Welcome to this installment of Intention 2 Impact’s Heart-2-Heart — our monthly newsletter where we share what’s on our mind, in our hearts, and up our sleeves.

This month, we re-introduce I2I 4.0 with a new focus on communications, vibe check 2026, and spotlight our newest partnership with Decolonizing Wealth Project.

On Our Minds

Hiring with Heart (in a Contracted Market)

ICYMI: I2I is growing! 

We are currently in the midst of hiring for a Consultant II to join our team—a role designed for an early-stage MEL practitioner ready to dive into the deep end of impact measurement and communications with us.

Since hiring is top of mind, we wanted to pull back the curtain on what we’re seeing. 

Opening a search in the current climate feels different than it did a few years ago. It is no secret that the evaluation market has contracted due to the administration’s defunding of public-sector evaluation, the evaporation of international development contracts, and the ripple effects felt across philanthropy.

We are seeing something we haven’t seen at this scale before: an overwhelming supply of deeply qualified, values-aligned talent with fewer places to go. To be candid? We are humbled. Each time we open a role, we receive applications from brilliant evaluators and researchers navigating transitions they did not plan for.

This moment requires more than efficient hiring. It requires care. Because how we hire is just as important as who we hire. Below is our heart-centered advice for both employers and job seekers navigating this season.

For Businesses: Your Hiring Process Is a Culture Signal

At I2I, we approach hiring as an extension of our values. Here are the practices we believe matter most right now:

1. Acknowledge receipt and share the timeline. Silence breeds anxiety. A simple confirmation and a clear roadmap for next steps preserves candidate dignity.
2. Close the loop with everyone. Especially if the answer is “no.” If possible, share brief, constructive feedback. In a contracted market, clarity is a gift. 
3. Be transparent about salary. Publish salary and benefits. Be explicit about what “fit” means (years of experience, travel expectations, level of autonomy). It prevents mismatches and saves everyone time.
4. Ask specific, role-tailored questions. Generic prompts yield generic responses. We design questions that mirror real job tasks to see how someone actually thinks.
5. Send interview topics or prompts in advance. We are not interested in someone’s improv routine (although we love a good “Yes, And” game). Sharing topics ahead of time reduces inequity (not everyone has equal comfort with on-the-spot performance), lowers anxiety, and gives you a truer picture of how someone will actually show up on the job (prepared, not performative).
6. Respect emotional labor. Applying is an act of vulnerability. Hiring teams should carry that awareness into every interaction.

For Applicants: Your Voice is Your Value 

If you are navigating this market, please remember: Needing work right now is not a reflection of your talent or worth. As we review applications for our Consultant II role, here is what stands out:

1. Be authentic. We aren’t looking for the ‘most impressive’ resume on paper; we’re looking for clarity of thought, values-alignment, and whether you are the right fit for this specific role at this specific time.
2. Don’t overuse AI (we can tell). We love a good AI tool, but when every answer is in — that — generic voice, your perspective gets lost. Write your raw thoughts in your voice first, then use AI to polish or tighten (if needed). 
3. Assess fit honestly. An unfortunate trend we are seeing this hiring round is too many senior leaders applying for a role meant for an emerging consultant. More years of experience doesn’t always mean ‘more qualified’ if the role’s scope doesn’t offer the level of strategic autonomy or compensation right-sized for a senior leader.
4. Tailor the application. Specific alignment with our mission and client base lands much better than generic enthusiasm.
5. Tell us how you work. Beyond your credentials, how do you collaborate? How do you navigate feedback?
6. Remember mutual selection. You are interviewing the organization, too. Pay attention to how we communicate and whether our process reflects the values we claim to hold. Ask the real questions. You’re looking for a culture where you can thrive.

A Final Thought on the the Moment We’re In

We often talk about the “market” as if it’s a force of nature—something that just happens to us. But the current imbalance between an oversupply of talent and a scarcity of roles is a systems failure. 

Solving this requires more than just better resumes or more efficient HR software. It requires structural accountability. It requires philanthropy to fund the people behind the data, government to recognize that evidence is an essential service, and all of us to refuse the idea that “impact” can be achieved (or measured) on a shoestring budget.

If we want a field that attracts the best and brightest, we have to build a field that can actually sustain them. At I2I, we are doing our small part by hiring with heart, but we’re also calling on our partners and peers to join us in reinvesting in the human capital that makes our work possible.

Let’s build a sector that values the people as much as the progress.

In Our Hearts

Happy Lunar New Year! 🎊2026 marks the year of the Fire Horse (an astrological rarity that occurs only once every 60 years!), ushering in a time for vitality, growth, and energetic movement. 

As we bid farewell to 2025, and the year of the Snake, we asked I2I core team members to share what they are shedding 🐍 and what they are galloping towards 🐴 in 2026!

What are you shedding and galloping towards in 2026? Send a message to let us know!

In the meantime, here’s wishing everyone a prosperous, joyous, & healthy year ahead! Gong Xi Fa Cai! 恭喜发财

Up Our Sleeves

🎶On the road again, on the road again.🎶 

Team I2I is packing our bags and hitting the Q2 Conference circuit! Take a peep at our upcoming destinations below!  Hit us up if we can expect to see you in any of these spots (or if you have any stellar food reccs along the way)!

• March 16-18 (Montreal): Impact Frontiers’ Impact Measurement & Managing (IMM) Convening
• April 6-9 (Washington DC): The Good Tech Summit
• April 26-28 (Atlanta): Mission Investors Exchange National Conference 
• June 1-3 (Boston): Grantmakers for Effective Organization (GEO) Conference 
• June 15-19 (Chicago): Emergent Learning Convening 

Let the learning, presenting, & networking commence!!