Simplifying Your Search for Data: Tips for Nonprofits
Data is a powerful tool for helping nonprofits understand their impact. It can reveal which outcomes they have been successful in achieving and areas where adjustments need to be made. However, many nonprofits struggle with this in the evaluation process. They know the difference they are trying to make and may even be able to see it anecdotally, but often struggle with identifying and collecting data that truly measures their impact. Here are a few practical tips for making the process a bit easier.
Nonprofits can set themselves up for success by remaining adaptable, keeping it simple, and being sure their organization’s story is being told.
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Nonprofits often seek to affect outcomes that aren’t easy to measure or track. For example, a nonprofit may seek to increase parent-child engagement as part of their larger mission. Measuring parent-child engagement may seem like an impossible task as most of the behaviors between parents and children can’t practically be measured or observed. This roadblock can cause nonprofits to become frustrated and even give up on evaluating outcomes all together. Instead, we recommend finding a measure that is an indicator of your outcome, even if it doesn’t directly assess it. For example, the organization in our example could use the number of offered parenting classes the participant attended as a proxy for parent-child engagement. As long as the potential limitations of these proxy measures are identified and called-out, they can be an effective way to more fully understanding program impact.
Consider collecting it. If you have an outcome that is important to your organization’s mission but do not have a suitable measure or indicator of it, consider collecting new data. Say for example, no suitable proxy exists for measuring parent-child engagement. One way to collect this information is through participant surveys. A survey on parent-child engagement might include items like “I attend most of my child’s school meetings and events.” If you decide to collect survey data it is highly recommend the survey be tested on a small pilot group first. This enables you to get feedback and make adjustments on the interpretability and appropriateness of the survey.
Keep it simple. Many nonprofits already collect a considerable amount of data. As a result, when identifying outcome metrics, it can be tempting to try to consider all of the relevant pieces of data. Unfortunately, however, this data is likely stored in a lot of different places and in different formats. Trying to focus on all of this disparate data can bog down collecting, analyzing, and interpreting the findings. Instead it is recommended that you start with your program’s desired goals and outcomes and then carefully choose and focus on the handful of metrics that most clearly measure those outcomes.
Don’t forget the qualitative data. Nonprofits are about making a difference in people’s lives. While quantitative data can tell you whether your nonprofit is having an impact on outcomes, those metrics can feel somewhat distant from the real people it is effecting. Qualitative data (typically collected through interviews or observations) can tell you about the direct impact your organization has on people’s lives. For example, while it is important to know whether parent-child engagement increased as a result of the program, it’s also important to understand how it has changed individual relationships between parents and their children. These stories add depth to what your nonprofit is accomplishing and can be some of the most compelling information to board members and funders. When collecting qualitative data, be sure to protect the confidentiality of your clients just as you would their quantitative data.
Tying data to outcomes can be a somewhat daunting task to many nonprofits as they typically seek to affect outcomes that are difficult to measure and when they are tracked, may sit in many different locations and formats. However, nonprofits can set themselves up for success by remaining adaptable, keeping it simple, and being sure their organization’s story is being told. If you’d like help with program evaluation and the process of tying data to your outcomes, feel free to reach out!