Browse Research & Reports Resources
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Guidelines for Evaluating Non-Profit Communications Efforts The Communications Consortium Media Center has been engaged in its Media Evaluation Project since 2002, providing a review of current communications evaluation in the nonprofit world and the social science of communications strategies. The project produced four working papers by experts from the Berkeley Media Studies Group, Harvard Family Research Project and Michigan State University. These papers served as the research base for "Guidelines for Evaluating Non-Profit Communications Efforts." This working paper summarizes the project's findings and offers guidelines for the eva Author: Communications Consortium Media Center Type: Research & Reports Date: Apr 1, 2004 Be the first to review this resource! Download (113.86 KB) -
How Can We Help Out Grantees Strengthen Their Capacity for Evaluation? There is a widespread and growing recognition in the nonprofit sector about the importance of evaluation--not only for measuring impact, but also for improving programs and better serving communities. While grantmakers generally see evaluation as necessary, most are not yet investing enough resources in this area. In 2014, nearly three quarters of nonprofits reported that their funders "rarely or never" fund impact measurement costs.
Author: Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) Type: Research & Reports Date: Aug 1, 2015 Be the first to review this resource! Download (728.72 KB) -
Indicators for Programming in Human Rights and Democratic Development: A Preliminary Study This paper is the result of a preliminary study on using indicators to track progress in human rights and democratic development efforts. The paper briefly outlines the experience of development organizations in measuring results in political development. It then examines some of the methodological issues relating to performance indicators, generally, and human rights and democratic development programming indicators, in particular. Author: Kapoor, Ilan Type: Research & Reports Date: Jul 1, 1996 Be the first to review this resource! Download (112.62 KB) -
Innovation for Successful Societies "Country Experiences Case Studies" The ISS Country Experiences case series chronicles reformers' efforts to gather support for reform and build institutions in a wide array of contexts. Cases start with a problem and a decision maker, then explore the options considered, implementation challenges, mid-course corrections, and results. The cases rest on interviews with reform leaders, advisers, and critics or monitors.
Case studies include a diverse number of policy focus areas including
Author: Princeton University Type: Research & Reports Date: Jan 1, 2010 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
International Advocacy: Measuring performance and effectiveness This paper examines the assessment of two NGOs working in international advocacy and policy change: Oxfam Community Aid Abroad and the Foundation for Development Cooperation. The study suggests that organizations can use best practices and outcomes assessment to track the effectiveness of their advocacy work. Author: Kelly, Linda Type: Research & Reports Date: Oct 30, 2002 Be the first to review this resource! Download (216.18 KB) -
Journal of MultiDisciplinary Evaluation The Evaluation Center, Western Michigan University, journal for news and thinking of the profession and discipline of evaluation in the world, for the world. Author: Michael Schriven (Ed.), E. Jane Davidson (Ed.), Chris L.S. Coryn (Ed.) Type: Research & Reports Date: May 28, 2008 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 from Your Neighbor: The Value of Public Participation Evaluation for Public Policy Dispute Resolution Maureen Berner and John Stephens from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Government presented the following draft paper (NOTE: This resource includes the introduction only.) at the 2008 American Evaluation Association Conference. This draft, in conjunction with a presentation of the same title, compares and constrasts the evaluation of public policy dispute resolution (PPDR) and public participation (PP) programs.
Author: Berner, Maureen; Stephens, John Type: Research & Reports Date: Oct 13, 2008 Be the first to review this resource! Download (47.5 KB) -
Lessons in Evaluating Communications Campaigns: Five Case Studies This publication is the fourth report from the Communications Consortium Media Center's Media Evaluation Project. The author presents five case studies of completed campaign evaluations. The case studies represent an array of campaign types and evaluation approaches, and offer specific examples of evaluation responding to challenges. The five case studies are: S
Author: Coffman, Julia Type: Research & Reports Date: Jun 1, 2003 Be the first to review this resource! Download (212.52 KB) -
Linking the Levels? The Organisation of UK Development NGO’s Advocacy Dr. Hudson researched the advocacy experiences of United Kingdom-based NGOs working with the UK Department for International Development. He discusses his research findings and their implications for policy and practice, including specific findings in regard to evaluation of advocacy efforts. Though written specifically about UK-based development and advocacy NGOs, the report's findings and recommendations may be applicable to any NGO engaged in advocacy. Author: Hudson, Alan Type: Research & Reports Date: Jun 1, 2002 Be the first to review this resource! Download (207.29 KB) -
LITERATURE REVIEW ON EFFECTIVENESS OF THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA This report examines the broader utility of social media for the adoption of health promoting and protective behaviours.
Author: Rebecca Schein, Kumanan Wilson, Jennifer Keelan Type: Research & Reports Date: Jan 1, 2011 Be the first to review this resource! Download (1023.3 KB) -
Looking Through the Right End of the Telescope An evolving dialogue has emerged over the past few years between advocates, evaluation professionals, and funders concerned with evaluating advocacy. An earlier focus on questions regarding whether it is possible to evaluate advocacy has given rise more recently to a concern with producing innovations aimed at responding to the real and perceived unique challenges to evaluating advocacy.
Author: Jim Coe & Rhonda Schlangen Type: Research & Reports Date: Jun 1, 2011 Be the first to review this resource! Download (102.56 KB) -
Making an Impact: Impact Measurement among Charities and Social Enterprises in the UK Ten years ago, critics dismissed impact measurement as too difficult, misleading, or simply not important. Today, 75% of UK charities measure some or all of their work, and nearly three-quarters have invested more in measuring results over the last five years. Making an impact offers the first representative picture of the charity sector’s response to the challenge of impact measurement.
NPC surveyed 1,000 charities in the UK with incomes over £10,000 to understand what has changed in charities’ impact measurement practices, the drivers behind measuring impact, and the benefits and challenges that it brings.Author: Eibhlín Ní Ógáin, Tris Lumley, David Pritchard Type: Research & Reports Date: Oct 1, 2012 Be the first to review this resource! Download (726.51 KB) -
Making Change Happen This conference report discusses overall themes and topics from a November 2001 meeting of the same name, attended by forty-nine people engaged in international advocacy and citizen participation efforts. In its final chapter, "How to Assess Success," the publication discusses many of the tensions and issues in evaluating advocacy efforts, as well as the need to perform evaluations in order to further learning. Author: Clark, Cindy Type: Research & Reports Date: Nov 1, 2001 Be the first to review this resource! Download (796.03 KB) -
Making Your Evaluation Inclusive: A Practical Guide for Evaluation Research with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people are included - but often invisible - in many evaluations. In light of increased federal attention at home and abroad to LGBT-specific data collection and the growing awareness of disparities faced by this population, evaluators must be prepared to consider how programs and policies affect LGBTQ people. Author: Efrain Gutierrez Type: Research & Reports Date: Nov 17, 2015 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Managing Evaluation: Responding to Common Problems With a 10-Step Process There is now a clear choice of frameworks for managing program evaluation—the managing of one or more studies or the managing of an evaluation capacity building structure and process.
Author: Donald Compton, Michael Baizerman, & Ross VeLure Roholt Type: Research & Reports Date: Jan 1, 2011 Be the first to review this resource! Download (743.47 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. 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) -
Measuring Social Change Investments The Women’s Funding Network ("WFN") is "a worldwide partnership of women's funds, donors, and allies committed to social justice, in particular as it relates to appreciating women and girls as key to building strong, equitable, and sustainable communities and societies."
Since 2001, WFN has supported ongoing research on the concept of social return on investment ("SROI") under the title "Measuring Social Change Investments." This paper summarizes the "Measuring Social Change Investments" research.
Author: Puntenney, Deborah L. Type: Research & Reports Date: Apr 15, 2002 Be the first to review this resource! Download (219.91 KB) -
Measuring What Counts: Meaningful Evaluation for Family Foundations Family foundations are in business to make a difference. As one family foundation leader put it, creating a family foundation is a “powerful statement about wanting to achieve impact.” Yet family foundations often get painted unfairly as not having impact, perhaps because tthey aren’t always very good at understanding or describing the impact they have, even to themselves.Author: Anne Mackinnon Type: Research & Reports Date: Nov 1, 2011 Be the first to review this resource! Download (569.13 KB) -
Mission Possible: Evaluating Advocacy Grants This article discusses the George Gund Foundation’s efforts in persuading the Ohio state legislature to create a trust fund to support low-income needs. It highlights benefits of advocacy, specifically capturing and leveraging public resources to further policy goals. The article offers several advocacy evaluation tips to funders, including discussion and agreement on common expectations between funders and grantees, accomodations for the adaptive nature of advocacy work, and focus of contribution over attribution. Author: Egbert, Marcia and Hoechstetter, Susan Type: Research & Reports Date: Jan 1, 2006 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Mobilizing Public Will for Social Change This publication, third in the series from the Communication Consortium Media Center's Media Evaluation Project, examines the dynamics of a public will campaign and offers suggestions for evaluation. The paper begins by walking the reader through the elements of a public will campaign (components such as "social problem construction" and "agenda building"), and then offers seven "exemplars." The last section of the paper discusses evaluating public will campaigns and the resulting social change. Author: Salmon, Charles T. et al. Type: Research & Reports Date: Jun 1, 2003 Be the first to review this resource! Download (149.07 KB) -
Monitoring and Evaluating Advocacy Advocacy and citizen participation are now key components of most development projects. In this paper the author outlines a framework for research into these issues that will be carried out in five countries around the world (the ActionAid action research project). This paper is based on Chapman and Wameyo’s 2001 "Scoping Study," q.v. Author: Chapman, Jennifer Type: Research & Reports Date: Feb 1, 2002 Be the first to review this resource! Download (28.92 KB) -
Monitoring and Evaluating Advocacy Programmes A succinct summation of an evaluation process in five parts:
- "Model of Change,"
- "What to Monitor and Evaluate,"
- "Who Defines Success,"
- "Methods for Monitoring and Evaluating Advocacy," and
- "Assessing the Impact of Advocacy."
Author: Gosling, Louisa Type: Research & Reports Date: Oct 15, 2003 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Monitoring and Evaluating Advocacy: A Scoping Study This paper is a comparison of approaches to assessment of advocacy, specifically as undertaken by NGOs. The approaches reviewed attempt to monitor and evaluate advocacy on various dimensions: type of change, level/stage of influence, participation, process v. impact, and capacity building and network development. The authors identify several evaluation tools to help assess and document incremental change. This publication also includes a list of "aspects" of advocacy work that affect monitoring and evaluation. Author: Chapman, Jennifer and Wameyo, Amboka Type: Research & Reports Date: Jan 1, 2001 Be the first to review this resource! Download (840.18 KB)