Impact Measurement & Reporting Flashcards

A nonprofit serving diverse populations should disaggregate its outcome data primarily to:

Answer: Identify disparities in outcomes across subgroups

Disaggregating data by demographics such as race, age, or income reveals whether certain groups benefit less than others.

Which term describes the portion of observed change that would have occurred even without the nonprofit's intervention?

Answer: Deadweight

Deadweight refers to outcomes that would have happened regardless of the program, which must be subtracted when calculating net impact.

An annual impact report primarily intended for major donors should emphasize:

Answer: Compelling outcome stories linked to strategic goals

Major donors respond to narratives that connect their investment to meaningful change aligned with the mission.

A nonprofit tracks 'number of clients served' monthly. This metric is best categorized as:

Answer: Output indicator

Counting clients served measures program outputs — units of service delivered — not changes in client well-being.

Which evaluation approach is best suited for programs that are still evolving and whose goals may shift over time?

Answer: Developmental evaluation

Developmental evaluation supports real-time learning and adaptation in innovative or emergent programs.

A nonprofit claims its job placement program caused participants to find employment. The main threat to this causal claim is:

Answer: Selection bias and confounding variables

Without a control group, it is difficult to rule out that participants would have found jobs anyway due to pre-existing advantages.

Which framework uses five dimensions — what, who, how much, contribution, and what would have happened — to assess social value?

Answer: SROI principles

The seven SROI principles guide analysts through these dimensions to rigorously calculate social return on investment.