Measuring our impact
As we enter a time of going inward in the Northern Hemisphere (especially in the northeastern US where several of us live), Alma Partners has been planning for 2024 and beyond. We’re thinking about how we can best serve all of you this coming year, as our country and the world continue to face wars and other crises, including troubling polarization and division between people and the ongoing impacts of the global pandemic. We continuously ask ourselves, “What are our unique abilities and responsibilities? How can we make a difference?”
The feedback we get directly from our clients is one of our best guides for action. This past summer, heading into our fourth year, we conducted an Impact Assessment Survey of current and former clients so that we could measure our work more concretely. Here’s some of what we heard from the 22 respondents (out of approx. 35 clients):
91% of respondents said that in their work with us, they learned new things or had a chance to reflect more deeply on something they already knew.
73% said that working with Alma Partners has helped their organization make measurable and/or meaningful change. In particular, collaborating with us has helped our clients:
Develop a shared understanding of key DEIJ concepts/language (73%)
Define/clarify vocabulary (68%)
Clarify their stance on DEIJ work (59%)
Better understand their students, families, community, and/or stakeholders (55%)
Respondents said we are strongest in the areas of:
Content and depth of knowledge (85%)
Rapport with and respect for the group (80%)
Clients told us that their biggest interests/needs in the coming year are:
Online courses (50%)
Policy Review and Development (50%)
Workshops (44%)
Respondents asked us to consider offering the following in 2024:
In-person DEIJ and Belonging Conferences for Faculty/Staff/Board (67%)
Parent Evening Support (61%)
In-person DEIJ and Belonging Conferences for Students (44%)
Schools engaging in our online course, Fulfilling Our Promise: Becoming Inclusive Waldorf Communities, said the best parts of the course are:
“We are having meaningful discussions” (70%)
“We are learning new things” (60%)
“We are making changes to our practices based on our evolving understanding” (40%)
“We are strengthening our relationships with each other (40%)”
In their own words, we heard from clients that our work has helped them:
“Work in the spirit of calling others in rather than calling out”
“Become aware of my own biases and question them”
“Change policies and curriculum”
“See active listening as a spiritual practice”
“View my colleagues as lifelong learners”
About 60% of our clients said they plan to continue working with us. General feedback from the survey included the following comments:
“Alma Partners' ability to articulate challenges and speak the truth with empathy and understanding is helping bring the struggle to light so we can all face it.”
“We affirm your relationship-centered approach to the work.”
“We are so grateful to you for your support in our learning process as an organization! We have all loved and appreciated working with you!”
We deeply value your feedback, whether you participated in the survey, gave us input after a workshop with us, or connected with us in another way to share your thoughts. Please continue to let us know what you need, whether you are a former, current, or prospective client. We are listening, and we are here to support you.
Interested in working with us? Join a group info session. (Held monthly, except in December.)