Impact Stories

Maddy Saunders on the Impact of Evaluation

February 24, 2025

Judi’s House Evaluation Associate, Maddy Saunders, shares her passion for our mission and the importance of effective program evaluation.

Maddy Saunders has been a Judi’s House/JAG Institute staff member since 2023. Working on our Evaluation & Research team, she uses her expertise in program evaluation to guide bereavement organizations across the country through the Childhood Bereavement Changemaker initiative, created in partnership with the New York Life Foundation to help build evaluation capacity across the field of childhood bereavement. Read on to hear more about her experience with our Changemakers and her passion for our mission.

What brought you to Judi’s House/JAG Institute?

After I graduated with my masters degree in Applied Psychology, I was looking for a career in evaluation. I stumbled upon the job posting for a research associate at Judi’s House and began to do some digging. I learned about the Childhood Bereavement Changemaker initiative and was intrigued about the evaluation capacity building effort. I felt like everything that I was looking for post-graduation, like working in an evaluation role at a nonprofit, was perfectly falling into place in front of me. I knew that Judi’s House/JAG Institute was going to be the right fit for me, so I applied, interviewed, and was honored to be asked to join the team!

What do you like most about working at Judi’s House/JAG Institute?

The thing I like the most about working at Judi’s House/JAG Institute is the people I get to work with. First, our Changemaker teams are filled with amazing, compassionate, caring people who work hard throughout the year-long initiative to increase evaluation capacity at their organizations. I love being able to connect with others all over the country and talk about evaluation. Also, I love the staff at Judi’s House/JAG Institute. Everyone cares about the work that we do, and we care about each other. I have never felt so supported in a role and I can thank my coworkers for that.

What do you think is the most impactful aspect of the Childhood Bereavement Changemaker initiative?

The most impactful aspect of the Changemaker initiative is that at the end of the initiative, every organization should walk away with a complete evaluation plan. This evaluation plan can be used to continue to evaluate the program they chose for the initiative. The evaluation plan can also be adapted and used for other programs. This ensures that after the initiative, organizations can continue to successfully evaluate their programs and continue to build evaluation capacity at their organizations.

Why is program evaluation important?

Program evaluation is important for many reasons. First, program evaluation ensures that our programs are producing the intended impact we expect. It keeps us focused on the organization’s mission and holds us accountable to our work. Next, program evaluation helps us to improve our programs. Gathering data from those who run programs along with program participants gives us a complete understanding of how the program is being perceived. From there, we can act on findings to improve our programs for the community. Finally, program evaluation can help show all the great work we are doing. You are able to collect data to show participants, the community, and grant funders the amazing impact of our programs. Program evaluation is vital to be able to report to grant funders and generate buy-in from the community.

Do you have a top tip you would share with someone looking to strengthen their evaluation practices?

The top tip I would give to someone looking to strengthen their evaluation practices is to start with developing a logic model or program impact map (PIM) for each of your programs. Having a logic model or PIM will help you identify the intended impacts of your program and will also help identify gaps your organization may currently have in collecting data. Not only is a logic model/PIM extremely helpful when starting an evaluation, it is also a great way to share your program with others.