There’s one thing I love most about the internet – the ability to enter a phrase into a search box that describes a problem that you think is nameless, ill-defined, and without a clear solution and then discover through pages of search results that: (1) it has a name, (2) you aren’t the only one struggling with it, and (3) there are lots of solutions, many of which are home remedies! Whether it’s a funny noise your car makes, a recipe that always fails, a strange rash (ew!), or a bad plumbing job, there’s a way to describe it and a way to solve it.
In my experience, the same is true for the challenges nonprofits face related to their outcomes. Nonprofits come to me knowing something isn’t working but not knowing precisely what that is, what to call it, or how to fix it. It’s easy to get tangled up in and overwhelmed by the technical jargon of evaluation, performance management, quality improvement, and the like. But, at Insight Partners, we believe the problems and their solutions are pretty intuitive. Here are some of the common complaints nonprofits bring to us. Together, we make the decisions, tools, and strategies to address each challenge in right-sized and sustainable ways. Here are some of our most popular posts that address each challenge.
“We are one piece in big puzzle; how can we know what we can take credit for?” or “We are a prevention program. How do we communicate the value of what we deliver?”
For these challenges, a Theory of Change can be extremely helpful in articulating where you fit in a larger, complex system of challenges and change. By mapping the changes that are necessary to reach your definition of success, you can identify where your influence begins and ends, who your partners ought to be, and why you believe your contribution leads to something much bigger much later in the lives of your participants.
“We measure because we have to. It’s not meaningful to us, but it’s required by funders.”
What a waste of time and energy! Why not find a way to satisfy the needs of funders and your own management and leadership teams by measuring what’s meaningful and useful? If you do that, you can get your staff to buy into outcome measurement, too. Also, you can use your outcome statements to educate your funders about your programs’ intentions and capabilities and make a more compelling case, if you write strong and specific outcome statements that not only satisfy the funder but also guide your efforts.
“The outcomes we’re after are hard to measure.”
So true! We are in the business of changing minds, hearts, relationships, lives, and communities, and that’s a lot harder to measure than it is to count meals, nights, beds, classes, and hours of service. But it can and must be done. Check out these two posts about defining your outcomes in measurable terms and then measuring them in manageable ways.
“What we want to measure doesn’t line up with what our funders want.”
More and more, funders are requiring nonprofits to measure certain outcomes or indicators in certain ways. If nonprofits don’t manage this pro-actively and strategically, they will find themselves in a world of hurt. There are a number of ways to minimize this burden, and here are a few.
“We’ve got so many funders, and they each want something different! How do we satisfy them all without going crazy?!”
As more funders are getting more specific, organizations who are accountable to multiple funders increasingly feel pulled in several directions. To manage this well, without wasting time, energy, and money on duplicate efforts and inefficient processes, you’ve got to see the picture and get organized.
If you want to learn more, come join me on October 18th, 2018, at UMSL. I’m teaching my “Crafting Meaningful and Measurable Outcomes” workshop in which, we explore the purpose and types of outcomes, what makes an outcome meaningful and measurable, how to craft outcome statements, and strategies for measuring the more elusive outcomes. Come check it out if you want to find a name and a solution for your outcomes problems! Click here to register.