By
Kathryn
Engelhardt-Cronk
President/CEO
Community
TechKnowledge, Inc.
2800
Industrial Terrace
Austin
TX 78758 USA
Database, reporting, outcomes, measurement
As
the competition for funding increases, nonprofit agencies are being required to
provide detailed output/outcome reports regarding the impact and efficacy of
their service delivery programs. Using online technology-based tools can
provide:
A
quick, easy, affordable and effective means to prove to funders that every
charitable dollar is working to improve the community;
A
efficient way to coordinate service provision across programs, sites and
agencies; and,
A
completely secure way to measure outputs and outcomes across agencies and
collaborations
As the competition for funding
increases, nonprofit agencies are being required to provide detailed
output/outcome reports regarding the impact and efficacy of their service
delivery programs. Using online technology-based tools can provide:
A
quick, easy, affordable and effective means to prove to funders that every
charitable dollar is working to improve the community;
A
efficient way to coordinate service provision across programs, sites and
agencies; and,
A completely secure way to measure outputs and outcomes across agencies and collaborations
Any direct service provider,
nonprofit administrator, development professional or funder would benefit from
information on web-based technology options for client/agency data collection,
reporting and evaluation. The shift
to online technology is a strong trend across all industries and this workshop
will increase nonprofit sector understanding of the options and issues.
In an increasingly competitive
market, nonprofit agencies are being required to provide detailed outcome
reports regarding the impact and efficacy of their service delivery programs.
Human service providers are being called upon to provide more targeted
services at a more coordinated level, and at a lower cost, while providing
documented impact to funders, policy-makers and other service providers.
This internal pressure to constantly
improve service delivery is coupled with dramatic external changes in the
nonprofit human services arena. Over the past two decades, the number of
charitable foundations has doubled, with foundations holding assets of over $330
billion, contributing $20 billion annually to educational, cultural and other
social service not-for-profits. Along
with this increase has come a shift in the goals of giving.
It is no longer enough to financially support a cause: foundations and
other donors are primarily interested in creating value.
This means that recipients of charitable dollars--human service agencies
and their staffs--have to prove that their programs, projects and services make
a difference to individual service recipients, to the overall problem area
(i.e., homelessness, learning readiness for pre-school age children – whatever
the area of focus) and to their communities.
Providers must prove increased access and communication along the
continuum of care.
The challenge that many nonprofit
organizations face is how to effectively gather and interpret the data needed to
show funders how their services are making an impact.
New technology can provide the solution, but a lack of access to simple
and affordable data management tools and lack of technical expertise are often
prohibitive factors in nonprofits utilizing such technology.
Our proposed workshop will focus on web-based tools that can help nonprofits achieve in effective data management and reporting outcomes. Because these tools are web based, there is no expensive software, hardware or technical staff needed. All agencies need is an Internet connection and a PC to manage their data needs. The workshop will cover how web-based software works, security and technical issues. I will also open the discussion explore pros, cons and concerns of utilizing web-based technology to record sensitive client information. The workshop will be a brief lecture, discussion/Q & A and will include demonstration of several web-based data collection and reporting systems designed for nonprofit service providers. I will demonstrate data collection systems that interface with collaboratives, agencies and funding organizations. The target audience is all service providers, program managers, executive directors and development staff. Participants should walk away with working knowledge of web-based technology and the potential uses of such technology within their organizations or collaborative partnerships.