A Grantor’s Guide to the Basics Of Evaluation Planning Presented By Christine A. Ameen, Ed.D.

1. A Grantor’s Guide to the Basics Of Evaluation Planning Presented By Christine A. Ameen, Ed.D. Ameen Consulting & Associates

2. Reflection “A quality program requires leadership, structure, planning, and evaluation to make the greatest impact.” -HIVQUAL Group Learning Guide

3. Agenda • Effectiveness in the grant-making process • Does the proposal have the potential for success? • What does the proposal tell us about the project? • Does the evaluation plan address the services and outcomes outlined in the proposal? • Does the evaluation plan emphasize using information for program improvement?

4. Effectiveness in the Grant-making Process

5. Effectiveness in the Grant-making Process • Does the proposal address a community need? • Does the proposal have potential for success?

6. Effectiveness in the Grant-making Process • Does the proposal address a community need? • Does the proposal have potential for success? • To what extent was the project successful in achieving its outcomes? • What learning and project improvement occurred?

7. Effectiveness in the Grant-making Process • Does the proposal address a community need? • Does the proposal have potential for success? • What grants are successful? • What do grantees learn and improve? • How can we improve our grant-making? • To what extent was the project successful in achieving its outcomes? • What learning and project improvement occurred?

8. Does the proposal have potential for success? • What does the proposal tell us about the project? • Does the evaluation plan address the services and outcomes outlined in the proposal? • Does the evaluation plan emphasize using information for program improvement?

9. What does the proposal tell us about the project?

10. Key Components of a Strong Proposal Community needs – the needs of the community that will be met by the project Program Goals - the goals for the activities that will be undertaken Outcomes – the impact achieving the goals has on meeting community needs

11. What are “community needs”: Youth Development • Middle-school aged children are traditionally underserved in our community • The target population is performing poorly in school • The target population is acting out in school • The target population has inadequate parental supervision after school • The target population have low self-esteem

12. What are “community needs”: Board Development • The agency provides services needed by the community • Poor attendance at agency board meetings • Not enough agency board members • Lack of understanding of board roles • Micromanagement of the agency by the board • Poor participation in agency fundraising activities

13. What are “community needs”: Capital Campaign • Agency provides services needed by the community, e.g., safe shelter for abused women • Agency has outgrown its current space • The rate of spouse abuse is rising • The rate of abuse to spouses with children is rising

14. What are “program goals”: Youth Development • An after-school recreation program • A student mentor matching program • Additional counseling services for high need students • Monthly experiential activities to enhance self-esteem

15. What are “program goals”: Board Development • An initial board assessment • Review/revision to bylaws • Recruitment/orientation of new board members • A series of three board training sessions to address roles/responsibilities, committee structure, effective meetings

16. What are “program goals”: Capital Campaign • Establishment of campaign cabinet • Development and implementation of key strategies with top donors • Establishment of the “ask committee” • Identification of potential new donors • Development and implementation of key strategies for new donors

17. What are “outcomes”: Youth Development • Youth attending the program experience increased school attendance • Youth attending the program experience increased self-esteem • Youth attending the program experience a decrease in acting-out behavior

18. What are “outcomes”: Board Development • Board attendance improves • Board functioning improves • Board participation in personal giving increases

19. What are “outcomes”: Capital Campaign • Successful completion of the capital campaign • Success of annual giving campaign as same level as previous year • The development of a plan to keep donors to the capital campaign engaged as donors

20. Evaluating the Project Being Proposed • Does the project address a community need that is known or documented? • Do the goals address the community need? • Will the goals logically lead to the stated outcomes?

21. Does the evaluation plan address the goals and outcomes outlined in the proposal?

22. Program Evaluation Model

23. Data Collection Plan For each goal and outcome, create a data collection plan that includes: • Information source • Measurement method • Timeline for when collected • Identification of parties responsible for data

24. Data Utilization for the Objectives For each goal and outcome, create a data utilization plan that includes: • Who will review the data • How data will be interpreted • Timeline for when reviewed • How data will be used

25. Program Evaluation Model: Youth Development

26. Program Evaluation Model: Board Development

27. Program Evaluation Model: Capital Campaign

28. The Key Features of a Good Evaluation Model • The objectives are clearly stated and contain a benchmark • The benchmarks are “reasonable” • A data collection plan is written for each goal and outcome in the required format • A data utilization plan is written for each goal and outcome in the required format

29. Does the evaluation plan emphasize using information for program improvement?

30. The Keys to Using Information for Program Improvement • The evaluation plan will result in information about goals and outcomes • The source of information about goals is usually the staff • The source of information about outcomes is usually the client • Data about service delivery is reviewed “frequently”, e.g., weekly, monthly – to allow for improvements almost immediately • Data about outcomes is reviewed less frequently to allow time for impact