One of the many reasons I choose to work with nonprofit organizations is because their intended outcomes are always incredibly inspiring. Each and every day leaders wake up with the intent to change their part of the world, one step at a time.
I mean, who wouldn’t be inspired by outcomes like these?
Decrease childhood obesity
Increase the number of students who attend college
Decrease gun violence in our community
But, I’ve also observed that too many organizations (particularly those that have been operating for more than a few years) don’t go deeper and communicate just how much of an impact they’ve made.
For example, as many of you know, the majority of my professional career has been in the K-12 education field. And at this point, I’ve seen more than my share of organizations that seek to “increase the college going rate” in their community. So much so that my eyes start to glaze over when I read that outcome. Don’t get me wrong, helping to ensure more students have access to postsecondary education is incredibly important.
But, without measurable evidence that the outcome has been met… I’m skeptical.
You know what would help increase confidence? Data that shows whether the outcome was met.
So, instead of saying, “Our program has helped increase the number of students who attend college after graduating,” an organization could say:
“Over the past six years, on average, 80% of students who participated in our program went on to attend college compared to a 20% college going rate among students who did not participate in our program.”
Do you see the difference between the two sentences? Both state that they have met their intended outcome of getting more students to attend college acceptance. But, the second provides measurable evidence of their impact.
And guess what? That’s what separates the great nonprofits from the good ones.
Great organizations know exactly how much of an impact they’ve made.
And with that data, they’re better able to clearly and compellingly communicate their impact, which in turns means more people want to invest in their work because, well… it works.
It’s a simple as that.
Are you a nonprofit leader who needs help with having solid data that shows your organization is helping to change the world?
Book a complimentary consultation with me!
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