Our Approach


We draw on a systems perspective for all of our work.
OMG views all of our clients as actors within a complex social ecology. Their success is influenced by their own beliefs, skills, and actions as well as those of other organizational players and environmental factors.

We believe capacity building is central to success.
Many of our clients' initiatives challenge their own and their grantees' technical and managerial skills. Thus, all of our engagements focus on assessing and increasing effectiveness whether the emphasis is on leaders, organizations, partnerships, or fields.

We take a practical stance on data collection and presentation.
Our aim is to give our clients the practical information they need to make timely decisions. OMG collects a variety of quantitative and qualitative data to tell the essential story in an easily accessible way. Also, we balance a realistic understanding about organizations' varied abilities to provide data with our clients' needs for using data.

We understand all the roles philanthropists play.
As grant makers, evaluators, and initiative developers ourselves we understand the needs of seasoned and new foundation professionals. Our advice is informed by our mission, our values, and our 20 years of practical experience observing and guiding visionary social change in communities throughout the U.S.

We create space for reflective practice.
Each consulting engagement can be a learning opportunity in effective practice if time is taken to discuss these issues. Thinking together directly about the engagement is as important as collecting, analyzing, and presenting data.