EVENTS

The MAE events page features all upcoming MAE sponsored events and access to our past conference events. MAE is dedicated to providing learning opportunities pertaining to evaluation for members, evaluators, funders and program staff.

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Upcoming Events 

Workshop and Networking Event

Please join us in Lansing on May 21 for two concurrent, in-person workshops at the Lansing Armory followed by a fun networking event (food and drinks provided) at Lansing Brewing Company! 

Workshop Cost: FREE for members, $40 for non-members. Please note that an annual membership is $60 for an individual and $20 for students. Head on over to our membership page to sign up so you can maximize your investment by gaining free or discounted access to all other MAE events for the next year! The networking event is free to all! 

Please note that you need to register separately for the workshop of your choice and for the networking event (see registration information and more details about the events below). 

MAE will also be hosting a free coffee meet and greet in Ypsilanti on June 25. Come enjoy free coffee and snacks at Vertex from 10 am to noon with your fellow evaluators and peers to discuss evaluation, MAE, and to ponder on the future. Open to all MAE and non-MAE members. RSVP welcome but not required. 

Learn More Here

Workshop #1 - Learning Logs: The good, the bad, the ugly, and the one we’re excited to share about

Authors/co-presenters:  Ebonie Guyton, Mary Mattson, and Ramona Perry from the Emergence Collective

Session Objectives — At the end of the session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify key design considerations for learning log structures, including tool selection, format options, and participatory mechanisms that balance utility with maintenance capacity across different evaluation contexts.

2. Apply key principles of participatory practice to the use of learning logs, including strategies for engaging stakeholders in real-time documentation, collaborative sense-making, and adaptive decision-making.

3. Assess capacity requirements and sustainability considerations for implementing and maintaining learning logs across different project types and partnership configurations.

Session Description

In this two-part session, we will explore the evolution and practical application of learning logs as a participatory evaluation tool. Drawing on Emergence Collective's experience across multiple partnerships and projects, we'll examine how learning logs serve as dynamic, collaborative instruments for real-time decision-making, adaptation, and knowledge building.

Part 1: Learning Logs in Practice

We'll share how our team has evolved the use of learning logs over the years,from lengthy spreadsheets and disconnected Google Docs to centralized documents that integrate multiple learning questions, findings, and categories. This session will highlight:

• Specific tools we use and why: The platforms, formats, and structures that have proven most effective for different project contexts.

• What participatory practice looks like in real time: How learning logs enable ongoing dialogue with partners, capture emergent insights, and adapt to shifting project needs.

• Variation across projects: How we've customized learning log approaches for different partnerships, stakeholder groups, and evaluation questions,and what drives those design decisions.

• Capacity requirements: The time, skills, and organizational structures needed to maintain learning logs effectively and ensure they remain useful rather than becoming burdensome.

Part 2: Hands-On Workshop

The second half will be interactive and workshop-style. Participants will work with real-time examples from projects in the room to discuss and prototype how learning logs could be embedded in their own evaluation work. Through guided exercises and peer exchange, we'll explore how learning logs can be adapted to fit different contexts, stakeholder configurations, and evaluation purposes.

Join us to explore how learning logs can streamline documentation, enhance stakeholder engagement, and support meaningful, real-time decision-making in participatory evaluation practice.

Workshop # 2 - From Intention to Action: Using a Theory of Change to Operationalize Your Equity Statement

Presenter: Alex Hildebrand, Principal, Sunburst Strategies

Session Objectives — At the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• Understand how a Theory of Change can be used to develop and map an organization’s approach to advancing DEI

• Learn best practices based on lessons learned from on-the-ground efforts to integrate DEI into an organization’s mission work

• Be exposed to real-world examples of organizations that have used Theories of Change to determine how they operationalize DEI in their program design and delivery

• Gain insights from practice exercises and peer discussion about the opportunities and challenges of operationalizing DEI work

Session Description

Many nonprofits, foundations, and public agencies have penned equity statements to convey their commitment to advancing DEI. While this is an important starting point, equity statements are not sufficiently detailed to guide implementation of an organization’s equity work, and also run the risk of frustrating internal and external stakeholders if there is not substance to back up the message.

This session will show you how a Theory of Change – which is an effective tool for learning, planning and accountability because it forces you to define in detail whom you serve, how you serve them, and the outcomes that define success for your work - can serve as a framework for explicating an organization’s equity commitment.

The session will consist of a presentation of concepts, utilizing real-life examples that demonstrate both the opportunities and pitfalls of working to advance equity, and then engage participants in exercises and conversations to explore how the concepts can be applied in their own contexts.