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Alana Conner, senior editor of the Stanford Social Innovation Review, describes the trials and tribulations of evaluating program effectiveness. An experimental social psychologist by training, she illustrates how many evaluation practices in the nonprofit sector may actually mislead funders and organizations. Although most programs would love to implement "Cadillac" evaluations, they can only afford "second-hand Yugos."
Following Dr. Conner's talk, Rick Aubry, executive director of Rubicon Programs Inc., describes how his organization secured funding for a state-of-the-art evaluation system. He then demonstrates how the system works to improve the services that his organization delivers. Victor Kuo, an evaluation officer in the education division of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, then recommends that nonprofits work with prospective funders to develop evaluations that are feasible and useful to both. He notes that even the biggest foundations are still figuring out what they want, and so nonprofits can contribute much to the evaluation conversation.
Conner set the stage for this talk with her article, "Drowning in Data," published in the Fall 2006 issue of the Stanford Social Innovation Review. "Without sufficient knowledge or funding," she concluded, "nonprofits are often collecting heaps of dubious data at great cost to themselves and ultimately to the people they serve."
Alana Conner is the senior editor of the Stanford Social Innovation Review. She completed her Ph.D. in social psychology at Stanford University and a postdoctoral fellowship in health psychology at the University of California, San Francisco. Before becoming a full-time writer and editor, she published her research in numerous academic journals, including the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and Psychological Science. In addition to working her day jobs, she has written about culture and social issues for The New York Times Magazine, National Geographic Television, WGBH-Boston, and other popular media outlets.
Rick Aubry became executive director of Rubicon Programs Inc. in 1986 and has since overseen Rubicon's growth from $980,000 in annual revenue to more than $12 million in 2002. Prior to joining Rubicon, Aubry, who has a doctorate in psychology from the Wright Institute, in Berkeley, California, was a therapist and clinical supervisor. In addition to his role at Rubicon, Aubry is a leader in the field of social entrepreneurship, teaching a course on the subject as a fellow of Stanford's Graduate School of Business Center for Social Innovation.
Victor Kuo is an evaluation officer in the education division of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He received is Ph.D. in educational administration and policy analysis from Stanford University. His background in evaluation at philanthropic institutions also includes several years as assistant director of evaluation at the James Irvine Foundation in San Francisco. He is currently the chair of the professional development committee of the American Evaluation Association.
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