Community Foundation Awards Grants to Measure Nonprofit Performance
October 15, 2015 – How can you move a community forward without knowing where you are and where you want to go? Measuring the effectiveness of a nonprofit organization’s programming can be profound, advancing its mission by identifying what works and what doesn’t. The Community Foundation’s Performance Management initiative helps organizations navigate the complexities of data measurement to evaluate and communicate their effectiveness.
The Community Foundation recently awarded its fourth round of Performance Management grants, totaling $179,666. All recipients are now members of a new Performance Management Learning Community. The group will meet over the course of the next year to hone their data management skills and share their successes and challenges with one another.
The following list describes the projects each organization will be working on through this effort:
Redhouse Arts Center- $15,000
Measure the impact of its arts education program on school attendance, classroom behavior and program participation of Syracuse City School District students
Baltimore Woods Nature Center – $10,000
Improve outcome assessment for 19 schools that participate in its Nature in the City program
St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center Foundation- $13,750
Assess community impact of St. Joseph’s Center for Tobacco Health Systems
Syracuse Community Health Center – $15,000
Evaluate the impact of education and awareness building efforts to increase use of techniques known to prevent the spread of disease
Home HeadQuarters – $11,500
Demonstrate the social and economic contribution of creating affordable housing in the City of Syracuse
Huntington Family Centers – $15,000
Design and implement an agency-wide database and provide training and coaching to staff
InterFaith Works of Central New York – $14,533
Strengthen ability to gather and use data from program participants at its Ahmad and Elizabeth El-Hindi Center for Dialogue
Learning Disabilities Association of CNY – $15,000
Track job attainment, job retention and progress towards individualized goals for participants of its Employment Services and Community Habilitation programs
Onondaga Case Management Services- $14,360
Assess the improvement of health outcomes for Medicaid enrollees diagnosed with hypertension and receiving Health Home Care Management services
Spanish Action League of Onondaga County- $15,000
Evaluate the effectiveness of its employment workshops in helping participants to attain and retain employment
Syracuse Northeast Community Center -$14,216
Analyze the impact of agency interventions for those utilizing its Basic Needs program, which offers support and referrals to families and individuals experiencing hunger, homelessness or other crises
Volunteer Lawyers Project of Onondaga County- $15,000
Identify the areas with the highest concentration of eviction cases in Syracuse to target preventative action and education programs through its Homeless Advocacy and Prevention program
Westcott Community Center- $11,307
Assess the impact of its afterschool program on academic gains, specifically in the subjects of English language arts and math
About the Central New York Community Foundation
Established in 1927, the Central New York Community Foundation encourages local philanthropy by supporting the growth of permanent charitable endowments for the betterment of the region. The Community Foundation is the largest charitable foundation in the region with assets of nearly $190 million. It awarded $9.9 million in grants last year to nonprofit organizations and since its inception has invested more than $135 million in the community. The Community Foundation serves as the steward of charitable legacies for individuals, families and businesses through the administration of nearly 700 funds. The organization also serves as a civic leader, convener and sponsor of special initiatives designed to strengthen local nonprofits and address the region’s most pressing challenges. cnycf.org
