Resources

Charting Impact aims to provide a simple, common framework for self-analysis and for communicating plans and progress with key stakeholders and the public.  This approach complements existing planning, evaluation, and assessment practices.

In addition to the specific guidance for Charting Impact provided on this website, we offer here other resources that may help your organization as you prepare to answer Charting Impact’s five questions.

Tools and Resources for Assessing Social Impact (TRASI) is the Foundation Center’s free, searchable database of more than 150 proven approaches to measuring and analyzing the effectiveness of social investments. Developed in partnership with McKinsey & Co., TRASI features resources that range from off-the-shelf tools and concrete methodologies to generalized best practices, and is complemented by multimedia features and social networking tools. Additionally, the TRASI Community page (http://trasicommunity.ning.com/) offers opportunities to connect with experts from the field and others seeking to measure social change.

Innovation Network’s Point K Learning Center houses a collection of tools and resources to expand evaluation capacity. These tools include a Logic Model Builder and an Evaluation Plan Builder, which can be used within or across organizations. The center’s searchable database contains nearly 300 free online resources for evaluation and capacity building, with a particular focus on advocacy evaluation. Point K has over 21,000 registered users worldwide, including grassroots nonprofits and volunteers, state agencies, management services consultants, and students. Free registration is required.

Mission Measurement’s Success Equation Guide is a tool designed to help nonprofit leaders think about their impact in an outcomes-oriented (versus program-oriented) manner.  This approach provides clarification for many organizations that are trying to measure, improve, and communicate their results. In addition, CEO Jason Saul’s book Benchmarking for Nonprofits serves as a workbook to help organizations define and measure their impact.

The Bridgespan Group offers several resources and articles related to planning and assessment, including Zeroing in on Impact, Delivering on the Promise of Nonprofits, The Effective Organization: Five Questions to Translate Leadership into Strong Management, and Measurement as Learning. Bridgespan also has a twice-monthly performance measurement blog devoted to social sector leaders and funders using measurement to improve their work – topics include building a culture of learning and accountability, measuring along the theory of change, and bridging the gap between monitoring and evaluation.

The Center for What Works with the Urban institute teamed up for the Outcome Indicators Project, nonprofit research that led to the development of the Nonprofit Effectiveness Toolkit. The toolkit provides a “How-To-Guide” for measuring and accounting for results. The collaboration also produced other outcome frameworks and tools that might be helpful.

The Outcome Group team, a division of the nonprofit Rensselaerville Institute, has developed a number of tools to build nonprofit effectiveness.

The Association of Small Foundation’s Getting to Impact initiative offers several primers and resources that can equip your organization with the information and inspiration to move along a continuum toward greater impact over time.  Some resources are limited to ASF members; others are available to all.