By Priya Small on May 8, 2012
Tip #3: Use trained interviewers who are able to build rapport Effective interviewing is both an art and a science and takes training and lots of practice! As I mentioned in my previous post, interviewers need to think quickly on their feet. This is important because they need to “go with the flow” so it [...]
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By Marion Conway on May 4, 2012
Many nonprofits just don’t communicate why they are worthy of a donor’s gift very well. Your strategic plan should help you identify your strengths and opportunities. The planning exercises will help you frame stronger key messages. Having fundraising be an issue to be addressed in your strategic planning will make sure that communications about your mission, goals and specific plans are a key output item from your plan.
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By Priya Small on April 10, 2012
Interviews are a way to collect useful data for program evaluation. They provide qualitative data, which is more text-based–for example: quotes, stories, descriptions– versus the quantitative or numbers-based data that written surveys (also known as questionnaires) provide. I recently interviewed people for a program evaluation and gained a new and fresh appreciation for the following [...]
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By Marion Conway on March 28, 2012
There are some differences in what is important to men and women when it comes to philanthropy but there is also a great deal of similarity. Although this report focuses on women, it provides excellent insight into what is important to both of them. Here are some highlights.
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By Priya Small on March 8, 2012
This is part 2 of a previous post on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) evaluation model. The goal of these posts is not to give an exhaustive description of this model but to whet your appetite for further study, to refer you to other sources and to share with you some related [...]
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By Priya Small on February 6, 2012
This week-end I found myself navigating the underground tunnel system of a local university on my way to the library. Although this was not my first time, it got me thinking of others. If not for the signs, newer navigators would have either run into dead-ends or ended up walking in circles. Evaluations can [...]
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By Marion Conway on February 3, 2012
I write and present about how small nonprofits should use social media. I am usually writing about it from the standpoint of what a nonprofit should do. This is about what Board Members should do.
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By Priya Small on January 23, 2012
One of my childhood memories is of my fifth grade English teacher posing this question to us as she analyzed a piece of classical literature: does the means justify the ends? She qualified her question with, “I know you are too young to understand this, but one day you will.” I wonder how many of [...]
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By Marion Conway on January 13, 2012
This year I’d say the tone is clearly “Be the best you can be.” It is upbeat and forward looking – very encouraging. Every year I am amazed by the breadth of the wisdom offered from the philosophical to the down to earth practical. And this year, the ideas seem to have a certain punch and bounce that makes you want to connect with them.
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By Priya Small on January 8, 2012
Program evaluations are “individual systematic studies conducted periodically or on an ad hoc basis to assess how well a program is working1.” What was your reaction to this definition? Has the prospect of undertaking a “research study” ever deterred you for conducting a program evaluation? Good news! Did you know that program evaluation is not [...]
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Marion is a popular facilitator of workshops and Board retreats. Her expertise includes strategic planning, board development, governance and harnessing the power of technology. [Read more ...]
Priya Small has extensive experience in collaborative evaluation planning, instrument design, data collection, and grant writing and facilitation.