Technical Area
Technical Assistance, Training & Facilitation
Project: Action Youth Media Programming Evaluation and Capacity Building via the Development of Evaluation Framework, Plan, and Tools
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Client: Action Youth Media (AYM)
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Description: Contracted by Action Youth Media, a nonprofit entity that provides courses to middle and high school aged youth to help them learn how to engage in their community via media arts. Youth are taught media arts skills, research and analysis, and are provided with opportunities to find their voice and build their confidence. Arcstratta conducted an impact evaluation of their programming; developed a data & evaluation framework, plan, and evaluation tools; and strengthened their program narrative/pitch to support their sustainability. Findings, tools, and recommendations were presented to staff for their immediate application.
Project: “Creating the Right Business Strategy” Montgomery County, MD Black Collective’s “Business Essentials” Video Series for Aspiring Small Business Owners
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Client: Montgomery County Black Collective
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Description: Collaborated with the Montgomery County Black Collective in the development of a video focused on crafting the right business strategy when launching a business. The video was part of a series of videos for aspiring business owners of color.
Project: Development of Informational Video and Webinar of Human Resource Food & Hospitality Industry Toolkit Focused on the Development of Successful Diverse Teams and Leadership
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Client: National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) ​​
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Description: Developed a video to explain and increase the accessibility and use of a human resources toolkit for small and/or minority-owned restaurant and hospitality businesses engaged in the Foundation’s innovative apprenticeship pathways into management program. Developed and conducted a webinar in collaboration with NRAEF to promote and introduce the toolkit to the Foundation’s business members. The toolkit was commissioned by NRAEF and developed by Arcstratta to provide guidance regarding the development of diverse teams and leadership for greater business success.
Project: Development of McElderry Park, Baltimore City Neighborhood Homeownership Plan
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Client: Southeast Community Development Corporation (SECDC)
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Description: A 50-year-old Community Development Corporation in Baltimore City that drives and facilitates investments and the engagement of community members in housing and infrastructure initiatives and provides social, educational, small business development, and workforce supports to residents. We were contracted to support a needs assessment designed to inform community members’ efforts to develop a neighborhood-based homeownership plan. Conducted qualitative interviews with residents and analyzed quantitative data collected via survey by community members to produce homeownership development plan for a Baltimore City neighborhood with a history of disinvestment and a subsequent low homeownership rate, particularly among its legacy residents. Drafted a report summarizing interview findings and provided an analysis of community-administered survey data. Facilitated session with neighborhood resident leaders to inform them of the findings and solicit feedback.
Project: Development of Successful Diverse Teams and Leadership in the Food and Hospitality Industry Toolkit
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Client: NRAEF
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Description: Created toolkit in English and Spanish that provides guidance and tools pertaining to recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and retention of diverse applicants, employees, and leadership within the food and hospitality industry. Toolkit was developed for small food and hospitality businesses participating in the Foundation’s innovative apprenticeship program that includes a pathway for apprentices and other employees into management positions.
Project: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Foodservice and Hospitality Webinar Series
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Client: Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance (MFHA), National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF)
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Description: Training partner in the design and delivery of a webinar series for restaurant apprenticeship managers to increase knowledge and skills related to integrating diversity, equity and inclusion strategies in the workplace culture to improve communication, belonging, job satisfaction, effectiveness, and retention. Support included online marketing and registration information, interactive training presentations and supporting materials, post-training educational resources, and evaluation forms.
Project: Housing and Returning Citizen Provider Convening to Facilitate Advancements in Affordable Housing Access Among Individuals with Justice System Contact
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Client: Enterprise Community Partners
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Description: A leading national economic development nonprofit that has invested over $72 billion in community and economic development across the United States. We designed in-person convening, tools, and materials in collaboration with Enterprise Community Partners to facilitate session with housing and returning citizen providers committed to improving access to housing among individuals with justice system contact in Washington, DC and Baltimore City, MD. Session and event evaluations were analyzed and summarized to identify lessons learned, partnership opportunities, and continued priorities, support needs, and areas of interest.
Project: Making Restaurant & Hospitality Apprenticeship Management Pathway Curriculum Accessible to Limited English Proficient (LEP) Employees
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Client: National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) ​​
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Description:Translated and formatted 1,000+ pages of restaurant and hospitality industry innovative apprenticeship management pathway training materials to Spanish for Latino/a/e/x employees with Limited English Proficiency. Materials help participants secure needed certifications and create opportunities for advancement into management positions.
Project: National Women’s Law Center’s Participatory Grantmaking and Community Impact Fund Evaluation and Technical Assistance
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Client: National Women’s Law Center (NWLC)
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Description: A national nonprofit entity responsible for securing key legal protections and supports for women in the United States over the last half century. Contracted to provide technical assistance and evaluate the organization’s participatory grantmaking making process related to their Community Impact Fund Initiative focused on building partnerships between national and local level community-based organizations focused on strengthening childcare sector policies that impact the financial security of Black and Brown female workers and parents.
The evaluation is focused on the participatory grantmaking process and the impact of grantees’ childcare sector advocacy in southern and southwestern states by woman of color led entities and entails the design, data collection, analysis, and drafting of findings to facilitate learning within NWLC and the larger field. Technical assistance is focused on program design and grantee capacity building.
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Project: ​Need and Impact Assessment of Benefit Access Programming for Youth with Disabilities Transitioning to Adulthood
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Client: The Arc of Prince George’s County
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Description: A 70+ year-old nonprofit tasked with advancing the well-being of individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities and their families. Provide research and evaluation services to engage with students with developmental and intellectual disabilities and families, through the Families Involved in Transition intervention, to understand their needs, access, and experiences securing federal benefits to support their well-being as they transition into adulthood. Services include interviews and focus groups with parents/caregivers, quantitative survey analysis and design, evaluation and learning framework development and planning, and presentation of research findings for advocacy of needed investments.
Project: Staff Engagement in Community Development Corporation (CDC) Executive Director Selection
Client: Southeast Community Development Corporation (SECDC)
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Description: A 50-year-old Community Development Corporation in Baltimore City that drives and facilitates investments and the engagement of community members in housing and infrastructure initiatives and provides social, educational, small business development, and workforce supports to residents. Developed process, tools and materials, and facilitated a listening and discussion session to engage staff in the selection of the organization’s new Executive Director (ED). Support included an analysis of staff perceptions of the organization’s needs, opportunities, challenges, and key knowledge, skills, and abilities needed in an ED for a diverse organization serving communities of color. Data were captured via a facilitated exchange and survey. Analyzed and summarized data in a report. Findings informed continued engagement of staff in the selection process and considerations for the new Executive Director.
Project: Theory of Change Assessment
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Client: NeighborWorks America
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Description: Provided consulting to the NeighborWorks America strategy and impact senior leadership staff in the advancement of the organization’s evaluation and learning. Assessed their Theory of Change through document review and interviews with leadership involved in the development and provided a summary of recommendations to refine the Theory of Change and its use to advance organizational strategies, impact, and sustainability.