Systematic evaluation for nonprofit organizations: Problems, prospects, and recommendations.

Abstract

Evaluation is essential to every organization. Nonprofit organizations typically devote little time to program evaluation but concentrate their efforts on service delivery. Even less time is devoted to a systematic approach to program evaluation. Yet, the pressure for nonprofits to become more accountable, effective and efficient has increased in recent years (Hatry and Lampkin, 2001). Most nonprofits have far too little time, money, or in-house skills for developing evaluation systems and maintaining them over time (Murray, 2001).

The multitude of nonprofit agencies continues to grow as new challenges and more unmet needs are being identified. Government, at all levels, has continued to increase its reliance on nonprofit organizations to fill in the gaps that the public and private sector leave behind. With limited funding and volunteers, social nonprofit organizations traditionally have been innovative and committed to meeting community needs that go unfilled by the public or the private sector.

The purpose of this study is to assess the current status of evaluation activities and the utilization of their results for the nonprofit sector in the United States. The dissertation will seek to discover how much evaluation is done by nonprofits, what types of evaluations are being conducted, and how evaluations are being used. If evaluations are not being used, this dissertation will try to answer why nonprofit organizations do not use evaluations. Additionally, the dissertation will define conditions or factors that facilitate or inhibit evaluations and recommend how to promote the systematic evaluation of nonprofit organizations in light of the challenges and conditions in which they operate.

Replicating the voluntary sector portion of the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy's study, this dissertation seeks to answer questions concerning evaluation practices for nonprofit organizations in the United States. Specifically, the study will examine the evaluation practices of over 100 nonprofit organizations in the United States that are affiliates of the National Urban League.