Evaluation
There is a great deal out there on the web that deals with evaluation for nonprofit organizations. This is our selection of the most useful sites though very few of them pay much attention to the ultimately subjective nature of a lot of it and the inevitable 'political' dimension that accompanies the process. It also tends to emphasize program or project evaluation which is fine except this does not address the greater difficulties which arise when you have to evaluate whole organizations. This presents the problem of comparing "apples and oranges", that is, one program as against others in the same organization.
-
If you know nothing about evaluation, start with the "W.K. Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Handbook". To access, click on the box titled "Evaluation handbook and logic model guide".This is a 116-page book on how to do evaluations in a way that the Kellogg Foundation would expect if you got one of their grants. It covers everything.The Kellogg Foundation -
Another basic guide for those with no experience with evaluation is this one from the National Science Foundation in the U.S. It focuses on project evaluation because that is what the NSF funds but the pointers on how to do a good evaluation are generic.National Science Foundation of the U.S. -
"Basic guide to Program evaluation" from Carter McNamara covers the basics on evaluation in far fewer pages than the handbooks cited above, though obviously not in as much detail.Authenticity Consulting -
One of the problems with trying to assess the performance of an entire organization is knowing what the criteria for success should be. This useful booklet bravely puts forward the hallmarks of an effective charity.The Charity Commission of England and Wales -
Check the ever useful Free Management Library of this firm for another useful checklist for reviewing your management practices.Authenticity Consulting -
The constant talk about the need for more accountability and evaluation can be daunting for those nonprofits whose outcomes are very difficult to define and measure such as arts organizations or social services dealing with problems with many causes. For an example of how one arts organization actually tackled and successfully implemented a feasible evaluation system look at this case study presented by the U.S. National Endowment for the ArtsNational Endowment for the Arts (U.S.) -
A big problem with the evaluation of the performance of nonprofit organizations and programs is that those being evaluated often do not understand the process and may react against it. The only way to overcome this is by involving those who are to be evaluated in the whole process from start to finish. An excellent series of articles on how to do this effectively can be found in the site of the Harvard Family Research ProgramHarvard University Family Research Project