Emily Drake brings deep expertise in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors to her practice.She has significant knowledge and understanding of learning systems, capacity building and organizational development, and evaluation frameworks. She has over 15 years’ experience as a strategy and evaluation consultant to nonprofits, has worked in direct service nonprofits, at a community foundation, and served as a founding board member. Her range of experiences provides a broad base of knowledge about organizational dynamics, the challenges commonly faced when prioritizing and implementing learning questions, and how to build a learning system that matches an organization’s culture and resources. She is deeply interested in what organizations need to become stronger and more effective and understands capacity building through the lens of a researcher, evaluator, and capacity building provider. During her time at LFA, Emily has worked with a diverse array of clients spanning different sectors and fields, including leadership development, public media, policy advocacy, early childhood education, environmental education, and housing.
Prior to joining LFA in 2006, she was a management consultant at Technical Development Corporation (TDC) in Boston where she provided strategic planning services and technical assistance to nonprofit and foundation clients throughout New England. Emily also worked at the Central New York Community Foundation where she coordinated school-based initiatives in Syracuse, NY. She has held direct service and administrative roles within nonprofit organizations, including in women’s health, legal services, and mental health counseling.
Emily lives in Seattle with her husband and two daughters where she spends her time planning elaborate dinner parties and enjoying the outdoor beauty of the Pacific Northwest. She is an avid hiker, skier, and yogi.
Education
Master of Public Administration, Maxwell School at Syracuse University
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology and Art History, Williams College
Selected Project Experience
Strategic evaluation of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) Local and Regional Funders Initiative, a program to support deeper partnerships between RWJF and local funders
Evaluation and learning partner to the Packard Foundation’s Organizational Effectiveness program
Evaluation and learning partner to the Schusterman Fellowship, a leadership development program for Jewish sector professionals
Research and recommendations for nonprofit capacity building support in Chicago, a project of 21 Chicago-area funders
Technical assistance for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Media Partnerships Portfolio
Evaluation strategy and technical assistance for the Open Places Initiative site in San Diego, a project of the Open Society Foundations focused on worker rights policy advocacy
Evaluation of the James Irvine Foundation’s California Pay for Success Initiative