The Fluid Process of Nonprofit Evaluative Capacity Building

The Fluid Process of Nonprofit Evaluative Capacity Building

Isaac D. CastilloVenture Philanthropy Partners@Isaac_outcomes@vppartners

GEO Learning ConferenceMay 31, 2017

VPPARTNERS.ORG | 05/31/17 | INVESTING IN SOCIAL CHANGE

Dan TsinUrban Alliance @UrbanAlliance

Venture Philanthropy Partners (VPP) and youthCONNECT

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Venture Philanthropy Partners (VPP) and youthCONNECT

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What are the Important Nonprofit Evaluation Capacity Building Questions?

• What is the organization’s current level of evaluation

capacity?

• Where do you want the organization’s level of evaluation

capacity to be (in general, or at the end of your

investment)?

• What will it take to move the organization to that higher

level of evaluation capacity?

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Determining an Organization’s Evaluation Capacity as an Outsider

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Who is the Organization Serving?

There are 3 big picture questions you should ask to help determine an organization’s sophistication level

regarding evaluation capacity:

How Well is the Organization Serving its Clients?

Is the Organization Ready to Successfully Innovate / Evolve / Scale?

Demographic Information

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Who is the Organization

Serving?Level 1:

Little to No Data Collected

Level 2: Basic Demographic Information

Serving Clients

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How Well Is the Organization

Serving its Clients?

Level 3:Dosage / Output Data Collected

Level 4: Outcome Data Collection and Use

Innovation, Evolution, or Scaling

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Is the Organization

Ready to Successfully Innovate /

Evolve / Scale? Level 5:Formal evaluation projects

(low rigor – frequently internal)

Level 7: Second (or 3rd) High Rigor

Formal Evaluation

Level 6: High Rigor Formal Evaluation

(external)

Evaluation Capacity “Ramp”

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Level 1: Little to No Data

Level 2: Basic Demographics

Level 3: Dosage / Outputs

Level 4: Outcome Data and Use

Level 5: Formal evaluation projects

Level 7: Multiple High Rigor Evaluations

Level 6: High Rigor Evaluation

Evaluation Staff as a Proxy for Capacity

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No staff person formally assigned data and evaluation tasks

Evaluation tasks part of someone’s duties(junior or mid-level person)

Senior leader/staff responsible for evaluation tasks

Junior / mid-level person has 100% of their time committed to evaluation tasks

Senior level person has 100% of their time committed to evaluation tasks

3 or more full time staff devoting 100% of time to evaluation

2 full time staff devoting 100% of time to evaluation

Assessing Evaluation Capacity

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Level of Evaluation Capacity

Data and EvaluationInfrastructure

Staffing

Advanced

Multiple high rigor evaluations

3+ full time staff spending 100% of time on evaluation

High rigor evaluation 2 full time staff spending 100% of time on evaluation

Formal evaluation project Senior person spends 100% of time on evaluation

ModerateOutcomes Junior / mid person spends

100% of time on evaluation

Dosage / outputs Part of senior person’s job

LowBasic demographics Part of junior/mid person’s

job

Little to no data No assigned staff

Final Things to Consider

• Do you (or your organization) have the expertise to

provide evaluation capacity building to nonprofits at

every level?

• At what point would you need to bring in someone else

to help with advanced evaluation capacity building?

• How long is your typical investment / grant cycle and

what can be realistically done during that time period?

• Are you willing to commit resources to move

organizations to the highest levels?

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Contact Information

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Isaac D. CastilloVenture Philanthropy Partners@Isaac_outcomes@vppartnersicastillo@vppartners.orgwww.vppartners.org

Dan TsinUrban Alliance @UrbanAlliancedtsin@theurbanalliance.orgwww.theurbanalliance.org