Resources for Community Volunteers: Criteria for Evaluating Your Organization

Resources for Community Volunteers
Criteria for Evaluating Your Organization

Wondering how effective your organization is? You might have your hunches, but consider the following issues.

These issues and review criteria are adapted from ones suggested by the National Center for Nonprofit Boards. The Center suggests that you conduct such an evaluation every few years.

Area	Assesment	Comments, Issues to Think About
How well does this organization serve its intended constituency?	Excellent Good Fair Poor	Attendance Inquiries Cases handled Requests for information Requests for service Documented complaints Number of meetings, events, or services performed Different or new geographic participation Different types of services by participation
How well does this organization involve community members in the running of the organization? (Organizations that make little outreach to members cannot retain them.)	Excellent Good Fair Poor	Number of members Percent increase/decrease of membership Member dropouts New members inducted Members on active committees and working groups Number and types of services to members Diversity of membership (age, types of affiliation, percentage of transplants)
How well does this organization recruit, use, and retain volunteers? (An organization led by an unchanging core group cannot sustain itself; the core group members burn out and the other members feel left out.)	Excellent Good Fair Poor	Number of volunteers active Number of volunteer days/hours Percent increase/decrease of voluntary participation Type of voluntary participants Type of work performed by volunteers Comments on the volunteer experience Volunteer turnover rates Diversity of membership (age, types of affiliation, percentage of transplants)
Board participation	How strongly is the Board run? Excellent Good fair Poor	Size of board Number of board meetings Minutes taken Mission in place? When was it last written? Strategic plan in place? When was it last established? Participation of board members on active committees and service functions Percentage of board members who provide financial contributions to the organization in excess of $250 Type of board: working, policy, or fundraising? Does the board actually fulfill this role? Nominating process in place? Number of board resignations Board attendance at meetings Diversity of membership (age, types of affiliation, percentage of transplants)
How effectively does the staff in help the organization achieve its goals? (Only relevent if the organization has part- or full-time staff members.)	Excellent Good fair Poor	Staff grievances Staff turnover Ratio of staff to administration Ratio of staff to clients or individuals served Ratio of staff to total income and expenses Staff absenteeism Resignations versus termination’s
Does the organization exercise financial prudence in containing expenses?	Yes No	Are expenses appropriate? Are programs properly funded? If a program is over-funded, why do you feel that way? If a program is under-funded, why do you feel that way? Are capital expenditures thoroughly researched? For example, does the organization have a business case prepared? Have alternatives been considered? Were the reasons for choosing the recommended alternative made clear? Were funders consulted so that the organization can take advantage of community purchasing power (if any is available)? Are human resource expesnes appropriate? Are wages competitive? How were wage levels set? Were appropriate salary guidelines followed (ideally, ones from independent sources)? Does the organization share expenses with other groups when appropriate? Does the organization review all contracts with an attorney before entering into them? Has the organization entered into contracts that might require additional funds in the future?
Does the organization exercise financial prudence in generating and managing revenues?	Excellent Good Fair Poor	When appropriate, does the organization charge for its services to maximize its revenue? Does it charge on a pro-rated basis so all can take advantage of the service, regardless of financial resources? Does the organization have an active development (fundraising) effort? Who leads the effort? What are the results? Does the organization seek relevant grants? If it receives grants, does the organization ask for permission to use a portion of grant and foundation dollars to administer the program funded by that grant? If not, why not? Do organization fundraising efforts fall within generally accepted guidelines for these activities?
Has the organization considered known expenses in the next 3 years that are not in the current budget?	How strategically does the organization think? Yes No, and there are no expenses No, but the organization has an anticipated expense that it did not mention	How will the organization finance the expense? Charge a fee? Foundation grants? Additional allocation? What research is being conducted to prepare for the expense? Are funders involved in the research efforts? Has the organization considered collaborating with another one? Does it seem that the organization is considering all appropriate avenues?
How extensively the organization promote itself to its members and the community?	How well do people know the organization? Excellent Good Fair Poor	How many press releases are published versus the number issued? What type of press coverage does the organization receive? Favorable? Unfavorable? Why? How many newsletters or bulletins are issued to general membership or constituents? Does the organization publish an annual report that explains how it is serving the community at large and being responsible to the members and funders who support it? What is the name recognition for this organization?

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Resources for Community Volunteers Criteria for Evaluating Your Organization

Resources for Community Volunteers
Criteria for Evaluating Your Organization