Engine of Impact Diagnostic

Demographic Questions

What is your role in this organization?
What are the annual expenditures of your organization?
For how many years has your organization been in existence?
Where do your organization's beneficiaries live?
My organization currently operates in:
My organization currently operates in:
How many cities does your organization currently operate in?
In which subsector does your organization work? (Choose all that apply. These categories align with the NTEE+2 codes, but you do not need to know your organization's codes to answer this question.)

Mission

If someone interviewed a range of stakeholders in my organization -- board, staff, donors, and clients -- they would demonstrate a broad understanding and appreciation of the organization's mission.
My organization's mission guides decisions about which programs/initiatives to pursue.
How would you rank your organization's mission statement against the following criteria?
Extremely poor Very poor Poor Fair Good Very good Excellent
Clear
Focused
Reflects what my organization does
Reflects my organization's core skills
Inspiring
Sticky (memorable)
Timeless

Strategy

My organization has a theory of change or an explicit understanding of the logic of how our strategy will achieve our mission. (We define "theory of change" as the logical articulation of how your organization’s intervention will create its expected outcomes. We define "strategy" as a plan of actions designed to achieve your organization’s mission.)
My organization's theory of change is empirical/evidence-based. (In other words, empirical evidence informs the description of how my organization's strategies will achieve my organization's mission.)
My organization has a strategic plan that is high quality.
My organization’s strategic planning process is fact-based and objective.
My organization’s strategic planning process includes a range of stakeholders.
My organization has a strategic plan that guides its actions.
My organization significantly leverages the Internet and technology to improve our impact.
Would you characterize your organization’s program activities as focused or diversified?

Impact Evaluation

My organization measures/evaluates its impact and performance.
My organization uses third party, external evaluators to measure/evaluate its impact and performance.
External evaluations of my organization’s impact are conducted regularly.
My organization’s impact evaluation and performance measurement process has led to tangible improvements in our performance.
My organization regularly uses learnings from our impact evaluations to refine our organization’s theory of change and/or strategy.

Insight and Courage

The leaders of my organization have displayed insight that has been essential to my organization's impact. (We define “insight” as a distinct and compelling viewpoint about how social change can come about, including a sense of one’s personal role in that change.)
The leaders of my organization have displayed courage that has been essential to my organization's impact.

Organization and Talent

How satisfied are you with the way your organization is managed day to day?
My organization sets clear expectations for employee performance.
Employees in my organization receive regular and specific feedback on their performance that helps them improve.
When employees in my organization are underperforming consistently according to clear expectations for performance, they do not stay for long in my organization.
Employees in my organization receive enough positive feedback and recognition for their contributions to keep them feeling highly motivated.
My organization’s culture encourages and rewards high performance.
My organization’s hiring process identifies top talent.
My organization conducts thorough and proactive succession planning for its Executive Director and other top executives.

Funding

My organization has an effective fundraising strategy and has met or exceeded its fundraising goals.
My organization's current efforts to obtain donations from individuals are very effective.
My organization's current efforts to raise major gifts from individuals (according to my organization's definition of major gifts) are very effective.
My organization invests in building fundraising/development functions and capabilities (e.g. by hiring development staff).
My organization retains donors well through effective donor stewardship practices.
The board of my organization plays a very strong role in fundraising activities.
The financial giving to my nonprofit by its board members is very strong (i.e., all board members donate consistently/generously and their donations are large enough to make a real difference to the organization).

Board Governance

The board of my organization thoroughly understands the organization’s mission and ensures that the mission is focused on the organization’s skills.
The board of my organization ensures that the organization has explicit goals, strategies, plans, and performance measurement, which tie back to achieving the organization’s mission.
The board of my organization has the appropriate size and composition to provide necessary skills, perspectives, and financial support to the organization.
Board members at my organization are highly engaged in the organization and in the substance of its work.
Board members at my organization understand their roles and responsibilities.
The board of my organization has a sound, objective and ongoing process to evaluate the performance of its Executive Director.
The board of my organization regularly evaluates itself, and board members receive regular and specific feedback on their participation and involvement that helps them improve.

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