Evaluating NGO performance at 1% for the planet
(Book - Regular Print)

Thesis,MSES,Green Mountain College,2014

Includes bibliographical references.

There are inspiring efforts being put forth by NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and other groups to confirm, analyze, and communicate the value of their work. As the data surrounding NGO impact is standardized, funders, investors, and other stakeholders will gain a level of transparency into the performance of NGOs that was previously unavailable. As research shows, an NGO's ability to prove value and impact is pivotal to securing funds (Berg & Mansson, 2011). Therefore, an NGO's fiscal health is directly tied to the value of the impact that it creates. The ability to demonstrate this value will be absolutely essential to long-term viability. If the nonprofit community cannot find a common set of values by which to evaluate organizations, it will remain difficult to compare value and impact across the sector and to appeal to the funders that are seeking such standardization. To that end, this work investigates, analyzes, and assesses five evaluation tools currently available to NGOs. Research includes both traditional methods of evaluation as well as more recent and innovative approaches. The five frameworks selected were based on an analysis of over a dozen potential frameworks.From this overall group, the focus was narrowed down to five, due to the fact that they were highlighted most often in peer-reviewed studies of NGO performance reporting. This project also assesses and is framed by the reporting priorities and challenges of 1% for the Planet and its network of over 3,000 environmental sustainability focused NGOs. Based on this analysis, conclusions are made regarding the tools and frameworks that analyze performance and that could potentially be an appropriate option for 1% for the Planet and its network of approved partners.