Meet the Local Evaluation Firms: Large Firms

Are you a student or an evaluation professional looking to explore evaluation consulting?  Do you work for a nonprofit, foundation or government organization, that is looking for evaluation/research consultants to partner with?  Are you just curious about the consulting landscape in Minnesota and western Wisconsin?  If so, please join us for our first of two Meet the Local Evaluation Organizations events, with a focus on large firms.

Back by popular demand, MNEA is hosting a virtual event series to introduce our members to local evaluation firms and independent consultants, representing some that are women-owned and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) owned businesses and organizations. In these events you will learn about what each organization does and what they offer to the evaluation community in our region. You will also get an opportunity to speak one on one with representatives from organizations and firms to ask them questions and make connections.

The first event on October 7 features six of the larger firms in our area, with a wide range of focus areas and expertise.  If you would like to learn more about smaller organizations in our region, please join us on October 14 for the second event in our series, Meet the Evaluation Organizations: Small Organizations and Independent Consultant. You can register for that event here.

This event is free to members and non-members, but registration is required.

The larger organizations featured at our October 7 event are:

Catalyst - University of Wisconsin - Stout
evolvewithcatalyst.com

Catalyst is a University Based Center for evaluation and research housed at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, WI - just an hour outside Minneapolis. A small team of experienced evaluators along with graduate assistants from the MS in Applied Psychology program, work with both internal and external clients to conduct program evaluation, needs assessment, and strategic planning. Focused primarily on education and public health initiatives, the team has evaluated over $52 million in grant-funded initiatives. They are also experienced evaluation educators and have published a book on conducting focus groups.

The Improve Group
www.theimprovegroup.com/

The Improve Group is a woman-owned, full-service evaluation, research, and strategic planning consulting firm based in St. Paul, Minnesota. We are a Public Benefit Corporation committed to helping local, national, and international organizations make the most of information, navigate complexity, and ensure their investments lead to meaningful, sustained impact. That commitment is connected to our vision, which is that mission-driven organizations will effectively develop more resilient, equitable, and thriving communities.  We are guided by equity in all of our work. We know that this requires thoughtfulness, attention and dedication. Read our equity statement on our website.       

Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor
www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us

The Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) is a professional, nonpartisan audit and evaluation office within the legislative branch of Minnesota state government. The office's principal goal is to provide the Legislature, agencies, and the public with audit and evaluation reports that are accurate, objective, timely, and useful. Through its reports, the office seeks to strengthen accountability and promote good management in government. OLA has two divisions: the Financial Audit Division and the Program Evaluation Division. The Program Evaluation Division has a staff of about 16 full-time professionals with advanced degrees in fields including economics, health, public policy, and sociology.

Professional Data Analysts, Inc.
www.pdastats.com

We are a full-service program evaluation firm, located in Minneapolis. We work with organizations across the United States on various public health initiatives, from COVID-19 to diabetes to tobacco control. We're a Certified B Corporation full of data nerds, sustainability stewards, and dog lovers. Our mission is to create positive social impact by providing tailored data-centric solutions that move public health initiatives forward. As a public benefit corporation, we're committed to our clients, our community, and our environment.

TerraLuna Collaborative
www.terralunacollaborative.com

TerraLuna Collaborative is a learning partner advancing people-centered learning to build a just and equitable world. We conduct evaluation, research, and facilitation to improve programs, strengthen organizations and support systems change initiatives.

Wilder Research
www.wilder.org/wilder-research

Wilder Research, a division of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation in Saint Paul, Minnesota, is a nationally respected research and evaluation group. Our mission is to improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities through research and evaluation. As a community-focused organization, we work collaboratively with our clients to examine issues and the effectiveness of programs and services, and provide credible information and data that can be used to improve services, plan for the future, allocate funds, revise policies, and increase public awareness about critical issues.