Yellow Wood provides formative and summative evaluation services to a range of clients including non-profits, collaboratives, government agencies, and community foundations. Our approach to evaluation engages clients in defining their goals and baseline conditions. We use qualitative and quantitative approaches to provide information on which to base data-driven decisions.
The Rutland Area Farm and Food Link received a 2014 partnership grant from Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (NESARE). Rutland Area Farm and Food Link’s (RAFFL) programs link small-scale, diversified, and local farms with new…
In connection with our work on the Wallace Center Nourishing Networks – Improving the Food Environment Project, Yellow Wood provided consulting services to Wallace under the Nourishing Networks: Capacity Building for Food Hubs and Regional Food Systems…
The Rural Health Network of South Central New York continued their work with Yellow Wood Associates, selecting Yellow Wood to provide their Rural Health Service Corps AmeriCorps program evaluation for the 2013-2014 program year. In addition, the Rural…
Morse Marketing, a consulting firm working in multi-sector partnerships across a variety of food-related initiatives, turned to Yellow Wood to provide guidance in evaluating the effectiveness of a Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development Program Educational…
Yellow Wood Associates worked for the Wallace Center at Winrock International on the Nourishing Networks – Improving the Food Environment project, funded by The Kresge Foundation. Yellow Wood served on the Food Hub Collaboration Core Team; provided…
In connection with our work on the Wallace Center Nourishing Networks – Improving the Food Environment Project, Yellow Wood provided consulting services to Wallace under the Increasing Farmer Success in Local Food Markets in Mississippi and Alabama…
Yellow Wood designed and administered a survey on evaluation metrics for the Farm to Plate Network Technical Assistance for Producers and Processors Working Group, which is facilitated by the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund. The need for improved program…
The Rural Health Network of South Central New York sought consulting services to evaluate their Rural Health Service Corps (RHSC) AmeriCorps program from the period of September 1, 2012 through November 30, 2013. Yellow Wood evaluated the data reported…
The Wallace Center invited Yellow Wood to participate as evaluator and core team member in the National Good Food Network Food Hub Collaboration, an initiative funded by the Kresge Foundation to strengthen regional food hubs and their contributions…
Yellow Wood was the local evaluator for Workforce Central, an initiative of the Community Foundation of Greater South Wood County (now Incourage Community Foundation) and its strategic partners funded by the National Workforce Solutions Fund (NWSF).…
Yellow Wood Associates evaluated the second half of the Wallace Center's Expanding Sustainable and Community-based Food Systems project funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. The multi-faceted project included regranting to four organizations involved…
Shanna Ratner, Principal, presented on "Local Wealth Creation, Diversification and Retention." This presentation provided an overview of the wealth creation approach to rural development and the Ford Foundation's…
The Central Appalachian Network (CAN) is a group of seven nonprofits in the Central Appalachian states of Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia focused on transforming Central Appalachia’s economy by creating economic opportunities…
Yellow Wood provided assistance with qualitative data gathering for the Wallace Center. This assistance included developing interview questions, interviewing growers, and synthesizing interview responses.
Yellow Wood Associates was selected as the evaluator for the Advantage Valley Entrepreneurial Development System. Advantage Valley was one of six initiatives funded by the Kellogg Foundation to experiment with a variety of approaches for encouraging…
Yellow Wood worked with the Wallace Center to develop a scope of work for evaluation of the Accelerating Community Based Food Systems project, funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Presented "Introduction to You Get What You Measure®" at Evaluation 2007: Evaluation and Learning, the American Evaluation Assocation's 2007 annual conference in Baltimore, Maryland. Shanna Ratner co-presented with Kim Norris.
Yellow Wood evaluated the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and its work helping advance farming systems that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities through a nationwide research and education…
Shanna Ratner provided coaching and mentoring for 2005 Measurement Guide Jeff Forward of Forward Thinking Consultants as he facilitated his first You Get What You Measure® session with the Vermont Environmental Consortium at Groton State Park on Monday,…
The Vermont Association of Conservation Commissions hired Yellow Wood to help design a participatory evaluation process for a project in which five rural communities received funds to prepare directories of local agricultural products and producers…
Yellow Wood provided assistance to the manager of RUPRI's Community Clustering Initiative in considering how to evaluate progress toward the Initiative's goals related to strengthening local governance. This innovative project uses computer communications…
Shanna Ratner provided coaching and mentoring for 2005 Measurement Guide Samin Dadelahi as she conducted her first solo session of You Get What You Measure® at the Wyoming Community Foundation. The “Wyoming Community Foundation Evaluation and Planning…
Shanna Ratner provided coaching and mentoring for 2002 Measurement Guide Karen Affeld from Rural Action, a nonprofit organization that builds model sustainable development projects and encourages a broad civic conversation around Appalachian Ohio’s…
The Aspen Institute’s Community Strategies Group, which is administering the Ford Foundation’s Community-Based Forestry Initiative in the United States, invited Shanna Ratner of Yellow Wood Associates to review and analyze the monitoring plans of nine…
Yellow Wood Associates, Inc. analyzed the EZ/EC Communities’ Annual Benchmark Progress Reports and prepared a summary document for the Community Partnership Center of the University of Tennessee. The report discussed areas of accomplishment, common…
Yellow Wood Associates, Inc. was invited by the Aspen Institute to participate in a review of the East Tennessee Foundation’s rural communities initiative. Offered feedback and advice on delivering technical assistance to community groups.
Yellow Wood Associates, Inc. worked with the Maine State Rural Development Council to evaluate a program providing integrated service to secondary wood processors in five areas of the state. The work involved a literature review, on-site interviews,…
