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Evaluation as Organizational Strategy: Developing Evaluation Policy for Nonprofits and Foundations
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| Presenter(s):
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| Lester Baxter,
Pew Charitable Trusts,
lbaxter@pewtrusts.org
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| Glee Holton,
Pew Charitable Trusts,
gholton@pewtrusts.org
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| Scott Scrivner,
Pew Charitable Trusts,
sscrivner@pewtrusts.org
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| Abstract:
This paper presents the results of a year-long process to prepare an evaluation policy at a national nonprofit. The founding premise for developing this policy is that evaluation should be positioned as a vital strategy for pursuing the organization’s core vision. The process included an analysis of the organization’s current status and trajectory and an assessment of the organization’s experience with evaluation. The revised policy integrates evaluation into the nonprofit’s core function—designing and implementing social-change strategies. Among the policy’s key elements are the following: (1) defining how evaluation will inform each major stage of the organization’s work; (2) specifying evaluation objectives and the primary client(s) in each stage; (3) proposing criteria to guide decisions about initiating evaluative work; and (4) addressing relevant operational issues (e.g., evaluation budgets, reporting relationships). The result is a policy designed to increase the value that evaluation delivers to the organization.
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Evaluation Policy and Practice in Charity Accountability: The Better Business Bureau, Wise Giving Alliance
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| Presenter(s):
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| Nora Trochim,
Better Business Bureau,
ntrochim@council.bbb.org
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| Abstract:
This paper presents the standards based evaluation framework of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance (the Alliance) and considers the value of such systems for establishing evaluation policies to enhance evaluation practice and encourage greater organizational effectiveness. The Alliance is a charitable affiliate of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, the national office of the Better Business Bureau system. Although most known for consumer complaint handling and business reporting activities, many BBBs also report on charities. The Alliance uses a standards driven approach to evaluate nationally soliciting charities to aid donors in making informed giving decisions and to encourage best practices among charitable organizations. The 20 Standards are used to assess charities and produce reports that describe their degree of compliance. The Standards also provide a framework for charities to conduct self-evaluation. This paper discusses the Standards and how they are applied, and critically assesses the practical implications of such approaches including how they encourage organizations to conduct consistent and regular effectiveness evaluations and how they advance the quality of evaluation policy and practice generally.
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Potential, Process and Pitfalls of a Common Evaluation Format Among Funders
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| Presenter(s):
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| David Dobrowski,
First 5 Monterey County,
david@first5monterey.org
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| Abstract:
A discussion about the process implemented in Monterey County to bring the five largest funders together to create a common evaluation format. The five funders (The United Way, The Community Foundation, Monterey Peninsula Foundation, Harden Foundation and First 5 Monterey County) worked on developing a common evaluation framework over the course of a year to use in conjunction with a common application form for funding. While a common framework was developed, its implementation has had varied success among the different funders. The way the process has affected policies of the funders and how the policies and approaches of the different funders effected the process will be discussed. This presentation explains the process taken, some of the challenges that were faced, how they were addressed and recommendations for other sets of funders looking to establish a common evaluation framework.
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