Resource library · free toolkits, templates and guides
The practical library for people who build nonprofits
211 really practical toolkits, templates and guides for nonprofit and NGO leaders, and the consultants and funders who support them. A mix of the classics and newer methods.
Suggestions are welcome211 resources · 15 topics · 137 publishers · 197 free to use
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20 resources found
- Search: monitoring evaluation and learning
- 7.1C084
Monitoring, evaluation and learning
A short toolkit that helps small NGOs set up monitoring, evaluation and learning they can run with few staff and little money. It is one of 5 toolkits from INTRAC's Strengthening Small Organisations with Big Ambitions project for small UK charities working internationally. It comes as a PDF and a lighter online version for slow connections and mobile use, under a Creative Commons licence.
Start hereCurrentKey manual or guideFree - 7.1C083
Guide to the MEAL DPro
A sector guide to monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) for development and humanitarian project staff. It explains each of the 4 parts: monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning. The guide is free under a Creative Commons licence and comes in 7 languages, with a short Quick Guide in English. It underpins the MEAL DPro certification exam, offered in 5 languages, which staff take to show competence.
CurrentKey manual or guideFree - 7.3C093
Building a Strategic Learning and Evaluation System for Your Organization
A guide from FSG on making evaluation systematic and tied to strategy across an organisation. It covers the parts of a strategic learning and evaluation system: an evaluation vision, a learning culture, clear strategy, coordinated activities and a supportive environment. It explains how to frame learning questions for 1 to 3 years and decide what to evaluate, when, and how to use findings. A webinar and slides accompany it.
Start hereClassicKey manual or guideFree with sign-up - 7.1C086
A Practical Guide to Nonprofit Measurement, Evaluation, and Learning
A guide for nonprofits of any size on setting up measurement, evaluation and learning with limited resources. It works through 3 steps: define outcomes and metrics from your theory of change, measure them without overloading staff and clients, and learn and improve through a dashboard and regular data reviews. It also covers when a formal evaluation is worth the cost and how to start without a data team.
EmergingKey manual or guideFree - 7.1C085
Understanding Impact
A guide for charities that want to measure their impact. It shows how to turn a theory of change into a measurement plan, names 5 types of data to focus on and explains how to decide what to measure first. 7 mini-guides cover quantitative methods, qualitative data, sampling, evidence standards, research ethics, analysing and using data, and building a learning culture. It follows NPC's Theory of change in ten steps.
CurrentKey manual or guideFree - 7.2C092
BetterEvaluation
A free knowledge platform and community on evaluation. Its Rainbow Framework groups monitoring and evaluation methods and processes into 7 tasks. The site has pages on evaluation methods, approaches and themes, a manager's guide to evaluation, a searchable resource library, and directories of training and academic programmes. Evaluators, commissioners and programme staff use it to choose and apply methods. It is part of the Global Evaluation Initiative.
Start hereCurrentKey online resourceFree - 7.2C088
Contribution analysis
A 4-page brief that explains contribution analysis, a way to make a credible claim that a programme contributed to an observed change when an experiment or control group is not practical. It sets out how to test the programme's theory of change against evidence and consider other factors that may explain the outcome. Evaluators, programme staff and funders use it to plan and report on contribution claims.
ClassicShort readFree - 7.3C095
Organizational Learning Self-Assessment Tool
An 18-question self-assessment that nonprofits and grantmakers use to gauge their learning culture in 5 to 10 minutes. Items are rated 1 to 5 across 3 areas: organisational habits and behaviours, leadership and strategic direction, and capacity and resources. Each area suggests 5, 15 or 30 minute actions and further resources. Teams use it to start a discussion, and can share it with funders or partners.
CurrentTool or templateFree - 7.2C090
The 'Most Significant Change' (MSC) Technique
The core manual for the Most Significant Change technique, a participatory monitoring method based on collecting and selecting stories of change. It sets out 10 steps, from defining domains of change and collecting stories to selecting, verifying and feeding back results, plus secondary analysis. It discusses where MSC fits, its limits and how to combine it with other methods. M&E staff and facilitators use it to run MSC.
ClassicKey manual or guideFree - 7.3C094
Evaluation Flash Cards
A set of 25 one-page cards by Michael Quinn Patton, each explaining one evaluation idea in plain terms with an example from Otto Bremer grants. Topics include evaluation questions, logic models, theory of change, outcomes versus indicators, triangulation, formative, summative and developmental evaluation, and lessons learned. Teams pick a card to discuss in staff or board meetings to build evaluative thinking.
ClassicTool or templateFree - 2.2C022
Theory of Change Thinking in Practice
Practical guidelines on theory of change for development organisations. Part A explains concepts, core components and the quality of practice, including power and gender. Part B sets out 8 steps, from clarifying the purpose of the process and describing the desired change to mapping pathways, setting monitoring and learning priorities, and using and adapting the theory. It also covers the theory of change as a product and a quality audit. Part C lists tools and facilitation resources.
Start hereClassicKey manual or guideFree - 7.2C091
A Developmental Evaluation Companion
A 70-page guide to developmental evaluation for people working on new or fast-changing initiatives and the funders who back them. After a foreword by Michael Quinn Patton, it has 3 sections: introducing developmental evaluation, grappling with its challenges, and designing one. It follows Gamble's earlier primer. Evaluators, innovators and funders use it to decide whether developmental evaluation fits and how to set one up.
CurrentKey manual or guideFree - 7.4C097
Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability
The 2024 revision of the Core Humanitarian Standard, launched in March 2024 after a 2-year consultation with more than 4,000 contributors in over 90 countries. It sets out 9 commitments to people and communities affected by crises and can be used by any person or organisation that supports them. Organisations use it to check their own practice and as the basis for verification. The booklet comes in 17 languages.
CurrentKey manual or guideFree - 7.5C099
A Practical Guide to Measuring and Managing Impact
A guide from EVPA for venture philanthropy funders, social investors and the organisations they support on putting impact measurement into practice. It was launched in 2013 and updated in 2015, and gives practical tips for each of 5 steps in the impact measurement process. Funders use it to agree impact measures with the organisations they back and to build measurement into their investment process.
ClassicKey manual or guideFree - 7.2C089
Outcome Harvesting
A brief that introduces outcome harvesting, a participatory method for identifying, verifying and making sense of outcomes when cause and effect are unclear. The evaluator collects evidence of what changed and works back to assess whether and how the intervention contributed. It explains the core concepts and steps. Evaluators and teams use it for advocacy, policy and other complex work where results cannot be set in advance.
ClassicKey manual or guideFree - 7.5C100
Building a Performance Measurement System
A short book from Root Cause that sets out a 5-step process for creating or improving a performance measurement system in a nonprofit. It covers choosing what to measure, building dashboards and involving managers, staff and board members in using the data. It also introduces performance measurement in general and the problems specific to nonprofits. Appendices include dashboard templates and a performance audit.
Start hereClassicKey manual or guideFree - 7.5C102
How to Build a Nonprofit Dashboard for Your Leadership Team
A how-to article on building a dashboard that a nonprofit leadership team reviews to track a small set of priorities. It works through 3 steps: agree on up to about 10 priorities, choose 1 or 2 check-engine-light metrics for each with red, yellow and green targets, then act on reds and follow up in regular reviews. It comes with a review session template and a set of example priorities and metrics.
CurrentTool or templateFree - 7.4C096
Feedback Resources
A resource page from Feedback Labs that groups tools for listening to the people organisations serve into 3 stages. Getting started includes research, a feedback tools repository and funder listening guides. Establishing practice includes the Feedback Quiz, a crash course and Listen4Good's step-by-step guide to equity-centred feedback. Later resources include LabStorms, a fellowship and a conversation deck. Nonprofits and funders use it to build feedback loops.
Start hereCurrentKey online resourceFree - 7.4C098
Happy Beneficiaries
A 3-question pulse survey that measures beneficiary satisfaction in about 2 minutes. It asks how likely people are to recommend the organisation, why they gave that score and what could improve. Nonprofits run it continuously at events, after services or at other contact points, then read an AI-written report with scores and suggested actions. Use is free with sign-up.
EmergingTool or templateFree with sign-upNonprofit Builder tool - 7.5C101
The Compass
A plain-language introduction to outcomes and social impact measurement from the Centre for Social Impact in Australia. It explains the key topics, concepts, questions and principles of measuring outcomes, for people who want to know whether and how their work creates change and how to communicate it. It is written as a starting point and avoids jargon. Small and large organisations use it before choosing a framework.
ClassicKey manual or guideFree
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