Innovation Network
Innovation Network is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit founded in 1992 that provides evaluation consulting, training, and free frameworks to foundations, nonprofits, and social movement organizations, with a specialization in advocacy, equity-centered, and participatory evaluation methodologies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Innovation Network does
Innovation Network is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit evaluation and learning organization founded in 1992 by Allison Fine. It serves philanthropic foundations, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, and social movement organizations by providing evaluation consulting, training, and capacity-building services focused on advocacy, social movements, health equity, and systems change. The organization is recognized as a pioneer in advocacy evaluation, having effectively helped establish the field, and is known for its participatory, equity-centered, and decolonizing evaluation methodologies.
The organization's service portfolio spans fee-based evaluation planning, data collection, analysis, and reporting, supplemented by tailored training and coaching. Its product surface includes the Point K Learning Center (an online platform hosting free interactive tools such as the Logic Model Builder and Evaluation Plan Builder), workbooks, assessment tools, research reports, and proprietary frameworks. Notable proprietary methodologies and frameworks include the Pathfinder Series for advocacy evaluation (commissioned by Atlantic Philanthropies), the Power Building Framework developed in partnership with Community Change, and the Liberatory Learning-First Evaluation approach. All published resources are made available at no cost, with the consulting practice serving as the primary revenue-generating activity.
The business model is hybrid: fee-based professional services contracts with foundations and nonprofits represent the core revenue stream, supplemented by tax-deductible donations. Innovation Network operates as a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives, a nonprofit that provides administrative and tax-exempt infrastructure. The organization maintains a small team of fewer than ten staff, including Co-Director Linda Lu (Strategy and Partnership) and Director Alissa Marchant. Notable clients and funders include Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Colorado Health Foundation, Community Change, Public Welfare Foundation, Missouri Foundation for Health, Interact for Health, and Atlantic Philanthropies.
Innovation Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Innovation Network
- Legal name
- Innovation Network, Inc.
- Website
- https://innonet.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Innovation Network is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit founded in 1992 that provides evaluation consulting, training, and free frameworks to foundations, nonprofits, and social movement organizations, with a specialization in advocacy, equity-centered, and participatory evaluation methodologies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Innovation Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Innovation Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Evaluation Consulting Services: Fee-based evaluation planning, data collection, analysis, and reporting services tailored to foundations and nonprofits
- Training and Capacity Building: Tailored evaluation training, coaching, and technical assistance to funders and nonprofits on evaluation topics
- Donations: Tax-exempt nonprofit accepting donations to support projects building evaluation capacity of the nonprofit sector; all website content available for free
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free Resources |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Consulting Services |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Innovation Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Innovation Network is a nonprofit evaluation and learning organization that provides fee-based evaluation consulting, training, and capacity-building services to foundations and nonprofit organizations working on advocacy, social movements, health equity, and systems change. The organization also publishes free frameworks, workbooks, assessment tools, and reports, and operates the Point K online learning platform with interactive evaluation planning tools.
Product overview
Innovation Network is a nonprofit evaluation and learning organization that offers a portfolio of evaluation frameworks, workbooks, assessment tools, and online platforms. The core offerings include the Logic Model Workbook and Evaluation Plan Workbook for foundational evaluation planning, supplemented by the Point K Learning Center online platform with interactive tools. Their specialized offerings include advocacy evaluation guides (Pathfinder Series), power-building frameworks (Power Building Framework, Milestones for Collective Power), and participatory evaluation methodologies. The organization produces State of Evaluation reports examining nonprofit sector capacity, along with case studies and research reports on health equity, social justice, and systems change. All resources are available for free, reflecting the organization's commitment to building evaluation capacity in the nonprofit sector.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Evaluation Consulting Services
Quantifiable outcome
- State of Evaluation reports based on surveys of 1,125+ US nonprofits
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Innovation Network
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Innovation Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Innovation Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Interact for HealthcoreCommissioned health policy and advocacy landscape study in Greater Cincinnati and Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky; nearly 100 organizations surveyed
- Community InitiativescoreFiscal sponsor of Innovation Network; Innovation Network is a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives, providing tax-exempt status and administrative support
- Community ChangecoreLong-term partnership on power building learning projects including Power in Places cohort evaluation and power building framework development
- The Colorado Health FoundationcoreLearning partner for Amplifying Advocacy Initiative supporting equitable health equity advocacy ecosystem in Colorado; conducted advocacy ecosystem survey
- OneAmericacoreCollaboration on workforce equity metrics research scan for Seattle-King County Workforce Development Council to track racial, gender, immigration, and language equity
- Kansas Health FoundationcorePartnership on Kansas Health Foundation's Integrated Voter Engagement Initiative; explored learning circles as tool for participant-owned evaluation
- Clark UniversityminorLearning team partnership with Clark University on Resident Organizing Networks evaluation project
- Grassroots SolutionsminorLearning team partnership on Resident Organizing Networks evaluation project with Community Change's Housing Justice Team
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Innovation Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Equal Measure: Equal Measure is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit evaluation and philanthropic advisory firm serving foundations and nonprofits on impact measurement and capacity building. Highly comparable in mission, client base (US foundations), and equity-centered evaluation practice.
- TCC Group: TCC Group is a New York-based consulting firm serving nonprofits and foundations on strategy, evaluation, and capacity building. Overlapping service portfolio (evaluation, capacity building, foundation advisory) makes it a close peer.
- Harder+Company Community Research: Harder+Company is a national evaluation and research consulting firm working with foundations and nonprofits to assess social programs and advocacy. Direct competitor in social-sector evaluation with overlapping client profile and slightly larger scale.
- Spark Policy Institute: Spark Policy Institute is a Denver-based evaluation and learning consulting firm serving foundations, nonprofits, and government on policy and systems change. Comparable in evaluating advocacy and systems-change initiatives for philanthropic clients.
- Center for Evaluation Innovation: The Center for Evaluation Innovation is the most direct peer: an established nonprofit evaluation firm focused on advocacy, policy change, and philanthropic strategy, explicitly identified as Innovation Network's long-standing partner. Both organizations operate in the same advocacy-evaluation niche with similar foundation clients.
- OMG Center for Collaborative Learning: OMG Center is a Philadelphia-based evaluation and learning firm serving nonprofits, foundations, and public agencies with a similar emphasis on participatory, equity-focused evaluation approaches. Comparable team size, client profile, and methodological orientation to Innovation Network.
Broad incumbents
- MDRC: MDRC is a New York-based nonprofit social policy research and evaluation organization serving foundations and government on workforce, education, and social programs. Larger incumbent with overlapping evaluation practice.
- Mathematica Policy Research: Mathematica is a large, established policy research and evaluation firm serving federal agencies and major foundations. Adjacent competitor with vastly greater scale and broader service lines; competes for foundation evaluation work but at much larger engagements.
- NORC at the University of Chicago: NORC is a large independent research institution conducting social science research and program evaluation for government, foundations, and nonprofits. Comparable in evaluation methodology though vastly larger and more diversified.
Regional players
- The Forbes Funds: Forbes Funds is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit capacity-building and evaluation intermediary serving regional foundations and nonprofits. Comparable mission around strengthening nonprofit evaluation capacity, though concentrated in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Innovation Network social profiles
Digital presenceInnovation Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Innovation Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Innovation Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Innovation Network M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Innovation Network
What does Innovation Network do?
Innovation Network is a nonprofit evaluation and learning organization that provides fee-based evaluation consulting, training, and capacity-building services to foundations and nonprofit organizations working on advocacy, social movements, health equity, and systems change. The organization also publishes free frameworks, workbooks, assessment tools, and reports, and operates the Point K online learning platform with interactive evaluation planning tools.
Is Innovation Network a public or private company?
Innovation Network is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Innovation Network founded?
Innovation Network was founded in 1992. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Innovation Network based?
Innovation Network is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Innovation Network make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Evaluation Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are training and Capacity Building and donations.
Who are Innovation Network's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Equal Measure, TCC Group, Harder+Company Community Research, Spark Policy Institute, Center for Evaluation Innovation and OMG Center for Collaborative Learning. Broad incumbents are MDRC, Mathematica Policy Research and NORC at the University of Chicago. The Forbes Funds is listed as a regional player.
Does Innovation Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for Innovation Network.