High performing nonprofits regularly collect data about their activities and their results—the impact they are achieving. This information helps them understand what their programs are accomplishing, and helps them improve their programs over time. Many high performing nonprofits also assess the quality of their programs, for example through client feedback, accreditation reports, or comparisons with peers or industry standards.
Online resources:
Performance Imperative Campaign: Inspiring great organizations for greater societal impactLeap of Reason: Managing Outcomes in an Era of Scarcity
Measuring Your Impact: Recorded Webinar (Registration is required, but webinar is free), PDF
Outcomes Indicators Project: Refining Nonprofit Outcomes and Performance Indicators
Innovation Network Point K: Evaluation tools & resources
BetterEvaluation: International collaboration sharing evaluation tools and resources
Evaluating the social impact of the arts: A how-to guide
Compasspoint Nonprofit Services: Template for an organizational dashboard
Digital Data Policy Wizard: Tool for finding examples of data and online policies for nonprofits