Wellspring Group Consulting, LLC

Wellspring Group Consulting, LLC is an Alaska-based consulting firm that focuses on evaluation and custom research services. With a focus on collaboration, we utilize meaningful data to support decisions that drive social change.

We live, work, and learn on Sugpiaq and Dena'ina lands

Values

Relationships

Our passion is collaboration and working alongside people doing good work. We are committed to meeting people where they are at, showing up as our whole selves, and caretaking our authentic connections

Strengths

We magnify the knowledges and skills that people bring to the work: shining a light on their intelligence, resilience, and resourcefulness and building forward from them

Purpose

Partnering with us means engaging in customized and intentional processes that align with our clients’ needs and visions. We prioritize the utility of our work

Integrity

Data is a gift; we treat it as such. We have a responsibility to acknowledge our privileges, listen deeply, work reflexively, and center equity in all that we do

Impact

We are mission-driven; we want to amplify the work and impact of our clients

Clarity

We embrace the messy and thrive on sense-making in a complex world. Our work should be accessible, useful, and equitable

What We Do

End-to-end evaluation, custom research & everything in-between

We use research and evaluation in ways that are meaningful to our clients, often employing a mixed-methods approach that is tailored to your goals. Our services below highlight components of evaluation and research which can be delivered as a stand alone service or an all-inclusive package. While research and evaluation share similar methodologies, their goals are different. Research is theory-driven with a goal to contribute to generalizable knowledge. Evaluation, on the other hand, is concerned with systematically assessing process, outcomes, and impacts: what’s working, what isn’t working, and why? Oftentimes, research and evaluation overlap, contributing to one another and sharing ways of gathering data to inform their pursuits.

Evaluation Planning

You want to conduct an evaluation but you’re not sure how to get started. We’re here to help! We can work with you to determine the purpose and audience of your evaluation, the kinds of data that can be collected and with what methods, and decide how insights will be communicated. An evaluation plan serves as a roadmap for understanding and assessing your program or project. Some Examples: Evaluation plan writing Logic Models/Theory of Change Engagement strategies Thought partnership

13124461_10153772274927968_2996718615202920633_n_edited.jpg

1609795_10153058464457968_3058994419939034060_n_edited.jpg

Technical Assistance

At WGC, we have deep expertise in the social sciences, with over 30 combined years of research and evaluation work. We tap into our extensive experience with both qualitative and quantitative methods, and our familiarity with formative, summative, and developmental evaluation approaches to support your needs. Some Examples: Community Readiness Assessments Needs Assessments Development of data collection instruments Editing/refining data collection instruments Surveys Interviews Focus Group Discussions Observations Developing monitoring systems Data organization Data Analysis Environmental scans Secondary data review/research Literature reviews

Data Visualization & Communication

Visualizing data is how we tell the story of your projects and programs, and highlight the value of your work. Presenting complex data sets in visual formats allows us to showcase progress towards goals, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions. We strive to highlight the impacts of your work and demonstrate their value in a way that's accessible and persuasive to stakeholders, funders, and other interested parties. Some Examples: Dashboard development Infographics Data visualization Report writing

Customized Trainings & Evaluation Coaching

We believe that evaluation is a powerful tool for learning and transformation. Everyone has the ability to evaluate. We are here to elevate your evaluation skills. We offer a full range of customized evaluation trainings - from planning to presenting.

Network

We believe in the power of relationships, and Alaskans have a long tradition of working collaboratively. We maintain an extensive network of colleagues that are good at what they do. If we don’t offer it, we know someone who does. In the event that we are unable to provide a particular service, we are more than happy to suggest a qualified consultant who can. Let us know how we can help!

The Team

Kate Hohman Billmeier

Principal

Together with Caleb, Kate helped found Wellspring Group Consulting. Kate believes that local voices should help determine, design, and control projects that enhance the well-being of their communities. In co-founding Wellspring Group Consulting, Kate envisions working with communities to build on their existing assets to connect, strengthen, and grow their capacity to do good work.

Since 2010, Kate has taught Political Science and Women’s Studies in the University of Alaska system. Kate also worked at the Institute of Social and Economic Research as part of a monitoring and evaluation team for a multi-year federally-funded health project in Alaska. She has worked as a consultant in rural Alaska conducting studies on the impact of development projects on subsistence practices. Prior to her work in Alaska, Kate worked at an international INGO focused on helping women living in conflict-affected countries recover from war.

Kate received her BA in Political Science and International Affairs from the University of Mary Washington and her MA in Women’s Studies from The George Washington University. She received her PhD in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in 2014.

Kate lives in Seldovia, Alaska with her family.

Caleb Billmeier

Principal

Co-founder of Wellspring Group Consulting, he and Kate are the driving force behind the vision, goals, and operations of the business. Caleb worked as a consultant in rural Alaska for eight years, researching the impacts of state and federally-funded development projects on local subsistence practices and cultural resources. He has also worked as a tribal Grants Manager in his hometown of Seldovia, Alaska and as a contributor to a non-profit that seeks to educate and engage the public on Alaska’s natural resource issues.

Prior to his work in Alaska, Caleb participated in collaborative research programs at the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT) in Patan, Nepal. He also helped develop a community-based model for heritage tourism in the Indian state of Uttarakhand while working at the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in Delhi, India. He received his M.A. in Cross-Cultural Studies from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2009, following a B.A. in Historic Preservation from the University of Mary Washington in 2004.

Caleb and Kate spent nearly a decade as a commercial fishing family in Bristol Bay, and continue to live and work in rural Alaska. He lives with his wife and two kids in Seldovia, Alaska.

Our Clients

Who We’ve Worked With

At Wellspring Group Consulting, we have had the privilege of working with a variety of clients including regional coalitions, nonprofits, Tribal governments, Alaska Native corporations, Alaska Native regional consortiums, universities, academic research teams, and private businesses. In each of these relationships we have built personal connections to the people with whom we are working-- we bring our passion for community connectedness and love of evaluation into all of our projects. We believe that evaluation and data work should be positive, engaging, values-centered, illuminating, and reflective of the client’s mission and community.