Daemen University is celebrating 10 years of its Institute for Government and Nonprofit Innovation, Training, and Evaluation (IGNITE), which serves as a critical bridge linking academic specialists with the local social sector, while focusing on service, quality, and measurable impact in Western New York and beyond. 
Since its founding in 2015, IGNITE has sought to enhance the capacity of nonprofit organizations, coalitions, governmental entities, and foundations to adapt to ever-changing service, funding, and regulatory environments. IGNITE offers high-quality, affordably priced applied research and professional development services by connecting faculty and students with community stakeholders.
“I am very proud of IGNITE’s work over the past ten years, especially the efforts made by Daemen’s faculty and students to support the nonprofit and public sectors as they address our community’s most pressing social issues,” said Dr. Diane R. Bessel, MSW Program Director and Chair, Social Work and Sociology at Daemen.
Over the past decade, IGNITE has expanded its comprehensive menu of services to include:
- Planning: Strategic planning, environmental scans, community needs assessments, best practice research, and social program design (including logic models).
- Assessment: Board assessments, organizational perceptual analyses, DEI-B (diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging) audits, collaboration readiness evaluations, and strategic alliance/merger readiness reviews.
- Evaluation: Outcome tracking, program and policy evaluation, cost-benefit analysis, quality improvement initiatives, and policy analysis.
- Capacity Building: Trainings on evidence-informed or best practices, program design, evaluation, and sustainability, grant writing, culturally responsive and affirming practice, policy advocacy, interprofessional collaboration, leadership development, and more—including New York State Education Department-approved continuing education courses for licensed professional social workers.
Learn more about IGNITE by visiting this link.