There’s lots of talk about funding organizations that can demonstrate outcomes. Sounds like a great idea, doesn’t it? But if this is the primary criterion you use to identify an organization or program worth your support, then you may be making a mistake.
First, let’s make sure we are speaking the same language. The term “outcome” means: a measurable change; a result of some effort. Within the social service sector, this often means changes of knowledge, skills, behavior, or status of a target population. If your efforts are the cause of the outcome, then you are said to have “impact.” But how do you know that you’re responsible for a specific outcome? How do you know that the outcome you claim to have been responsible for wouldn’t have happened without your effort? The only way to know for sure is through formal external evaluation. Read the rest of this entry »
