What Pilot Participants Say About the Lab
In 2018, a pilot of the Innovations Lab was conducted to test the concept. The resulting evaluations proved that the concept was solid, with few modifications.
A compilation and analysis of the all the workshop evaluations revealed that the participants in the workshops gave an overall rating of 9.2 in a scale of 1 to 10 to the overall effectiveness of the workshops and the usefulness of knowledge gained. The
The participants revealed that storytelling and the storytelling arc as well as photography lessons were the most frequently mentioned in the categories of insights learned/knowledge gained. They also expressed that they gained beneficial knowledge of outcomes and logic models.
Most participants revealed that the expected knowledge far exceeded expectations. A number of participants expressed the desire for a longer workshop that would culminate in recording a video for the storytelling workshop. For the outcome/logic model coursework, participants expressed that they received all the knowledge expected.
Participants said ”The Innovations Lab Pilot improves the ability of the nonprofit organizations to better describe their program or idea to Grantmakers and the public as measured by descriptions done before and after the Pilot and by Grantmakers indicating a desire to explore funding for the program/idea.”
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