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Rich Tips is a free electronic newsletter published by Richard Male & Associates (RMA), a nonprofit consulting firm. Please send any suggestions or comments to editor@richardmale.com. This week's tips: Evaluating Existing Programs This week we will focus on evaluating your programs. Great care should be taken on designing and implementing your program evaluation because it is the one tool that can provide an accurate (and hopefully objective) look at the impact you are making in the community. The cost of evaluating your programs is a tiny fraction of the money your organization spends implementing these programs. Lets look at some strategies and approaches that may assist you in the evaluation process 1) Difference between an internal evaluation and objective (external) evaluation - Decide if you want to hire an external evaluator who can be more objective or use an internal evaluation process where the evaluator has ‘special insights' into the staff and programs. Frequently the funding source will request, or require, an external evaluation to help assure objectivity. 2) Risks of external evaluation - Sometimes the external evaluator will not understand your culture and might be insensitive to the internal politics and dynamics of the organization. 3) Risks of internal evaluation - The great risk here is that people are too close to the organization and might only reinforce what the leadership wants to hear. It is critical for internal evaluators to be honest and direct to help guide the leaders of the organization who will make the strategic decisions relating to the programs. 4) Purpose of the evaluation - The first objective of the evaluation is to clearly define what the evaluation should ultimately accomplish. Look at the type of information that will be collected and for what purpose it will be gathered. 5) Outcome based evaluation - Funding sources are looking more and more on program outcomes and the impact on your constituencies and community rather than on the number of program participants. These types of outcome based evaluations usually take place over a longer time period (sometimes years). 6) Activity based evaluation - This is an evaluation that looks at the internal goals and systems of a program (number of clients served, how the staff is spending their time, etc). 7) Involving people in the process - Be sure to involve key staff, clients, board members, and funders throughout the evaluation process. Involving these individuals will increase the likelihood of ownership and help you make better changes. 8) Evaluate yearly - Try to evaluate and make the necessary changes in your programs on a yearly basis. 9) Using the results of the evaluation - It is important to develop a change strategy that clearly looks at the results and plans out the necessary steps to change the systems and/or people to improve performance. 10) Build in the evaluation right from the start - The only way to really evaluate the performance is to be clear what your expectations and benchmarks of success are right from the start of the program. When designing the programs, be clear to build in quantitative objectives that you can review. Now for some great tips from a reader: From Sharon Heinlin, Affiliate Faculty Member for the Masters of Nonprofit Management program at Regis University: "I would include the importance of continuous de-briefing as part of program evaluation. When a nonprofit does this, it can really promote amazing results!" Off the topic of program evaluations, but equally important, a reader who enjoys volunteering wrote to us with a good point on volunteering: "I enjoy volunteering, and I'm sure many other people do to. However, the biggest pet peeve of many of us that volunteer is not having a work agenda. Or, being told, 'oh, just find something you want to do...' If there is a choice, lay it out for us, along with what is expected. Next, be available, or have suggestion sheets that you actually read, for feedback. Volunteers see the work in a different manner than staff. Since they are giving away their time, they want it used just as wisely as the staff would like. Appreciation IS out pay!" ------------------------------- New Grant Opportunities (if you need grant research or grant writing help, please contact us! We have an experienced team of grant writers with a tremendous track record who will be happy to handle your grant research, grant calendars, grant writing, and grant tracking. For more information be sure to contact Nicolle Fogleson at RMA at nicolle@richardmale.com.) Sam and Adele Golden Foundation for the Arts The mission of the Sam and Adele Golden Foundation for the Arts is to provide a meaningful resource for the professional visual artist. For detailed information go to: http://www.goldenfoundation.org/site/index.htm 2004 HENRY B. BETTS AWARD The Henry B. Betts Award was created by the Prince Charitable Trusts and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in 1989 to annually honor an individual whose work and scope of influence have significantly improved the quality of life for people with disabilities in the past, and will be a force for change in the future. It is named for Henry B. Betts, MD, in recognition of his pioneering leadership in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation and decades of dedicated service to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. For detailed information go to: http://www.aapd.com/awards/awards04/betts_app04.html Franklin Research Grants This is a program of small grants to scholars in order to support the cost of research leading to publication in all areas of knowledge. The Franklin program is particularly designed to help meet the cost of travel to libraries and archives for research purposes, the purchase of microfilm, photocopies or equivalent research materials, the costs associated with fieldwork, or laboratory research expenses. These grants are not made for research for commercial purposes, or when government support is more appropriate. They are not intended to meet the expenses of attending conferences, or costs of publication. For detailed information go to: http://www.amphilsoc.org/grants/franklin.htm Sullivan Foundation Established in 1956, the Sullivan Foundation works to identify talented young singers and help them develop professional careers through a program providing financial support over a period of five years. Through annual auditions in New York, the foundation selects a number of gifted singers in the early stages of their professional careers to receive $7,500 cash awards to be used for any career-related purpose. Winners may also receive role preparation assistance for a period of five years to help defray expenses incurred in musical, dramatic, vocal, and language coaching for specific professional engagements. For detailed information go to: http://www.sullivanfoundation.org/index.html Bowerman Track Renovation Program Nike's Bowerman Track Renovation Program provides matching cash grants of up to $50,000 to community-based, youth-oriented organizations that seek to refurbish or construct running tracks. The program distributes approximately $200,000 in matching grants each year. Organizations applying for funds must demonstrate a need for running track refurbishment or construction. Applicant organizations must employ at least one full-time staff person and maintain a viable track program serving boys and girls aged 14-18. Bowerman Track Renovation Program funds must be matched in some amount by other contributors.. For detailed information go to: http://www.nike.com/nikebiz/nikebiz.jhtml?page=26&item=bowerman --------------------------------- Federal Grant Opportunities (if any of the following grants sound appealing, please contact Mourene Tesler to learn more about the application procedure - mtesler@tcg-systems.com) Special Demonstration Programs--Model Transitional Rehabilitation Services for Youth and Young Adults With Disabilities DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION This program provides grants to eligible entities to support activities that increase the provision, extent, availability, scope, and quality of rehabilitation services. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Livable Communities Initiative DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES The purpose of this project is to identify and showcase communities that best meet the criteria of a livable community, and to highlight promising practices that can be used by county and municipal governments throughout the country in preparing for the aging of the baby boom population. The award will be a cooperative agreement because the Administration on Aging will be substantially involved in the development and execution of the activities of the projects. The applicant and the Administration on Aging will work cooperatively to develop the criteria upon which the model communities will be selected and to clarify the issues to be addressed by the project. ----------------------------------------------------------- Other Announcements Inside/Out Youth Car Wash Region VIII 2004 Independent Living Conference 22nd ANNUAL ROCKY MOUNTAIN PHILANTHROPY INSTITUTE The Annual Golf Tournament and Luncheon *Feel free to forward this email to a friend. **To unsubscribe to this newsletter, please send an email with the words "Unsubscribe Rich Tips" in the subject line to nicolle@richardmale.com . ***To subscribe, send an email with the words "Subscribe Rich Tips" in the subject line to nicolle@richardmale.com .
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