Overview

"Finally. A book about evaluation for non-evaluators. Who are non-evaluators? Busy professionals like you who need answers, but don't have time to take an applied research and methods class. If you've picked up other books on evaluation and felt like you were left out of the conversation, you're not alone. Elena Harman's The Great Nonprofit Evaluation Reboot puts the focus back on learning from evaluation. Not only that, it's jargon-free and brimming with actionable strategies to help you find the answers to your questions about how to measure your efforts and learn on purpose rather than by accident. There's a chapter for every nonprofit position and how each staff member can uniquely apply evaluation to improve outcomes in fundraising, communications, leadership and governance. Plus, there's even a chapter just for funders. What you can expect: More about thinking and learning instead of data and accountability The three most important steps to discovering how your nonprofit can grow Productive strategies using common language for evaluation Pros, cons and how-to's for keeping evaluation in-house and hiring consultants How everyone can take the first step that's right for their organization The Evaluation Reboot in Four Parts: Part One -- Disconnected: The Evaluation Field and Nonprofits We Serve The evaluation field's journey over the years has affected our perceptions and realities about the client and evaluator's relationship. Harman explains her misgivings about counterproductive practices in evaluation and shares her vision for healthier client-evaluator partnerships and their profound benefits. Part Two -- Breaking It Down If you're considering evaluation for your programs, the first step is often the most difficult. Harman breaks down the five core elements of effective evaluation one by one. Think of these core elements as the backbone of effective evaluation. By the end of the section, you have a better understanding of how to get started and how to effectively measure your outcomes. Part Three -- Pick Your Position: How Evaluation Can Work for You Carrying out evaluation cuts across the entire organizational chart and needs the engagement of every staff member. This section explains how each position can uniquely apply evaluation techniques to amplify their results. Harman introduces the body's head and limbs as a metaphor to explain how programs require the animation of all body parts to move evaluation forward. Part Four -- Let's Get Started This section of the book prepares you to apply the author's discussions thus far in Part Two, which provide a necessary framework, or as she explains, the backbone, for effective evaluation. Then Part Three explores all the moving parts or positions that activate evaluation. This last portion of the book assembles and cross-references content that Harman finds helpful for making those early steps, including a Nonprofit Evaluation Bill of Rights. What Nonprofit Experts Have to Say: ""insightful and practical"" ""essential evaluation methods that development officers can easily apply"" ""evaluation as a learning tool rather than an accountability measure"" ""opened my eyes to ways in which evaluation can support communications"" ""appreciated a focus on educating donors about what data to ask for and why"" ""a solid path to grantee evaluation without strain and frustration"""

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9781938077920

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Reviews

Elena Harman has put together an excellent and user-friendly guidebook about evaluation for nonprofits that takes the fear out of measurement and makes it accessible for any nonprofit professional. Beth Kanter -- Speaker, Author, and Master Trainer Elena's advice on how evaluation can contribute to the effectiveness of each one of these roles, as well as the unique vantage point that each plays in effective evaluation, is both insightful and practical. Amy Latham -- Vice President of Philanthropy, The Colorado Health Foundation Elena Harman brilliantly covers one of the most complicated tasks that funders and nonprofits face: how to evaluate both those who make grants and those who receive them. Her complete and friendly book presents a solid path to evaluation without strain and frustration. Martin Teitel -- Author of The Ultimate Insider's Guide to Winning Foundation Grants: A Foundation CEO Reveals the Secrets You Need to Know Evaluation is a critical component of running effective programs, as well as raising more money for those programs. If you want to provide the best services possible, and communicate that with your donors, this book is a must read. Amy Eisenstein, ACFRE -- Speaker, Consultant, and Author of Major Gift Fundraising for Small Shops Elena's chapter for fundraisers offers essential evaluation methods that development officers can easily apply. Full of fresh perspectives for individual, foundation, and corporate donors. Deborah Polivy -- Author of The Donor Lifecycle Map: A Model for Fundraising Success Music to my ears: Elena tells us don't talk metrics--talk about what matters. Yes! Just imagine evaluation as a learning tool rather than an accountability measure. Great! Use this book to make sure that your programs advance mission. This book effectively sets the context for program evaluation and provides hands-on tools. Use with staff and board. Read it now! Simone Joyaux, ACFRE -- Firing Lousy Board Members: And Helping the Others Succeed What an amazing resource for the nonprofit sector. This book helped me see evaluation in a new light --as a learning process, not an accountability tool. And it opened my eyes not only to ways in which evaluation can support communications, but also the role of the communication team in supporting evaluation...What a gift! Jami Fassett -- Founder and Chief Brand Strategist of Up & Up Creative

"Elena Harman has put together an excellent and user-friendly guidebook about evaluation for nonprofits that takes the fear out of measurement and makes it accessible for any nonprofit professional. Beth Kanter -- Speaker, Author, and Master Trainer Elena's advice on how evaluation can contribute to the effectiveness of each one of these roles, as well as the unique vantage point that each plays in effective evaluation, is both insightful and practical. Amy Latham -- Vice President of Philanthropy, The Colorado Health Foundation Elena Harman brilliantly covers one of the most complicated tasks that funders and nonprofits face: how to evaluate both those who make grants and those who receive them. Her complete and friendly book presents a solid path to evaluation without strain and frustration. Martin Teitel -- Author of The Ultimate Insider's Guide to Winning Foundation Grants: A Foundation CEO Reveals the Secrets You Need to Know Evaluation is a critical component of running effective programs, as well as raising more money for those programs. If you want to provide the best services possible, and communicate that with your donors, this book is a must read. Amy Eisenstein, ACFRE -- Speaker, Consultant, and Author of Major Gift Fundraising for Small Shops Elena's chapter for fundraisers offers essential evaluation methods that development officers can easily apply. Full of fresh perspectives for individual, foundation, and corporate donors. Deborah Polivy -- Author of The Donor Lifecycle Map: A Model for Fundraising Success Music to my ears: Elena tells us ""don't talk metrics--talk about what matters."" Yes! Just imagine ""evaluation as a learning tool rather than an accountability measure."" Great! Use this book to make sure that your programs advance mission. This book effectively sets the context for program evaluation and provides hands-on tools. Use with staff and board. Read it now! Simone Joyaux, ACFRE -- Firing Lousy Board Members: And Helping the Others Succeed What an amazing resource for the nonprofit sector. This book helped me see evaluation in a new light --as a learning process, not an accountability tool. And it opened my eyes not only to ways in which evaluation can support communications, but also the role of the communication team in supporting evaluation...What a gift! Jami Fassett -- Founder and Chief Brand Strategist of Up & Up Creative"

Author Information

Elena Harman, PhD, is the CEO and Founder of Vantage Evaluation, a consulting firm committed to evolving the way purpose-driven nonprofits think about and use evaluation-from data for data's sake to evaluation as a learning process, guiding strategic improvements. Elena's expertise lies in maintaining the big-picture view of how evaluation can inform high-quality social programming and engaging diverse audiences in a productive conversation about evaluation. Prior to launching Vantage Evaluation in 2013, Elena was an internal evaluator at the Colorado Health Foundation, where she helped launch the foundation's measurable results evaluation model. Elena holds a BS in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from M.I.T. and an MA and PhD in Evaluation and Applied Research Methods from Claremont Graduate University. Her work has been published in the journal Evaluation and Program Planning. She is a regular presenter at nonprofit conferences throughout Colorado and served as the president of the Colorado Evaluation Network.

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