Association for Enterprise Opportunity

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Association for Enterprise Opportunity Measuring
Outcomes and Impact Joan M. Brodhead Senior Vice
President and COO
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ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
Problem Measuring Impact General Description
Developing a Theory of Change Developing
Indicators of Measure Change What has been
accomplished thus far Developed problem
statement Short term and longer term
outcomes Indicators to Measure Success Next
Steps Publish first report Refine and
improve data collection Review indicators
periodically
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ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

• Quick Facts About Community First
• Since 1992, Community First Fund has
• Provided more than 775 loans
• Disbursed more than 22 million in loans
• 50 to Persons of Color
• 30 to women
• 98 repayment rate
• Financed 400 economic development and housing
  initiatives
• Financed more than 200 affordable housing units
  
• Created or sustained more than 8,000 jobs

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ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

• CLIENT DEMOGRAPHICS
• Low and moderate income individuals, living in
  urban and rural areas
• Start-up businesses
• Businesses that are in periods of growth, looking
  to expand
• Individuals with little credit history or unable
  to qualify for conventional bank financing
• Community organizations that are working to
  revitalize neighborhoods
• Commercial real estate developers working on
  affordable housing projects and/or projects that
  will have significant community impact
• Community Firsts service area encompasses a
  thirteen county area with a population in excess
  of 3.5 million people. These counties include
  rural areas, numerous small towns and core
  cities.

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PRODUCTS SERVICES

• SMALL BUSINESS LOAN PRODUCTS
• Small Business up to 35,000
• For both start-up and existing businesses
• Mid-Sized Business 35,001 - 500,000
• Typically for businesses that have been
  operational for at least 2 years
• Commercial Mortgage Loans for entrepreneurs to
  purchase business property in downtowns and lower
  wealth neighborhoods
• SBA 7-A Guaranteed Loans, SBA Community Express
• SMALL BUSINESS TRAINING
• Through the Womens Business Center at Community
  First Fund.

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Measuring Impact

• Strategy Development
• Central PA Regional Overview
• 13 counties with 3.5 million people
• Small city population range 40,000 100,000

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• Why Measure Impact Outcomes?
• To clarify goals and assumptions in support of
• Strategic visioning What products and services
  should we offer?
• Program planning and fund raising
• Program management meeting goals
• Monitoring and evaluation (Are we meeting the
  needs?)
• Communicating both internally and externally
  about goals, assumptions, progress and outcomes
• Materials provided by CFED

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Two Models for Measuring Impact

• Two Models for Measuring Impact
• Theory of Change
• Lays out the assumptions and hypothesized causal
  pathway (pathway of change) linking activities
  outcomes.
• Used to communicate (internally or externally)
  high level goals, activities and assumptions.
• Provides the rationale for a logic model.

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Two Models for Measuring Impact

• Two Models for Measuring Impact
• Logic Model
• Similar to the Theory of Change concept, but it
  describes, in diagram form, a specific program
  or intervention, and accounts for inputs
  outputs as well as activities outcomes.
• Used as a basis for program planning, management,
  monitoring and evaluation, and communication.

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• Theory of Change Process
• Step One
• Identify your organizations Problem Statement or
  long term goal (backwards mapping).
• What situation you are trying to improve?
• How does this fit with your mission?

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Community Firsts Theory of Change

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• Theory of Change Process
• Step Two
• Develop your Theory of Change
• What is the cause of the underlying situation?
• What activities do you undertake to tackle this
  problem?
• How and why do you think these activities will
  help you achieve your long term goals?
• What are the short and intermediate term
  outcomes that will tell you that your activities
  are having the desired results?

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Theory of Change Worksheet

Provided by CFED
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Indicator Worksheet
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Next Steps

• Measure outcome indicators
• Internal data
• External research / evaluation
• If desired for use in program management or
  evaluation
• Create logic models for specific programs or
  activities
• Identify and measure outputs (activity indicators)

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• Theory of Change Process
• Step Three
• Identify outcomes indicators (performance
  measures)
• What change do you want to see in the target
  population (outcomes)?
• What information will let you know that your
  short, intermediate, and long term goals are
  being achieved and how will you measure this
  (indicators)?

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Short Term Outcomes and Indicators
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Intermediate Outcomes and Indicators

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Long Term Indicators
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• Theory of Change Process
• Step Four
• Measure outcome indicators using Internal
  External data
• If desired for use in program management or
  evaluation
• Create logic models for specific programs or
  activities
• Identify and measure outputs (activity
  indicators)

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Measuring Impact of Advocacy
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Intermediate and Long Term Advocacy Outcomes
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• Lessons Learned
• Involve staff and board
• Time commitment
• Accurate and thorough data collection
• May need outside help provide objective view
• Preliminary research on what others have done
• When established provides core focus for
  program design and management

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• Resources
• Theoryofchange.org
• Aspen Roundtable on Community Change
• Publications
• The Community Builder's Approach to Theory of
  Change A Practical Guide to Theory Development,
  by Andrea A. Anderson.  Washington, D.C. The
  Aspen Institute, 2005.
• Theory of Change as a Tool for Strategic
  Planning A Report on Early Experiences, by
  Andrea A. Anderson.  Washington, D.C. The Aspen
  Institute, October 2004.

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• Questions?
• Experiences?