to support them to easily understand, visualize, and access key up-to-date data points. In this blog, we highlight some key principles that we have employed to develop dashboards that add value to organizations’ work, showcasing our partnership with Safe & Sound as an example.

June 12, 2025 | By Tomika Rodriguez and Elba Garcia

In Learning for Action’s cohort-based capacity building (CBCB) work, developing or refining a nonprofit’s theory of change is a foundational step. This process helps organizations clarify their assumptions, define core components, and set S.M.A.R.T. outcomes. A theory of change acts as the organizational DNA—guiding not only program delivery and evaluation but also governance, communications, and strategic planning.

Especially in times of uncertainty, a well-articulated theory of change becomes a stabilizing force. It enables nonprofits to reassess assumptions, adapt strategies, and realign with evolving community needs. As highlighted in the “Lean into Learning” webinar, revisiting this framework can illuminate new pathways, strengthen partnerships, and support resource development. Ultimately, a theory of change is both a roadmap and a compass—helping organizations stay mission-focused while remaining flexible and responsive to change.

April 30, 2025 | By Elba Garcia

In this article, we dig deeper into our coaching practice to build evaluation and learning capacity, and highlight the work one of our coaches, Elba Garcia,did with Kendra Fujino O’Donoghue, Founder/Executive Director, and Michela Chatmon, Program Director, from Envision Your Pathway (EYP) – a youth development nonprofit that participated in the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative funded Impact Lab. Elba shares lessons from this coaching engagement so that other organizations can apply them on their ongoing evaluation and learning journeys, whether working with a coach or not.

March 26, 2025 | By Tomika Rodriguez

This blog is the first in a series detailing Learning for Action’s Cohort Based Capacity Building (CBCB) Approach. Stay tuned for Part 2 on the coaching experience of a recent participating nonprofit and Part 3 on how a strategic framework that is a cornerstone for our CBCB approach can also be useful for focusing during uncertain times.

December 10, 2024 | Keerti Kanchinadam and Alex Aja

Over the years, LFA has done a lot of Theory of Change work with clients. Recently, we decided to take a different approach and put into more robust practice the equity-centered ideas and values we had been discussing for so long. The process and the outcomes of this work felt so good! So we've rounded up some of our reflections in this blog. Read the four ways we leaned into equity-centered practices in developing a Theory of Change.

October 30, 2024 | Emma Ramsbottom

Are you considering embarking on a theory of change development or refresh project? Before diving in, taking the time to intentionally decide whether to focus at the organizational or programmatic level could make your process more meaningful and your work more impactful.  

September 26, 2024 | Emily Boer Drake

The MacArthur Fellowship is a multi-year, no strings attached $800,000 award given to individuals each year who demonstrate exceptional creativity. Learning for Action and Public Profit partnered on the evaluation of the MacArthur Foundation’s Fellowship Award, supplemented with public polling research from the Harris Poll.

It’s been exciting for us to support MacArthur with learning about such a renowned program and we’re delighted that the findings are now publicly available and we can share the learnings with the field. You can explore the findings and read a Perspectives piece from the MacArthur Foundation on how they’re thinking about the evaluation.

August 20, 2024 | Keerti Kanchinadam and Emily Boer Drake

Over more than 20 years, Learning for Action has used our skills as evaluators, strategists, and capacity-builders to support many, many funders. And yes, we’ll admit it, we’ve got a type. We are particularly drawn to funders who are attuned to how they do the work as much as what they are doing. For example, we love helping funders deepen their investments in programs as well their commitment to the leaders and organizations who drive these programs. We’re also unabashedly attracted to working with funders who are committed to advancing racial equity and use all the tools in their toolbox towards these goals.

July 23, 2024 | Tomika Rodriguez

July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, an annual observance that “raises awareness about the unique challenges that affect the mental health of racial and ethnic minority and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations.” It is alternately denoted as Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Month. This post explores a landscape study conducted by Learning for Action (LFA) that may have important implications for philanthropy in addressing BIPOC college student mental health.

May 20, 2024 | Emily Boer Drake and Jessica Xiomara García

In 2023, Learning for Action (LFA) became a fully women-owned organization when Jessica Xiomara García and Emily Boer Drake stepped into ownership.

Today, we are excited to share that in addition to being co-owners we have officially transitioned into our new roles as LFA’s Co-CEOs.

July 26, 2022 | Steven LaFrance

How should nonprofits begin thinking about bringing on dedicated evaluation and learning (E&L) staff? Nonprofit leaders understand that collecting and analyzing data in the service of learning is mission-critical. At the same time, many make do with program staff taking on the technical tasks of data analysis and reporting. This brief provides useful learning and practical guidance from10 years and 30+ nonprofits in the PropelNext initiative regarding how, when, in what role(s), and at what levels of compensation this group of nonprofits staffed up their E&L functions.