Community Science

09/26/2025

How can foundations measure what truly matters in systems change? On October 9 at 1:00 ET, join Community Science and The Rippel Foundation as we share our collaborative approach on redefining measurement, evaluation, and learning for complex, place-based work. Panelists include leaders from Rippel, Community Science, and national evaluation expert Sanjeev Sridharan.
Register here: https://bit.ly/46J5sig

09/16/2025

Local nonprofits and community-based organizations - Ever wanted to bend the ear of an evaluator? Now is your chance! On September 19 at 1:00 pm ET, Community Science is hosting Ask an Evaluator—a free, one-hour interactive webinar designed exclusively for community-based organizations and nonprofits.

This session will provide:
- Quick, practical tips for tackling common evaluation challenges
- Dedicated time to ask your own questions and receive real-time advice from evaluation experts

Your Community Science hosts and evaluators for the webinar are Kien Lee and Jasmine Williams-Washington. We’ll also be joined by Vidhya Shanker, Ph.D.—Independent Evaluation Practitioner, Organizer & Activist.

https://bit.ly/4gqln9z

Please note:
To ensure a meaningful exchange, registration is limited to just 20 participants. Spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so we encourage you to register now.

Registration requires a corporate/organizational email address. Free/Public email addresses (e.g., Google, Outlook, AOL, Yahoo) will not receive invitations.

09/15/2025

Local nonprofits and community-based organizations - Ever wanted to bend the ear of an evaluator? Now is your chance! On September 19 at 1:00 pm ET, Community Science is hosting Ask an Evaluator—a free, one-hour interactive webinar designed exclusively for community-based organizations and nonprofits.

This session will provide:
- Quick, practical tips for tackling common evaluation challenges
- Dedicated time to ask your own questions and receive real-time advice from evaluation experts

https://communityscience.com/ask-an-evaluator/

Your Community Science hosts and evaluators for the webinar are Kien Lee and Jasmine Williams-Washington. We’ll also be joined by Vidhya Shanker, Ph.D.—Independent Evaluation Practitioner, Organizer & Activist.

Please note:
To ensure a meaningful exchange, registration is limited to just 20 participants. Spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so we encourage you to register now.

Registration requires a corporate/organizational email address. Free/Public email addresses (e.g., Google, Outlook, AOL, Yahoo) will not receive invitations.

09/10/2025

Small nonprofits and community-based organizations—have you ever wanted the chance to bend the ear of an evaluator?

Your opportunity is coming soon! Watch your inbox for an invitation from Community Science to register for our new program, Ask an Evaluator. This free, one-hour interactive webinar is designed to give you space to ask your questions and get real-time advice from experienced evaluators.

To ensure meaningful exchange, seating is limited to 20 registrants per session—so be sure to secure your spot early.

Not on our mailing list? Sign up now! http://bit.ly/46xEgUw

05/22/2025

Community Science is proud to be co-hosting an upcoming webinar with The Hackett Center. The webinar, Women in Mind: The Impact of Incarceration on Women, Families, and Communities, will be held on Friday, May 30th, from 12:00-1:15 PM CST. Register here: https://bit.ly/4dtnZSo

04/25/2025

In the new book, Issues of Equity: Key Concepts in Qualitative Methods, our own Marissa Salazar, PhD, and her colleague Rianna Grissom, PhD, author a chapter on racial equity in research. The chapter explores how qualitative research can challenge bias and promote fairer systems. Their insights provide strategies for ensuring research is inclusive and representative of all communities. Whether you're a researcher, educator, or policymaker, this chapter is a valuable resource for advancing equity in your field.

Grab your copy with this discount code: 25ESA1

Issues of Equity: Key Concepts in Qualitative Methods provides practical and theoretical tools to advance equity in qualitative research, featuring chapters on research methods, concepts, and populations. The short chapters offer guidance for researchers, students, and practitioners to conduct ethic...

04/24/2025

Join our own Corianne Scally and she co-facilitates a discussion on Building Unity in the Housing Justice World with Miriam Axel-Lute and John Goldstein at the Shelterforce 50th Anniversary celebration in Newark, NJ on April 29th. The panel will be engaging the room with questions on navigating tensions between tenant organizers and nonprofit housing organizations to explore areas of alignment for coalition building.

Join us! Tickets are available here: https://bit.ly/3Ru5xPH.

04/03/2025

Healing isn’t just personal — it’s collective. In Part 1 of her series, Mariah Laird explores how communities of color are reclaiming healing as a shared responsibility, moving beyond inaccessible therapy models to community-rooted care.
Read the post: https://bit.ly/4ccE6Dv
Photo: https://bit.ly/4lpzYnU

03/31/2025

Effective rural capacity building, research, and evaluation begin with self-reflection. Misconceptions — whether political, economic, or cultural — can lead to ineffective strategies and missed opportunities. By challenging stereotypes and examining our biases, we create space for deeper engagement and more accurate assessments of rural needs and assets. This blog explores key self-reflection questions to help professionals work more effectively in and with rural communities. Read more in Corianne Scally's latest post: https://bit.ly/3E9tRmE
Photo by Mizzu Cho: https://bit.ly/4iLWPYT

03/31/2025

Will you be attending the Eighth International CREA Conference? We're excited to share that members of our Youth Engagement and Leadership Practice Area will be presenting Relational Responsibilities in Action: A Case Study of Intergenerational Collaboration and Lived Experience in Youth-centered Research on Thursday, April 10, 2025 | 2:15 p.m.–3:45 p.m.

Presenters Dontarious Cowans, MA, and Da’Vonti Haynes, MSW, PhD, will share a case study from a qualitative research project involving interviews with young people disconnected from school, work, and social supports. A key innovation was the CAG, which included both youth with lived experience and professionals from youth-serving organizations. This collaboration ensured youth voices actively shaped research design, analysis, and interpretation.
Key Takeaways:
1. How can researchers meaningfully integrate lived experience and intergenerational perspectives?
2. What ethical challenges arise in maintaining relational responsibilities with vulnerable youth?
3. How can qualitative research drive policy and systemic change across education, child welfare, criminal justice, housing, and healthcare?

This year’s CREA conference highlights how our commitments to various forms of relationships ground the extent to which we are culturally responsive in our work. CREA’s mission continues to be influenced by attention to culture in the United States and around the world. In this Call for Propos...

03/26/2025

Read Corianne Scally's lastest post and the first in a series that recognizes rural communities as a distinct culture is essential for effective funding, research, and capacity building. While all thriving communities share similar traits—such as quality housing and infrastructure, good jobs, and access to healthcare—deep intergenerational ties, vital community institutions, and strong volunteerism set rural communities apart from urban ones. However, the myth of a singular "rural America" oversimplifies the diverse experiences and economic realities of these communities. This post explores why understanding rural culture matters and introduces three key practices for building cultural competencies that foster more effective partnerships and development initiatives.

Read it here: https://bit.ly/41XlIeb

What does it mean to respect rural as a culture? Understanding rural identity is key to effective funding, research, and community building. Learn how rural culture shapes volunteerism, institutions, and traditions—and why a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work.

03/17/2025

Check out Amber Trout's latest blog, "From Crisis to Capacity: Building Resilient Organizations Through Smarter Decision-Making"!

In times of change, organizations often look for someone to blame, but real resilience comes from addressing deeper systemic issues. Our latest blog explores how shifting from a "hero-villain" mindset to a structured decision-making approach can help organizations adapt to uncertainty while staying true to their mission. By establishing routine decisions, embracing distributed leadership, and fostering real-time problem-solving, organizations can build a culture of collaboration and agility. Strengthening community within your team is key to navigating challenges with confidence. Read more here: https://bit.ly/4iGRku5

A resilient organization adapts to change without losing sight of its mission. Learn how decision-making structures can reduce overwhelm, empower teams, and foster equity in unpredictable times.