Doug Easterling, PhD (he/him) has been a faculty member in the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy at Wake Forest School of Medicine since 2003, and he served as department chair from 2005 to 2015. Additionally, he holds the position of Director of Evaluation for Wake Forest’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI).
His research focuses on designing, implementing, and evaluating interventions to improve health and well-being, with a particular emphasis on interventions involving collaborative problem-solving and community development.
Doug's primary area of interest lies in the strategies of philanthropic foundations. In 2016, he conducted a study for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which involved mapping the various strategies that 33 health conversion foundations have used to address the social determinants of health.
Over the course of his career, Doug has published over 70 articles that cover various aspects of philanthropy, evaluation, and community change. His contributions in Foundation Review and Stanford Social Innovation Review have provided the foundation field with valuable tools, frameworks, and evaluation findings that support the design and implementation of effective strategies.
For the past 20 years, he has served as an evaluator, strategic advisor, learning coach, and facilitator for more than 30 national, state and local foundations. Notable organizations he has worked with include the Clinton Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Colorado Health Foundation, Kate. B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, and Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation. Doug's expertise has been instrumental in assisting community foundations in building social capital and cultivating new community leaders. Between 2006 and 2011, he facilitated the National Social Capital Learning Circle.