Linking Knowledge with Action: an approach to philanthropic funding of science for conservation

Since 2009 the Packard Foundation’s Science subprogram has been following a use‐inspired research approach to guide its funding. This report describes this approach, Linking Knowledge with Action (LKwA). LKwA is being used at the Conservation and Science program (C&S) to fund scientific research and syntheses that advance strategic objectives. This approach involves innovations in grantmaking that emerged through developmental evaluation, a collaborative process between an independent evaluator and program staff. Using LKwA the Science program develops projects at the request of and in consultation with C&S subprograms focused on conservation action. LKwA then guides the creation of a three‐cornered relationship, in which research is jointly produced by a science grantee and the intended user of that research, with funding from the Foundation. These projects are implemented over periods of one to three years, with budgets of $300,000‐1.5 million. Each project is in effect a small‐scale strategic investment, aimed at informing decisions and decision makers in ways that align with the conservation goals of C&S. In this report we describe LKwA’s conceptual framework and its operational implementation at the Packard Foundation. The authors developed LKwA collaboratively in a process of developmental evaluation. This is an unusual use of evaluation skills early program development stages to assist program staff to articulate its theory of change, to define what success looks like, and provide insights during early implementation about options that offer good prospects for success. This report concludes the developmental process with a formative evaluation of the early experience of LKwA. That evaluation has found that  The Science program has been successful in attracting a pool of researchers.  These researchers were already familiar with challenges to the use of science research in decision making and brought substantial experience in addressing those challenges.  The prospects for use of their Science program‐supported research is reported to be as good as their most successful research over the previous five years.  The use‐inspired approach is likely to be replicable in other settings with different program officers.  Developmental evaluation has played an important role in the articulation of LKwA, a practicable and usable theory of change.