Program Evaluation has become increasingly important for nonprofits that are accountable to funders, members and even their own board of directors. Executive Directors and management staff need to know whether the organization is meeting its strategic goals. Boards of Directors need to receive timely, consistent, data-driven metrics by which to measure the success of the organization. Funders need empirical evidence that the organization is accomplishing its mission through its programs. Many organizations already have much of the structure in place in order to complete a high-quality evaluation. There is a lot to consider when making a decision to conduct a Program Evaluation. Understanding what you are looking to accomplish from the evaluation is of upmost importance. Knowing who this information is for is also crucial. For some it may be funders while for others it may be staff. Once you have determined these two factors, knowing what information you are looking to get to your audience makes it easier to conduct an accurate evaluation. In addition, knowing where this information is coming from will allow you to zero in where to get it. Finally, knowing when the information is needed by and knowing what resources are available to get it will help you get the wheels in motion for your Program Evaluation.

Summary

Babies Needs Always is a nonprofit organization that provides mothers in need with all the essential education and items to care for their newborn babies appropriately. Babies Needs Always began as a local organization in the Chicago area and quickly grew to a state level. As Babies Needs Always embarked on its 20th year of existence they began to lose their way.

The Background

Their leadership team learned that supporters were frustrated with a lack of organization and strategic vision. As a result, donations of time and money were beginning to decline, and their impact on the community was decreasing. In addition, throughout their 20 years, there seemed to be a number of organizations formed seeking the same constituents and supporters.

The Solution

Babies Needs Always conducted a comprehensive program evaluation audit, examining the organization from a strategic and goal-oriented perspective. They performed interviews with stakeholders and a thorough document review to gain a holistic view of the situation. Based on the evaluation results, they developed a plan to increase staff communications with supporters and the public and realign the organization to meet the changing needs of the community at large.

Lessons Learned

Not only did the organization begin to run more efficiently, employee ownership of the nonprofit’s vision and values increased significantly. The results of the turnaround were so impressive that the organization received statewide recognition for its top quality management practices.

This case study was prepared by Netta Dankel of the Center for Nonprofit Success. For more case studies on nonprofit management, visit the Center for Nonprofit Success website at: http://www.cfnps.org/research.aspx For a calendar of our upcoming seminars on nonprofit management, go to http://www.cfnps.org/education_calendar.aspx