Nonprofit assessment is a hot topic in the sector. Assessment tools can help organizations identify which areas of operation need to be improved.
There are many assessment tools available… But, how do you know which assessment you should be using?
Hewlett Foundation’s Effective Philanthropy Group sought to answer this question and they commissioned a consulting firm to help them address the following goal:
[We wanted to] “better understand which organizational assessment tools exist, what they measure, and how they are administered. We then sought to dig deeper into how funders and nonprofits have experienced using these tools, to see what we could learn from past experiences.”
Most nonprofit assessment tools cover topics such as:
Organizational strategy
Mission alignment
Management capacity
Board governance
Human resources
Financial well-being and solvency
Fundraising mix
Ability to adapt
Legal compliance
This research identified a list of 91 quality tools that can be used for assessment. Additionally, they found:
“Organizational assessment tools can play a vital role in organizational improvement. They can help an organization identify shared concerns, facilitate reflection, and provide a common language for dialogue and decision-making.
There are many different organizational assessment tools. No one tool rises to the top as best, but the most highly regarded tools are typically customized or adapted to a specific organization’s context.
The process in which a tool is used is critical—and can be even more important than the tool itself. Tools work best in a facilitated, well-managed, intentional process.”
The database they created allows you to filter and search assessment tools so that you can find the right tool for your nonprofit.
Download the database here:
Review their memo and project explanation here:
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