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Browse Practitioners Resources
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The 6 D's of Needs Assessments This handy one-page tipsheet outlines the six D's that need to be answered for a successful Needs Assessment:
- Deficit
- Develop
- Describe
- Desires
- Duplication
- Demand
Author: Community Soplutions Type: Tipsheets & Paper Tools Date: Jan 1, 2012 Be the first to review this resource! Download (1.47 MB)
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The Advocacy Strategy Framework This brief offers a simple one-page tool for thinking about the theories of change that underlie public policy advocacy strategies.
It first presents the tool and then offers six questions that advocates, and funders working with advocates, can work through to better articulate their theories of change. The tool—labeled the advocacy strategy framework—has several advantages over more familiar linear box-and-arrow theory-of-change tools:
Author: Julia Coffman and Tanya Beer Type: Research & Reports Date: Mar 1, 2015 Be the first to review this resource! Download (365.89 KB)
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The Advocate's Evaluation Toolkit Evaluation is a powerful tool for learning, improving strategy, and making the case to funders for why advocacy work is critical to the issues they care about. Advocacy evaluation is a specific variant on evaluation, with a set of tools, processes, and approaches that are as adaptable as advocacy itself and help to define why advocacy matters.
Author: Spark Policy Institute Type: Research & Reports Date: Dec 31, 2014 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link
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The Challenge of Assessing Policy and Advocacy Activities The paper is designed to outline an approach to policy change evaluation grounded in the experience of experts and foundation colleagues. (See Appendix A for the research methodology.) This paper first posits three key priorities in evaluating policy change work, drawn from interviews with grantees and staff from The California Endowment on their needs concerning policy change evaluation. It also discusses the challenges inherent in monitoring and assessing these types of grants.
Author: Commissioned by The California Endowment. Researched and Written by Blueprint Research and Design, Inc. Type: Research & Reports Date: Oct 1, 2005 Be the first to review this resource! Download (2.84 MB)
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The Challenge of Assessing Policy and Advocacy Activities Part II After "The Challenge of Assessing Policy and Advocacy Activities" was published, the California Endowment Fund vetted the report findings and determined how to implement its recommendaions by convening a small group of foundation staff, grantees, and evaluators to engage in a series of discussions on the main themes of the report.
Author: Researched and written by Blueprint Research & Design, Inc. Type: Research & Reports Date: Oct 1, 2006 Be the first to review this resource! Download (1.51 MB)
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The Challenge of Assessing Policy and Advocacy Activities: Part II - Moving from Theory to Practice This report synthesizes the results of a series of discussions that were a response to Blueprint's October 2005 report, "The Challenge of Assessing Policy and Advocacy Activities: Strategies for a Prospective Evaluation Approach" (q.v.) The discussions centered on three key themes of the 2005 publication:
- developing a theory of change,
- defining benchmarks and indicators and collecting data, and
- using findings.
This report is organized into two broad sections:
Author: Blueprint Research & Design Type: Research & Reports Date: Oct 1, 2006
Download (1.51 MB)
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The Challenge of Evaluating Complex Interventions: A Framework for Evaluating Media Advocacy This article in Health Education Research presents a framework for evaluating media advocacy. The framework is intended as a planning resource for media advocates, and as an aid to fundraising. The authors suggest a number of possible indicators for media, public opinion, policy, community, and advocacy. Author: Stead, Martine; Hastings, Gerard; and Douglas Eadie Type: Newsletters & Periodicals Date: Jun 1, 2002 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link
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The Collective Leadership Framework. A Workbook for Cultivating and Sustaining Community Change This workbook is intended to help organizations use community-based collective leadership as a tool for making community change. Along the way, you will also increase individual participants’ leadership ability and increase their life choices and opportunities Author: W.K. Kellogg Foundation Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Mar 1, 2016 Be the first to review this resource! Download (1.65 MB)
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The Communication Initiative Network An extensive website of resources related to communication for development, with a strongly international reach. Available topics include baseline data, programme experience, evaluation and planning methodologies, theories of change, and more. The site also offers active discussion forums and an e-newsletter, The Drum Beat.
Author: The Communication Initiative Network Type: Websites & Online Tools Date: Jan 18, 2008 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link
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The Community Builder’s Approach to Theory of Change: A Practical Guide to Theory Development The Community Builder’s Approach to Theory of Change is a practical guide about theory of change development, and includes a toolbox of examples. Author: Andrea A. Anderson, Ph.D. Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jan 1, 2000 Be the first to review this resource! Download (532.38 KB)
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The Community Toolbox The Community Tool Box is a global resource for free information on essential skills for building healthy communities. It offers practical guidance in creating change and improvement in a wide range of areas.
Part A. Models for Promoting Community Health and Development: Gateways to the Tools
Part B. Community Assessment, Agenda Setting, and Choice of Broad Strategies
Part C. Promoting Interest and Participation in Initiatives
Part D. Developing a Strategic Plan, Organizational Structure, and Training System
Author: Work Group for Community Health and Development Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jan 1, 2011
Web Link
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The Four Phases to Designing & Writing a Comprehensive Grant This conceptual model gives the four phases to consider when trying to develop a comprehensive grant proposal because you can't just "sit down and start writing" a grant. Researching Funding, Designing your Project, Technical Grant Writing, and Evaluation are the four key areas to consider in this model. The model is a basis for more in-depth work that is further explained in four separate PowerPoint presentations (with handouts). For more information contact info@bpcwi.com.
Author: Nicole Bowman Type: Templates & Samples Date: Feb 12, 2014 Be the first to review this resource! Download (121.35 KB)
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The Guide to Community Presentive Services The Guide to Community Preventive Services is a free resource to help you choose programs and policies to improve health and prevent disease in your community. Systematic reviews are used to answer these questions:
- Which program and policy interventions have been proven effective?
- Are there effective interventions that are right for my community?
- What might effective interventions cost; what is the likely return on investment?
Author: Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (OSELS) Type: Websites & Online Tools Date: Mar 22, 2010 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link
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The How and Why of Advocacy This publication offers many pieces of advice generally related to advocacy, as well as specifically in regard to how an organization can monitor and evaluate its advocacy work. The Monitoring and Evaluation section walks through key questions:
- Why monitor and evaluate your work?
- What kind of monitoring indicators are there?
- What to evaluate?
- Who defines success?
Author: BOND Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jan 18, 2008 Be the first to review this resource! Download (203.13 KB)
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The Impact of Research Evidence as an Advocacy Tool in Housing Trust Fund Campaigns: Lessons Learned from Three Case Studies This research initiative was undertaken by the Housing Trust Fund Project of the Center for Community Change, with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, to demonstrate the impact of evidence—in this case, research that connects the availability of safe adequate homes to family health, educational opportunities, and supportive environments—on the success of campaigns to advance housing trust funds.
Author: Center for Community Change (CCC) Type: Research & Reports Date: Feb 1, 2013 Be the first to review this resource! Download (637.9 KB)
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The Program Manager's Guide to Evaluation A guide from the U.S. Administration for Children and Families (ACF) that explains program evaluation -- what it is, how to understand it, and how to do it.
UPDATE: Point K used to include an earlier version of this resource, for which we had a broken link for some time. The current version (with corrected link) is a black-and-white PDF of the 2010 Second Edition.
Author: Administration for Children and Families Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Dec 8, 2010
Download (559.46 KB)
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The Urban Institute Series on Outcome Management for Nonprofit Organizations The Urban Institute Series on Outcome Management for Nonprofit Organizations contains easy to read, practical guides for looking at outcomes for nonprofit programs. The series includes:
Author: Various Type: Research & Reports Date: Dec 4, 2009 Point K Pick
Web Link
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The Way We Talk About Charity Is Dead Wrong Activist and fundraiser Dan Pallotta calls out the double standard that drives our broken relationship to charities. Too many nonprofits, he says, are rewarded for how little they spend — not for what they get done.
Author: Dan Pallotta Type: Websites & Online Tools Date: Feb 1, 2013 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link
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The ‘Most Significant Change’ Technique This 104-page guide discusses the "Most Significant Change" ("MSC") technique and its use in advocacy evaluation. The technique involves collecting stories from program participants, reviewing stories and choosing the "most significant," sharing those stories, and discussing their value and impact. The guide states that "When the technique is implemented successfully, whole teams of people begin to focus their attention on program impact." Author: Davies, Rick and Dart, Jess Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Apr 1, 2005 Be the first to review this resource! Download (1.2 MB)
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Theory of Change Assessment: A Cheat Sheet The Theory of Change Assessment: Cheat Sheet tool can be used to conduct an analysis of a theory of change. The tool walks users through elements common to theories of change, and offers considerations for conducting the assessment. Suggestions for use include:
Author: Ehren Reed Type: Tipsheets & Paper Tools Date: Apr 1, 2011 Point K Pick
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THEORY OF CHANGE FOR FUNDERS: PLANNING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE This report talks through three different types of theories of change, each relating to one type of funder impact:
Author: Angela Kail, Dawn Plimmer Type: Research & Reports Date: Dec 1, 2014
Download (516.13 KB)
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Theory of Change Glossary A theory of change is a document created to communication the strategies, activities, outcomes, and other elements on nonprofit and philanthropic initiatives. Various terms can be used to describe the components of a theory of change. This is one glossary that seeks to define many of the common elements contained within a theory of change.
Author: Community Resource Exchange and Hunter Consulting, LLC Type: Tipsheets & Paper Tools Date: Dec 1, 2012 Be the first to review this resource! Download (187.53 KB)
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Theory of Change: A Practical Tool for Action, Results and Learning Every community needs a roadmap for change. A theory of change (TOC) outlines how to create that change. It is an essential part of a successful community transformation effort. This manual, created for the Casey Foundation's Making Connections initiative, defines theory of change using Casey's impact, influence and leverage platform, and shows community advocates how to create their own TOC by showing the relationships between outcomes, assumptions, strategies and results.
Author: Annie E. Casey Foundation and Organizational Research Services (ORS) Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jun 4, 2004 Be the first to review this resource! Download (369.64 KB)
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Tips for Evaluating Advocacy: A Checklist for Grantees Alliance for Justice produced this one-page checklist that has seven tips for grantees on how to evaluate advocacy.
Author: Alliance for Justice Type: Tipsheets & Paper Tools Date: Jul 18, 2007 Be the first to review this resource! Download (36.37 KB)
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Toolkit for Progressive Policymakers in Developing Countries Over the last decade the UK government has been promoting the concept of "evidence-based policy" (EBP). We are constantly asked by our partners in the South about what is happening in the UK regarding EBP and what can they learn from the UK experience. The aim of this toolkit is to identify lessons and approaches from EBP in the UK which may be valuable for developing countries. The approaches and tools presented are based on the assumption that the reader is a progressive policymaker in a developing country, and one who is interested in utilising EBP. Author: Sophie Sutcliffe and Julius Court Type: Research & Reports Date: Jan 1, 2006 Be the first to review this resource! Download (394.44 KB)