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MEASURING IMPACT & SUCCESS: USING DATA TO

ENHANCE YOUR STORYTELLING

Lynn Ivey

© Lynn G. Ivey

Lynn G. IveyLBSW, CRCFA, CHPCA

Sparking the Movement

MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA

September 2, 2015

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Ways to use the results to inform and engage yourcommunity.

Key metrics and performance indicators, and ways tocollect the data needed.

Methods to leverage your data to improve yourprogram.

The importance of evaluations, impacts, outcomes and accountability.

Today’s Topics

Item Two

Item Two

Item Three

Item Four

Item One

© Lynn G. Ivey

Evaluation

Impact

Accountability

Evaluations = the measurements

that we gather the effectiveness

and efficiency of the program’s

volunteer activities.

Impacts = the ultimate effects and

changes that are effected on

those we are in business to serve.

Accountability = demonstrating

our compliance with laws and

industry standards, as well as

delivering on our organizational

purpose and ensuring public trust.

Why Measure Volunteer Impact?

© Lynn G. Ivey

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Basic Terminology

Evaluation Inputs Outcomes & Outputs

Impacts Service Stories

Freedigitalphotos.net/Danilo Rizzuti/cooldesign/Stuart Miles

© Lynn G. Ivey

Data Collection

Techniques

Where

How

Freedigitalphotos.net/Stuart Miles

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Know What Data

to Focus on

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Freedigitalphotos.net/Stuart Miles

How Do You Value…

Canstockphotos.com/jgroup

Canstockphotos.com/4774344sean

rivey

Canstockphotos.com/lisafx

Canstockphotos.com/lisafx

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Outcomes = changes that happen or the differences

that are made for individuals, groups,

families, organizations, systems and communities

during or after the activities.

Outputs = measurable, tangible, and direct

products or results of your activities and services.

(What we do and who we serve)

Outcomes & Outputs

Adapted from: Measuring the Impact of Volunteering

© Lynn G. Ivey

Why Outcomes

Are Important

Freedigitalphotos.net/Stuart Miles

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Types of Outcomes

Organizational Effectiveness &

Resources

Volunteer Personal Growth

Partner Agency Impact

Client/Customer Impact

Community Impact

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Outcome Statement Worksheet

What is the mission of your organization?

Who is the target of your mission?

What are the indicators that

demonstrate the mission is being/has been accomplished?

How do you get the data related to the

indicators?

What will tell you that the mission has been

fulfilled?

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Examples of Outcome MeasuresNumber of volunteers

Volunteer frequency or retention

Amount and/or number of volunteer donations

Number/type of partner agencies

Community awareness of organization

Referrals (#, type, time lapse) to the organization

Quality of life changes for clients

Community involvement changes in organization

Value of in-kind donations obtained by volunteers

Decreased ___________________ (negative outcome without service)© Can Stock Photo Inc. iqoncept

© Can Stock Photo Inc. iqoncept

© Lynn G. Ivey

Outcome Statements

Input• How was something

accomplished?

Outcomes• What was it that was

accomplished?

Impact• What difference did it

make?

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Canstockphotos.net/viviamo

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GROUP ACTIVITYBecause of our volunteers, we _________________________.

If our volunteers had not been here, we could not have _______________________.

Because of the volunteers recruited, we can __________________________________.

If we did not have ____________, our volunteers would not have been able to________________.

Because the volunteer program did _____________, the organization was able to______________.

If the volunteer manager had not done ________, we would not have been able to do_____________.

Because of ________________, the mission was affected by _____________________.

If we had more ________________________, we could do _______________________.

© Lynn G. Ivey

Tips for Writing Your StoryFind your best stories.

Stay focused.

Keep it simple.

Search out great anecdotes.

Ask detailed questions.

Don’t go too far.

Tell your audience why they should care.

Answer: Why now?

Make your story part of the larger picture.

Proofread, proofread, proofread!© Can Stock Photo Inc. ivelinradkov.jpgAdapted from: 10 Tips for Writing Your Nonprofit Story

© Lynn G. Ivey

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Your Story’s Building Blocks

1. FIND AN EFFECTIVE CHARACTER

2. FIND A PLOT THAT MOVES YOUR

STORY FORWARD

3. KEEP IT AUTHENTIC

4. INSPIRE ACTION-ORIENTED

EMOTIONS

5. CRAFT A HOOK

© Can Stock Photo Inc. wrangler

© Lynn G. Ivey

Fine Tuning Your Story Make it about Real People who

need something from YOU!

Let the person speak for

themselves.

Start. Grab attention. Don’t waste

time.

Keep it short!

Personally connect.

© Can Stock Photo Inc. kchungtw

© Lynn G. Ivey

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Source: BIT.LY/NONPROFITSTORYTELLING

#STORIESWORTHTELLILNG

© Lynn G. Ivey

GROUP ACTIVITY

© Lynn G. Ivey© Can Stock Photo Inc. dundanim.jpg

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Data Collection Tools

Surveys

Pretesting/ Post Testing

Interviews

Internal Data

External Data

Focus Groups

Industry Standards

Case Studies

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Using Data to

Improve Your

Services

Freedigitalphotos.net/pakorn

© Lynn G. Ivey

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Using Data to Improve Your

Storytelling

Freedigitalphotos.net/adamr

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Your Impact

Other Types of Storytelling

Your Founding Story

Your Focus

Your People

Your Future

1

2

3

4

5

Adapted from: 6 Story Types You Can Tell

© Lynn G. Ivey

© Can Stock Photo Inc. AnsonLu

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Pitfalls to Avoid

Casting the Organization

as the Hero

Using Jargon

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Pitfalls to Avoid

Telling your audience

how to feel.

Having a flat

character

© Lynn G. Ivey

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Understand your

impacts, outcomes

and service stories.

Wrap UpLeverage your

data to improve

your agency.

Use the results to

inform and engage

your community.

Collect the data

that is important to

your organization

and your

stakeholders.

© Lynn G. Ivey

Questions? Comments?

Lynn G. Ivey

lynn_iv@sc.rr.com

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SourcesFishman, Stephen (May 2013), How Nonprofits Can Calculate and Report Volunteer Time in Their Financials, NOLO Law for All.

Graff, Linda (Accessed July 29, 2014), A Note on Assessing Value, http://www.engergize.com/art/abeso.html.

Ilsen, Shari (Posted May 2, 2012), How to Measure the Success of Your Volunteer Program, http://blogs.voluneermatch.org.

Osborne, David and Ted Gaebler, Reinventing Government: How the Entrepreneurial Spirit is Transforming the Public Sector. New York: Addison-

Wesley, 1992.

Points of Light Foundation (2010), Evaluating Youth Service Projects, and 10 Steps to Evaluate Your Project, www.pointsoflight.org.

Rackow, Jennifer & Fixler, Jill Friedman (Accessed July 29, 2014), Measuring Volunteer Program Results, http://www.jffixler.com/measuring-volunteer-

program-results.

Safrit, R.D. (2012). Evaluating the impact of volunteer programs. In T. D. Connors (Ed.), The Volunteer Management Handbook (Second edition), pp.

389-408. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Starbucks Coffee (January 2011), Making It Count: How to Measure the Impact of Volunteerism, missionmeasurement.com.

Walsh, Dennis (November 3, 2011) Tracking Volunteer Time to Boost Your Bottom Line: A Complete Accounting Guide,

http://www.blueavocado.org/print/330.

Wichey, Alan (October 4, 2013), Measuring the Impact of Volunteering, United Way of Central Indiana.

World Spirit Consulting (2003), Measuring the Difference Volunteers Make: A Guide to Outcome Evaluation for Volunteer Program Managers,

https://www.nationalserviceresources.gov/online-library/items/r0546#.VGwQ5HAtCrQ.

© Lynn G. Ivey

Sources

Dixon, Julie, Four Storytelling Sins (and how to avoid these tory pitfalls), http://meyerfoundation.org/news-room/four-storytelling-sins-and-how-avoid-

these-story-pitfalls , accessed July 30, 2015.

Hartstein, David, Nonprofit Website Analytics: Measuring What Mattershttp://wiredimpact.com/blog/nonprofit-website-analytics-measuring-what-matters/,

accessed July 30, 2015.

Hartstein, David, Using Nonprofit Data to Improve Your Storytelling, http://wiredimpact.com/blog/nonprofit-data-improve-storytelling/ , accessed July 30,

2015.

Jacobwith, Lori, Nonprofit Storytellling: Seven Tips for Sharing Stories About Your Work, http://www.nonprofithub.org/nonprofit-marketing-plan/nonprofit-

storytelling-seven-tips-for-sharing-stories-about-your-work/, accessed July 30, 2015.

Meyer Foundation, Stories Worth Telling, http://meyerfoundation.org/impact/stories-worth-telling , accessed July 30, 2015.

Morehouse, Macon, 10 Tips for Writing Your Nonprofit Story, http://www.fundraising123.org/article/10-tips-writing-your-story#.Vbr12DJRGpo, accessed

July 30, 2015.

Schwartz, Nancy, You have 6 Nonprofit Story Types to Tell (Parts 1 and 2), http://gettingattention.org/articles/3994/nonprofit-storytelling/nonprofit-story-

types.html, accessed, July 30, 2015.

© Lynn G. Ivey