The critical need to measure program accomplishments

By Jim Abernathy, The Grantsmanship Center -

{Centered}: April 2013 (Vol. 6, No. 5) 

The critical need to measure program accomplishments

An increasing number of grantmakers want to see evidence of your effectiveness before they'll fund your proposals. But what can you do to convince them? In "How to Impress Donors With Your Programs in a Tough Economy" (The Chronicle of Philanthropy, April 25, 2013), Valerie Dao offers this advice: Show what changes are happening with the population you servebecause of your work. Stating how many people you served or listing the activities in which they participated won't cut it in today's environment. Instead of using only line-item expenditures to account for use of funds, show how spending in specific budget areas affected your program's accomplishments. Don't wait for funders to demand that you measure results. Start measuring your accomplishments as soon as you begin operating your programs, and be able to show how you use the findings to increase your effectiveness.