Outcomes

jessicascites

We are reevaluating how we collect anticipated outcomes in competitive grant applications. We currently just ask for them to be listed in a textbox, but notice many nonprofits struggle with this portion of the application.

How does your organization collect anticipated outcomes in grant applications and what guidance do you provide them in indicating their anticipated outcomes?

LaurieAbildso

This is how we ask for an evaluation plan on our competitive grant applications:

How will the organization measure the impact of this project? Please include your plan for reporting on specific, measurable outcomes.  

• This should include measures beyond the number of individuals served. How will you measure what changes occur as a result of this funding/project? Examples: behavior, knowledge, attitudes, new skills, increased opportunities.
• Include information on what measurement tool(s) you will use to gather the data. Examples: surveys, focus groups, interviews, observations.

At least one outcome and its measurement plan must be provided. Additional are encouraged. 

CameronWood

Thank you for asking this question, @jessicascites! This is probably the section of our application that applicants struggle most and have been working through ideas on how we can better capture anticipated outcomes. I appreciate @LaurieAbildso for her response...simple but effective. I hope others chime in to get other ideas because this is something very important to me.

KatyKeller

A few years ago we created a whole evaluation framework at the request of the board who wanted to better understand the impact the funds were having. We created a User's Guide to help guide them, Evaluation Plan template, and eventually an Impact Dashboard using data from the Follow Ups. The outcomes/indicators are branched questions in GLM. I will say it seems intense and freaked people out at first, but as we have simplified it over the years and when we have conversations with grantees, we emphasize that we don't want them to create anything new for us. They tell us how they will measure the outcomes.

CameronWood

Thanks so much for sharing, @KatyKeller! This is awesome and really helpful :D