When a potential funder glances at your application for a grant will they see reassuring signs of quality or something that immediately makes them wary?
When an antique collector finds what they suspect is a piece of fine English silverware they flip it over and look for a set of hallmarks – simple indicators that certify the metal, identify the maker, the place of production, and the year of manufacture. It can help them distinguish quickly between, say, an item of 17th-century sterling silver produced in London by a famous craftsman, and a mass-produced reproduction with only a thin plating of the real thing.
Similarly, it strikes me that there are three hallmarks of a good evaluation plan. First, it should be relevant. Secondly, it ought to promote adaptive change. And, finally, it must be technically competent. Get this right and you will certainly have a funder’s attention.
What has got me thinking about all this lately is a presentation I’ll be giving at the National Grant Conference which takes place in Atlanta, Georgia, between 25 and 27 July 2017, sponsored by the American Grant Writers’ Association.
My presentation complements the work Get the Data does in the UK where our social impact analytics practice provides organisations, including non-profits with the expertise they need to measure, improve and prove their impact. Our social impact analytics are often used to convince careful funding bodies to fund or invest in programs which ultimately assist the most vulnerable in society.
Demonstrating Relevance
So, going back to the first of those hallmarks mentioned above – what sells an evaluation plan as relevant? You have to know, first, what your organisation needs and what type of evaluation you are looking to conduct. Practitioners, board members and those responsible for awarding funding all think constantly about what impact they are seeking to achieve, how to measure it, and how they can achieve it with the resources at their disposal. You need to convey to them that you understand their priorities and mission and tie your work into theirs.
Of course, that’s easier said than done: stakeholders very often value different impact information so there is rarely a one-size-fits-all solution. This is an area where Get the Data can help. Our impact management services can assist in defining the needs of an organisation, and through smart reporting and analysis systems will ensure individual stakeholders can find the information that matters to them.
In the next post in this series, I will consider how we can help deliver an evaluation plan that promotes adaptive change and is technically competent.
In the meantime, I look forward to hearing from you if you would like to learn more about how our social impact analytics can support your application for grant funding email me to get the conversation started.
Please also visit our website where you can sign up for a free one-hour Strategic Impact Assessment in which we’ll take the time to evaluate your current impact management success and will identify key areas to develop in order to help your organisation maximise your social impact.