Meet the minds behind the movement.

Jennifer Marsack, she/her

  • Jenny leads Pivot Data Design with a transformative vision, redefining the role of data in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Her mission is to elevate data from a tool of obligatory reporting to a dynamic catalyst for organizational learning and strategic decision-making. With a background as a social worker, she brings a human-centered approach to her work, pivotal in her extensive collaborations with small, locally-led grassroots organizations. Together with these groups, Jenny works to uplift their strengths while building their evaluation capacities, shifting from passive data consumption to active and meaningful engagement.

    As the President of the Michigan Association for Evaluation, Jenny champions the integration of rigorous evaluation with community-led initiatives, pushing the boundaries of traditional philanthropy. Outside of work, Jenny finds balance and inspiration at her Chicago home, where her front porch serves as a retreat for reflection and nurturing connections with family and friends—her favorite way to unwind and connect.

Founder and CEO, Pivot Data Design

“I believe that place-based learning establishes a vital avenue for communities and philanthropies to collaborate as equals, sharing insights and decision-making, growing together."

Why do I want to support this community?

I am committed to deepening the field of philanthropy's understanding of community-driven learning approaches. By uniting our strengths and sharing our diverse knowledge, we can evolve place-based learning from being fragmented and occasional to something that is cohesive and consistently collaborative. Together, we aim to explore innovative learning approaches that enhance our engagement with, and knowledge of, our communities, sharing successes and learning from challenges together.

Martena Reed, she/he

  • Martena, leader of Reflect Evaluation, proudly calls Baltimore City home. As an evaluation consultant, she brings a wealth of expertise in evaluation, evaluation planning and capacity strengthening, working closely with youth, community leaders, and program managers.

    Martena truly relates to the intricacies of supporting place-based evaluation thanks to her work as an evaluation officer at the Annie E. Casey Foundation. She served as a funding and thought partner for the evaluation of leadership development programming, community-based participatory research in Baltimore City, and community-led violence intervention efforts in Atlanta. Martena is skilled at bridging the gaps between evaluation consultants, program managers, and community members, ensuring smooth and effective collaboration. Having served as co-designer of the Leaders for Equitable Evaluation and Diversity (LEEAD) program while at Casey, she brings valuable insights for field-building initiatives.

    A social worker at heart, Martena thrives on listening, making connections in the moment, and helping others relate evaluation concepts to their lives and personal roles. Her facilitative approach emphasizes real-time meaning-making, ensuring that evaluation is not just a task but a transformative process.

Founder and CEO, Reflect Evaluation

“I believe we create more equitable systems by equipping communities, especially communities of color, to collect, analyze, interpret, and use their own data.”

Why do I want to support this community?

I want to support this community to promote shared learning and action and to highlight commonalities rather than differences. Place-based work often emphasizes how each community is different from one another. And while there are diverse histories and cultures that make us unique, we often have more in common than it seems. Focusing on differences can create silos, but by emphasizing our commonalities and celebrating our uniqueness, we can help to prevent the same challenges or harmful approaches to place-based learning and evaluation.

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