Services
We move in two directions at once: deepening your understanding of what’s working, and helping you decide what to do about it. This is what we mean by strategic evaluation.
Evaluation
Every useful evaluation begins with a clear picture of what your program is trying to do. Before we collect a single data point, we work with you to articulate your program model and translate it into a logic model or theory of change—a shared, visual description of how your activities connect to your intended outcomes.
This design phase isn't just documentation. It's how we make sure we're asking the right questions, and it often surfaces insights that strengthen programs in their own right.
With that foundation in place, we design a data collection approach that fits your program, your capacity, and your goals. We use a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods—interviews, focus groups, surveys, and administrative data analysis—to give you a layered, honest picture of what's working and why.
We have deep experience evaluating federally funded programs, including grants from the U.S. Department of Education, the National Institutes of Health, and the State Department, as well as foundation-supported and nonprofit initiatives across education, health, and human services.
Sitting down together to review findings isn't just a step in the process. It's often where the most important conversations happen. We make time for it.
Phases covered:
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Program model articulation
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Logic model / theory of change
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Evaluation design
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Data collection
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Analysis
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Findings review
Strategic Planning
Evaluation findings are only as useful as the strategic thinking that follows them. Once you understand what your data is telling you, the next question is, what do you do with it?
Our strategic planning work starts where evaluation ends.
We help leadership teams—and foundation boards—translate findings into decisions about program direction, resource allocation, stakeholder communication, and long-term goals. Whether you're approaching a grant renewal, navigating an organizational transition, or looking to expand your impact, we help you build a strategy grounded in evidence rather than assumption.
We work closely with the communities you serve throughout this process. Their experience isn't a data point—it's a direction.
This is what distinguishes our approach: we don't hand you a report and leave. We stay at the table while you figure out what it means for what comes next.
Includes:
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Findings interpretation
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Community voice integration
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Strategic direction-setting
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Resource & program planning
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Foundation grantmaking strategy
Reporting
Findings only matter if the right people understand them. We translate evaluation results into the language, format, and story each audience needs — whether that’s a federal program officer reviewing grant compliance, a foundation board making investment decisions, or a community wanting to see themselves in the data.
Our greatest satisfaction comes when we see findings used: a program refined, a grant renewed, a community better understood. The small changes along the way. The insight that shifts a decision.
You are making change in the world. Marigold helps you prove it — and helps you decide where to take it next.
Formats:
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Detailed evaluation reports
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Short-form fact sheets
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Data visualizations
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Board & funder presentations
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Community-facing summaries