The Chronicle of Philanthropy: 5 Ways Foundations Can Ensure That Evaluations Measure True Impact
An article in The Chronicle of Philanthropy discusses program evaluations by Foundations and why they are needed, and defines five ways to approach an evaluation to ensure assessing a program’s actual impact.
In relation to program monitoring, authors Stephen Isaacs and Paul Jellinek, John A. Hartford Foundation grantees, discuss grantee performance.
"The John A. Hartford Foundation has long been committed to monitoring the performance of its grantees. Even before awarding grants, the foundation often works with grantees to decide on the metrics to be tracked. Staff members, sometimes accompanied by board members, routinely make annual site visits. Information from the tracking and the site visits is shared with both grantees and the board. In many cases, this kind of basic monitoring can provide early warning of potential problems."
And to gauge the impact of a program, an evaluation is needed, which "is an effective way to increase both the short-term and long-range impacts of a foundation’s grant making."
To read the article, click here.