For 10 years, Child Trends has hosted workshops for nonprofits in Washington, DC on building evidence for effective programs. These workshops, titled Becoming an Evidence-Based Program, were funded by the Alexander and Margaret Stewart Trust.
When these workshops launched, many nonprofit leaders were anxious because funders were telling them that they needed to be “data-driven” and “evidence-based,” but they didn’t know how or why they should do this. Significantly, they wanted to help children and youth, but program leaders did not understand the utility of data for their organizations. Ultimately, program leaders who attended the workshops came to understand that the strategic use of data could actually support them in achieving their organization’s mission.
Over the years, Child Trends considered sharing these workshops with programs outside of the DC area. To that end, the Annie E. Casey Foundation has supported the development of a video series to bring the processes and principles of becoming an evidence-based program to other areas around the United States and in other countries.
The first video provides an overview of the workshop, while videos 2 through 5 cover the steps in the process of becoming an evidence based program:
Introduction
Assess and Target
Plan
Deliver and Monitor
Evaluate
Interview with Isaac Castillo
Resources
Below is a list of resources related to the topics covered in each of the videos. These resources are intended help you go deeper on each step and provide practical guidance and relevant information.
Resources for Video 2: Assess and Target
Practical guides and toolkits
- Community Toolbox: Assessing Local Needs and Resources
- Working with Communities to Advance Racial Equity and Eliminate Disparities
- Toolkit of Resources for Engaging Families and the Community as Partners in Education:
- CDC Tip Sheet on Constructing Survey Questions
- CDC Brief on Conducting Focus Groups
Data
Resources for Video 3: Plan
Practical guides and toolkits
- Community Toolbox: Developing a Logic Model or Theory of Change
- Logic Models in Out-of-School Time Programs: What are They and Why Are They Important?
- Logic Model Development Guide
- Theory of Change: A Practical Tool
Searchable evidence-based program databases
- Child Trends What Works
- Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development
- California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare
- Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs
- National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices
- OJJDP Model Programs Guide
- Results First Clearinghouse Database
- What Works Clearinghouse
Resources for Video 4: Performance Management
Practical guides and toolkits
- How Can I Assess the Quality of My Program?
- Performance Management and Program Evaluation: What’s the Difference?
- Working Hard and Working Well: A Practical Guide to Performance Management
- Making Data Pay Off
Resources for Video 5: Evaluation
Practical guides and toolkits