Alex Wirth

In the nonprofit sector, delivering measurable impact and accountability is essential for building trust with funders, stakeholders, and the communities served. Many organizations struggle with creating robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems that provide actionable insights for program improvement and demonstrate success. Without a comprehensive M&E approach, NGOs risk missing critical opportunities for learning, adaptation, and growth. This 10-day course on Monitoring and Evaluation for NGOs and Nonprofits is designed to address these challenges by equipping participants with the tools and frameworks necessary for effective M&E. Through practical exercises, case studies, and expert-led discussions, participants will learn to design tailored M&E frameworks, set meaningful indicators, collect and analyze data, and communicate findings to stakeholders. By fostering a culture of learning, organizations can not only enhance program effectiveness but also build credibility and transparency in their work. Ideal Workplace Solutions invites organizations to enroll in this M&E training to empower their teams with advanced M&E skills that drive meaningful change. Join us to develop M&E practices that maximize impact and accountability in the nonprofit sector. Registration link: https://lnkd.in/eQW8-RTt Contact Us: Phone: +254 759 708 394 Email: [email protected] Location: Busia Road, Gate 29, 1st Floor, Nairobi, Kenya #NGOS #nonprofits #m&e #stakeholders #monitoringandevaluation

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Leadership Reimagined is thrilled to center the release of RoadMap's Practicing Liberation Report, on how we practice liberation across the capacity-building sector, authored by network consultants, Brigette Rouson and Clay Smith. This report reflects a shared vision for a more just and liberatory approach to movement and organizational support. As we continue to reflect on the big questions of how to practice liberation in our work, this report serves as a call to action. It challenges us to grow, to evolve, and to keep pushing towards transformative change. We look forward to hearing how it resonates within your own practice and work. Let’s continue to learn, grow, and build together towards a more liberated future. You can see the report here: https://lnkd.in/eMextRMN #LiberationInAction #MovementBuilding #CapacityBuilding #RoadMapReport #CollectiveWisdom #SocialJustice #LiberatoryPractice #JusticeAndEquity #PoliticalChange

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It's never been more important for associations and companies to have effective third-party group advocacy programs. The volume of state and federal legislative and regulatory proposals presenting direct threats (or opportunities) for corporate America is increasing yearly. Leveraging a network of advocacy organizations, interest groups, and think tanks to strengthen your profile and echo your policy priorities is the X factor that can separate your advocacy programs from the competition. Nexus Public Affairs can help build and manage a winning third-party group advocacy program to reinforce your state and federal government affairs goals. Do you want to take your coalition efforts to the next level? Reach out to learn how Nexus Public Affairs can help you too. 

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🗣️ Are you interested in improving transparency, accountability, and collaboration across the government? The new U.S. Open Government resources page is your go-to hub for valuable information and tools designed to promote civic engagement and foster trust between citizens and government. From best practices to insightful guides, these resources empower you to understand and participate in the open government movement. 🤝 Let’s work together to advocate for a more transparent and inclusive government! 🔗 Check out the resources here: https://lnkd.in/eRDy9vVM #OpenGov #CivicEngagement

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How do we build social and public trust? This new resource from IREX distills a wealth of evidence and research into simple action-oriented steps

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Breaking barriers & bridging divides! 💻 Last month's digital justice highlights by govtech.com : 1) NTIA accepts plans from all 50 states, legislation introduces new grants for digital skills training, 2) Ohio & Colorado invest in broadband & civic tech, 3) Albuquerque hosts tech fair for seniors, research focuses on underserved women's digital journey, & the rise of AI in skills training. Let's empower everyone for a digital future! #theundivideproject #digitaljustice #Rebuilding #Reclaiming #Connecting #climatejustice

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Are you curious about how government marketing has changed over the years? In the Loose Change segment of Tan's Two Cents, the 'Godfather of Government Marketing,' Mark Amtower, shares his insights on what's changed, what's constant, and how contractors can stay ahead. 🎧 Tune in for this quick and powerful segment that’s packed with strategic takeaways: https://lnkd.in/gCRZhhYF #govcon #tanstwocents #entellectuals #entellect #marketing #strategy Tan Wilson Annette Church, MBA, CF APMP Guy Timberlake Chelsea Meggitt Judy Bradt Alexa Tsui Ron Jones G2Xchange

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Exciting news! At PolicyLink, we are thrilled to announce the release of our comprehensive step-by-step guide on optimizing federal investments to benefit underserved communities in collaboration with @Emerald Cities Collaborative. We're working with state and local policymakers to help agencies navigate this process while following President Biden's groundbreaking Justice40 Initiative. This moment offers a critical opportunity to support thriving communities, which is ours to take and deliver on. The Justice40 Initiative aims to ensure that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments — spanning climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and more — flow to underserved communities. This initiative presents a unique opportunity for state and local governments to channel critical resources into communities that have been marginalized by underinvestment or overburdened by pollution. The guide covers how to: ✅ Identify J40 covered programs; ✅ Center project benefits in marginalized communities; ✅ Identify and consider community benefits and burdens; ✅ Develop a community benefits plan. This is a pivotal moment to ensure that federal investments reach the communities that need them the most. Let's seize this opportunity to drive meaningful change. Read more about our guidance and how you can implement these strategies in your community: https://lnkd.in/gTEc-Qc2 #Justice40 #CommunityInvestment #PolicyLink #EmeraldCitiesCollaborative #FederalFunding #SustainableCommunities #ClimateJustice

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Political change doesn't have to derail your #stakeholderengagement. Join Rhion Jones at #SES24 to discover strategies for maintaining strong stakeholder relationships in dynamic environments. Have you secured your spot? Register here 👇 https://hubs.la/Q02QV80j0 #stakeholdermanagement #publicengagement #SES24

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IRA funding secured, now what? 🤷‍  HARC’s Director of Strategic Initiatives and External Affairs, Marina V. Badoian-Kriticos, will be moderating a panel discussion on the next steps for utilities and local government agencies post-Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Grants. This panel at the SPEER Industry and Policy Workshop in Austin, TX, on September 20th, 2024 will share their experiences after having recently received their grant awards. They will dive into the journey of managing federal grants, from application to project execution, offering insights to optimize the entire process, and ensure lasting impacts on their communities. The IRA funds a variety of projects addressing climate and energy challenges. HARC Is collaborating on multiple IRA-funded projects, including the ForUsTree initiative designed to address tree equity issues in Houston, and the Texas Solar for All Coalition which aims to bridge the solar equity gap in underserved communities. Learn more about the SPEER Industry and Policy Workshop here https://bit.ly/4gjfEBY   Learn more about Marina Badoian-Kriticos here https://bit.ly/MBKriticos   Learn more about ForUsTree here https://bit.ly/3PwvBIu  Learn more about Solar For All here https://bit.ly/47aIPTx  #HARCResearch #spEEr24 #Infrastructureinvestment #CleanEnergyForAll #EnergyResilience #EnergyEquity #HoustonEquity #GrantFunding 

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   💡 The National Civic League’s Healthy Democracy Ecosystem Map is LIVE and we are featured!  💡 For 125 years and counting, the National Civic League inspires, supports and celebrates civic engagement. They have proudly featured Free Our Vote along with 1,257 organizations across 10 states working to protect and strengthen democracy.  🌟 What can the National Civic League's Healthy Democracy Ecosystem Map do for you?  🌎 Practitioners: Discover and connect with organizations like Free Our Vote to build impactful partnerships.  💡 Funders: Identify key opportunities to support democracy-strengthening initiatives.  🏛️ Community Leaders: Gain insight into the civic infrastructure shaping your region.  🙌 Citizens: Find ways to get involved and make a difference! Together, we’re creating a healthier democracy—explore the map today! 🗺️ #HealthyDemocracy #FreeOurVote #VoterEngagement #DemocracyInAction #CivicParticipation #CivicEngagement #VotingRights #CommunityImpact

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[Webinar] December 5 @ 1 pm EST: Leveraging Market Research for Government Market Opportunities https://zurl.co/bZsJ 🌟 Join us for a webinar that will give new government contractors the essential skills to excel in market research and gain a competitive edge in the government marketplace 📊🔍 📈 Sign up now to learn how to leverage free government data, master NAICS and Product Services Codes, and apply qualitative and quantitative research methods 💡 Don't miss out on analyzing historical spending data to identify top buyers, potential partners or competitors, and small business set-aside opportunities! 📝💼 #Govology #GovernmentContracting #MarketResearch #SmallBusinessOpportunities

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In October 2023, the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) designated 31 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs). This summer, the EDA expects to award implementation grants of $40-$70 million to each of approximately five to ten of these 31 regional coalitions. The goal: grow innovation clusters that enhance national security, improve supply chain resilience, and bolster America’s position as a global leader in technology.

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The National Academy of Public Administration announced today a new "Field Guide for Financing Public-Sector Integrated Data Systems and Evaluation" designed to be an all-in-one resource. The federal government spends more than $1.2 trillion annually on grants to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, whose leaders need to know what works and how to sustain high performance. Policy challenges and priorities require holistic approaches that draw on multiple agencies and programs. The Field Guide aims to address knowledge gaps and establish best practices for government leaders at all levels. Among other important elements, the Field Guide: - Walks through allowable ways to spend federal grant dollars on data and evaluation capacity. - Shows how to match funding strategies with goals for building, operating, and/or enhancing an integrated data system (IDS). - Provides rich examples and case studies of how leading states and localities are already doing this work and paying for it effectively. - Explains how to prepare for an audit of IDS. - Points the way to non-federal sources that can help fill gaps in IDS funding. Learn more at our site! https://lnkd.in/exDpcZN5 Terry Gerton Erika Cintron Jonathan Garcia Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) National Association of Counties The Council of State Governments ICMA - International City/County Management Association National Association of State Budget Officers National Association of State Chief Administrators

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My latest commentary in The Baltimore Sun highlights the city's failed tax policy. It's both ineffective (it fuels disinvestment and flight) and inequitable (pols dole out subsidies to those who "pay to play," withhold a competitive, fair rate to everyone else). Details on the latest outrage are here: https://lnkd.in/eyVJmxzm

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Thanks for joining our latest webinar from our Participation in Action series, this month focused on Civic Tech!  What we discussed? 🔄 GovTech vs. Civic Tech: GovTech improves government processes, while Civic Tech empowers citizens.  🛠 Tools: Surveys, voting platforms, feedback systems, map-based solutions, informing tools, and co-creation platforms.  🌍 Applications: Urban planning, budgeting, specific demographic programs, agenda setting, strategic plans. 🛒 European market, trends, how to choose the right tool, case studies and more. ➡️ Want to learn more? Stay tuned for our upcoming Civic Tech Market Report 2025 featuring 80 tools, case studies, and expert interviews. Sign up now for updates and early bird discounts here: https://lnkd.in/gc95TDjt See you at our next webinar on July 3 (CZ July 4). We will talk about role of participation in the process of discussing the construction of renewable energy sources. The event with the registration link is already on our profile, so don't miss it and sign-up. #CivicTech #GovTech #DigitalParticipation

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A new monster report from the Government Accountability Office, Congress’s in-house think-tank, shows that “Open Topic” awards in the $4 billion Small Business Innovation Research program draw a larger number of technology companies to apply for funding, promoting competition and increase innovation. Open Topics enable businesses “to define problems and pitch innovative solutions... rather than soliciting only solutions to predefined problems,” GAO wrote. But, as technology companies have been complaining for years, GAO found that many of the “Open Topic” SBIR solicitations are actually just conventional topics in disguise, “narrowly defining needs and suggesting potential solutions.” GAO’s report says the Defense Department should clarify for its components what open topics actually are and how they differ from conventional topics, ensuring the awarding agencies “consistently release open topics that are more broadly defined than their conventional topics.” “We found that DOD may define some open topics too narrowly and miss opportunities to collect innovative proposals,” GAO wrote. The $4 billion SBIR program, run by the Small Business Administration and participating government agencies including DoD, HHS and DHS, acts in essence as a seed fund for technologies with the highest potential impact in the commercial and defense markets. Open Topics invite bidders to describe problems they have discovered and solutions they have developed, and augment and often surpass in impact the priorities the DoD advances on its own. Conventional topics, meanwhile, typically focus on well-understood problems in existing systems and can suggest a preferred technical approach targeted toward a favored potential bidder. That format gives preference to incumbents and SBIR mills, which are operations that treat SBIR funding as a perennial source of revenue, against commercial innovators. To quote Warren Katz, chairman of The Alliance for Commercial Technology in Government: “Open topics enable new ideas the DoD did not think of to be evaluated against things they thought they needed. Almost half of SBIR funding is now awarded via open topics, proving that the innovation ecosystem is coming up with surprise ideas DoD evaluated as superior to their own preconceived notions.” The Alliance represents startups in the commercial tech sector and advocates for policies that expand the government’s base of technology vendors, improve our government services, strengthen our national security. If you want to know more, contact me, Warren or Eric Blatt, the group’s executive director.

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The GAP Initiative at Virginia Tech champions the need for greater investment in agricultural productivity. They continue to lead the charge, providing key insights and actionable recommendations that support farmers and benefit the economy and environment. I highly encourage you all to read this year's report. #Agriculture #AgriculturalProductivity #GAPInitiative 💡https://lnkd.in/eCVUeD8f

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