At Project Evident, we’re committed to empowering practitioners to drive their own evidence agendas. Our Equitable Outcomes Wallet plays a crucial role in this mission by connecting nonprofits with free evidence-related technical assistance (TA), helping them deliver strong, equitable outcomes for the communities they serve. Dr. Sara Elliot is one of our TA partners. She is an evaluation and learning consultant who has over two decades of experience in community-based research and evaluation and nonprofit leadership. Project Evident Program Associate Sara Molho recently sat down with Sara Elliott to discuss her journey, insights, and the importance of technical assistance in the nonprofit sector.

Can you tell us about your background and how you came into technical assistance?

I’ve been doing research and evaluation work in the nonprofit sector for about 20 years. A significant turning point was 15 years ago when I started an evaluation and learning fellowship at The Skillman Foundation in Detroit. Part of my role involved providing technical assistance to grantees, particularly in tracking performance indicators and measures. We built dashboards for community-level outputs and internal metrics for trustees. After the fellowship, the Foundation asked me to seed a resource center for Detroit’s youth development providers, where I served as the executive director for about eight years. A couple of years ago, I transitioned to independent consulting, focusing on learning and evaluation, which led me to join Project Evident as a technical assistance partner.

What excites you about this work?

I find it fulfilling to be a resource for nonprofit leaders and staff. We all know how important data is for quality, accountability, and ongoing learning and improvement. Still, it’s not always work that gets prioritized in the day-to-day busyness. Creating space for leaders to focus on this aspect of their work is rewarding. 

When I was an executive director, it was rare to find a neutral thought partner outside the ecosystem. Working with Project Evident allows me to be that person for directors, helping them organize their thoughts and document their thinking. Often, the knowledge and solutions are already there in their heads, but they don’t always get the chance to articulate their learning and evaluation plans clearly.

What trends are you seeing in your work with nonprofits?

I’m noticing several trends:

1. Executive director transitions, partly due to generational shifts with baby boomers retiring, and partly around creating more space for leaders of color.
2. Burnout across the board, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic.
3. Increased focus on wellness, strong boundaries, and employee benefits in the nonprofit sector.
4. Discussions around equity, not just racial equity but the full spectrum of equity issues.
5. Challenges with evidence-based practices and measures, particularly when the evidence wasn’t created inclusively from the start.

What do you perceive to be the biggest challenges when providing technical assistance support?

The two main challenges are time and finding the right match. Creating space for thought work in busy schedules is often difficult. Sometimes, it takes a few sessions to identify the core issue and determine if I have the right expertise to address it. In some cases, we might need to bring in additional experts, like data analysts from the corporate sector, which can require careful translation between nonprofit needs and technical expertise.

What advice do you have for organizations that are unsure about moving forward with technical assistance?

I would encourage organizations to embrace having an outside perspective. It’s worth carving out time to have people who care about your mission but are adjacent to your team provide technical assistance. While it can be challenging to find time for staff engagement, involving the operational and program staff in the process can be really important as they often have crucial insights into day-to-day operations.

Any final thoughts you’d like to share?

I think it’s important to recognize that while funders often ask for hard numbers on impact, emergent learning is also crucial. Taking the time to track cycles of learning in the organization and document that process is valuable. Many quality improvement systems originated in corporate or military settings, so nonprofits shouldn’t hesitate to engage in continuous quality improvement and emergent learning. These practices have made many corporations highly impactful and successful, and they can do the same for nonprofits.