New Website helps NGOs measure their effectiveness

MEDIA RELEASE

20 November 2015

Community Research

New Website helps NGOs measure their effectiveness

A website designed to help not-for-profit organisations and Iwi/Māori organisations to identify, measure and show the difference they are making, has been launched.

What Works, a site developed by Community Research was unveiled this week and provides a wealth of valuable resources for those working in the Tangata Whenua, Voluntary and Community Sector.

Director of Community Research, Jan Hinde said one of the key goals of the site was to help organisations and Iwi learn how to measure their effectiveness.

“The broader aim of What Works is sharing effective practices. Because communities who learn well, will do well”, explains Ms Hinde.

In 2013, Community Research surveyed the Tangata Whenua, Community and Voluntary Sector and found that organisations were experiencing significant pressure to evidence the impact they were making. Over the next two years Community Research formed a Reference Group of experts and practitioners who helped guide the kaupapa.

“The What Works website aims to provide a valuable portal of resources to individuals and organisations, especially smaller organisations, and this will enable them to better evidence the significant value and contribution they make each day”, says Ms Hinde. “Ultimately this leads not only to a better chance of getting funded, but also to healthier, more connected, more knowledgeable communities."

The What Works website is designed to address these needs and help groups in the sector to evidence their outcomes. It is the first step in a larger What Works project, involving training and capacity building associated with the site.

“We've developed this site because we know the incredible work that NGOs and Iwi/Māori organisations are doing on the ground and wanted to give them tools to measure their success and to demonstrate their effectiveness”, says Ms Hinde.

Priority audiences for this website are frontline workers, managers and governance members of small to medium sized community and not-for-profit organisations that receive public funding.

• To visit the site go to www.whatworks.org.nz

• To view the What Works video click here

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