{"id":1691,"date":"2019-07-09T05:48:19","date_gmt":"2019-07-09T05:48:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.grantnews.com\/blog\/?p=571"},"modified":"2023-08-10T11:06:21","modified_gmt":"2023-08-10T15:06:21","slug":"using-evaluation-as-a-teaching-tool-for-nonprofit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.grantwatch.com\/grantnews\/using-evaluation-as-a-teaching-tool-for-nonprofit\/","title":{"rendered":"Evaluation Reboot – Using Evaluation as a Teaching Tool For Nonprofit Staff and Boards"},"content":{"rendered":"

We spend so much time focusing on finding grants, filling out applications and writing grant proposals.  How much time do you spend on evaluation?<\/p>\n

Once a grant<\/a> has been awarded, a grant manager needs to be appointed.  This could be the company comptroller or accountant, a staff member, and\/or a board member.  The grant manager is in charge of financial and programmatic grant oversight. During this phase, the monies are spent exactly as stated in the proposed budget unless the grant manager has received approval for a budget modification.<\/p>\n

Program evaluation<\/strong> is conducted pre, midpoint and post the grant award period.<\/p>\n

Even after the grant money has been spent, the grant is not a “done deal” until the funders have been given a full report accounting for how the money has been used and with what results.<\/p>\n

Evaluation is an important aspect of the grant cycle, as well as essential to the health and success of every nonprofit (and for-profit) organization. It’s the only way to know if a programs has had the impact proposed and truly made a difference.<\/p>\n

A new book by Elena Harman, published by The Charity Channel, provides an in-depth look at evaluation designed for regular staff members (non-evaluators). The Great Nonprofit Evaluation Reboot: A New Approach Every Staff Member Can Understand<\/a>, focuses on learning from evaluation. It’s an easy to read manual perfect for busy professionals who are not experts in applied research methods.<\/p>\n

Harman’s book is full of actionable strategies to help you find answers to your questions about how to measure your efforts and improve your results in the future.<\/p>\n

The book contains chapt\"The<\/a>ers directed toward each staff position enabling each staff member to apply evaluation to improve their outcomes in fundraising, communications, leadership, and governance. Harman addresses how to evaluate both grant makers and grant recipients. She encourages both staff and board members to use \u201cevaluation as a learning tool rather than an accountability measure.”<\/p>\n

“Evaluation is a critical component of running effective programs, as well as raising more money for those programs,” says Amy Eisenstein, author of Major Gift Fundraising for Small Shops. “If you want to provide the best services possible, and communicate that with your donors, this book is a must read.”<\/p>\n

Readers will learn that not only can evaluation support communications, but they will learn the role of the communication team in supporting evaluation. The book provides rich examples, helpful tips, and a down-to-earth writing style, valuable actionable steps that will inspire readers to start implementing these great ideas right away. In addition, she provides insights into which social media metrics are important to focus on and an honest assessment of when it does and does not make sense to evaluate.<\/p>\n

What you can expect:<\/p>\n