What's Your Impact?
Are your organization’s programs achieving their goals? (And what exactly are those goals?) Funders and donors are increasingly taking a hard look at whether the programs they fund – from arts in schools to other youth and education, audience engagement, access, diversity and inclusion initiatives – are having the impact they promised. Managers, artists and boards are equally keen to know if their efforts are meaningfully contributing to the development of their organization, neighbourhood and the larger arts community. This session draws on initiatives for a sector-driven and collaborative evaluation strategy: one that makes thoughtful use of evidence in order to understand and grow the impact you want your programs to have.
Measure what counts and make it count: appreciate the potential of moving cultural program evaluation from an exercise undertaken to satisfy funders to a tool for learning, understanding, and building creativity and love of the arts.
St. Crispins Studio, Lower Floor
The Bata Shoe Museum
327 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M5S 1W7
4:45 pm Self guided tour and access to The Bata Shoe Museum's collections (optional)
5:30 pm Registration opens
5:45 pm Opening Remarks by Jini Stolk, Toronto Arts Foundation Research Fellow
5:50 pm Presentation by Andrew Taylor, Principal Consultant of Taylor Newberry Consulting
6:15 pm Panel discussion featuring Margo Charlton, Research and Impact Manager, Toronto Arts Council/Toronto Arts Foundation, Liz Forsberg, Strategy Lead, Ontario Trillium Foundation
6:45 pm Questions & Answers
7:00 pm Closing Remarks/Announcements
Refreshments and networking to follow. Additional panelist to be announced!
Space is limited. Registration is required. Contact Alexandra Loewen at alexandra@torontoarts.org or by phone (416) 392-6802 x215
Speaker & Panelist Biographies
Andrew Taylor is a specialist in non-profit program evaluation who has worked with groups of all sizes across North America. He frequently collaborates with organizations in the arts sector. Andrew is co-owner of Taylor Newberry Consulting (TNC), a company based in Guelph that specializes in helping non-profit groups make better use of research evidence. TNC’s approach focuses on generating practical, useful information that can inform action. Andrew is also an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Psychology at the University of Guelph and Resident Evaluation Expert at the Ontario Nonprofit Network, where he frequently blogs on evaluation issues.
Liz Forsberg is a passionate champion for the role arts and culture play in building vibrant communities and has spent over 15 years working at the intersection of the arts and social change. She is the Lead, Innovation and Impact at the Ontario Trillium Foundation and previously served as the executive director of Art Starts. Liz holds a Master's degree from York University with a research focus on community-engaged arts practice. In 2015 she was named an inaugural fellow of the Toronto Arts Council's Cultural Leaders Lab.