The Transforming Evidence Funders Network

Editor's note: This fact sheet was updated in May 2022 to reference the use of evidence for social impact.

Overview

The Transforming Evidence Funders Network (TEFN) convenes public and private funders who are driving change in the generation, mobilization, and use of evidence across a wide range of issue areas and policy sectors worldwide. These initiatives hold great promise for social impact—societal benefits that range from sustainability, reductions in educational inequities, improved public health, and beyond. Participants learn from each other, identify shared priorities, and act on challenging problems at the nexus of research, policy, and practice.

How TEFN works

The network aims to:

Strengthen knowledge and practice—Support much-needed understanding about evidence use, grounding inquiry in funder, researcher, policymaker, practitioner, and community needs to provide a foundation for effective evidence initiatives.

Foster a coordinated evidence ecosystem—Expand approaches, such as coproduction and research-practicepolicy partnerships, that align supply of and demand for evidence. To support these approaches, the network fosters efforts around the world that are poised to expand, test, adapt, and scale up promising practices.

Catalyze institutional change—Coordinate investments to catalyze the institutional changes required for a more dynamic, equitable, and collaborative evidence ecosystem.

Galvanize momentum and demand—Cultivate a thriving, diverse, and inclusive global evidence use field with a shared vision for evidence-informed and equitable social change.

How funders can engage with TEFN

The network offers:

Monthly learning sessions—Virtual gatherings allow participants to share promising initiatives, analyze and evaluate pressing challenges, and identify opportunities to align efforts.

Working groups and workshops—Small group sessions help participants identify and codify promising practices, identify gaps in the field, and take collective action on shared priorities.

Training—Targeted training equips network participants with the skills and knowledge needed to improve their grant-making and support for evidence initiatives.

Biannual convenings—Participants gather for peer-to-peer learning to forge partnerships and explore emerging trends in grant-making in the field of evidence use.

Co-investing—Participants align and pool funding around shared priorities to spur systemic and long-term changes in the ways that evidence is generated, mobilized, and used for social impact.