LEarning and Impact
Why Data Matters at the Trust
Data informs the outcomes we seek.
At the Trust, the use of quantitative and qualitative data provides a baseline of knowledge to help us continuously track progress. Insights gleaned from data are a powerful tool for understanding if an approach is working or whether we need to reevaluate the strategy.
Supporting impacted communities’ efforts to collect and evaluate data allows us to collectively understand issues more deeply. Using data throughout our processes enables us to work thoughtfully for racial equity and systems change.
Our Approach to Evaluation
There are multiple inputs for data evaluation throughout our grant cycles. This is an ongoing process that we use to assess past and current work and plan future grantmaking efforts.
Our Evaluation Framework is guided by three fundamental principles: learning, equitable outcomes, and research.
Learning
We assess the impact of our grantmaking and adapt our goals, approaches, and priorities to ensure our work leads to racial equity and systems change. This includes conducting surveys to better understand the conditions grantees and communities of color experience and the impact of efforts over time. Examples include the Healthy Places NC 10 Year Evaluation Report and the CEP Grantee Perception Report.
Equitable Outcomes
We align our metrics of evaluation with our commitment to centering racial equity. We partner with communities and grantees of color to track and define success, often using population data tracking to show race/ethnicity data points. We also support community data cohorts in their efforts to access and understand data through projects like the Data Resource Library.
Research
We evaluate to understand current, emerging, and innovative programs–to identify evidence-based practices, and further scalable and sustainable solutions for impact. In addition to our own analyses, we support grantees in their research efforts. Recent research areas include Medicaid expansion implementation in rural NC; incidents of ACES in Eastern NC; the impact of Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care; and access to pre-K in Winston-Salem.
Data Resource Library
This Data Resource Library offers health-and-education-related data tools and examples from local NC partners and state and national sources, to help develop the data needed to advocate for change. Our Data Resource Library now offers tools and reports relevant to our Health Improvement and Local Impact programs. Our goal is to support NC organizations working for equitable outcomes and systems change.