News from the Noteworthy

Measuring Results, Assessing
Goals a Good Place to Start

In determining the effectiveness of charitable nonprofits, it is critically important not to evaluate the delivery of services, but rather measure the results that those services are aiming to achieve. It sounds pretty straightforward, but the diverse nature of charitable nonprofits and their missions can complicate things. For example, a foundation can measure results by the amount of money it raises or distributes. A homeless program can define results by how many homeless people attain safe, affordable housing. But it gets trickier when programs provide emergency services, because the results are harder to measure over periods of time. More and more, donors and contractors are looking at how nonprofits measure results before making contributions or authorizing grants.

It’s tricky because, as Peter Drucker [Peter Ferdinand Drucker, an Austrian-American management consultant, educator, and author] puts it, nonprofits measure results in terms of changed lives and changed conditions. He goes on to say that it is essential to look at both in terms of short-term accomplishments and long-term change. Let’s take the Warming Station as an example. It could be interpreted as a short-term accomplishment for the homeless. The long-term change could be establishing affordable housing for the working poor in order to prevent homelessness to begin with.

Here at Opportunities for Otsego, Inc., we base outcome strategies around families, the organization itself and the community that we serve. Although we help people in a variety of official categories, many families rely on the organization for more than one service. Beyond our programs are broader goals, such as early childhood development, nutrition, family education and energy reduction. We base outcomes on accomplishments while holding ourselves accountable for the work we do.

Community groups and task forces often struggle, as there is a wide range of individual views as well as individual organizations’ missions and agendas. The establishment of outcomes can be an effective tool for measuring the progress of community groups and task forces in terms of a common focus. Lastly, when developing outcomes, it’s important to set reasonable expectations so that participants have a sense of progress and direction before the process starts.

It’s unreasonable to think that solving large issues like housing or mental health is going to happen immediately, or within the next five to 10 years. But it might be more reasonable to say that a short-term result is to develop “X” number of affordable housing units in that time period. Or, increase the number of mental health practitioners by “X percent” over the same time period as ways to strive to achieve these challenges.

Assessments of resources available to solve problems is critical to setting out plans to solve problems. Assessing goals of area foundations, as well as federal and state initiatives, can give communities a good sense of where to start and how long it may take to create long-term change.

We are fortunate to live and work in a community of caring people and strategic thinkers. We are more than ready to lay the groundwork for a great year in 2023.

Happy New Year!

Dan Maskin is Chief Executive Officer of Opportunities for Otsego, Inc. Learn more about the organization at ofoinc.org.