Sources of beauty:
This is what happens when you
take a photo of rusted sheet metal
and run it through a couple of
graphics filters.
“Are We Making a
Difference?”
The Research and Data Needs of
Community Organizations
Randy Stoecker
2004
Project-Based Research
Diagnose:
Implement
Prescribe
Evaluate
Diagnose
Prescribe
Evaluate
• •Needs
Visioning
Community
External
Assessments
Evaluation
Art
• •Assets
Charrettes
Community
Internal
Assessments
Evaluation
History
• •SWOT
Best Practices
Community
Outcome
Analysis
Evaluation
Theater
• •Force
Strategic
Target
Process
Field
Research
Evaluation
Planning
Analysis
Implement
• Utilization
Policy Analysis
Evaluation
The “Community” Context
Service provider
Resource
Provider
CBO
Service provider
CBO
Service provider
People
With the
Problem
CBO
Resource
Provider
Service provider
CBO
Service provider
Service provider
Resource
Provider
Project-Based Research:
Round One
Evaluate
Diagnose
Prescribe
Implement
Identified Problem: the research
and data capacity of Toledo area
community organizations
Research Process: communitybased research —initiator model
Research Decision-Making
Structure: Core group
Doing The Research
Focus Groups
with Community
Organization Directors
and Staff
Survey of Community
Organizations
Interviews with
Resource Providers
• Pre-research
Interviews
419
small and
with
focus
medium-size
seven
group
of the
of largest
seven
nonprofit providers
resource
organizations
organization
in Toledo:
directors:
identified by
• To Affairs
assess
learn
what
need
data
forand
they
research
expected
Urban
Center
Nonprofit
project
from
applicants,
Resource
Center: and how satisfied
•• they
To
were basic
by the
data
provided.
153outline
contacted
byconcerns
e-mail
(27
• To
learn
what
they
expected
• Ongoing
focus
using
core
bounces
andgroup
3data
refusals)
funded
organizations,
and22 of
group
six monthly
meetings:
• from
83over
contacted
by fax, including
satisfied
they
by the data
• how
e-mail
To
design
bounces
survey
(21were
no answers).
• provided.
234develop
To
contacted
interview
by postal
guide
mail,
• Foci
& provide
types fax
ofdata
resource
providers:
• To
including
no analysis
answers.
and
Those
who funded neighborhoodinterpretation
• 80•responses:
organizations
• based
33 via web
form
•• Those
who
funded nonprofits in
8 via fax
return
• general
12 via e-mail
•• Government
27 via postal funders
mail
• Private funders
Survey Findings
Respondents
Levels of Data Collected
Collection & Use of Data
Training Needs
More
than
of organizations
the
organizations
need
The average
Only
Two
thirds
23
of half
the
ororganization
less
80
of the
organizations
in the collect
survey
training
in
evaluation,
data
management
has five
data
report
atusing
the
employees
neighborhood
the dataand
they
4 level.
volunteers
collect
in
software,
research
and
who,
Consequently,
most
together,
categories,
spend
among
somethods,
potentially
56
nonprofits
hours
per
18finding
in
funding.
Nearly
half
have
noand
staff or
week
general,
hours
collecting,
a week
community
of data
managing,
development
management
work
volunteers
with
formal
reporting
organizations
is
wasted on
effort.
data.
will
sufferresearch
some oftraining
the
and
the others
have only
one or two
greatest
information
hardships.
people with such training.
Topics
for which
Organizations
Use,Needs
and
Types
of Organizations
Responding
Level
of Analysis
Organization
at Which
Training
Organizations
andCollect,
Education
Collect
DataNeed Data
TopicTraining
n
n
TypeTopic
n nn
Level of Analysis
n Need
Collect
Use
Youth related,
i.e. mentorship
or skill development
25
Education
on program
evaluation
59
Individual level,
i.e. children,
youth or adults61
72
Age
41
10
Neighborhood development or community building
18
Funding
56
Sex
59
39
8
Family level
44
Housing or homeless services
16
Race/ethnicity
52
34
12
Training
on computer programs
55
Neighborhood/community
level or software
23
Education,
including
GED
or
ESL
15
Street/neighborhood-level
address data
45
30
10
Training
on
spreadsheets
47
City level
29
Food storage
or distribution
15
Family
characteristics
35
20
13
Education
on
research
methods
47
County
level
28
Mental health
12
Previous
program participant
35
23
9
Community-wide
database
for
tracking
44
Regional
level,
i.e.
Northwest
Ohio
19
Employment
status
34
20 (26)*
9
Drug or alcohol
addiction prevention and recovery
12
Education
on
statistical
analysis
39
Physical
healthadvocacy,
conditionspolitical
or disabilities
21 (24)*
9
State
14
Sociallevel
justice
causes 33
12
Training
geographic
information
35
Education
level
19
7
Culture, on
race,
or ethnicity
specific systems32
10
National
level
9
Client
with other
organizations
28
17
Training
on accounting/budget
management
Arts, contact
ballet,
theater
or music
related
Mental
health conditions
14 (17)*
Data
confidentiality
andadoption,
security foster care26
Family
transitions, i.e.
or divorce
Funding resources
25
15 (18)*
Emergency
relief services,
victim
Training
on legislation,
suchi.e.
as crime
privacy
lawssupport
Transportation needs
22
17
Seniors* legislation
Pending
Native or non-native English speaker
21
12
Disability services, i.e. home repairs or accessibility
Criminal record
19
10 (13)*
Legal
services
School system for children
17
14
118
35
6
31
7
19
287
11
287
8
6
7
106
Religious*
Religious
affiliation
Medical
or
Drug/alcoholreproductive
treatment services
15
10
13
7
36
105
Nature or environmental
efforts
Leadership
skill
6
3
73
*organizations that use data beyond those that also collect it
Interview Findings
Resource Providers…
see a need for better research on community needs, but do not expect that
research should not be the sole responsibility of community organizations.
They, too, lack resources to conduct needed research.
have widely varying expectations of what data they expect organizations to
use in supporting their applications and evaluations
want community organizations to think more theoretically about the
relationships between models, strategies, and context.
are looking for ways to improve evaluation, with the goal of helping
nonprofits enhance the delivery of programs and services.
Using the Research
September 24 planning meeting
Presentation of findings
Panel of community
organizations
Panel of resource providers
Issue-oriented breakout
groups
• Developing databases for
nonprofits
• Integrating theory, research,
and practice
• Reducing waste in data
collection and management
• Research methods training
• Evaluation training
• Data management software
training
Project-Based Research:
Round Two
Research and data
management training
programs
Neighborhood indicators
feasibility study
• Study of national best practices
• Study of local resource base
Evaluate
Prescribe
• Researching training options
• Researching training costs
Diagnose
Implement