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The Pew Fund Evaluation Capacity Building Initiative

Pew Fund for Health and Human Services

The Evaluation Capacity Building Initiative (ECBI) supports Pew Fund grantees in building the knowledge, tools, and mindsets needed to use data and evidence to improve programs, elevate community voice, and advance equity. Through customized coaching, peer learning, and hands-on support, organizations strengthen their capacity to learn, adapt, and sustain a culture of data-informed decision-making.

At the heart of ECBI is an equity-centered approach to evaluation—one that emphasizes authentic community engagement, shared learning, and courageous reflection. Pew partners with MAI, ImpactED, and Grovider to help Pew grantees explore how to collect more useful data, encourage data-driven organizational cultures, and build stronger programs. Together, we help organizations design and implement evaluation strategies that are meaningful, actionable, and aligned with the communities they serve. Our framework—centered around People, Purpose, Process, and Practice—guides teams to clarify their goals, develop inclusive learning cultures, and use data to drive lasting impact.

How We Support Organizations:

  • Coaching & Custom Support: Each organization is paired with an experienced coach who helps set priorities, co-develop a learning plan, and provide tailored support throughout the journey.
  • Learning Summits: Teams participate in in-person learning summits that offer collaborative learning, peer exchange, and focused leadership development.
  • Equity-Focused Modules: Organizations complete core and elective modules on topics such as equitable evaluation, data use, and sustainability planning.
  • Senior Leader Engagement: A dedicated learning community helps leaders cultivate inclusive practices and strategic alignment to support long-term change.

Through ECBI, we commit to collaboration, humility, courage, and action. We work alongside organizations to build sustainable, equity-centered evaluation practices that not only measure impact—but deepen it.

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Check out the Equity in Evaluation Podcast Series

Equitable evaluation is about appreciating that there is always something to learn, valuing the dynamic nature of people and data, and honoring the authentic expertise and lived experiences of those most impacted by the evaluation. 

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Don Haworth

Administrative Coordinator

Don Haworth is MAI’s Administrative Coordinator, supporting grants management, accounting, and office operations. Prior to joining MAI, Don worked for Prince George’s County, Maryland, for over twenty years as a firefighter/paramedic, and served in the U.S. Air Force. Don has a long history of volunteer community service, including serving as a volunteer with Boy Scouts of America, participating in and leading several community groups, and was a volunteer firefighter. When he is not working at MAI, Don teaches martial arts and skiing/snowboarding.

Sarah Pepper

Statistical Consultant

Sarah Pepper serves as a Statistical Consultant with MAI. Over the past 25 years, she has worked with a wide range of non-profit organizations and foundations to facilitate the design of data collection and analysis approaches and to help organizations strategize around manageable ways to monitor their fidelity to intended implementation efforts and anticipated outcomes.

She enjoys the experience of continually learning from each organization with which she has the pleasure to work. Sarah is grateful for the opportunity to jointly create evaluation tools and processes that are mutually beneficial to participants and practitioners.

Prior to working with MAI, Sarah worked with Public/Private Ventures as a Research Associate. She earned a Ph.D. in Demography and Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Sarah lives outside of Philadelphia where she enjoys officiating track meets, making new vegetarian recipes, and keeping up with the adventures of her adult children.

Sara Greenfield

Research Associate

Sara Greenfield is a Research Associate at MAI. In her capacity as a Project Manager, Sara has led and overseen numerous diverse projects at MAI. Her experience extends across a spectrum of sectors, including social, health, education, and environmental justice. Sara also brings valuable experience in evaluating learning networks and communities of practice.

Sara is a mixed-methods researcher and is committed to applying a racial equity lens and cultural humility to all of her evaluation work. She is dedicated to gathering nuanced, systematic information about program implementation, constituent voices and experiences, programmatic outcomes, and areas of opportunity. Sara’s passion infuses depth and inclusivity into her evaluation work, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of diverse perspectives and advancing equity within her projects.

Sara, a first-generation Latina college graduate, earned her B.A. in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience from Temple University.

Sara, her husband Cliff, and two kiddos enjoy exploring outside, cooking and baking together, reading, and doing puzzles!

Wendy McClanahan

President/CEO

Wendy McClanahan is McClanahan Associate’s (MAI) President/CEO. Wendy uses her research and evaluation expertise to help programs, initiatives, and organizations maximize their impact, improve their practice, and fuel systemic change. Her approach centers the expertise and assets of the organizations she works with and the people they serve.

Over her career, Wendy has led studies of out-of-school time and mentoring programs, violence and crime reduction programs, health equity initiatives, and employment and training programs. She also works with organizations to help them grow their evaluation and learning capacity.

Prior to forming MAI, Wendy was senior vice president for research and evaluation at Public/Private Ventures. She has a PhD in Criminology from the University of Pennsylvania and a MS in Human Development from Penn State. 

Wendy lives in the Philadelphia area and enjoys hanging out with her family and friends, playing games, and doing things that get her outside, like skiing and (leisurely) swimming (also known as “floating”).

“My approach to equitable research and evaluation is deeply informed by both my professional expertise and my personal experiences.

Growing up in a family with diverse socioeconomic and cultural roots and later raising a multiracial family has cultivated a profound understanding of varied pathways and the systemic forces that shape opportunity.

This lived experience, which includes navigating the collateral impact of the justice system on families, strengthens my commitment to research that not only rigorously analyzes data but also authentically centers lived experiences and drives actionable change for youth and families.” – Wendy McClanahan