Outcomes Assessment and the Paradox of Nonprofit Accountability

Leaders of nonprofit organizations face a particular bind in responding to the demands for results-based accountability. If they focus only on the project level outcomes over which they have the most control or for which indicators are readily available, they risk default on the larger question of accountability to publicly valued goals. On the other hand, if they try to demonstrate the impact of their particular projects on community-wide outcomes, they risk taking credit inappropriately or shouldering the blame for indicators beyond their control. In this paper I present findings from a research project—conducted in collaboration with economic development organizations on the north coast of California—that explored the practical demands and dynamics associated with this paradox. The key challenges are more civic and political than technical. 1 An earlier version of this paper was presented on a panel at the November 16-19, 2000 meeting of ARNOVA in New Orleans, Louisiana. In addition to the author, members of the research team for this project included Joan Wright, an evaluation specialist; Deborah Giraud, County Director with Humboldt County Cooperative Extension with expertise in plant sciences and community development; and Dan Ihara, a nonprofit director with expertise in environmental economic development. The authors wish to thank Kim Rodrigues for her help in getting the project started, and Sommer Mateu who served as a research assistant. Special thanks go to the members of the local steering committee, who spent many hours with us sharing their project ideas, trying out different assessment approaches, and providing honest feedback on what worked and what didn’t. These include: Georgiana Matthews, Kathy Moxon, Barbara O’Neal, Patty Visser, and Jude Wait.

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