Empowering Nonprofits Through Data
Empowering Nonprofits Through Data
We’ve curated a helpful collection of resources, guides and links.
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Evaluation into Action, LLC, is now an affiliate partner with Joan Garry’s Nonprofit Leadership Lab. One great way to check out how valuable the Nonprofit Leadership Lab can be is to join Joan Garry for a jam-packed workshop that will give you the practical advice you need to strengthen your org and lead with more intention. Here are a few webinars you can take advantage of.
There are many ways to do program evaluation, making it difficult to know how to start. In this book, Chari outlines a clear approach, filled with real world stories as well as examples of evaluation plans, surveys, and reports.
Bonus: A companion website filled with downloadable real world examples and templates.
Northwest Housing Alternatives contracted with Evaluation Into Action to create an evaluation system for their resident services program.
This case study outlines key steps in our process in three areas: Planning, Implementation and Results.
Please enter your email to download your FREE copy of our white paper on Program Evaluation and Data Culture in Resident Services!
In partnership with the Regional Arts and Culture Council
This guide for Arts organizations will walk you through the steps necessary to engage a more diverse audience. This framework was based on a comprehensive literature review as well as interviews with experts and community leaders.
Download the GuidePartnered with NPC Research, a project for Oregon Arts Commission
These guides connecting Students to the World of Work (WoW) offer guidance for conducting evaluations of funded programs. Each mini-guide offers basic information on a specific topic to help grantee organizations build capacity to implement evaluation activities.
Shine your Light, a song written and performed by Chari Smith about program evaluation
Thanks to the eval20 conference attendees for your request that I record the full song Shine your Light. I wrote Shine your Light for the opening plenary session I did at the American Evaluation Association (AEA) annual conference. The song was inspired by the conference theme ‘shine your light’, that we as program evaluators shine our light to reveal truths that were once unknown. I was so inspired by the conference sessions, I added a bridge!
Download Shine your Light (m4a)
Special thanks to Aimee White, AEA 2020 President, Anisha Lewis, AEA Executive Director, Jayne Kramer, AEA Marketing & Communications Manager, and AEA Phil Montwill, Senior Graphic Designer for working with me to create an inspiring video that blends music and stories about program evaluation.
Feel free to download the song and the lyric sheet.
You can watch the plenary session here:
Music composed and performed by Chari Smith
In the beginning of the pandemic, program evaluation pioneer and expert Michael Quinn Patton released comfort pandemic music. These were videos with his lyrics set to known songs.
These were designed to “help us get through this pandemic crisis with a little comfort, levity and wisdom.”
Chari and Michael collaborated on this original video, with an original jazz composition serving as the backdrop to Michael’s words of wisdom.
Let’s Make Program Evaluation Simpler
We’re not good at it – we think it’s too hard, we don’t know how to do it. And our boards don’t hold us accountable to figure it out. Oh yes, and of course funders want to know all about it.
Chari Smith, the author of Nonprofit Program Evaluation Made Simple: Get Your Data. Show Your Impact. Improve Your Programs, insists there is an easy way to make steering your ship fun and exciting with good data.
Nonprofit Program Evaluation Made Simple with Chari Smith
Are you overwhelmed by the thought of conducting a program evaluation for your nonprofit organization? Don’t know how to structure it, or even where to start? There are many ways to do program evaluation, making it difficult to know which model is best or which format to follow. Help is here. My guest this week is Chari Smith, founder of Evaluation into Action to help nonprofit professionals create realistic and meaningful program evaluation processes. Some of the topics we discuss include how to create a logic model, measure impact, building a culture of evaluation, survey design basics, clear reporting techniques, and more.
The author of Nonprofit Program Evaluation Made Simple, Chari Smith, shares insight on how to systematically gather data to demonstrate your impact and make improvements, often a requirement from major modern funders.
This is a recent episode of The Nonprofit Show -- the Nation’s daily live streaming broadcast where the Nonprofit Community comes together. Each weekday the hosts and their guests cover different nonprofit topics with fresh ideas to help your nonprofit achieve its mission, vision, and values.
Highly effective nonprofits leverage the tools of program evaluation to build a culture of continuous improvement. This allows nonprofit and Board leaders to make better strategic decisions. Chari Smith joins Greg to discuss the steps necessary to translate evaluation into action for your nonprofit.
Nonprofit Vision with Gregory Nielsen presents informative and entertaining conversations spotlighting critical issues in nonprofit leadership and the visionaries who are addressing them.
Nonprofit Vision podcast is a production by Gregory Nielsen with Nielsen Training & Consulting, LLC at www.nielsenconsults.com
We went into our program evaluation project feeling overwhelmed, but Chari quickly provided structure, process and knowledge that let us know we were in good hands. Her energetic and collaborative approach moved the project through key milestones, while putting us in the driver's seat at the right points. Her attention to detail and organization skills are remarkable. I would not do this again without her!
Lindsay McDonnell, Executive Director, Project Lemonade
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