Browse nonprofits Resources
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How Charities Learn from Evaluating Themselves, and Tips for Measuring Results This article examines evaluation as a way for nonprofits to gain knowledge and deliver their services more effectively. Author: Roth, Kimberlee Type: Opinion (blog, editorial) Date: Jun 1, 2003
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IdeaEncore.com Knowledge sharing, made simple. Since you're reading this, you are obviously aware of Point K's free online resources. IdeaEncore takes a similar knowledge sharing concept and runs with it. Its goal is "nothing short of worldwide, sector-wide sharing of all kinds and types of nonprofit information, knowledge, activities and ideas."
Author: IdeaEncore Network Type: Websites & Online Tools Date: Jul 19, 2010 Point K Pick Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Idealware.org The Idealware website is a treasure trove of time-saving reviews, tips, and research. Idealware publishes unbiased reviews of software for nonprofits. Experts from all over the nonprofit technology community contribute the benefit of their experience through articles and blog posts. If you're trying to compare software packages, this is an excellent place to start--they might have already done the research for you.
Author: Quinn, Laura S. et al. Type: Websites & Online Tools Date: Apr 4, 2008 Point K Pick Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
If You Build It, They Will Evaluate: Upping the Nonprofit Evaluation Game Johanna Morariu and Ann Emery discussed how nonprofit evaluation is progressing as a discipline with impact, highlighting findings from Innovation Network's State of Evaluation project about nonprofit evaluation practices and capacity. Author: Johanna Morariu and Ann Emery Type: Opinion (blog, editorial) Date: May 21, 2013 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Leap of Reason Leap of Reason is the product of decades of management insights from philanthropist Mario Morino, McKinsey & Company, and more than a dozen experts and practitioners. With more than 40,000 copies in circulation, the book is helping nonprofit and public-sector leaders achieve more for those they serve, even in the midst of this era of scarcity.
Author: Mario Morino Type: Research & Reports Date: Jan 1, 2011
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Learning As We Go: Making Evaluation Work for Everyone This "briefing paper for funders and nonprofits" provides a detailed answer to the question, "Why evaluate?" It offers an overview of the importance of evaluative thinking, use of a logic model, and the range of perceptions about evaluation. Author: York, Peter J. Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jun 1, 2003 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Make a Difference for Your Cause: Strategies for Nonprofit Engagement in Legislative Advocacy CLPI developed this resource and discussion guide to motivate 501(c)(3) nonprofits in the U.S. to include legislative advocacy as a part of their core activities. Author: Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest ("CLPI") Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jan 1, 2006 Be the first to review this resource! Download (2.66 MB) -
Measuring Impact in Practice: A Case Study of The Humane Society of the United States The Humane Society of the United States (The HSUS) is the nation’s largest animal protection organization. Just like all nonprofits, The HSUS is accountable—to the thousands of animals it helps or protects each year, and to the thousands of individual, corporate, and foundation donors who enable The HSUS to fulfill its mission of celebrating animals and confronting cruelty.
Author: Beth Rosen Cohen Type: Research & Reports Date: Aug 1, 2010 Be the first to review this resource! Download (97.59 KB) -
Measuring Impact in Practice: A Case Study of The Humane Society of the United States The Humane Society of the United States (The HSUS) is the nation’s largest animal protection organization.1
Just like all nonprofits, The HSUS is accountable—to the thousands of animals it helps or protects each year,
and to the thousands of individual, corporate, and foundation donors who enable The HSUS to fulfill its
mission of celebrating animals and confronting cruelty.Author: Beth Rosen Cohen Type: Research & Reports Date: Aug 31, 2010 Point K Pick Be the first to review this resource! Download (97.59 KB) -
New Research: The State of Evaluation 2010 What are nonprofits really doing to evaluate their work? How are they really using evaluation results? These are the questions we sought to answer in our State of Evaluation project. This blog post summarized key findings from State of Evaluation 2010, the first nationwide project that systematically and repeatedly collects data from U.S. nonprofits about their evaluation practices. Author: Johanna Morariu and Ehren Reed Type: Opinion (blog, editorial) Date: Oct 1, 2010 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Nonprofit and Foundation Advocacy Blog The Nonprofit and Foundation Advocacy Blog describes itself as "a forum hosted by Alliance for Justice to strengthen the voices of nonprofits and foundations and to provide a better understanding of the laws that govern their participation in the policy process." Online since October 2005, this multi-contributor blog offers news, commentary, and technical assistance tips for advocates and funders. Author: Alliance for Justice Type: Opinion (blog, editorial) Date: Oct 1, 2005 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Nonprofit Good Practice Guide This free online guide captures and organizes good practices for nonprofits and foundations. Literally thousands of effectiveness-building tips and resources are available here, searchable by topic. Topics include:
- Advocacy,
- Evaluation,
- Financial management,
- Fundraising,
- Governance,
- Marketing and communications,
- Organizational management,
- Technology, and
- Volunteer management.
Author: Morales-Barias, Susan, et al. Type: Websites & Online Tools Date: Jan 18, 2008 Point K Pick
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Nonprofit-Specific Legal Information The legal section of Carter McNamar's Free Management Library includes the following topics: Articles of Incorporation, Corporate Bylaws, Registration to Solicit Funds, Tax-Related Laws Regarding Nonprofits, Legal Advice for Board Members, Regulations About Lobbying, and Assessing the Nonprofit's Legal-Related Activities. The section also includes some general resources and links. Author: McNamara, Carter (ed.) Type: Websites & Online Tools Date: Jan 18, 2008 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Pathways for Change 2013 Author: The Center for Evaluation Innovation Type: Research & Reports Date: Jan 1, 2013 Be the first to review this resource! Download (211.06 KB) -
Performance Management and Evaluation: Two Sides of the Same Coin (Presentation slides) Performance management and evaluation-what's the difference? With an increasing emphasis on measurement and impact, service providers and their funders are pushing for increasingly sophisticated evaluation approaches such as experimental and quasi-experimental designs. However, experimental methods are rarely appropriate, feasible, or cost-effective for the majority of organizations and service providers. Author: Isaac Castillo, Ann K. Emery Type: Presentation Slides Date: Oct 16, 2013 Point K Pick Be the first to review this resource! Download (1.42 MB) -
Room for Improvement: Foundations' Support of Nonprofit Performance Assessment Amidst growing pressure for nonprofits to measure and assess their performance, the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) finds that nonprofits sorely lack the support they need. CEP finds that 81 percent of the nonprofits surveyed believe that nonprofits should demonstrate the effectiveness of their work by using performance measures.
CEP also finds that:
» Nonprofits very much want to be able to understand their performance and are taking steps to do so. Nonprofits want more help in performance assessment efforts than they are currently receiving from their foundation funders.Author: Brock, Andrea; Buteau, Ellie; Herring, An-Li Type: Research & Reports Date: Sep 1, 2012 Be the first to review this resource! Download (1.04 MB) -
Smart Chart 3.0 Spitfire Strategies produced Smart Chart (now in version 3.0) as "a tool to help nonprofits make smart communications choices." This free online tool is built around a chart with five "strategic decision sections":
Author: Spitfire Strategies Type: Websites & Online Tools Date: Feb 1, 2004
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Software for Nonprofit Evaluation and Case Management Many systems exist to manage the wealth of data nonprofits collect. As part of our evaluation consulting work, Innovation Network team members are often asked to recommend systems to our nonprofit clients. The purpose of this document is to share with the field our most recent scan of existing software (a/o January 2010). We hope this information is helpful to you, and we encourage you to contact us with feedback. Author: Johanna Morariu, Innovation Network, Inc. Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jan 31, 2010 Point K Pick Be the first to review this resource! Download (86.51 KB) -
State of Evaluation - Russian translation The Project: Nonprofits hear a lot of talk about evaluation these days—metrics and measurements, indicators and impact, efficiency and effectiveness. Everyone, from donors to board members, seems to want evaluation results. But there was a big knowledge gap around evaluation practice: What are nonprofits really doing to evaluate their work? How are they really using evaluation results? What support are they getting? What else do they need?
Author: Innovation Network Type: Research & Reports Date: Feb 3, 2011 Be the first to review this resource! Download (6.78 MB) -
State of Evaluation 2010: Evaluation Practice and Capacity in the Nonprofit Sector Nonprofits hear a lot of talk about evaluation these days—metrics and measurements, indicators and impact, efficiency and effectiveness. Everyone, from donors to board members, seems to want evaluation results. But what are nonprofits really doing to evaluate their work? How are they really using evaluation results? What support are they getting? What else do they need?
Author: Innovation Network, Inc.; Morariu, Johanna; Reed, Ehren. Type: Research & Reports Date: Oct 1, 2010 Point K Pick Be the first to review this resource! Download (5.55 MB) -
State of Evaluation 2012: Evaluation Practice and Capacity in the Nonprofit Sector The State of Evaluation 2012 report marks the second time Innovation Network has surveyed the U.S. nonprofit field to learn about evaluation practices and capacities! To learn more about the project, visit www.stateofevaluation.org. Author: Johanna Morariu, Katherine Athanasiades, and Ann K. Emery of Innovation Network, Inc. Type: Research & Reports Date: Oct 1, 2012 Point K Pick Be the first to review this resource! Download (2.63 MB) -
State of Evaluation in the Social Sector Measurement, evaluation, and learning are hotter than ever in the social sector. Foundations and nonprofits are focused on answering the question What difference are we making? And the field of evaluation has advanced in promising ways, developing meaningful evaluation approaches to better fit the latest philanthropic and nonprofit strategies. Author: Johanna Morariu and Will Fenn Type: Templates & Samples Date: Mar 21, 2013 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
State of the Field: Updated, Longitudal Findings about Nonprofit and Philanthropic Evaluation Practices and Capacities [Slides] The State of Evaluation project provides valuable insight to all those who work in and with the nonprofit sector. The project is designed to collect longitudinal data to document evaluation trends in the U.S. nonprofit sector, including how nonprofits staff evaluation, how evaluation is funded, why evaluation is undertaken, how evaluation results are used, and much more. This year marks the beginning of longitudinal data and analysis, drawing from the first iteration of the project in 2010. Author: Johanna Morariu Type: Presentation Slides Date: Oct 27, 2012 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Strategic Communications Toolkit An archived initiative of the Benton Foundation, "Strategic Communications for Nonprofits" produced a toolkit for planning and implementing a strategic communications plan. Though it hasn't been updated since 2002 (and some of the web graphics are missing), the toolkit's "Think it Through" and "Put it to Work" still offer sound and relevant advice and resources for planning and implementing a communications plan. Author: The Benton Foundation Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jan 1, 2002 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Strengthening Nonprofit Capacity Capacity building enables nonprofit leaders and organizations to develop the skills and resources they need to improve their work. Since each situation is unique and circumstances are always changing, effective capacity-building support is tailored to best suit the needs of grantees. This publication offers practical guidance and considerations to help grantmakers design an impactful approach. Author: Grantmakers for Effective Organizations Type: Research & Reports Date: Feb 19, 2015 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link