Knowledge Center
We are always learning. These reports and studies help inform our grantmaking.
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September 25, 2018Measuring research university contributions to regional economies
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October 26, 2018This report is intended to help Heartland leaders and citizens get on the same page about the region's current condition and its trajectory at a crucial time.
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November 9, 2018This primer briefly discusses the 12 critical components of commercializing university technology with startups.
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January 9, 20195G, the fifth generation of wireless communications, has the potential to make the opportunity cost of rural living much larger, maybe insurmountably so.
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February 19, 2019The Most Dynamic Micropolitan Index, which ranks the 531 micropolitan areas across the U.S., analyzes the economic performance and indicators that impact the social and economic fabric of America.
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May 10, 2019How meaningful accountability systems can strengthen foundation learning and improve impact
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June 10, 2019New Metropolitan Rankings Show Knowledge-Based Industries and Entrepreneurship Drive Success
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June 14, 2019Collaboration requires a service orientation
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October 6, 2020Generation Z and Millennials Speak
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February 9, 2021New research reveals how Millennials and Generation Z plan to make meaningful change in their lifetime
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June 13, 2022The rapid distribution of $35 million in relief funding provided critical lessons in the opportunities and challenges of crisis grantmaking
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February 3, 2023The Walton Family Foundation has been on a learning journey for several years now. We have had successes, setbacks and detours. Our central insight so far: becoming a learning organization requires taking a systems-change view and applying it to our own work.
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November 13, 2023Echelon Insights, in collaboration with Benenson Strategy Group, conducted a survey on behalf of the Walton Family Foundation to examine views on collaboration around issues facing the country and how philanthropic organizations could support collaboration.
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November 21, 2023This report examine the foundation's current grantee capacity-building practices and provides recommendations for enhancing the foundation’s approach.
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December 13, 2023Successfully addressing vital social issues — like the movement for racial justice and addressing climate crises — requires large-scale initiatives that address equity, complexity and systems. This report offers ways of grouping systems change outcomes and helpful ways of thinking about complex social change work.
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January 10, 2024When seeking out an evaluation partner, finding the right match is a challenge for both parties — the commissioner and the evaluator.
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May 31, 2024The philanthropic sector has faced calls for increased transparency, inclusivity and equity, prompting a reevaluation of how foundations engage with the communities they support. Participatory learning is a response to these calls, offering a pathway to more culturally responsive and equitable approaches.
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October 17, 2024Though many discussions on the challenges facing Americans tend to highlight division and disagreement, new polling shows that Americans are united on some of the biggest and most pressing issues of the day.