{"id":4095,"date":"2017-10-24T17:37:42","date_gmt":"2017-10-24T17:37:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/myhomekeeper.org\/?p=4095"},"modified":"2020-09-25T20:16:00","modified_gmt":"2020-09-25T20:16:00","slug":"key-impact-measurement-keep-moving-forward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myhomekeeper.org\/key-impact-measurement-keep-moving-forward\/","title":{"rendered":"The Key to Impact Measurement: Keep Moving Forward."},"content":{"rendered":"

How is your organization incorporating impact measurement into your program design? If you\u2019re wanting to do more, but aren\u2019t quite sure where to get started, read on.<\/p>\n

We built HomeKeeper to help make your job easier and your programs better. Over the years we’ve cultivated a data-driven sector<\/a> and a community of folks committed to telling better impact stories backed by real data.<\/p>\n

Central to this learning process for the sector is the need to increase data-driven decision-making at the program level. This chart from Beth Kantor, co-author of Measuring the Networked Nonprofit<\/a>, presents a useful way of framing the progression of becoming a data-informed nonprofit.<\/p>\n

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As you can see, it\u2019s an evolving process starting on the left and progressing to right. Organizations in the \u201ccrawl\u201d phase have messy or redundant files, no systems and decisions based on gut feelings. As you move towards the right, organizations become more organized. An organization that is flying is a data-informed organization, reporting in real-time and engaged in a formal reflection process. Where is your organization on this spectrum?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our HomeKeeper program assumes a similar progression:<\/p>\n

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  1. Gathering inputs systematically (Crawling)<\/li>\n
  2. Counting outputs with reports and dashboards (Walking)<\/li>\n
  3. Tracking outcomes and using data to tell stories (Running)<\/li>\n
  4. Leveraging data and insights to improve program design (Flying)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Take a look at your organization\u2019s annual report. Are you crawling, walking, running or flying? On a recent webinar, half of the HomeKeeper users on the call reported that they were \u201cwalking\u201d while a quarter self-reported to \u201ccrawling\u201d and the remainder were \u201crunning.\u201d To help get you closer to “flying”, we\u2019ve assembled these tips and tools to help you use your data to report on outcomes and measure impact.<\/p>\n

    Gather inputs systematically<\/h3>\n

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    For starters, review our Data Collection Checklist<\/a>, which is designed to help you align your data points and data collection practices with your peers in the field. This easy-to-use checklist is intended to be used by all homeownership programs, regardless of whether or not you are a HomeKeeper user.<\/p>\n

    By going through the process of reviewing and updating your forms and procedures, your program will begin to reflect many program design best practices. For example, by retaining appraisals from each new transaction, you\u2019ll be able to track how market values have changed over time, relative to your affordable prices.<\/p>\n

    With a community of practitioners collecting the same data in the same way, we can more accurately measure the impact of the sector at national level. You can also compare your program metrics to your peers, knowing that you\u2019re making a true apples-to-apples comparison.<\/p>\n

    Count outputs with reports and dashboards<\/h3>\n

    Now that you have systems in place to systematically collect data and documents, you can start counting outputs to get a better picture of the impact your program is having in your community. Create a simple summary table with your key outputs and track them quarterly, or at regular intervals. If you\u2019re using HomeKeeper, you can review our standard reports and dashboards, or create custom ones to track outputs in real-time.<\/p>\n

    Here are some examples of data points HomeKeeper users are counting:<\/p>\n