Women Achieving Greater Economic Security Learning and Evaluation

As the evaluation and learning partner for the Women's Foundation of Colorado's WAGES initiative, Omni co-created and implemented an equity centered evaluation and capacity building framework to measure impact and uplift the lived experiences of women and families working to break cycles of poverty.

Client

Women's Foundation of Colorado (WFCO)

Project type

Evaluation

Date

2017 - 2022

Key Links

Full Project

WFCO Wages Annual Report

Project Objectives

Co-create and implement an equity-centered evaluation framework to assess the outcomes of the Women Achieving Greater Economic Security (WAGES) initiative across diverse service and policy organizations.
Facilitate learning communities that support continuous capacity building among grantees through targeted training, peerexchange, and technical assistance.
Integrate qualitative and quantitative data to capture both impact metrics of grantee initiatives and lived experiences or grantee program participants, informing strategy refinement for WFCO and its partners.
Amplify the voices and innovations of women and communities served by identifying promising practices and sharinginsights with the broader field.

Project Description

Omni was honored to serve as the evaluation and learning partner for the Women’s Foundation of Colorado’s WAGES initiative from 2017 to 2022. This innovative philanthropic endeavor supported 23 direct service and policy organizations united in their mission to improve economic outcomes for women and their families. At the heart of the partnership was an evaluation framework that designed in collaboration with WFCO and grantees, that placed equity at the center through inclusive evaluative questions, community-led storytelling, and tailored learning supports.

Omni’s approach was deeply participatory: we fostered a learning community where grantees engaged in over 30 capacity-building events, collaborated across sectors, and continuously shaped the evaluation process. We prioritized minimizing reporting burdens while maximizing meaning and relevance for those closest to the work. By leveraging both quantitative data and qualitative insights, we surfaced the ripple effects of WAGES funding—from policy wins and improved service delivery to shifts in how women perceive their economic agency.

One of the most powerful aspects of this initiative was its ability to uplift the lived experiences of women impacted by the work. Grantees reported personal stories of increased confidence, educational advancement, and employment gains. Through these narratives, it became clear that the WAGES initiative was not only shifting systems, butt ransforming individual trajectories in profound and lasting ways.

The evaluation illuminated the value of community-centered data collection, and the need to frame success beyond traditional metrics. It affirmed the importance of flexible funding, trust-based relationships, and an evaluative stance rooted in curiosity and shared learning.

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