Evaluating Equity in Action Council of Michigan Foundations

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council of Michigan Foundations (CMF) set out to reimagine philanthropy’s role in supporting Michigan’s most vulnerable communities. With billions in federal relief funding flowing into the state, CMF saw an opportunity to help ensure those dollars were deployed equitably and informed by community voice.

To test new models of partnership, CMF launched the Statewide Equity Fund (SEF), a two million dollar pooled pilot fund connecting philanthropy, government, and community leaders across five Michigan regions. Each site created its own strategy for directing federal resources toward equity-focused outcomes.

As CMF President and CEO Kyle Caldwell noted that the goal was to understand what equitable philanthropy truly looks like and how philanthropy can help shape where public dollars go through shared decision-making and stronger community partnerships.

To support learning and track progress as it unfolded, CMF partnered with JFM Consulting Group to lead the pilot’s formative evaluation.

The SEF was launched amid uncertainty, urgency, and evolving federal regulations. CMF and its partners were building new collaboratives while managing short timelines and shifting expectations. The deeper challenge was testing whether philanthropy could meaningfully influence how public funds reach those most in need.

“Everything was happening in real time,” recalled Caldwell. “We needed a partner who could think strategically, adapt quickly, and help us learn while the work was still unfolding.”

JFM Consulting Group worked hand-in-hand with CMF and its partners to develop an adaptive evaluation framework that balanced rigor with responsiveness. Their approach emphasized learning as the work progressed—documenting what was emerging in each region and translating insights into tools CMF could use immediately.

Through interviews, surveys, and site-based reflection, JFM highlighted how each collaborative was shaping local decision-making and advancing equity. Their synthesis of findings directly informed CMF’s Statewide Equity Fund Playbook, a guide for philanthropy on partnering with government to equitably shape public funding.

As CMF Chief Policy Officer Regina Bell noted, “JFM didn’t just evaluate outcomes — they helped us understand what was working, what wasn’t, and why. Their principled, values-centered approach kept equity at the forefront and turned lessons into tangible guidance for the field.”

JFM’s evaluation helped CMF and its members define what equity-centered philanthropy can look like in practice. Across Michigan, communities historically excluded from decision-making gained influence: Flint partners guided $60 million in ARPA allocations, Grand Rapids residents led a $2 million participatory budgeting process, and Ypsilanti compensated community members for civic participation.

“JFM helped us hold up a mirror,” said Caldwell. “They showed what’s possible when philanthropy, government, and community truly work together.” The collaboration strengthened CMF’s capacity to build equitable public–private partnerships and left a lasting legacy: a replicable playbook showing how shared power and trust-based philanthropy can transform systems.

As Bell reflected, “JFM helped us move from theory to practice — showing that equity isn’t just a principle, it’s a process of learning, trusting, and sharing power.”