Making a
Powerful
IMPACT:
How to write impact
statements that count.
Whitney Cherry, Calhoun County
Yolanda Goode, Gadsden County
Step
1:
Write outcomes
using program
evaluation data
• Resources
– Program Development & Evaluation, Basics of Good
Evaluation Reporting, Quick Tips # 14, University of
Wisconsin-Extension, Madison, WI. 2002
– Program Development & Evaluation, Ten Steps to Make
Sense of Answers to Open-Ended Questions, Quick Tips #
20, University of Wisconsin-Extension, Madison, WI., 2002
– Poling Richard L., Writing Extension Impact Statements,
Agricultural and Extension Education, University of
Tennessee
– Kiernan, Nancy Ellen (2002). How to Use Evaluation Data
to Write Different Types of Impact Statements: Tip sheet
#66, University Park, PA: Penn State Cooperative
Extension.
Step
2:
Determine for
whom You Are
writing the
impact
statements
• Possible Audiences Include:
– Extension Professionals
• other agents, state specialists, district or county
directors, etc
– Clientele
• parents, volunteers, youth, etc
– Government Officials
• federal, state, county, city
– Funding Sources
• state, county, grant, donors, etc
– Other Supporters
• local businesses, schools, churches, grassroots
organizations, etc
Step
3:
Identify what it
is your audience
wants to know
– Social Impacts
• KASA
– Knowledge, Attitude, Skills, Aspiration
• Increased quality of life
• Improved health
• Improved education
– Economic Impacts
• Monetary Accountability
–
–
–
–
Rate of return
Savings
Value added
Increased productivity
– Environmental Impacts
Step
4:
Write statement
• Three Parts to Impact Statements:
– Part A: Relevance
• Local, state, or national need
• ie – research shows…
– Part B: Response
• What did you do?
• ie – (Programs conducted to address need) In response
to this documented need for ____ we offered a series
of classes focused on…..
– Part C: Results
• Interpret quantitative data to show qualitative results
• ie – (written statement or graphic organizer) Data
shows…
Tips:
• Writing skills – keep it readable – adjust lingo based
on audience, be brief, etc.
• Additional Impact Statement Resources
• Writing Effective Impact Statements: Who Cares? So
What?, Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• Richardson, John G. and Corbin, Marilyn A. Writing
Program Success Stories
• Jordan, Joy C. (2006) Evaluating Life Skills Development
with 4-H Project Book or Portfolio Report
Narratives. Florida Cooperative Extension Service,
institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of
Florida.
Example 1
• Step 1: Write outcomes using program
evaluation data
– We used the data from a Florida residential camp
evaluation study done in 2008 to complete this
example. Link is listed below, and you will find the
outcomes there.
– http://florida4h.org/camps/campeval.shtml
Example 1 (Cont.)
• Step 2: Determine for whom you are writing
the impact statements
– Other extension professionals
Example 1 (Cont.)
• Step 3: Identify what it is your audience
wants to know
– What benefits do older 4-H youth gain regarding
leadership and group facilitation skills as camp
counselors? (Social Impacts)
Example 1 (Cont.)
• Step 4: Write Statement
– Part A (Relevance) – Research has shown that residential
camping is more than a location and program. It’s what
happens to youth as a result of their experience (Garst &
Johnson, 2005). The experience of participating in the
camping program allows youth the opportunity to
enhance their intra and interpersonal relationship skills
while enhancement of other life skills such as selfresponsibility and decision-making and risk
management, healthy lifestyle choices, and self
responsibility (Hendricks, 1996)
Example 1 (Cont.)
• Step 4: Write Statement
– Part B (Response) – During the summer of 2008, 508
youth counselors, ages 14-18, attended one of Florida’s
4-H Camps. These youth and adults, representing 66 of
Florida’s 67 counties, attended one of seven weeks of 4H camp. Florida 4-H camping, like other residential
camping programs, targets the development of life skills
in the youth that attended. These specific life skills
include: respect for diversity, social skills, selfconfidence, decision-making and risk management,
healthy lifestyle choices, and self-responsibility
(Hendricks, 1996)
Example 1 (Cont.)
• Step 4: Write Statement
– Part C (Results) – Camp counselors …did report positive
gains in all 17 leadership and group facilitation skills as a
result of their camping experiences. Faculty need to
take a close look at the level of opportunities they
provide counselors to become engaged in taking
leadership roles during camp and the training they
provide them in facilitating group development and
camper success.
– Also see pg 29 of the eval sum. for how they self rated
their camp experience.
Example 2
• Step 1: Write outcomes using program
evaluation data
– We used the data from a Florida residential camp
evaluation study done in 2008 to complete this
example. Link is listed below, and you will find the
outcomes there.
– http://florida4h.org/camps/campeval.shtml
Example 2 (Cont.)
• Step 2: Determine for whom you are writing
the impact statements
– (Advisory Committee)
Example 2 (Cont.)
• Step 3: Identify what it is your audience
wants to know
– Is our counselor scholarship money at good use or
should we use this money for younger campers?
(Economic Impacts)
Example 2 (Cont.)
• Step 4: Write Statement
– Part A (Relevance) – The Calhoun County 4-H
Advisory Committee currently approves
approximately $1,000 annually in residential camp
scholarships for camp counselors, while providing
little to no funding for regular campers attending
residential camps.
Example 2 (Cont.)
• Step 4: Write Statement
– Part B (Response) - Camp counselors were …
evaluated as a part of a separate companion study
as a masters’ thesis research project (Duda, 2008)
Example 2 (Cont.)
• Step 4: Write Statement
• Part C (Results) – Camp counselors …did report positive
gains in all 17 leadership and group facilitation skills as a
result of their camping experiences. Faculty need to take a
close look at the level of opportunities they provide
counselors to become engaged in taking leadership roles
during camp and the training they provide them in
facilitating group development and camper success.
• The calculated economic value of the trained youth
volunteers’ contribution to the Calhoun County Extension
program was $4258.00.
• Also see pg 29 of the evaluation summary for how youth
self rated their camp experience.