Welcome to our October impact round-up. Each month at NCVO Charities Evaluation Services we summarise the latest news in impact and evaluation and share useful guides, resources and data collection tools.
NCVO has joined forces with FSI to help small charities
NCVO and the Foundation for Social Improvement (FSI) have announced a strategic partnership that will see small charities able to access free membership to NCVO. FSI, which provides training and support to smaller charities, and NCVO want to increase awareness among small charities of the range of support available to help them increase their impact.
As part of the partnership, FSI members with incomes under £50,000 will also be able to gain free membership to NCVO – the normal threshold for free NCVO membership is £30,000 – and around 500 charities are expected to be able to benefit.
New evidence on tackling loneliness
What Works Wellbeing Centre has launched a new report on what we know about reducing loneliness. The Tackling Loneliness report is a ‘review of reviews’ synthesising more than 350 evidence reviews from across the world and within the UK, developing the evidence base and gaps in current knowledge.
The Centre is currently working on guidance on the different loneliness measures and which ones may be suitable for use in different settings. NCVO Charities Evaluation Services contributed to this debate when it worked with the Campaign to End Loneliness for over six years since its launch in 2010, providing impact evaluation support for the campaign which aims to create connections in older age in England.
Improve your data collection and impact reporting
Worried about that report that you need to complete by the end of the year? Thinking about sharpening up your annual surveys or improving your interviews? If so, we have just the right courses for you. Our revamped course on collecting outcome and impact data will equip you with the tricks of the trade for choosing, and using, the right data collection methods for the information that you need. In addition to this, the new and improved better outcome and impact reporting course will help you to analyse your data and write the best possible report for your audience so that the insights you have gained from evaluation are useful and used.
Book your place to develop your skills and confidence. If you would like more guidance on these topics, have a look at our pages on measuring your impact and evaluation and impact reporting on Knowhow NonProfit.
On the blogs and social media
- Earlier this year, we launched a new training course on strategic planning – with our next training taking place next month, focusing our support on the process of strategy development. ‘Strategy is about power: how will you use it?’, by our lead consultant, Alex Farrow, lists the four key components of the strategy process.
- Tips by CharityComms on their blog on how to get started in assessing digital impact of your work.
- Investing for Good, a social investment company helping investors to generate social impact, has launched an Impact Quiz to help charities and other organisations to assess how well are they doing in measuring and managing their impact.
- Dear Data, a year-long data drawing project by two award-winning information designers living on different sides of the Atlantic.
Training and events
NCVO provides training and events covering a range of topics, from impact to governance, volunteer management and data protection reform – with discounts for NCVO members (not a member? Find out more).
Here’s what’s coming up:
- Outcome and impact measurement (2-day course) – 7 and 8 November
- Assessing the impact of volunteers – 9 November
- Collecting outcome and impact data – 14 November
- Strategic planning: creating the right process for your organisation – 16 November
- Better outcome and impact reporting – 21 November
- Managing Data Protection in the Charity Sector – 26 November
- Volunteering and the Law – 30 November
- Outcome and impact measurement (1-day course) – 4 December
- Developing your theory of change – 11 December
We can also come to you. Our courses can be delivered at your venue, providing an affordable way to train groups of staff, trustees or volunteers. Contact us for more information.
Sini is a senior consultant at NCVO Charities Evaluation Services – the team helps voluntary organisations, volunteering programmes and their funders with practical impact measurement and evaluation 
