A 2-in-1 Guide
DEVELOPING IMPACT METRICS FOR NONPROFIT JOURNALISM PROJECTS is no simple matter. Over the past several years, foundations, researchers and nationally recognized investigative newsrooms have all waded into the fray, offering competing models and arguments for and against. In the end, impact assessment comes down to a dialogue—about goals; how news informs, connects and engages communities; and how best to maintain journalistic integrity in the process.
That’s why we’ve created this guide, which features both conceptual perspectives for foundations and nuts-and-bolts advice for nonprofit news organizations. We hope you’ll begin by reading the side that’s most relevant to you, and then be drawn into the conversation by reading the other side. We also hope it sparks dialogue about your own projects—among staff, and between foundations and newsrooms.
That’s why we’ve created this guide, which features both conceptual perspectives for foundations and nuts-and-bolts advice for nonprofit news organizations. We hope you’ll begin by reading the side that’s most relevant to you, and then be drawn into the conversation by reading the other side. We also hope it sparks dialogue about your own projects—among staff, and between foundations and newsrooms.
Introduction
You’re at your desk working on a proposal for a grant that could transform your organization. It might give you the money to hire a new staff reporter or add an events manager. It might underwrite a series of stories on a critical topic or provide general operating support.
And then you get to the part of the proposal that asks how you will measure the impact of your project.
How do you answer that question?
It may seem nearly impossible. The time frame of the grant seems too short for your grand vision. And you don’t know what news you’ll publish in the next 12 weeks, much less the next 12 months. Democracy itself depends on journalism, you might think.
Fortunately, there are some templates to follow. In this guide, we give you concrete examples and recommendations based on our own experience writing successful proposals—and successful grant reports—that have brought more than $1.5 million to our nonprofit newsrooms.
Let’s get started!
And then you get to the part of the proposal that asks how you will measure the impact of your project.
How do you answer that question?
It may seem nearly impossible. The time frame of the grant seems too short for your grand vision. And you don’t know what news you’ll publish in the next 12 weeks, much less the next 12 months. Democracy itself depends on journalism, you might think.
Fortunately, there are some templates to follow. In this guide, we give you concrete examples and recommendations based on our own experience writing successful proposals—and successful grant reports—that have brought more than $1.5 million to our nonprofit newsrooms.
Let’s get started!