Hosted by the Philanthropy Learning Group (PLG), MERL Tech Community of Practice

Grantmakers and evaluators process a constant stream of information from grantees, broader ecosystems, and other sources to understand how their grants are making impact, how the contexts are evolving, and what new insights are emerging to inform grantmaking strategy as well as to meet reporting and communication needs. One of the most promising use cases of generative AI, especially large-language models, is to use its ability to digest and synthesize or identify patterns in a large quantity of structured and unstructured data. In this PLG webinar, we discuss different use cases of AI in evidence synthesis in philanthropy, what is working and what is pushing up against the limits of the currently available technology, and the conditions that support responsible and effective use of AI for evidence synthesis. In particular, we will explore:

• How can AI support our learning from evidence across time and our ability to return that learning back to the system? 
• What becomes possible when we integrate AI into our systems change work?
• How to address data quality and infrastructure so that AI can produce meaningful analyses 

Get to know the Speakers:

Dr. Valerie Ehrlich, founder and principal of Mission Bloom, is a consultant, coach, and learning strategist in the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. With a Ph.D. in Social Psychology and extensive experience in strategic learning facilitation, leadership coaching, and fostering learning cultures, Valerie helps organizations leverage AI to support learning, strategy, and program data for societal impact. Her recent work has expanded into the responsible and inclusive adoption of AI in mission-driven organizations, ensuring technology supports equitable AI adoption in nonprofits and social change initiatives, including co-leading the Emergent Learning Community’s AI Interest Group.

Dr. Jewlya Lynn, founder of PolicySolve, focuses on supporting social change leaders worldwide in identifying and advancing solutions to complex, intractable problems on issues ranging from climate change and nuclear weapons threat reduction to education and youth livelihoods. Jewlya spent the first half of her career inside systems change work, either within government or as a facilitator, project manager, or learning partner to local and statewide initiatives. From these experiences, she learned how systems actually change – not just theories about change, but the practical and messy realities of how change happens. She is currently the co-director of the Causal Pathways Initiative and is also exploring the intersection of AI and systemic change, including how to augment human capabilities in systems change work. 

Rich Carder is the RLD Foundation‘s Director of Data Strategy & Insights (DSI). Before coming to RLD, Rich was at Wellspring Philanthropic Fund as the Manager of Data Strategy and Analytics (DSA), where he led the design and implementation of robust data collection systems to support reflection, learning, and evaluation, developed advanced reporting tools, and conducted high-quality data analyses to inform strategic decisions. He also managed the organization’s data infrastructure, led knowledge management efforts, oversaw internal and external surveys, and drove innovation across Wellspring’s data and technology ecosystem. He holds a Master’s in Hydrology and Civil Engineering from the University of Florida and a Master’s in Information Systems from Johns Hopkins University.