“Communications and Evaluation: Kindred Spirits or Mortal Enemies?” at ComNet 2015

OCTOBER 2, 2015

If you think that media makers and funders often struggle to find a common language about “impact”, try listening in on the sometimes strained exchanges between foundation communications folks and evaluators. Bruce Trachtenberg, executive producer and editor for The Atlantic Philanthropies, and Tony Proscio, Associate Director for Research at Duke University’s Center for Strategic Philanthropy and Civil Society, dramatize this complex relationship in their recent blog post for the The Communications Network. They highlight four key differences between communicators and evaluators, and tackle this question: when it comes to measuring social change, why is it so tough to talk about what didn’t work?

Active Voice Lab’s director Ellen Schneider moderated the October 2, 2015 breakout session “Communications and Evaluation: Kindred Spirits or Mortal Enemies?” at Communications Network’s annual conference, ComNet15.