In the 10th anniversary issue of the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Success Measures is cited as one of only two domestic examples of promising evaluation initiatives which are effectively soliciting and using beneficiary feedback. The article, entitled “Listening to Those Who Matter Most, the Beneficiaries” by Faye Twersky, Phil Buchanan, & Valerie Threlfall, calls out Success Measures’ expanding work for community development organizations and funders across the country to help evaluate the success of local initiatives. The authors focus on the critical inclusion of beneficiaries in determining direction for and assessing impact of the wide range of initiatives spearheaded by nonprofits and foundations.
Success Measures is considered a leader in the field for its expertise in participatory outcome-focused evaluation. Since joining NeighborWorks America in 2004, the social enterprise has supported more than 530 community-based organizations and 25 of their funding and intermediary partners to evaluate a range of housing, economic development, financial capability, community stabilization and other place-based strategies.
The complete Stanford Social Innovation Review article is available at: http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/listening_to_those_who_matter_most_the_beneficiaries