August 5, 2026
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET
Description
Across the social innovation and systems change world, the word portfolio has become increasingly popular to describe the strategic grouping of initiatives aimed at addressing stubborn societal challenges.
However, the term portfolio is being stretched too loosely to be useful without greater precision. Not all portfolios are alike. They differ in purpose, structure, strategy, and the kinds of insights and impacts they can yield.
Changemakers, collaborators, evaluators, and funders need to be clear about what type of portfolio they are employing and why. Choosing the right approach begins with clarity about the challenge being faced, the kind of change being sought, and the conditions on the ground.
In this webinar, Mark Cabaj, evaluator, systems thinker, and dear friend of Tamarack will share the thinking from the latest paper in the Transformation Frameworks Series: There’s No Such Thing as a Fish.
in this webinar we will
-
Explore six different types of portfolios and when and why each could be used
-
Invite you to reflect on your current efforts, name the assumptions behind them, and consider what kind of customized portfolio might serve your aims.
-
Discuss specific opportunities for how changemakers can bring portfolio thinking to their collaborative work
Speakers
Mark Cabaj, President, From Here to There Consulting
Mark is President of the consulting company From Here to There and an Associate of Tamarack. Mark has first-hand knowledge of using evaluation as a policy maker, philanthropist, and activist, and has played a big role in promoting the merging practice of developmental evaluation in Canada. Mark is currently focused on how diverse organizations and communities work together to tackle complex issues, on social innovation as a "sub-scene" of community change work, and on strategic learning and evaluation.
Lisa Attygalle, Consulting Director, Community Engagement at Tamarack Institute
Lisa Attygalle leads Tamarack's Learning Centre which supports learners to build their skills, relationships, and capacities that contribute to lasting community and systems-level impact on one or more dimensions of poverty. Over the last 12 years her work has focused on enabling community-based participatory decision-making, creating authentic engagement strategies that centre the voices of people most impacted, and the use of technology and creativity for engagement. Outside of her work at Tamarack, Lisa is an artist and co-owner of Seven Shores Community Cafe in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
