Creative & Effective Institutions Award — Program Evaluation

Chicago, Illinois

As a Fellow with Slover Linett Audience Research, Kiley Arroyo co-led a comprehensive evaluation of the MacArthur Foundation’s Creative & Effective Institutions Award — an annual program recognizing exceptional grantee organizations and supporting their long-term sustainability.

The Award was designed to strengthen institutional resilience across a diverse portfolio of organizations addressing some of the world’s most complex challenges — from international human rights and environmental conservation to affordable housing and community development.

The evaluation examined how philanthropic investment can catalyze meaningful organizational transformation. Rather than focusing solely on financial impact, the inquiry explored:

• How unrestricted support influenced strategic clarity and adaptive capacity
• The role of creativity in strengthening institutional effectiveness
• Organizational shifts in governance, leadership, and long-term sustainability
• The broader implications for philanthropic design and capital deployment

Drawing from organizations operating in contexts ranging from New York City to Lagos, Nigeria, the assessment surfaced patterns in how catalytic funding can stimulate structural and cultural evolution within mission-driven institutions.

This engagement reflects CSC’s broader commitment to advancing learning-oriented philanthropy — supporting foundations in aligning investment strategy with the relational and structural conditions that enable durable, systemic impact.