DOI
10.9707/1944-5660.1294
Key Points
Relatively few comprehensive evaluations have assessed the principles, elements, and impacts of philanthropic organizations’ field-building endeavors. To help fill this gap, this article shares the results of a five-year evaluation of a large-scale field-building initiative: Blue Shield of California Foundation’s Strong Field Project.
The project’s goal was to strengthen the domestic violence field by equipping it with a critical mass of diverse individuals and organizations to lead a stronger movement to end domestic violence in California. Its approach aimed to strengthen field leadership and organizations, and to create vibrant collaborative networks.
Evaluation data show that the project achieved much of its desired impact on the domestic violence field in California, in particular by challenging long-held assumptions and entrenched patterns that had stalled the development of the field. The Strong Field Project may serve as a model for field-building initiatives across the nation.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Cao Yu, H., Henderson-Frakes, J., & Corral Peña, L. (2016). Building a Field: Blue Shield of California Foundation's Strong Field Project Leaves a Legacy and Valuable Lessons. The Foundation Review, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.9707/1944-5660.1294
Open Access Sponsor
Support for this open access article is provided by Blue Shield Foundation of California.
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