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What United Way Can Teach Every Ministry (Yes, even yours) About the Need for Measurable Outcomes

Outcomes, Nov/Dec 2007, Vol. 31, No. 6

Margaret (Meg) Plantz has a response to any nonprofit leader who may be wondering about the importance of outcome measurement to organizational effectiveness.

Actually, she would just as soon let a few satisfied customers do the talking. Measuring Program Outcomes: A Practical Approach, a groundbreaking workbook she helped write for United Way of America, quotes Peggy Ann Dorrian, Talking, Listening, Caring Program Supervisor, Catholic Family and Community Services in Schenectady, New York:

"Outcome information is a real morale builder for the staff. They take it hard when teens get pregnant again, but I was able to show them that only seven percent get pregnant while in the program, compared to 52 percent in the county and 44 percent in the state. It gives them a sense of pride to understand that these girls would be part of the 52 percent if we didn't work with them."

Or consider Kay Coffin, Executive Director, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fresno County, Fresno, California, who says: "Our outcome measurement system has affected how we are viewed in the community. We can talk to Mr. and Mrs. John Doe in terms of cost-effectiveness for their dollars. It has given staff a sense of pride and accomplishment. We no longer have the turnover we had seven years ago. It has also affected our volunteerism. We had a 313 percent increase in one year."

Just what does a United Way publication like Measuring Program Outcomes have to say to ministry leaders wondering how to define, much less achieve, measurable results?

Please turn to page four and read along:

Why Measure Outcomes?
In growing numbers, service providers, governments, other funders, and the public, are calling for clearer evidence that the resources they expend actually produce benefits for people. Consumers of services and volunteers who provide services want to know that programs to which they devote their time really make a difference. That is, they want better accountability for the use of resources. One clear and compelling answer to the question of "Why measure outcomes?" is: To see if programs really make a difference in the lives of people.

"The most important reason for implementing outcome measurement is that it helps programs improve services," says Plantz, who today serves as a director of Impact Design and Learning for United Way of America. "Outcome measurement helps an organization clarify the purpose of its program and gets all staff focused on same the same goals. Through outcome measurement you can identify effective practices, improve the delivery of your services, enhance your record keeping, communicate your results to stakeholders and compete for resources."