Improving Your Nonprofit’s Impact Through In-House Evaluation

For many nonprofits, the dreaded words evaluation and assessment carry a heavy weight. They often feel tethered to scrutiny—especially worry that a major funder is looking over your shoulder, ready to judge whether you're using time and money “wisely enough.”

But evaluation isn’t a test you pass or fail. It’s a powerful tool that can help you understand what’s working, what’s not, and how to better serve your community. 

Let’s reject the notion that evaluation is about judgement and instead look at it as a source of learning and understanding. 

Evaluation: From Scrutiny to Strategy

Many nonprofits think evaluation means proving success to someone else. But the most meaningful evaluation starts internally: What do the people you serve consider success? And how does that compare with what donors, board members, or staff consider success?

Metrics don’t have to be rigid. 

They depend on what your organization is trying to achieve. “Results” can include both tangible outcomes (reading levels, attendance numbers, financial data) and intangible ones (confidence, independence, the ability to complete everyday tasks). In many programs, like ESL or adult literacy, the intangibles often matter most to the learners themselves.

Example: 

Let’s look at an ESL program. Funders may measure success by numbers (tangibles): 

• How many students advanced one reading level this year?

• How many ESL learners passed a standardized proficiency test?

Learners, however, may define success very differently (intangibles):

• “I can read the directions on my child’s homework.”

• “I can talk to my doctor without a translator.”

• “I can apply for a job online.”
  

When you understand how your community defines success, you can start to link those outcomes to what funders care about—translating meaningful, lived improvements into metrics and narratives your donors can understand.

Want training? Rising Leaf can host a training workshop tailored to your organization,  covering the process of combining these different ideas of success, with a goal of quantifying those successes for funders. Get started here.

Internal Evaluation: More Than Reporting to Funders

While donor requirements may be what sparks the conversation, internal evaluation gives you something far more valuable: a clearer understanding of your own work. The primary goal of doing this in-house research is to improve practice, solve practical problems, and enhance your effectiveness.

Systematic, reflective inquiry helps your team:

• Spot gaps or bottlenecks in programs

• Identify unexpected successes

• Improve volunteer engagement

• Test new ideas effectively

This is research done internally by the people who know the program best: the ones who see its daily challenges and triumphs.

How to Start Doing In-House Evaluation

Here’s a simple, practical flow to help your team ease into internal evaluation:

1. Start with a question you want to answer. 

For example:

• “Why do so few volunteers show up for extra unrequired training programs?” 

• “Who is paying for particular groups to attend our conference? If we knew, how could that help impact growth?”

• “Which service do clients use most and why?”
  

2. Collect the right data.

Choose methods that fit the question: surveys, existing reports, interviews, focus groups, attendance logs, etc.

Not every study needs a large sample. Sometimes a small set of interviews will give you more insight than a sprawling spreadsheet.

3. Analyze your data.

This is where patterns emerge. 

• Analyze numbers

• Transcribe interviews and focus group conversations

• Compare your collected data.

 Don’t be surprised if new questions surface—that’s part of the process.

4. Summarize your findings.

Look for themes among the raw data. This is where you weave information into meaning. 

5. Share your findings.

Communicate your findings in whatever format fits your organization:

• A brief internal report

• A presentation to your board

• A workshop with staff and volunteers

• A newsletter for donors

Sharing transparently helps encourage and foster a culture of learning and trust. 

6. Turn your insights into action. 

This powerful tool is most effective when you take what you’ve learned and find ways to implement that new understanding. You’ll likely find:

• Ways to increase your program’s mission impact

• New ways to understand those you serve

• Innovative ideas to help volunteers

• New directions for expanding your mission reach.
  
  

It can be challenging work, but often extremely valuable!

Don’t let fear of “doing it wrong” stop you. Evaluation isn’t about producing a flawless report; it’s about discovering information you can use. 

Your nonprofit already has the expertise and experience it needs to begin this work. All you have to do is start asking questions.

Authors: Karen Cook and Sarah-Lambert Cook