Ekouté works with a range of high-profile clients, from philanthropic foundations and policy organizations to nonprofits operating in the feedback, youth development and education spaces.
FUND FOR SHARED INSIGHT
Ekouté serves as the project lead for Listen for Good, a multi-year grant initiative that builds nonprofits’ ability to develop effective feedback loops with end beneficiaries of their services. As the original designers of the offering, we lead a coaching team that supports more than 200 grantee organizations with both technical and strategic advice. We are also developing a publicly available app that synthesizes all our learnings and tools over the past 3 years.
WILLIAM & FLORA HEWLETT FOUNDATION
Ekouté completed a landscape analysis looking at how foundations are systematically listening to the people that they seek to help. Our landscape analysis featured findings from 21 foundations and 9 industry experts, and specifically sought to map listening efforts across both the strategy areas and life cycle of foundation decision-making.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY GREATER SAN FRANCISCO
Ekouté worked with Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco to help them better define their desired outcomes and build a refined impact measurement strategy and data collection plan that more accurately captures their impact.
NEW DOOR VENTURES
Ekouté led New Door’s multiyear strategic planning effort in 2015. Our work included mapping the out-migration of opportunity youth out of the immediate Bay Area as well as conducting analyses of potential expansion sites, which informed New Door’s expansion to Oakland and Hayward in 2017. In 2019, we led a comprehensive youth input process to inform New Door’s pilot Bridge program including leading focus groups with youth and conducting a survey of current program youth and alumni.
ALLIANCE FOR GIRLS
In collaboration with another firm, Ekouté is conducting an evaluation of AFG, a regional alliance of girl-serving organizations in the Bay Area. Key areas of focus include assessing the efficacy of AFG’s network development efforts, leadership development efforts, and advocacy program. Data collection tools include a membership survey and a panel of interviews.
OMIDYAR NETWORK
Ekouté is currently serving as an advisor to the Omidyar Network, supporting efforts to institutionalize stakeholder listening efforts as well as develop systematic listening supports that can be used by its investees.
DAVID AND LUCILE PACKARD FOUNDATION
Ekouté prepared memos on pressing youth needs across the five county region served by the foundation's Local Grantmaking: Youth Strategy team (Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties). Ekouté conducted research specifically on levels of poverty, youth educational outcomes, and social-emotional outcomes.
CRESCENT PORTER HALE FOUNDATION
Ekouté supported Crescent Porter Hale in the development of its new Middle School Youth Success strategy. We conducted a landscape analysis examining the need and opportunities for philanthropic funding focused specifically on middle school youth in the Bay Area. We then designed the foundation’s diligence criteria and assessment framework.
EDNA McCONNELL CLARK FOUNDATION
Ekouté provided coaching services focused on performance measurement efforts to select youth development grantees as a part of PropelNext, a three-year capacity building program that helps youth-serving organizations use outcome data for learning,and continuous improvement. Ekoute also provides portfolio-wide guidance for gathering and responding to youth feedback across PropelNext grantees.
FEEDBACK LABS
Ekouté was the primary advisor for the development of Feedback Labs’ inaugural Crash Course on Feedback. To cap off the collaboration, we have led the Crash Course training for diverse leaders and practitioners for more than two years.
KATHLEEN KELLY JANUS
Ekouté designed a comprehensive survey of social entrepreneurs for Janus’ recently published book, Social Startup Success. Our team also completed all survey data analysis and synthesis of results that informed Janus’ findings. Janus now serves as the Senior Advisor for Social Innovation for Governor Gavin Newsom of California.
BLAGRAVE TRUST
Ekouté provided training as a part of the kickoff meeting for Blagrave Trust’s Listening Fund, with more than 20 youth-serving organizations across the United Kingdom. We shared best practices and approaches for systematically listening and responding to feedback from at-risk youth.
CENTER FOR YOUTH WELLNESS
Ekouté led early strategic planning efforts for the rapidly growing nonprofit, which has since become a recognized national thought leader in the field of toxic stress and adverse childhood experiences.
POLICY ANALYSIS OF CALIFORNIA EDUCATION
Ekouté led strategic planning efforts to evolve the organization’s approach in light of a changing state policy and funding landscape. Our work included designing and implementing a broad-scale stakeholder survey, leading internal strategic planning workshops and advising PACE on the development of its first-ever Advisory Board.