Measuring Impact: A Blueprint for Building an Internal Evaluation Program

The New York Women's Foundation (NYWF) has awarded over $19 million in grants to hundreds of local grassroots organizations working toward the creation of an equal and just future for low income women and girls in New York City. The NYWF requested a Capstone team to identify the benchmarks critical to a successful internal evaluation process. Through the implementation of this process, the NYWF can measure the impact of its grantmaking activities. The Capstone team conducted literature reviews, meetings with staff members, interviews with nonprofit consultants and peer organizations, and a competitor analysis. These findings informed the Capstone team's recommendations to the NYWF about how to engage in a process that will effectively measure the impact of its work. Key findings and recommendations were organized into a comprehensive summary report that will guide the NYWF as it continues to develop internal evaluation processes and procedures.