Program Development and Evaluation

Self Assessment and Evaluation

http://www.councilofnonprofits.org/knowledge-center/resources-topic/administration-and-management/self-assessment
Organizations that are serious about measuring their impact engage in regular self-assessments that can help their leaders evaluate the extent to which the organization's programs and activities are successful in meeting the organizations objectives: tools to help your organization along the path to effective self-assessment and evaluation of outcomes.

Evaluation Toolkit | W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF)

http://www.wkkf.org/knowledge-center/resources/2010/W-K-Kellogg-Foundation-Evaluation-Handbook.aspx
Online toolkit designed primarily for WKKF grantees who will be working with an external evaluator or conducting their own rigorous internal evaluations. Includes links to WKKF's Evaluation Handbook and Logic Model Development Guide, in English and Spanish.

Basic Guide to Program Evaluation

http://www.managementhelp.org/evaluatn/fnl_eval.htm
This site provides guidance toward planning and implementing an evaluation process. It describes the kinds of evaluations, methods, reporting, myths, pitfalls and more. It's a primer for those who need an overview of the subject.

Basic Guide to Outcomes-Based Evaluation for Nonprofit Organizations with Very Limited Resources

http://www.managementhelp.org/evaluatn/outcomes.htm
This materials provides information about basic planning and implementation of an outcomes-based evaluation process (also called outcomes evaluation) in nonprofit organizations. This document provides basic guidance, particularly to small nonprofits with very limited resources.

TRASI (Tools and Resources for Assessing Social Impact (TRASI)

http://trasi.foundationcenter.org/
http://trasi.foundationcenter.org/browse_toolkit.php
The Foundation Center's online database of Tools and Resources for Assessing Social Impact (TRASI). TRASI contains a comprehensive listing of 150 approaches to measuring and analyzing social impact for programs and investments.

Performance Outcome Measures: Lehigh County, Pennsylvania

http://www.lehighcounty.org/Departments/HumanServices/AgingandAdultServices/ProviderInformation/PerformanceOutcomeMeasures/tabid/884/Default.aspx
Links to a variety of resources to inform about outcomes, indicators and performance measures. 

A Practical Guide for Engaging Stakeholders in Developing Evaluation Questions

http://www.rwjf.org/pr/product.jsp?id=49951
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has been a long-standing leader in applying program evaluation and has developed a guide for program officers, grant recipients, evaluators, researchers, and others interested in evaluation on how to engage stakeholders in developing evaluation questions.

Building a Common Outcome Framework To Measure Nonprofit Performance

http://www.urban.org/publications/411404.html
The work described in this report first provides suggested core indicators for 14 categories of nonprofit organizations and then expands the notion of common core indicators to a much wider variety of programs by suggesting a common framework of outcome indicators for all nonprofit programs. This can provide guidance to nonprofits as they figure out what to measure and how to do it and will work to ease the looming reporting nightmare that will occur unless a common framework for outcome measurement emerges.

Outcome Indicators Project

http://www.urban.org/center/cnp/Projects/outcomeindicators.cfm
The Outcome Indicators Project provides a framework for tracking nonprofit performance. It suggests candidate outcomes and outcome indicators to assist nonprofit organizations that seek to develop new outcome monitoring processes or improve their existing systems.

The Program Manager's Guide to Evaluation

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/other_resrch/pm_guide_eval/reports/pmguide/pmguide_toc.html
Good program evaluations assess program performance, measure impacts on families and communities, and document program successes. With this information, programs are able to direct limited resources to where they are most needed and most effective in their communities.

Basic Guide to Nonprofit Program Design and Marketing

http://www.managementhelp.org/prog_mng/np_progs.htm
These documents guide the reader to design a program and services that are highly integrated with the organization's mission, strategic planning goals and needs of clients. The resulting program plan also serves as a straightforward basis from which to write program proposals to funders and conduct straightforward program evaluations. Research, naming, branding, and many more topics are addressed.

Foundation Center - Online Course about Budgeting Basics for Proposals

http://www.foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/prop_budgt/index.html
This online course is designed to help with the basics of developing a project budget, and it is geared for those who have general knowledge of proposal development.

American Evaluation Association

http://www.eval.org/
The American Evaluation Association is an international professional association of evaluators devoted to the application and exploration of program evaluation, personnel evaluation, technology, and many other forms of evaluation. Evaluation involves assessing the strengths and weaknesses of programs, policies, personnel, products, and organizations to improve their effectiveness.

The Center for What Works

http://www.whatworks.org/
http://www.whatworks.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=9
This online benchmarking exchange provides ideas to improve organizational and individual performance.  "Start Benchmarking" article details the 5 Steps to Success.