Transform Data into Impact: Measure, Communicate, and Drive Change with Confidence
In the nonprofit world, outcomes are everything. Funders want results, communities deserve impact, and you need to show the difference you’re making—but how?
The Nonprofit Credential in Outcomes and Evaluations gives you the skills to measure what truly matters. Learn how to turn numbers into stories, insights into action, and outcomes into confidence. With the right tools to analyze, track, and communicate your impact, you'll build trust with stakeholders, inspire your team, and attract the funding you need to keep changing lives.
What you'll takeaway:
- Define your intended impact and create strategies to achieve results.
- Identify the right metrics to track your activities, outputs, and outcomes.
- Build an evaluation plan that evolves with your organization.
- Master data collection and reporting tools to showcase your impact.
Drive results with proven value, and show the power of your mission.
Upon completion, your organization will earn the UNA Outcomes and Evaluations Badge, a mark of excellence to share with your network and show the world you’re serious about making an impact.
Outcomes and Evaluations Nonprofit Credential will be held on May 21 and 22, 2025.*
Each of the nine Nonprofit Credential courses is offered online, once in a calendar year. Please check the UNA Event Calendar for all upcoming courses.
While it's more beneficial to attend the live courses, we record the sessions so you can watch them on your schedule.
Cost:
UNA Member Rate: $180 for the first person/$40 for each additional participant
Not-Yet-Member Rate: $360 for the first person/$80 for each additional participant
*Dates are subject to change up to 30 days prior to the first session.
Outcomes and Evaluations Badge Requirements
In order to earn the Nonprofit Credential Outcomes and Evaluations Badge, the organization must submit the following items for review and approval:
Please follow specific guidelines in the participant folder, as they are always going to be the most current.
1. Community Needs Assessment (Choose one of the following options.)
- The current Community Needs Assessment developed in your organization with an evaluation of its accuracy in reflecting the needs of the community and how your program is using the needs assessment to achieve your mission. OR
- A Community Needs Assessment you conduct within the next three months incorporating the principles from the course including a description of how you intentionally conducted the needs assessment to ensure the information is a fair and accurate reflection of the clients and the community.
- A plan of how you will conduct a community needs assessment in the future to identify the accurate strengths and needs of your community relating to the service your organization with description of how you will accurately assess the needs of your clients and the community
2. Continuous Quality Improvement: A representation of how you will apply (or are already applying) the principles of Continuous Quality Improvement (e.g., a Driver Diagram)
- A statement of your organizations overall objective (based on your organization’s mission)
- A description of the Primary Drivers leading to your organizations overall success
- A description of what data you will use to assess success in these Primary Drivers
- A description of the Secondary Drivers that make up success in the Primary Drivers
- A description of what data you will use to assess success in these Secondary Drivers
- A description of the Change Agents or activities that your organization does on a regular basis to impact the Secondary Drivers
- A “Quadrant Diagram” showing critical examination of where the activities that you engage in as an organization fit in the dimensions of effort and impact
3. Sustainability Plan: Include a description of who in your organization has responsibility for data collection, storage, analysis, and reporting decisions in this brief plan.
4. Using Data to tell a Story: Provide an example of a graph or dashboard telling a story of data use or impact in your organization.
Subject Matter Expert: Jared Lisonbee
Jared Lisonbee holds a Ph.D. in Human Development from Auburn University with dual emphases in early childhood education and research methods. As a research scientist, Jared studied children’s biological stress in preschool settings. He has developed education program evaluations for the states of Alabama and Washington as well as at Weber State University.