Strengthening the MERL ecosystem at the grassroots
Most grassroots organizations don't have a MERL expert on staff. They're doing incredible work in their communities, but when it comes to measuring impact, designing surveys, or building evaluation frameworks-they're often on their own.
The Impact Lab connects these organizations with skilled volunteers who bring real MERL expertise. We work alongside local teams, helping them build the monitoring and evaluation systems they need.
Design monitoring and evaluation systems that make sense for your work. Logic models, theories of change, and indicator frameworks that are practical, not theoretical.
Create surveys, interview guides, and data collection tools that get you the insights you need without overwhelming your team or community.
Practical workshops that teach your team how to analyze data, visualize results, and tell compelling stories with evidence.
Ready-to-use templates, guides, and open-source tools that save you time and money while helping you do better evaluation work.
Connect with other organizations facing similar challenges. Learn from each other, share what works, and build together.
Experienced MERL practitioners providing ongoing guidance, answering questions, and helping you troubleshoot challenges.
Small and mid-sized organizations that need expertise without the price tag.
Build measurement systems to prove what you know is working and discover what could work better.
Set up the right systems from day one so you can focus on making impact.
Track both social impact and financial sustainability to show you're delivering on both fronts.
Fill out an application about your organization and needs. We'll pair you with a volunteer who has the right skills and context understanding.
We start with a conversation about your current M&E practices, challenges, and goals. Then we build a plan together.
We work with your team-building frameworks, designing tools, analyzing data-so you learn while doing.
Our goal is to make ourselves unnecessary. Your team should feel confident running your own MERL systems.
Join our alumni network for ongoing resources, peer connections, and community support whenever you need it.
Whether you're starting from scratch or leveling up what you're already doing, we're here to help. It's completely free-all we ask is that you're ready to learn.