Nonprofits Discuss Performance Measurement at Massachusetts Nonprofit Network/Associated Grantmakers Conference

At the Massachusetts Nonprofits Network/Associated Grant Makers conference, 60 nonprofit leaders from across the state packed the Carlisle room of the Framingham Sheraton to discuss performance measurement.

Some roadblocks to performance measurement include difficulty in choosing the right indicators, fear of punitive consequences by funders, and just how to go about setting up a robust performance measurement system in the face of time, staff, and other resource constraints.

Workshop leader Abby Fung, a consultant with Root Cause, presented each phase or component of the performance measurement cycle (measure, report, learn, and improve, then repeat again and again!) to an audience that was audibly and visibly passionate about performance measurement. During one interactive breakout session, leaders were so engrossed in discussing performance measurement indicators with their seatmates that Abby had to call time out three times in order to move on to the next topic!

Root Cause IT Manager and Salesforce guru, Marc Baizman, stressed the importance of developing the fundamentals of the performance measurement cycle before rushing to put it into a technology program or system, which received vehement endorsement from Elizabeth Reardon, Close to Home’s program manager.

Leaders left the workshop energized about building or optimizing performance measurement systems for their respective organizations.

Some additional questions raised were:

• What should organizations do if their social and economic impact indicators are measuring outcomes 20 years away (e.g. college graduation)? What should they measure in the interim?
• For coalition organizations with many programs, what is the best way to capture data individually, and summarize information collectively?
• Can you start developing a performance measurement cycle if you have no organizational history of commitment to PM or staff or money devoted to it?
• And...how do you measure the performance of a performance measurement system? (extra credit for this one)