4 Steps to Assess Your Organizational Effectiveness

In our work with nonprofits, we've noticed that one of their greatest challenges is lack of attendance or participation by the organization’s target audience. This caused us to ask ourselves if the organization had conducted sufficient footwork before selecting and implementing their project.

When considering technology (or any other) projects to deliver to your community, it is critical to engage in a needs-and-resources assessment that allows your organization to identify gaps, prioritize needs, and carry out the project. Such an assessment usually consists of four steps:

1. Define the target audience and gather information about them that will help you make decisions about how best to serve them. Assess their needs.
   What is it that will make a difference for them in their lives right now that you are in a position to address?
2. Map the existing resources in the community that address these needs; where are the gaps?
3. Identify potential solutions based on the information collected.
4. Assess whether your organization is best suited to deliver this service.

Check out this free tool inspired by the work of the Grantmakers for Effective Organizations.

See attachment.