This spring, Central Texas Education Funders and Austin Area Foundations, co-sponsored a session about the potential power of philanthropy's role in improving the nonprofit sector's effectiveness. At this joint meeting, funders learned about Project Streamline, a national movement where grantmakers and grantseekers are working together to improve the grant application and reporting process. On a local level, the meeting highlighted various CTEF "Common" grantmaking tools that have been adopted and used by several funders in the region.
The objectives of this session included:
Learning about collaborative efforts, at a national and local-level, where grantmakers and nonprofits work together to improve grant processes;
Understanding how local funders are using the "Common" grantmaking tools aimed at alleviating the administrative burden of nonprofits and free up more time and money for mission based activities; and
Discussing ways Central Texas can continue to implement best practices in grantmaking to help grantseekers achieve their goals.
For further information on this event, view the presentation slides on CTEF's website. And if you haven't done so already, take a close review at the Common Grantmaking Tools, specifically the Application, Report, Indicators and Giving Profile to see how your funder colleagues around Central Texas are fostering change to elevate nonprofit impact!
The blog entry below is authored by Kate Robinson, executive producer of Saving Philanthropy. Coupling her passion in film and capturing the vital work of the social sector, Kate and her team set their quest to illustrate how nonprofits think about managing an outcomes strategy and key components it takes to create an outcomes culture that nonprofits and philanthropists can embrace. Saving Philanthropy will screen in Austin, Texas on February 14, 2012 and will feature an interactive seminar for nonprofit professionals after the showing.
Do you wonder if your philanthropic work is having the effect you want? Are you drowning in data? Do you want real evidence of progress but are struggling with how to measure it? If so, mark your calendar on VALENTINE'S DAY to join your nonprofit colleagues at the showing of Saving Philanthropy: Resources to Results Workshop at the Austin Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar!
Hi I'm Kate, life-time nonprofiteer and producer of Saving Philanthropy, a film highlighting the art, science and stories of nonprofit organizations striving towards the evidence of impact. I can honestly say the questions posed above are the very questions I find myself pondering and I know I am not alone. We made this film for leaders of nonprofit organizations and foundations who want to know if their efforts are effective, but are struggling with how to measure it. To date, the film has screened in 23 cities across the country and in Canada reaching thousands of nonprofit professionals who grapple with ensuring program effectiveness. Needless to say, the response has been overwhelming.
I am incredibly encouraged by how helpful people find the film and by the spirited discussions that invariably follow to help communities openly discuss the roadblocks and opportunities for supporting positive outcomes. It’s truly an honor to screen the film in my hometown of Austin and feature local high-performing organizations showcased in the film. Ananda Moss and Jill Nilson from Southwest Key Programs will be sharing their theory of change model and processes for collecting and assessing the right data and Isaac Castillo, from Child Trends, will discuss what happens when you discover a program isn't working. Outcome measurement is here to stay, and the nonprofit sector and the individuals it serves will be better for it.
Check out Kate's interview for the Foundation Center talking about her inspiration for the film!
Join nonprofit colleagues from: Urban Connection, AnyBaby Can, Breakthrough Austin, Center for Public Policy Priorities, Communities In Schools of Central Texas, Front Steps, Greenlights for Nonprofit Success , Hospice Austin, KDK-Harman Foundation, LifeWorks, Southwest Key Programs, Austin Film Society, and OneStar Foundation to explore ways of improving philanthropy and effectiveness in our sector. Aligned with the efforts of Central Texas Education Funders Common Indicator Initiative, I hope you will join in this interactive learning session!
We are excited to have learned that in developing their new data driven Ed-Fi Program, The Michael & Susan Dell Foundationheavily reverenced and incorporated Central Texas Educations Funders' College Readiness & Access Common Indicators. We are proud and gratified that such a distinguished member of CTEF is using and validating our work to provide grantmakers and grantseekers with tools and language to speak the same language when talking evaluation. Metrics are increasingly important in the non-profit sector and its important that we work together to define the parameters of the discussion.
Thank you Michael & Susan Dell Foundation!
For more information on the Common Indicators Project visit that section of our website.
The Common Indicators are being created to
provide guidance and context to help non-profits, funders and
the community align their efforts to achieve the best possible educational
outcomes for Central Texans. While these indicators are not mandatory or indicated to compare programs across the board, we hope to:
Support non-profits to become more efficient and effective in their programming and assessment of key education goals and metrics
Encourage a consensus on best practices among funders
Educate community stakeholders about common education indicators through outreach and advocacy, with the ultimate goal of improving student achievement in Central Texas
The indicators for College Access & Readiness have been completed and available on our website for quite awhile now, but we are excited to announce that indicators for Work/Career Awareness & Training are now posted as well! Please go check those out and implement them into your programs as appropriate!Up next we are working out bringing you Arts Education, Early Childhood Education and Charter Schools.Which indicators are you anxious to see?-- Kate Stark, CTEF Graduate Intern
