Making a Measurable Difference
Success Measures evaluates impacts of housing, economic development and community building programs at theindividual, neighborhood and community level.
Since its inception, more than 200 organizations and 18 funders and intermediaries, including Wachovia Regional Foundation and the F.B. Heron Foundation, have used Success Measures’ outcome evaluation methods.
NeighborWorks America provides Success Measures outcome evaluation training and technical assistance to NeighborWorks member organizations nationwide. To date, 90 NeighborWorks members have used the Success Measures evaluation approach and common data collection tools of the web-based Success Measures Data System (SMDS) to measure community level outcomes.
The program currently has 80 outcome indicators and more than 170 corresponding data collection tools to measure short- and long-term impacts of affordable housing programs as well as community building and economic development efforts.
In addition, Success Measures uses a “participatory” process that engages nonprofits and their funders in development of unique instruments to measure conditions of the communities they serve.
“What distinguishes our efforts is that we help groups use primary level data in a participatory way. Instead of using outside consultants or relying on secondary sources, we work with groups hands on to come up with evaluation approaches that fit their organizations, that they own and can control and can use to improve their programs,” said Debby Visser, senior program manager with Success Measures.
NeighborWorks Waco in Texas used Success Measures to capture the impact of their work in the community. The organization works closely with local residents, businesses, financial institutions and city government to revitalize deteriorating neighborhoods and provide affordable housing opportunities.
In NeighborWorks Waco’s work community involvement is important. Program Specialist Chad Klawetter, who led NeighborWorks Waco’s evaluation effort with Success Measures, said “homeownership is part of the puzzle, but not the whole thing.”
Klawetter wanted to examine the notion of community cohesiveness—how residents felt about their community and their neighbors; about crime and personal safety; if they were proud of their homes; and if they were becoming stakeholders in the community development process.
In addition, even though NeighborWorks Waco isn’t involved in micro-lending, the organization wanted to explore the kinds of businesses that would be attractive to the community’s residents.
Using Success Measures’ evaluation process and tools, NeighborWorks Waco was able to determine that they were working in a community where sense of community was strong. Residents knew and socialized with each other, and had a high comfort level living in the community. About a quarter, however, were concerned with rising crime and wanted to be a part of efforts to revitalize their community.
Klewetter said he is “excited where these data will lead us. We want to be relevant to the community, build on their strengths, and this will get us there.”
Moving forward Klewetter said the organization will be more seriously weighing economic and commercial development opportunities, and said the experience has “reassured us that we’re doing the right thing.”
He added that the process has improved their capacity to leverage resources, and he is hoping to use the data to raise funds for their community development efforts.
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