| Session Title: Nonprofit Rating Systems and Implications for Evaluation |
| Think Tank Session 205 to be held in Lone Star D on Thursday, Nov 11, 9:15 AM to 10:45 AM |
| Sponsored by the Non-profit and Foundations Evaluation TIG |
| Presenter(s): |
| Debra Natenshon, The Center for What Works, debra@whatworks.org |
| Johanna Morariu, Innovation Network, jmorariu@innonet.org |
| Abstract: In the past few years efforts to use common measures to assess and compare nonprofit performance seem to have multiplied. Interest in comparing nonprofit performance is in a dramatic upswing, and new/different sets of common measures seem to emerge frequently. Some sets of measures have been developed for niche fields, while others seek to compare across the entire sector. As evaluators, we should be aware of these efforts and aware of their possible implications. This think tank seeks to explore a number of questions related to the topic of nonprofit rating systems and common measures, e.g., Is it possible to develop meaningful common measures for a field as diverse as the nonprofit sector? What can we learn from the experiences of fairly well-known, sector-wide approaches such as Charity Navigator, GreatNonprofits, etc.? Considering what we know about existing approaches, what is the effect on traditional program evaluation? |