Advocacy Evaluation Guide and Nonprofit Online News
I really enjoy reading the Nonprofit Online News when it pops into my inbox. Michael Gilbert always provides an eclectic mix of references, links and observations. He uses a process and style of for the newsletter which is a million times easier to read then the HTML laden versions I get from other sources. Simpler is definitely better. Check out the post he wrote on the process. Now if he would just improve the searchability of the newsletter archive!
Last week he had several tidbits that jumped out at me as interesting including reference to a recent Casey Foundation guide to measuring advocacy and policy. You can find their guide here. It contains a strong focus on the development of a theory of change, and lays out alternative ways to measure the same outcomes…which helps organizations choose the best methods to fit their organizational culture and competency.
From the report:
Theory of change has become common parlance among both funders and non-profits; the term is typically used to describe the conceptual model for achieving a collective vision. A theory of change typically addresses the set of linkages among strategies, outcomes and goals that support a broader mission or vision, along with the underlying assumptions that are related to these linkages (i.e. “If we implement these strategies, why do we expect these changes will occur?”). Theory of change has been called many things: a roadmap, a blueprint, an engine of change, a theory of action and more.
Tags: advocacy, e-mailnewsletters, evaluation, policy