Kate Szczerbacki serves as the Director of Learning, Evaluation, and Capacity Building at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, where she leads efforts to advance data-informed, equity-centered practices across the organization and regional nonprofit ecosystem. Since joining the Foundation in 2018, Kate has guided evaluation, learning, and capacity-building strategies aligned with the Foundation’s mission. With over a decade of experience as a program evaluator in Massachusetts and Connecticut, Kate brings deep expertise to her role. She holds a JD from SUNY Buffalo Law School, a PhD in Social Policy from Brandeis University, and a BA in Economics and Political Science from Alfred University. During the ETB Gathering at the 2024 AEA Evaluation Conference, we had a conversation with Kate and she spoke to the importance of building inclusive practices that begin at the earliest stages of evaluation, collaboration, shared learning, and how Expanding the Bench® (ETB) continues to shape the field—strengthened through community.

How has being a part of ETB impacted you?

Being part of ETB has truly given me a sense of community. I know I’m not alone in saying that—it’s something I hear from others too. I’m honored to serve on the Leaders in Equitable Evaluation and Diversity (LEEAD) Advisory Team Workgroup, which I really value because it’s such an applied and hands-on space. Every time I leave a meeting, whether in person or virtually, I walk away feeling inspired by the people in the room.

The perspectives shared in that group have subtly—and sometimes very clearly—shaped both my own practice and my team’s. We’ve had the privilege of serving as a Practicum Site for LEEAD Scholars, and each time, I’ve felt like our work levels up. I feel supported and held by a powerful network of evaluators and colleagues who are deeply committed to culturally responsive and equitable evaluation (CREE). That’s had a lasting impact on me.

How do you hope to implement CREE in the future?

One area I’d really love to grow in is expanding how residents are involved in our procurement processes. So far, we’ve focused on nonprofits, fellow funders, and community partners in helping us select evaluators. But often, the people most directly impacted by the work aren’t brought into those early decisions.

I want to push further—bringing in residents at the very beginning of the learning and evaluation process. It’s about going one level deeper and ensuring that community voices shape not just the outcomes, but the design and direction of the work itself.

How do you see yourself engaging with ETB going forward?

Honestly, in any way ETB will have me! I love being part of the LEEAD Advisory Team, and we’ve served as a Practicum Site three times now. Wherever I’m positioned in the future, I know I’ll always want to stay connected to ETB’s work. Whatever role ETB thinks I’d be a good fit for—I’m in!

Where do you see ETB in the next ten years?

I was just describing ETB to someone as a fixture in the field—this reliable initiative for funding, as a force for good and about living a good life in the evaluation space. I think ETB is highly influential—not just for the Scholars it supports, but also for the Mentors and the broader community it connects. It’s truly committed to promoting CREE and putting it at the forefront of people’s minds. And not in a way that feels scary or unknown, but as something essential and achievable. ETB enables that progress in so many ways, making the work feel not only possible but real. I can see that presence and impact only growing in the future.

Any final thoughts about the 10-year anniversary or your experience with ETB in general?

You know, ten years might feel like an arbitrary milestone, but I think it’s a moment worth celebrating. Every time I or someone from the foundation engages with ETB, we’re met with such warmth, thoughtfulness, and collaboration.

The entire team—across the Advancing Culturally-responsive and Equitable (ACE) Evaluation Network, the LEEAD Program, and every other part of ETB—creates a space where people feel welcomed and supported. That’s something really special, and it’s one of the reasons why this work continues to have such impact. I know I’m not alone in feeling that way.