Who are the people you serve with your mission? Describe briefly.

Ed Trust centers the people we serve in all our work, intentionally weaving in the voices of advocates and directly impacted individuals so that those who are experiencing the effects of policies firsthand can lift their voices and stories and be part of the solution. Ed Trust carries out research and analysis, but we don’t stop there. We inform advocates, and we support state and federal coalitions to advance policy change. We created a feedback loop between our federal and state policy and advocacy work to ensure that federal policies are being carried out equitably at the local level and that state advocates are aware of the implications of federal funding. The winning combination of how we approach our work is what distinguishes us in the field.

How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?

Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Paper surveys, Community meetings or town halls, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees, Suggestion box/email

How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve

With whom does your organization share the feedback you got from the people you serve?

The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners

How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship with them or shifted power - over decisions, resources, rules or in other ways - to them?

Feedback from the people we serve has always been central to Ed Trust’s theory of change. Ed Trust advocates for change alongside the people directly impacted by policies and practices that we seek to change. Ed Trust uses feedback from the folks on the ground to inform our work, creating a feedback loop between our federal and state work. As we advocate for federal policies that promote equity in education, we also work with our state partners to understand how these policies play out at the local level. Requesting continuous feedback from the advocates that we work with has allowed our work to be highly impactful because we target.

What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?

We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback

Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.

Ed Trust launched our Justice Fellows Policy Program to elevate the voices of individuals who are formerly incarcerated and overcame the odds in attaining bachelor’s or master’s degrees. The Fellows completed scans of state policies for justice-impacted students to push states to expand opportunities for justice-impacted students, focusing on barriers to reentry to higher education. Throughout the fellowship, the Justice Fellows used their lived experiences to inform, review, amplify, and reflect on Ed Trust’s policy recommendations for justice-impacted students. Feedback from the Fellows continuously informed the program and the higher education team’s work, expanding the scope of the policy scans to include more barriers to access.