More than 80% of nonprofit leaders recently surveyed believe that demonstrating impact through performance measurement is a top priority. Yet for many, evaluation feels like a daunting task that takes up time and resources without providing much value.
If we agree with the importance of measurement, how do we improve our practice of it?
These are questions we often grapple with at Knight Foundation. Above, Knight's Vice President of Strategy and Assessment, Mayur Patel, shares a few simple exercises on how to use evaluation to deliver better programs and promote greater effectiveness within our organizations. Find out more at http://kng.ht/12VJ6Cz.
2. Getting to know each
other…
Pair up: What’s your burning measurement
question?
Helping nonprofits deliver greater
benefits to the people they serve
Photo: By PeterPan23, via Wikimedia Commons
7. TIPS – One Metric that Matters
# If you collected this metric, how many
people in your organization would care
1. No one…………..5. everyone
# To what extent would tracking this help
you make better decisions
1. Not at all………..5. A great deal
# If you’re not collecting it, don’t panic
11. 2. The Nature Conservancy
What you count might hide your impact
Acres under Management vs Biodiversity
Photo: Nature’s Images @ Flickr Creative Commons
12. 1. Prison
3. Harlem Children’s Zone
Managing the present for future impact
Leading vs Lagging Indicators
Photo: http://www.hcz.org
13. “The only benchmark of success is college
graduation. That’s the only one: how many
kids you get in college, how many you get
out.”
Geoffrey Canada
City Limits
14. 4. Global Giving
The power of storytelling
Qualitative vs Quantiative Information
Photo: http://www.sswm.info
19. Don’t overwhelm with dozens of metrics
Do align your multiple funders
Don’t rely on “people touched”
Do be realistic about scope of influence
Don’t allow qualitative data to be dismissed
Do talk about your investment costs
Notes de l'éditeur
Good morning everyoneConversation about measuring what matters
What’s this all about – measurement?Why do it?Single reason: Helping you deliver greater benefits to the people you serve
People always end with bibliography – but these three books really important (draw a lot from them)Came out in last 2 years: Networked (open, transparent, decentralized, decision making = measuring relationships, engagement & social connectivityLean analytics = startups – how you build metrics to help you focus on core value, engagement usersLeap of reason = call to action – managing to outcomes
How you know you’re being successful? Because I know it in my gutWhat about measuring – doesn’t matter…
What we’re trying to create – Data-informed cultures –Not data-driven (based solely on cold hard data to make decisions – more responsive changing environment)Why coral? Why useful metaphor for this…. Keep that in the back of your mind when
Prioritization – want you to think about the one metric that matters in your organizationSingle thing – track so much … not easy I know….purposefully difficult to focusGet into fours this time and talk about: what it is & why? Ask them about it?
TIPS – to help you have this conversation….
Nearly 2.5m in prison; roughly 10 states spend more on prisons than higher educationWhat metric would you track?What metric do you think most prison run services track? % beds filledWhat should it track?
Diversity of plants and animals AcresWater supply systems (animals)Biodiversity health
Harlem Children’s Zone – pioneering nonprofit, community based organization – seems to help children and familiesStrong focus on education
This is what he said…Challenges with this…
Funder-nonprofit relationships (measurement)I’ll let you decide who you want to put in the chair and on the couch, and who is in need of more therapy?Funders want to help nonprofits do the right thing Joint responsibility – conversations about the work Secrets about how to make these conversations about measurement work betterDo’s and Don’ts – 5 simple points