I2I’s Heart-2-Heart on Turning to Data in Chaos, Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, & Integrated IMM Across Audiences
Welcome to another installment of Intention 2 Impact’s Heart-2-Heart — our monthly newsletter where we share what’s on our mind, in our hearts, and up our sleeves.
This month we turn to data to help us combat the gaslighting, our very own Ashley Bonilla reflects on how her identity as a Mexican-American shapes her work, and report back from the Mission Investors Exchange first IMM workgroup meeting.
On Our Minds
What’s the Role of Data in Chaotic, Irrational, Maddening Times? 😵💫
Some days it feels like every day is “Opposite Day” in the U.S., but without the whimsy and a whole lot more cruelty. The Supreme Court just recently gave ICE the greenlight for racial profiling, the Department of Defense is being rebranded as the “Department of War,” and vaccines are suddenly Public Health Enemy #1. 😩
If we didn’t know better, we’d think we woke up in an alternate reality… honestly, not completely convinced we aren’t. Can someone restart the sim?
So where does data fit in a time when irrationality reigns?
Here’s the thing: data can’t fix cruelty. A regression analysis won’t stop authoritarianism. But data can interrupt the gaslighting. It can anchor us in reality when those in power insist that lies are truth and chaos is policy.
Data does four important things in moments like these:
Grounds Us in Reality
When those in power distort the truth or deny it altogether, data becomes our anchor. It keeps us from drifting into a world where lies are treated as facts and cruelty is normalized as policy. And in a time when we are living in multiple realities — where neighbors, colleagues, and entire communities can inhabit completely different information ecosystems — data becomes a shared reference point.Keeps Us Accountable
Budgets are moral documents. Tracking where dollars go (and don’t go) helps us shine a light on inequities being institutionalized. This can provide a roadmap for where the private sector and civil society can fill a gap or play defense.Builds Power for Alternatives
Communities aren’t just resisting; they’re designing better futures. Data on what works (e.g., community health centers, restorative justice programs, climate resilience initiatives) helps shift money and attention to the places where hope lives.Mobilizes the Field
This is not a moment for quiet charts and footnotes. It’s a moment for bold articulation of our field’s value. Evaluation is under attack — budgets slashed, values dismissed — and we cannot simply wait it out.
I2I’s Nina Sabarre recently attended the panel “The Evolution of Evaluation Meeting the Moment” hosted by American Evaluation Association and Washington Evaluators. She shared her reflections of the conversation in this LinkedIn post, which has since sparked a lively, and at times fiery, debate about how evaluators show up in moments of political crisis.
What do you think about the role of evaluation in this new era we find ourselves in? Let us know — your voice matters in shaping where our field goes next.
In Our Hearts
September 15th marked the start of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15), a time to celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latine communities. It’s also an important reminder to reflect on the power of lived experience in shaping the values we hold and the way we put them into action. At Intention 2 Impact, the connection between lived experience, identity, and values is central to how we approach our work.
Our shared values aren’t abstract concepts that live on a page. They are made real through the unique histories, perspectives, and experiences each team member carries. For some, these values are rooted in personal identity and community. For others, they are informed by years of professional practice, academic training, and navigating systems that are often complex and inequitable.
I2I Team member, Ashley Bonilla, reflects on how identity shapes her approach:
“As a Mexican-American woman, my identity heavily influences how I approach evaluation and learning at I2I. I’ve always been someone who wears her values on her sleeve. I believe authenticity means being vocal about what matters and then backing it up with consistent action. My identity has taught me that sustainable impact happens when you’re willing to have the hard conversations, challenge systems that aren’t working, and align your actions with your stated values.
I recognize that I enter this work with my own perspective and privilege, and I hold that alongside the perspectives of our clients and partners. It’s not about my perspective versus theirs, it’s a ‘yes, and’ approach where multiple truths and experiences can coexist and strengthen the work. This shows up in how I look for opportunities to amplify the voices that might otherwise go unheard, create space for trust-building processes, and integrate equity in ways that go beyond talk. For me, equity means ensuring that the values we say we care about are lived out in the way we design and carry out our work, not just in our intentions, but in our practices.
That’s why I check myself regularly: asking whose perspective is being centered, what assumptions I may be bringing, and how I can serve as an advocate rather than just an observer. I’m not interested in work that looks good on paper but doesn’t create real change for communities who need it most. It’s this continual reflection that helps me bring both my lived experience and my professional practice together.”
Identity, values, and partnership are not separate threads in our philosophy. They are woven together, each making the other stronger. As we reflect on Hispanic Heritage Month and the many ways culture and history shape values, we invite you to consider:
How have your own experiences influenced the way you build relationships and move your work forward?
Ashley reflects:
“My experiences have taught me that authentic relationships are transformational ones, not transactional. It’s about mutual growth cue my dissertation. I want others to feel heard, seen, valued, and appreciated, because I consider them the experts. A foundation of respect and clear boundaries allows us to move the work forward in ways that serve them and their goals.”
Up Our Sleeves
Earlier this month, I2I Partner & COO, Kathleen, spent time in Denver with fellow IMM (impact measurement and management) colleagues at the Mission Investor's Exchange (MIE) first IMM convening. For 1.5 days, the group tussled with questions like, “In this moment, how do we respond with evidence to lessen risk and encourage additional commitments to impact investing?”
Alongside, I2I clients, the Colorado Health Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation, as well as with I2I affiliate, Head & Heart Evaluation, I2I facilitated a session on IMM audience archetypes (programmatic grantmakers, Boards, Endowment investment teams, and impact investors) forging shared understanding about what it takes to integrate more rigorous IMM practices across a Foundation, from programmatic grantmakers to Endowment managers.
Want in on the impact investing and IMM convo? DM us to get the connect.
Onward and upward, y’all!
You know, heart-2-hearts are supposed to be a 2-way street…
So comment below, what’s on your mind, in your heart, and up your sleeve? Hopefully a lil’ bit of good trouble. 😉
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Until next time,
Intention 2 Impact
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