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Capturing Community-level Outcomes Through Responsive Evaluation: An Example of a New York City Settlement House
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| Presenter(s):
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| Elizabeth Coker, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, lcoker@lenoxhil.org
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| Abstract:
Settlement Houses are unique among non-profit organizations for their ties to a specific historical movement that emphasized social solidarity with a focus on immigrants and the urban poor. While the details of their practices have changed with the social and political climate, settlement houses continue to provide vital community services in urban areas around the world. As Fabricant and Fisher have argued, however, what has changed settlement houses the most in recent decades is the “The new contractually defined structure of services [that] offers less space and time and fewer rewards to accomplish what is most basic to the provision of services: The building of relationships” (2002, p. 237). The present paper will explore how research and evaluation has been used to revive and support the historical mandate of one of the original settlement houses in New York City, and help to preserve its focus on community renewal and relationships.
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Uniting for Community Change: Lessons from Charlotte, North Carolina
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| Presenter(s):
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| Joanne Carman, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, jgcarman@uncc.edu
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| Abstract:
This paper presents the findings of a process evaluation of the United Agenda for Children, a community-based initiative that helped to identify a community-wide consensus about service priorities for children in Charlotte, NC. In 2004, more than 1,000 people participated in a community-wide meeting about the safety, health and education of the region’s children. From this unprecedented gathering, 14 priorities were identified and a coalition of nonprofit organizations, foundations, citizens, civic leaders, corporations, and public agencies were charged with uniting in an effort to ensure a positive future for all youth. Using data gathered from focus groups, interviews, program records, and media reports, this paper examines the initiative’s coverage (who participated), components (operations at each stage), participant feedback (how well the initiative met participant expectations), and short term outcomes (results). The findings are intended to help us understand how to improve the implementation and success of these initiatives.
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Getting to the Core: A Multi-site Mixed Methods Evaluation of Neighbor-to-Neighbor Helping, Also Known As Neighboring
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| Presenter(s):
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| Brandee Menoher, Points of Light Institute, bmenoher@pointsoflight.org
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| Colleen Kassouf Mackey, Points of Light Institute, cmackey@pointsoflight.org
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| Abstract:
Points of Light Institute (POLI) has embraced Neighboring, a strategy of informal volunteering or neighbor-to-neighboring helping to strengthen families and communities, as a grant making mechanism funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation for nearly 10 years. This asset-based approach focuses on authentic engagement of residents to empower them to be the change they seek in their Neighborhood.
Historically, POLI required minimal reporting procedures for grantees. Evaluation comprised self reported activities and outputs, which made it difficult to identify program characteristics, targets, outcomes, and program sustainability factors.
In 2009, POLI addressed evaluation quality through a summative evaluation of five former grantees paired with a real time assessment of current grantees and POLI training and technical assistance offerings. This paper presentation will cover how participant-based data added to knowledge on Neighboring; challenges experienced collecting data from multi-site, low-income, and at-risk populations; and evaluation capacity building efforts POLI evaluators offered.
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An Evaluation of the Whole Child Website: Lessons Learned From a Low-Budget Community Focus Group
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| Presenter(s):
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| Breanne Porter, Florida State University, bep07e@fsu.edu
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| Mercedes Nalls, Florida State University, mercedes.nalls@gmail.com
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| Abstract:
Whole Child is a web-based referral agency that connects parents from diverse backgrounds with services in their community. Their online family needs assessment and resource guide is a one-stop referral program. Parents use the resource guide to learn about local resources and complete a profile on which their referrals are based. We conducted a focus group and usability analysis to gain information on parents' experiences with the website, including the resource guide, the profile, and the six dimensions used to categorize diverse family needs. Parents were given time to explore the website on their own, complete surveys, and give feedback in a group discussion. In addition to reporting results, this presentation describes the difficulties encountered in conducting a low-budget, community, non-profit focus group. This paper presents lessons learned involving setting clear expectations and roles, improvisation in the face of technical difficulties, and practical issues such as childcare for participating families.
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