Dr. Yvonne Ferguson

Yvonne Owens Ferguson, PhD, MPH, is chief research, learning, and evaluation officer for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. She has 20 years of experience in leading community-engaged research, large-scale impact evaluations, and data-informed, strategic decision-making. 
A fourth-generation Kansas Citian, Dr. Ferguson comes to the Foundation from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. There, she led the NIH Common Fund’s Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society program, known as the ComPASS program, a more than $300 million, 10-year, first-of-its-kind research initiative. The ComPASS program funded community organizations directly to work with research partners to conduct health equity research, intervening on social determinants and structural factors that shape the conditions of everyday life for populations and communities.

Data Strategy for Nonprofit Impact – A Conversation with Dr. Yvonne Ferguson and Laila Bell 

In today's climate, nonprofit leaders need more than data collection—they need a strategy for turning that data into a compelling story of impact, one that strengthens funder relationships and reflects the true value of their work. This panel brings together Laila Bell, Vice President of Learning & Impact at The Skillman Foundation, and Dr. Yvonne Ferguson, Chief Research, Learning and Evaluation Officer at the Kauffman Foundation, an expert in community-engaged research, program evaluation, and data-informed strategy, for a candid conversation on what it really takes to measure and communicate impact. Together, they'll offer practical guidance on collecting meaningful data, using it to tell your organization's story, and building a data strategy grounded in the realities nonprofit leaders face today.