Original Posting 24.01.18
Here at COMET we’re lucky to have a not-for-profit partner who understands all the ins and outs of program evaluation, Children’s Institute (CI). They evaluate their own programs regularly, to make sure they’re effective and keeping up with best practices. They also work with many organizations in the Rochester community as an independent evaluator for their programs. Many of those organizations are also COMET customers, utilizing our system to collect the data used in their evaluations.
Time and again we hear from customers that the value of having CI function as an independent evaluator of their programs is so valuable. Because we work with a lot of not-for-profits, we understand that role that data and evaluation play in terms of reporting to funders; sometimes it takes more than just data to make a point, sometimes you need to show that the data was looked at without bias. One of the key benefits of working with an independent evaluator is being able to both understand your impact, but also communicate it with confidence.
“When we use words like ‘statistically significant’ and ‘independent evaluator’ we gain credibility. Not only can we answer questions about the impact we’re making, we do so with confidence that the results are accurate and meaningful. That goes a long way with our supporters.”
Data collection and evaluation can feel like daunting tasks but with a partner who's experienced and supportive it becomes manageable. The COMET and Children's Institute teams believe in the power and value of good data and the impact those have on being able to improve outcomes for kids. Knowing what programs are working, and which ones are not, replicating effective models and moving away from those that don't show results are important when your goal is helping children find their path and be successful.
To learn more about how one of our customers has successfully worked with CI as an independent evaluator, click here.
Still thinking about evaluation? Click here to learn about the key first step in any evaluation.