Strengthening Organizational Practice: Evidence From the Social Innovation Fund National Assessment

Abstract

In this article, we discuss findings from the National Assessment of Social Innovation Fund (SIF), an evidence-based national grant program administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). The goal of SIF was “finding what works, and making it work for more people.” To achieve this goal, SIF required, as a condition of funding, that organizations demonstrate a track record of using evaluation to make programmatic decisions and commit to carrying out a rigorous evaluation that further strengthened the evidence base for the funded programs. A key SIF goal was to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations to conduct and use evidence from evaluations. In this study, we examine the effect of the SIF on the capacity and practices of its grantees, specifically the grantmaking intermediaries funded by CNCS to implement its grant program. The study findings provide evidence that sustained, intentional, and targeted efforts to improve organizational capacity, combined with accountability, can transform the supported organizations in lasting ways and strengthen their policies and practices. We also discuss practice implications for organizational capacity development and measurement for the nonprofit sector. Subscribe to JNEL