Data with a Heart. Evaluation with a Purpose.
Your Story. Your Data. Your Power.

Hello!

My name is Jodie, and I'm the founder of Change Amplifiers Research and Consulting. For 13 years, I've worked alongside nonprofits and local governments — not just studying their programs, but partnering with them and the communities they serve to turn complex information into clarity, action, and real impact. My work brings together social science insight, applied research, and hands-on experience in public and nonprofit systems to strengthen programs, demonstrate impact, and center the human stories behind the data. Because behind every data point is someone's lived experience — and that story deserves to be honored, understood, and used to make life better.

Over the past decade, I've led evaluation and research initiatives across government and nonprofit sectors, helping organizations learn from their work and translate evidence into strategies that create meaningful change. Everything I do is guided by one core belief: your story, your data, your power.

A Systems View of Change and Equity

I approach my work through the understanding that programs operate within larger social and institutional systems. Effective evaluation requires more than measuring short-term outcomes — it requires examining the structures, relationships, and policies that shape people's lives and influence results. My work focuses on uncovering how programs interact with these systems, identifying leverage points for improvement, and building pathways toward greater equity and inclusion.

I help organizations articulate their theories of change and develop indicators that capture not only program outputs but also shifts in power, access, and opportunity. This means asking deeper questions about why outcomes occur, for whom they occur, and how they can be sustained. Because making data human means going beyond the numbers to understand the systems and stories that produced them. My approach integrates both quantitative and qualitative methods to create a complete picture of program effectiveness — one that connects numbers to context and performance to purpose.

Understanding People, Culture, and Context

Every program exists within a cultural and community context. Understanding that context — people's values, relationships, and lived experiences — is key to interpreting data accurately and designing strategies that work. My work is guided by a belief that the most effective programs are those that respect and reflect the realities of participants and communities. This is what it means to be community-centered: keeping the voices and needs of the people closest to the work at the heart of every question we ask and every insight we uncover.

I use qualitative methods such as interviews, focus groups, and narrative analysis to bring community voices to the forefront. These insights illuminate how and why programs succeed or struggle in particular settings. I also help organizations use storytelling and participatory approaches to ensure that evaluation is not just about measuring people but learning with them — because communities deserve to own their narratives and use their own data to drive their own change.

This perspective keeps my work grounded in empathy and cultural understanding. It ensures that findings are not abstract, but actionable — rooted in the actual experiences of those who engage with programs every day.

Bridging Research and Practice

A defining feature of my work is the ability to translate complex research into tools and insights that practitioners can use. I transform theoretical concepts into practical frameworks — logic models that clarify pathways of change, learning agendas that guide reflection, and performance measures that support adaptive management.

Rather than treating evaluation as a compliance requirement, I help organizations view it as a dynamic process of learning and growth. I design evaluations that foster curiosity, transparency, and continuous improvement. My clients often find that once they have systems for collecting and interpreting meaningful data, evaluation becomes a source of empowerment rather than an obligation. That's the shift that happens when data becomes human — it stops being something organizations endure and starts being something they use to get better.

Strengthening Nonprofit Strategy and Learning

In nonprofit consulting, I work with organizations to align their mission, programs, and operations through a lens of learning and strategy. I help leadership teams refine their goals, clarify program models, and build internal systems that connect daily work to long-term impact.

My approach is both analytical and human-centered. I focus on how structures, culture, and communication shape organizational effectiveness. Whether facilitating a strategic planning process, designing a data system, or coaching a team through reflection, I emphasize collaboration and inclusion — because the best strategies are built with people, not for them.

I also work with organizations to embed equity principles into their strategies — not as a separate goal but as a core dimension of success. This involves examining how resources, decision-making, and program design can either reinforce or challenge disparities, and building practices that promote fairness and belonging across all levels of the organization. When organizations hold the power of their own data and story, they can see more clearly where inequities live — and act with purpose-driven intention to address them.

Advancing Impact Through Grant Writing and Resource Development

As a grant writer and funding strategist, I help organizations connect their evidence of impact with funders' priorities. My writing combines analytical precision with clear and compelling storytelling. I draw on data, evaluation findings, and human narratives to create proposals that demonstrate accountability, innovation, and community relevance.

Funders today expect a balance of measurable outcomes and authentic community connection. I guide organizations in developing proposals that reflect both — the "proof" and the "purpose." I help translate evaluation findings into fundable narratives that show not just what programs do, but why they matter and how they change lives. Because when you make data human, funders don't just see numbers — they see the people and communities those numbers represent.

Because each funder has its own culture, I also help organizations adapt their messaging while staying true to their values and voice. The goal is to communicate impact in a way that resonates with diverse audiences — grantmakers, policymakers, and the public alike.

Integrating Data, Insight, and Capacity

My work brings together a wide range of research and evaluation methods. I design and implement surveys, focus groups, and outcome tracking systems; analyze data for trends and meaning; and facilitate learning sessions to interpret results collectively. I also train staff and leadership teams in using data for reflection and decision-making, helping organizations develop sustainable internal capacity for evidence-based learning. Because your power grows when you can generate and use your own insights — not just rely on outside experts to tell you what your data means.

Clients often describe my approach as rigorous yet relational. I prioritize collaboration, transparency, and practicality — ensuring that evaluation tools fit the organization's capacity and context. I believe evaluation should serve the organization, not the other way around. That means designing systems that are feasible, useful, and aligned with the rhythms of real work.

A Commitment to Human Insight and Social Impact

At the heart of my work is the belief that data should tell a human story. Evaluation, when done well, helps organizations understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It reveals the connections between personal experiences and broader systems, between measurable results and meaningful change.

My work is guided by curiosity, empathy, and a commitment to purpose-driven action. I believe that every organization, no matter its size or resources, can learn and improve through reflection and evidence. I partner with clients to create evaluation and strategy processes that are inclusive, respectful, and empowering — ones that value both numbers and narratives, both accountability and imagination.

In a field increasingly defined by metrics and outcomes, I bring a perspective that integrates evidence with empathy. I help organizations use data as a bridge between values and action — to see their impact clearly, learn from their results, and strengthen their ability to serve. This is what it means to make data human: honoring every story, centering every community, and ensuring the power of insight belongs to the people it's about.

Transforming Evaluation Into a Tool for Change

Ultimately, I aim to reframe evaluation as a tool for transformation. When organizations understand how their programs work, for whom, and under what conditions, they can adapt and innovate more effectively. When they listen to the people they serve and learn from their experiences, they create more equitable and lasting change. When communities hold the power of their own stories and data, they become the architects of their own futures.

Through evaluation, consulting, and grant development, I help organizations connect insight to strategy, learning to leadership, and data to purpose. My goal is to ensure that every piece of evidence — whether a statistic, a story, or a system map — contributes to a clearer vision of impact-driven progress and a stronger foundation for collective change.

Your story. Your data. Your power. Let's amplify it together.