Nonprofits CANNOT Measure Long-term Impact
I'm being provocative - and - once someone leaves services you can no longer control what happens. The world is a complex and chaotic place. Your clients use what you gave them immediately, later, or (sadly) never. You have literally no control.
3 Data Culture Must-Have’s
I worked with an organization which wanted to be dedicated to collecting and using data. But, data was only seen as a fundraising tool, so they didn't create a positive data culture.
3 Steps to Power
I know - because I've been there with you - that measuring the goodness nonprofits put out into the world can feel cumbersome.
2 Critical Nonprofit KPIs
Corporations are focused on KPIs and profit because better KPIs result in higher profit. What does this mean for the nonprofits they invest in? How do nonprofits - who produce goodness not profit - speak to their corporate funders?
Why Nonprofits Should NOT do Program Evaluation
The scientific method just doesn't fit the budget, the mission, or the needs of nonprofits in the complex, day-to-day work of providing critical services. What the nonprofits I worked with needed was actionable data
All You Need to Know About Statistics in <300 Words
I definitely believe we should all have the basic ability to be wise consumers of data, because there's a lot of bad and misleading data out there. But, I think it goes a step too far to say nonprofit leaders should be able to engage in "statistical thinking."
What do I do with all this data?
Since making a difference is at the heart of all the efforts of foundations and their grantees, it's natural to want to know if the work is actually benefiting people. But how do you measure THAT?
3 Myths about Data Stories
Lots of people are uncomfortable about putting their understanding of the data out there. "What if I'm wrong? What if I don't have enough information?"
Nonprofits & Strategic Data Collection
I had this wonderful opportunity to speak with Jay Smack on The Good Eye Podcast about the straightforward strategy I've developed that ensures nonprofits have data that helps them do work, and which communicates return on investment for funders - all this while being no more difficult to manage than a budget.
2 Reports You Should Read
When I was making a presentation last week, one of the nonprofit leaders in the group said "I'm realizing I'm not the only one not getting it right. It’s clearly a problem that smaller nonprofits have with measuring and talking about impact. Just hearing this is validating.”