Evaluation and Measurable Outcomes
by Cynthia M. Adams, CEO, GrantStation.com
Including an evaluation plan in a grant proposal provides the opportunity to discuss what the program should ultimately achieve. The evaluation is essentially a technical document used by staff and board members, as well as grantmakers, to evaluate the success of a program. But evaluations can also serve many other purposes, including garnering some very good press for your program’s successes and serving as the basis for follow-on funding.
The evaluation design depends on what information you need to collect in order to make major decisions as the program matures and to write solid reports for the grantmaker, your board, and others involved in the program. To start writing the evaluation section, I suggest asking a few basic questions:
- The evaluation results will be circulated to whom and for what purpose?
- Does the grantmaker want the information in order to decide if they will provide future funding?
- Will your board of directors refer to the evaluation to make program decisions?
- Will you issue a press release, or post the information on the...
