VOCAL AmeriCorps
Friday - April 5, 2013
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Grant Writing
and
Fund Development
Types of Funding
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Government
Foundation
Corporation
Combined Giving
Individual
Special Events
Earned Income
Internet-Based Activities
Government Funding
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Federal
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State
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Local
• City
• Township
• County
Federal Grants
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Begins with a “NOFA” that includes application process
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Sometimes a “Bidders Conference”
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Very specific on format and strict on deadlines
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Difficult to access for small NPOs
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Often burdensome in financial reporting and “number
counts”
If no previous experience, best to begin somewhere else
State Grants and Contracts
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Typically come through state agencies; Can also come through
state legislators (but not much anymore)
•
For volunteer literacy programs, Literacy Office in the State
Library is the major funding body
•
For adult education, primary funding comes from the Illinois
Community College Board
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Funding from state agencies can be state general revenue
funds or federal “pass down” funds
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Like federal funds, generally very specific with very specific
reporting
Local Government Funding
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Typically funded through “Block Grants” from
state and federal government
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None that I know of for education, literacy or
volunteerism in Chicago or Cook County
•
More typical areas – employment and training (now
known as “workforce development”, social services
and health-related services
Types of Foundations
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Public
Private
Public Foundations
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Community Foundations
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Federated Funds
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Single Purpose Entities
Community Foundation
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Serves a specific geographic community or region
(e.g., The Chicago Community Trust – “CCT”)
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Usually focuses mainly, if not exclusively, on local needs
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Raises a significant portion of its funds from the public
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Funds derived from many donors; managed in single endowment
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Income from endowment is used to make grants
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Offers a variety of donor-advised options and services
•
Not subject to the same reporting requirements as corporate
foundations
Number in Illinois - 31
Federated Funds
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United Way
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America’s Charities
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Local Independent Charities
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Combined Charities of Illinois
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Earth Share
Single Purpose Entities
Raise and distribute funds for a
specific purpose, i.e., further
a social cause; assist a particular
population group; provide
scholarships; advance scientific
research
Private Foundations
•
Independent Foundations
• Family Foundations
•
Corporate Foundations
•
Operating Foundations
Number in Illinois – 4,031
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Independent – 3,622
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Corporate – 167
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Operating – 218
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Community - 24
Giving in Illinois 2012 – Donor’s Forum
Foundation Giving in Illinois -2010
$534,602,587
Education
Human Services
Art/Culture
Health
Public/Society Benefit
Environment/Animals
Science/Research
Social Sciences
Religion
Other
$ 145,083,981
$ 125,378,428
$ 77,906,865
$ 68,610,459
$ 57,689,755
$ 26,512,628
$ 8,152,842
$ 8,053,785
$ 8,212,030
$ 1,000,000
Foundation Giving in Illinois -2010
Number of Grants – 5,784
Education
Human Services
Art/Culture
Health
Public/Society Benefit
Environment/Animals
Science and Technology
Social Sciences
Religion
Other
1,086
1,763
947
753
612
268
81
60
139
1
Independent Foundations
• Nongovernmental, non-profit, self-governed organization
• Funds (usually from a single source, such as one individual,
family, or corporation) and programs managed by its own
trustees or directors
• Often is a large, complex, professionally managed
organization
• Must “pay out” approximately 5% of the market value of its
assets each year
Independent Foundations Examples

MacArthur Foundation
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Robert R. McCormick Foundation
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Retirement Research Foundation
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Polk Brothers Foundation
Family Foundations
• Technically, not a legal term; refers to any independent
private foundation whose funds are managed or strongly
influenced by members of the donor’s family
• Family members often serve as officers or board members
• Family members often have a significant role in grantmaking
decisions
• Comprise ~ 40-45% of all private and community foundations
• Most are small, informal organizations
Facts on Family Foundations
In 2008 there were 38,339 Family
Foundations in the United States
who reported –
•
•
$ 18,456,214 in giving
$294,446,400 in assets
Family Foundations (cont.)
More than 3/5 (64%) of family foundations reported
less than $1 million in assets in 2008
Slightly less than half (47%) of family foundations
reported less than $50,000 in giving
Large Family Foundations favored health and
education in both dollars given and grants made
Illinois Family Foundations
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Steans Family Foundation
Lumpkin Family Foundation
(central IL)
Kaplan Family Foundation
Rothschild Foundation
Stern Foundation
Corporate Foundations
• Assets are derived primarily from contributions of a
for-profit business
• Contributions may be from an initial endowment, periodic
contributions, or both
• May maintain ties to the parent company but is an
independent entity
• Abides by same rules and regulations governing private •
Differs from corporate giving programs
Illinois Corporate Foundations
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Allstate Foundation
State Farm Foundation
Motorola Foundation
Caterpillar Foundation
John Deere Foundation
Chicago Tribune Charities
Operating Foundations
• Private foundation whose primary purpose is to
conduct research, social welfare, or other
programs determined by its governing body or
establishment charter (e.g., Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace)
• May make grants, but the amount of grants
awarded generally is small relative to the
funds used for the foundation's own
programs
Corporate Giving
• Grantmaking program established and administered within a
for-profit corporation (often administered by marketing or
public relations unit)
• Does not have a separate endowment; grantmaking closely tied
to company profits
• Gifts or grants go directly from the company to charitable
organizations
• Often focuses grantmaking on communities within which the
company operates
• Not subject to the same reporting requirements as corporate
foundations
Types of Corporate Giving
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Corporate Donations – Typically through a letter
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Employee Match Programs
- good for volunteer-based programs
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Event Sponsorship
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In-Kind Contributions – Equipment, Furniture,
Printing and other services
Corporate Giving Examples
Local retail stores – Target, WalMart, Sears
(corporation typically has national foundation)
Community Banks
Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
Combined Giving Drives
• United Way
• Chicago
• Suburban
• Combined Federal Campaign
• State Giving Campaign
• Corporate Employee Giving Campaigns
Individual Giving
Solicitation Letters
• Annual Appeals
• Capital Campaigns
Employee Giving Programs
Planned Giving
Property and Possessions
Special Events
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Walk for Literacy
SCRABBLE Tournament
Lunches, Dinners, Galas
Car Washes, Bake Sales
Earned Income
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Membership Dues
Training and Consultation
Books and Publications
Arts and Crafts
Caution
Must be mission-oriented or taxes
will need to be paid
ePhilanthropy
A tool to use in an overall strategy.
Should not be viewed as
quick money.
There are no shortcuts to
building effective relationships and
having a diversified funding base.
Internet Strategies
• E-mail Messaging
• Newsletters, Updates
• Internet Marketing
• Solicitation, Sales
• Advocacy
• Petitions, Letter writing
• On-Line Fundraising
On-Line Fundraising Issues
• Web Site
• Maintenance and Capabilities
• Use of Credit Cards
• State Registration
• 40 States require registration
Raising Money
Using Online Tools
Tools of the Trade
 Auctions
• The mainstay in philanthropic practices
moves to the internet
 Resources
and community
• Ways to organize and make connections
 Grant
databases
• Finding the grantmaker who fits
 Donor
databases
• Keeping track of donations
Online Auctions
 Mission
Fish and ebay Giving Works
Through eBay Giving Works, Mission Fish allows a
nonprofit and its supporters to sell items on ebay
and donate the profits to the nonprofit. Anyone can
sell on behalf of the nonprofit and donate 10% to
100% of the profits.
To create a Mission Fish account: your nonprofit’s
tax exempt letter, a voided check, an ebay account.
http://donations.ebay.com/charity/charity.jsp?NP_ID=44628
Other Auction Products
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Bidding for Good
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Ready Set Auction
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Benefit Events
A fundraiser can purchase these products to organize and host
an online auction that can complement an live silent auction
at an event or stand alone. The benefit of hosting an auction
online is that more people can have the opportunity to bid.
The fundraiser has a lot of promotion work to do, though.
The advantage of Bidding for Good is a base of customers
who receive weekly emails with auction highlights.
In addition to the online auction, this product helps plan events
from invitations through registration.
Researching Funding Sources
• What To Look For
• Proposal guidelines
• Areas of interest
• Organizations supported
Researching Funding Sources (cont)
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What To look At
• Foundation Directories
• Foundation 990’s
• Foundation Web Sites
(many allow, some require, you to
apply on line)
Researching Funding Sources (cont)
Internet searches are the most time efficient and
can be done by funding area of interest,
geographic location, or specific foundation.
Most – or at the least the better ones – are
subscription-based
Foundation Directories, 990’s and other collections
can also be found at various universities and
libraries associated with the Foundation Center
Online Resources for Nonprofit
Fundraising
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PhilanTrack – a service that nonprofit grantseeking
organizations can use to organize and prepare grant
applications for its funders and prospective funders
Foundation Access – allows nonprofit organizations to list
their projects and programs in their profile. Foundations
have access to these profiles to find projects that best
match their priorities. Then, foundations can invite
nonprofits to apply for grants.
IdeaEncore Network - a service for nonprofits to share
written and electronic documents with others in the
nonprofit sector to help one another save time and money,
enhance knowledge, or reduce the risk of innovation. i.e.
board bylaws, articles, contracts, etc.
Corporate/ Foundation Funder
Database Services
85% of funding for nonprofits comes from individual
donors but corporate and foundation grants are very
important.
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Grant Station – An online database accessed by paying
members of funder profiles and grants offered by:
• U.S. Charitable Giving:
– Independent foundations, i.e. Aetna Foundation, the independent
philanthropic giving arm of Aetna, Inc., the healthcare benefits company.
– Family foundations, i.e. Crown Family Foundation of Chicago
– Community foundations, i.e. Chicago Community Trust
– Corporate foundations, i.e. Starbucks Foundation
– Corporate giving programs, i.e. Exelon Corporate Giving Program employee
matching gifts programs
– Faith-based grantmakers
– Associations with grantmaking programs
• International Charitible giving
• Federal Grants and Loans
• State Grants and Loans
Donor’s Forum

Based in Chicago, Donor’s Forum is a nonprofit membership
association that promotes philanthropy and a strong nonprofit
sector in Illinois. Members include grantmaking foundations,
corporations and other donors. Partners include nonprofits,
schools, places of worship, and consultants.
• Database of funders is the most valuable tool on Donor’s
Forum, but other essential ones include help in writing a
strong grant proposal and resources to develop a greater
understanding of the role grants play in the fundraising
mix and what grantmakers want to see.
• Donor’s Forum also hosts grant writing seminars and
fundraising workshops of other kinds.
• Quick tutorial
Guidestar
Guidestar’s Mission
To revolutionize philanthropy by
providing information that advances
transparency, enables users to make
better decisions, and encourages
charitable giving.
Guidestar.org
Federal Grant Searching
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Grants.gov – Search federal grant opportunities by keyword,
funding activity, and agency.
• When searching on behalf of your agency, use advanced
search. Select eligibility as 503c nonprofit. Funding
activity = education. Funding type = grant.
http://www07.grants.gov/applicants/find_grant_opportunities.jsp
U.S. Department of Education grants – ed.gov lists open
grant opportunities.
• Click on grants on the right-hand side. Using the clickdown menu, select Grant opportunities.
http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html
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Donor Database Products
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Raiser’s Edge
• Widely used by nonprofits locally and nationally to record
individual donor’ records and corp/found grants. This is a
powerful database that allows organizations to sort through
a huge amount of information the agency has entered and
use it in strategic ways to plan and implement fundraising
efforts. A leader among like products, it is also the most
expensive, with an initial cost of over $7000, annual user
fees of $1300 and training costs of $2700/ person.
Other widely used databases to track donors, generate reports
and thank you letters
• eTapestry
• Donor Perfect
• Telosa Exceed
Most of these products have online interfaces. In some cases,
this feature costs extra.
Getting
Down
to Getting
Grant Funds
Types of Funding
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Program
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General Operating Funds
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Capacity-Building
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Capital Campaigns
Making the Connection
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Knowing someone is always the best when it
comes to private funding
Check with board and volunteers
Determine the “fit”
Pay attention to submission dates
Follow the process or guidelines
• Phone Call
• Letter of Inquiry
• Proposal Submission
Making the Connection (cont.)
For government grants, knowing someone doesn’t
hurt, but doesn’t necessarily move you up
especially if you’ve never received funds from that
agency before
Bidder’s conferences are often held; attendance is
sometimes required
Submission dates are very firm
Guidelines must be strictly followed
Most federal grants are now done online
Proposal Components (Private)
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Executive Summary
Statement of Need
Project Description
Budget
Organizational Background
Conclusion
Executive Summary
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Problem
Solution
Funding Requirements
Organization and its Expertise
(Generally best to do this after the grant is
written picking up paragraphs from each section.)
Statement of Need
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Provide facts and evidence
Be persuasive and succinct
Present accurate statistics and date
Give the reader hope
Will the program be a model
Problem acute and only solved by you
Why are you the best to do it
Project Description
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Goals and Objectives
Methodology
Staff
Evaluation
Sustainability
Goals and Objectives
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Do they relate to the problem
Are they specific and measurable
Say what is to be accomplished
Are they realistic
Are they expressed in terms of
outcomes
Methodology
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Do activities relate to objectives
and need statement
Is there a timetable or work plan
explaining the scope and sequence
of activities
Methodology (cont)
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Is approach taken well explained
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How will the activities be coordinated
with others - internally and externally –
“collaboration” is still a favorite word and
concept in funding circles – private and
public.
Collaboration also addresses “duplication
of services” issue
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Staff
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Who will carry out the project
What is their expertise
Can be paid staff or volunteers
Be realistic on salary
Be realistic in expectations
Evaluation
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How will you know success
What milestones measure progress
Will there be an outside evaluation
Will there be an internal one
Will the evaluation be process or impact
or both
Who will review the evaluation report
Sustainability
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What are plans for sustaining the
effort beyond the funded period
How likely that future funding be received
What will happen if funding not received
What kind of support will be provided now
and by whom
Budget
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What is the budget for the project
What is the organization’s budget
Are program costs too high or low
How do costs compare with others
Are all costs included
Consider administrative and other
support costs
Organizational Background
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When was the organization founded
What is Mission, Vision and Values
How is it governed
How is it perceived in community
Why is it THE best to one provide
services being proposed
Attachments
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Articles of Incorporation
Proof of non-profit status
List of board members
Independent Audit
Annual Report or other literature
Statistical Data
Staff bios or resumes
Reports
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Most funders will request reports
Typically financial and program
Annual, at the least
Formats vary, often specified in
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Generally advised of reporting
process in letter of acceptance
funding guidelines
Government Grants
Most federal and state grants tend to
follow the same format … however, in
most cases, they tend to be very
specific in the population that they are
seeking to serve – i.e. drop-outs, they
want numbers for the community you
are proposing to serve; low-income, what
is the median income of the community
you proposed to serve.
Proposal Writing
Basics from
The Grantmanship
Center
Proposals that fail to communicate
effectively, jeopardize the support
that might be granted to an otherwise
excellent project. Competition is
fierce. Poorly written proposals simply
make it easy for the fund source to
reject the request.
Truths That
Should Be
Self-Evident
Research, not writing, is the first step.
Fund sources have specific interests.
These must be researched with
proposals being submitted only to those
who have articulated a priority interest
in that area. To do otherwise is like
Shopping for groceries in a
hardware store.
Proposal writing requires a good writer
Communicating in clear, precise English
assumes talent that not everyone
possesses. Sometimes a proposal
writer is in a wrong job. People
uncomfortable with writing and rewriting and taking writing suggestions
from others may want to look to
different kind of work.
Follow Directions !
Many fund sources, especially
government funding bodies, provide
specific instructions on what they want
in a submission. If such directions
exist, they should be strictly adhered
to without deviation. Often, there are
no specific guidelines. In those cases,
follow the general outline
reviewed earlier.
The Review Process
Every funding body has its own review process.
Federal agencies generally use external
panelists to review proposals.
State agencies generally use staff and
external panelists to review proposals.
Foundations generally rely on staff to make
review decisions.
Panelists are given a proposal rating sheet, and
instructed to assign points based on how well
the review criteria are met.
The Review Process (cont.)
The evaluation criteria used by the
reviewers can sometimes dictate
the proposal framework or
format. If a format is specified
in an announcement ,,,
follow it exactly.
The Rating and Evaluation
Need for Program …………………………..25%
Organizational Capacity …………………15%
Quality of Design …………………………….30%
Evaluation Plan ………………………………….15%
Budget and Justification ……………….15%
Sources of Proposal Weaknesses
Insignificant Problem ………………….44%
Unclear Expenses …………………………42%
Unclear Problem Statement ………33%
Methods of Operation Unclear ….31%
Poor Documentation in all areas …28%
Activities Don’t Correspond w/Problem …28%
Objectives Not Measurable ……….27%
Unclear Time Frame …………………….21%
Why Are
Some Proposals
Rejected ?
Reasons For Rejection
1. The deadline submission was not met.
2. Guidelines for proposal content, format and length
were not followed exactly.
3. Proposal had nothing that could strike a reviewer
as unusual, clever, or intriguing.
4. Proposed area was not a funder’s priority.
5. Proposal was not absolutely clear in describing one
or several elements of the project.
Reasons For Rejection (cont.)
6. Proposal was not absolutely complete in describing
the elements of the project.
7. Author did not know the territory as revealed in
the needs section; unaware of relevant
information or work.
8.
Proposed project appeared to go beyond the
capacity of the proposer in terms of training,
expertise and available resources.
9. Method of conducting the project was unsuited
for the purpose.
Reasons For Rejection (cont.)
10. Estimated budget costs were unrealistic.
11. Cost of the proposed project is greater than any
possible benefits that would be derived.
12. The proposer took highly partisan positions with
out providing justification on issue (becomes
vulnerable to reviewers prejudices).
13. The quality of the writing is poor (repetitious,
lengthy, grandiose).
Reasons For Rejection (cont.)
14. The author did not attend to detail.
15. The proposal addressed the wrong project.
16. The budget is equipment intensive.
17. Not enough of the funds appear to be directed
to the outcomes of the project.
Writing Tips
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Know the purpose of your writing before you begin
to eliminate false starts
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Identify your audience and tailor your message to
them; write what you want them to know
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Organize your facts and idea – decide what you are
going to say to get the results you want
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Write logically – know when to start and stop
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Eliminate redundancy and excess phrases for clear
and concise writing
Writing Tips (cont.)
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Clarify your communication using proper
transitional phrases
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Do not use unintelligible jargon or acronyms,
unless identified earlier; use everyday words
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Use appropriate punctuation and sentence
length and structure
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Present complex technical information as simply
as possible
Writing Recommendations
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Review guidelines for standard English grammar,
work usage, punctuation, capitalization and verb
tense
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Follow format required by funding source
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Proofread and edit … proofread and edit
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Have someone else proofread and edit
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Review and revise your document to establish the
correct style, tone and format
Program Goals
Goals are broad statements that
describe desired outcomes. Goals
clearly define the direction set by the
mission and vision, providing a
framework for more detailed levels of
planning. Goals are realistic and
achieveable; they help to fulfill the
vision and carry out the mission.
Writing A Program Goal
Poorly written goal –
“To raise literacy levels among low literate adults in
our community.”
Well written goal –
“To raise literacy levels among low literate adults in
our community so that they can more fully
participate in and contribute to community
activities.
Program Objectives
Objectives are minimum performance standards and
should articulate those outcomes which must be
accomplished to make the program worth the effort
and expense.
Objectives should be clear statements; include a single
indicator; have a reasonable timeframe; be realistic
and within control of those responsible for monitoring.
Objectives in contrast to the broad, general statements
of goals are specific – they quantify and specify time
frames for a desired result. Objectives represent
milestones or intermediate achievements necessary to
reach goals.
Criteria for S.M.A.R.T. Objectives
Objectives are detailed and understandable.
Objectives SPECIFY the results that you want to
achieve through strategy or action.
Objectives are MEASURABLE to determine when it
has been achieved.
Objectives should be realistic, ATTAINABLE, and
consistent with resources.
Objectives should specify a RESULT/outcome and
not the activity to accomplish the objective.
Objectives specify the TIMEFRAME for
achievement of results.
Setting Objectives
Two types of Program Objectives –
1.) Process Objectives
2.) Outcome Objectives
Process Objectives
Tasks that you will accomplish over the
course of the project or grant period.
“We will recruit and enroll 100 adult
students.”
“We will recruit 50 tutors.”
Outcome Objectives
Something measureable that will occur as a result
of your project. Should be stated as
performance, rather than effort; they relate to
changes in program participants.
“75% of the adults we enroll will increase their
reading level by at least one grade level after
receiving 30 hours of instruction.”
“80% of the tutors will serve more than one year.”
7 Steps to Writing Good Objectives
1.) Determine result areas
2.) Determine measurement indicators
3.) Determine performance standards.
4.) Determine the time frame.
5.) Determine the cost frame.
6.) Write the objective
7.) Evaluate the objectives.
Step #1 – Determine Result Areas
Result areas are the key places you will look to see
improvements or changes in the population.
Example –
-
“more literate adults”
-
“high volunteer satisfaction”
Step# 2 – Determine Measurement Indicators
Measurement indicators are quantifiable parts of
your results areas. By measuring your
performance with these indicators, you are able to
see how well you are doing.
Example –
- “Scores on standardized tests.”
- “Volunteer satisfaction surveys.”
Step #3 – Determining Performance Standards
Performance standards answer the question – “How
much (or how little) of the measurement indicator
do we need to consider ourselves successful ?
Example –
“Adults will increase by one grade their reading
level.”
“ 50% of tutors were satisfied with involvement.”
Step #4 – Determine the Time Frame
The time frame is the amount of time in which you
want to reach your performance standards. It is
your deadline.
Example –
“Adults will increase their reading level by one grade
with 30 hours of instruction.”
“After six months of service tutors will report.”
Step #5 – Determine the Cost Frame
This is the amount of money that represents the
Cost of the Methods or Activities you have
selected as your approach the objective. This is
reflected in your budget totals.
Step #6 – Write The Objective
This step combines the data you have generated in
the previous five steps. The standard format is –
“TO (action verb of statement reflecting your
measurement indicator) BY (performance
standard) BY (deadline) ATA COST OF NO MORE
THAN (cost frame).
Example –
“To increase by one grade level the reading level 75%
of ESL students enrolled in our program who
receive 30 hours of instruction at a cost of …
Step #7 – Evaluate the Objective
Review the objective and answer the question “Does
this objective reflect the change we want in the
result area ?”
If the answer is “yes” you probably have a workable
objective. If not, the chances are that your
measurement indicator is wrong or your
performance standard too low.
Remember – Emphasize the results, not tasks or
methods. Do not say what you are going to do,
instead try to emphasize the ultimate benefit or
your program’s work.
Program Evaluation Plan
The evaluation represents your plan of
accountability to the funding agency.
The evaluation is directly tied to the
program objectives; it presents a plan to
determine the degree to which
objectives are being met. The evaluation
defines your measurement for success
and how you plan to collect data and
monitor progress of the project.
Program Evaluation Plan
1.) Identify what will be evaluated and why the
evaluation is needed.
2.) Describe the type/purpose of the evaluation and
audience to benefit from the results.
3.) Describe how data will be collected, analyzed and
the tools/instruments to be used.
4.) Identify who will be responsible for the evaluation
– clarify the analysis you plan to make and
summarize the data and indicate how it will be used
to further strengthen the program.
5.) Clearly state your criteria for measuring success.
Types of Evaluation
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Goals Based
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Process
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Outcome
Goals Based
Evaluation
Evaluates the extent to
which your program is
meeting your
predetermined goal or
objectives.
Goals Based Questions
1. How were goals or objectives established
Was the process effective?
2. What is the status of the program's progress
toward achieving the goals?
3. Will the goals be achieved according to the
timelines specified in program implementation or
operations plan? If not, then why?
4. Do personnel have adequate resources (money,
equipment, facilities, training) to achieve the goals?
Goals Based Questions (cont.)
5. How should priorities be changed to put more
focus on achieving the goals?
6. How should timelines be changed)?
7. How should goals be changed (be careful about
making these changes - know why efforts are not
achieving the goals before changing the goals)?
Should any goals be added or removed? Why?
8. How should goals be established in the future?
Process Evaluation addresses how the
project is conducted, in terms of
consistency with the stated plan of
action and the effectiveness of the
various activities within the plan.
It looks at tasks, activities and the
flow – “How are you getting there”
and “How is it working?”
Process Questions
1.
On what basis do employees and/or the customers
decide that products or services are needed?
2. What is required of employees in order to deliver
the product or services?
3. How are employees trained about how to deliver
the product or services?
4. How do customers/clients come into the program?
5. What is required of customers or client?
6. How do employees select which services will be
provided ?
Process Questions (cont.)
7. What is the general process that clients go through?
8. What do clients consider to be strengths of the program?
9. What do staff consider to be strengths of the program?
10. What typical complaints are heard from employees and/or
clients?
11. What do employees and/or clients recommend to improve
the program?
12. On what basis do employees and/or clients decide that the
product or services are no longer needed?
Outcome Evaluation
addresses the results that
can be attributed to the
project, as well as the
extent to which the
project has satisfied its
desired objectives.
Outcome Objectives
Outcomes are benefits to clients from
participation in the program. Outcomes are
usually in terms of enhanced learning
(knowledge, perceptions/attitudes or skills)
or conditions, e.g., increased literacy,
self-reliance, etc.
Outcomes are often confused with program
outputs or units of services, e.g., the number
of clients who went through a program. The
general steps to accomplish an outcomesbased evaluation include to:
Outcome Questions
1.
Identify the major outcomes that you want to
examine or verify for the program under evaluation.
2. Choose the outcomes that you want to examine,
prioritize the outcomes and, if your time and
resources are limited, pick the top two to four most
important outcomes to examine for now.
3. For each outcome, specify what observable
measures, or indicators, will suggest that you're
achieving that key outcome with your clients.
4. Specify a "target" goal of clients, i.e., what number
or percent of clients you commit to achieving
specific outcomes
Outcome Questions (cont.)
5. Identify what information is needed to show these
indicators, e.g., how many clients in the target
group went through the program, how many
participated for what amount of time, how many
increased scores or achieved a personal goal
6. Decide how can that information be efficiently
and realistically gathered. Consider program
documentation, observation of program personnel
and clients in the program, questionnaires and
interviews about clients perceived benefits from
the program, case studies of program failures and
successes, etc.
Group Exercise
1. Decide as a group on a program for
which you want to apply for funding.
2. Identify Need, Program Goal and
Objectives, and Staff Needed.
3. Break into three groups to work
- Performance Measurements
- Budget
- Evaluation