19 Aug, 2026

Try This: The Purpose-Meaning-Action Data Framework

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2026-08-19T12:44:37-04:00August 19th, 2026|Categories: Research & Evaluation|Tags: Accountability Data, Data Driven, Learning Data, Nonprofits, Philanthropy, Try This|0 Comments

On the road to becoming data-driven, collecting useful data starts with understanding why you need it.

Some data helps organizations demonstrate accountability to funders, boards, leadership, participants, and other stakeholders. Other data supports learning by helping staff understand what’s working, where challenges are emerging, and how programs might improve.

Often, the same data can contribute to both purposes. The important part is determine the role the data is playing.

Understanding the purpose of a metric is a first step. Programs staff may need to consider what the information actually means and what conclusions it can reasonably support. Attendance may tell you how many people showed up yet offers limited information about what participants learned or experienced. Likewise, collecting meaningful information has limited value if no one uses it to make decisions.

The Purpose-Meaning-Action Data Framework brings these considerations together so your team can examine whether the data you’re collecting is helping you understand and strengthen your work.

Try this exercise with your staff and let me know if it’s useful for you.

Objective:

This exercise is designed to help teams examine the purpose, meaning, and potential action behind the data they routinely collect.

This Activity Is For:

Nonprofit program, evaluation, communications, development, and leadership staff who collect, review, or use organizational data
Philanthropy staff who develop reporting requirements, review grantee data, or work directly with funded organizations
Data and evaluation staff who want to engage colleagues in conversations about how information supports learning and decision-making

What You’ll Need:

Plan for approximately 50 to 60 minutes for this exercise. If your organization collects a significant amount of data, focus on one program, reporting process, survey, dashboard, or other manageable set of measures rather than trying to review everything at once.

For an in-person session, you’ll need:

A current report, survey, data dashboard, tracking form, or list of metrics your team regularly collects
Sticky notes
Pens or markers
Three sheets of flip-chart paper labeled Purpose, Meaning, and Action
A timer

For a virtual session, you’ll need:

A digital copy of the data collection tool or report you’re reviewing
A shared virtual whiteboard, spreadsheet, or collaborative document
Three sections labeled Purpose, Meaning, and Action
A timer

Before the session begins, select approximately three to five data points for the group to review. Choosing a smaller number allows the team to examine each one closely instead of rushing through a long list.

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20 May, 2026

Try This: What Is Our Funder Value-Add?

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2026-05-20T13:50:23-04:00May 20th, 2026|Categories: Strategic Planning & Sustainability|Tags: Grantmaking, Nonprofits, Philanthropy, Try This|0 Comments

Three women collaborate around a table, reviewing information on a laptop during a strategy discussion. A Black woman stands and points to the screen while two colleagues seated at the table look on. The image includes the text “Try This: What Is Our Funder Value-Add?” on a gold background with Nicole Clark Consulting branding. — **Try this activity with your team and let me know what you discover about your funder value-add.**

In my last two posts, I explored why funders should evaluate their portfolios and how to identify structure barriers that prevent grantees from seeking funding. A strong portfolio reflects the role a funder plays in helping grantee organizations succeed.

This raises an important question for program officers:

Why would a strong organization want to be part of our portfolio?

The answer may seem obvious: Funding.

But the strongest funder-grantee relationships shape strategy, absorb risk, convene partners, influence the field, and create the conditions for learning and adaptation.

This month’s Try This activity is designed to help program officers clarify what their organization contributes beyond the check.

Objective:

To help program officers and senior program officers articulate the unique value their foundation brings to grantees and the broader ecosystem.

This activity is ideal for:

Program officers
Philanthropy staff responsible for funding portfolio strategy
Evaluation and learning staff

What you’ll need:

90 minutes of uninterrupted time
Copies of your funding strategy, theory of change, or strategic plan
Recent grantee feedback (if available)
Sticky notes or a shared virtual whiteboard
Flip chart paper or a document for capturing reflections
Markers for sticky notes and flip chart paper

The steps:

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18 Feb, 2026

Try This: Map the Gap Between Evidence & Implementation

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2026-02-17T11:52:41-05:00February 18th, 2026|Categories: Program, Service, & Campaign Design|Tags: Evidence-Based, Nonprofits, program design, Try This|0 Comments

Over the past two weeks, we’ve examined how “evidence-based” standards shape nonprofit work, and how they can sometimes function as gatekeepers. But even when access isn’t the issue, another challenge often emerges: Implementation.

Nonprofit teams are asked to deliver evidence-based programs without the infrastructure to fully support them. The research may be strong and model may be sound, but staffing can be lean, funding is restricted, training is uneven, reporting requirements are heavy, and community needs are evolving.

When expectations outpace infrastructure, the strain doesn’t show up in research articles. It shows up in burnout, adaptation, and quiet improvisation.

This exercise helps you make visible what often goes unnamed: The gap between research and real-world capacity (and what teams lose in the process.)

Objective:

To identify where implementation expectations exceed infrastructure and determine what support teams require to close the gap.

This activity is ideal for:

Nonprofit staff and leadership teams responsible for implementing research-informed programs
Program directors and managers navigating the day-to-day realities of delivery
Evaluation and learning staff trying to align rigor with feasibility
Executive leaders assessing whether expectations match capacity

(Funders can benefit from the insights generated, but this exercise centers the experience of the teams doing the work.)

What you’ll need:

A whiteboard, flip chart, or shared virtual document
Sticky notes or a digital commenting tool
A copy of the evidence-based model or framework your team must use to guide your program or service
45–60 minutes of uninterrupted time

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24 Sep, 2025

Making Sense Together: Community-Led Data Interpretation in Practice

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2025-09-24T12:26:53-04:00September 24th, 2025|Categories: Research & Evaluation|Tags: community engagement, Data Driven, Data Sense-Making, Try This|0 Comments

Try this out and let me know how it goes for you.

Collecting data is only one part of the research process. The real power lies in how that data is interpreted, understood, and applied. Too often, interpretation is treated as an internal task—reserved for staff, consultants, or funders—while the communities who shaped the data are left out of the conversation.

When we open up the analysis phase to include participants, we gain context, nuance, and insights that transform findings from raw numbers into lived truths. This is where research shifts from being about communities to being with them.

Objective:

To engage community members in collaboratively interpreting research findings and generating insights that reflect their lived experiences.

This activity is ideal for:

Organizations conducting surveys, focus groups, or interviews with community members
Teams wanting to check assumptions and ensure findings resonate with participants’ realities
Coalitions or partnerships looking to build trust and deepen community ownership of data

What you’ll need:

A set of preliminary findings (e.g., survey results, themes from interviews, charts, or quotes)
Simple presentation materials (slides, posters, or handouts with visuals)
Markers, sticky notes, or virtual collaboration tools (if online)
60–90 minutes of meeting time
A facilitator comfortable guiding group discussions

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20 Aug, 2025

Try This: The Data-Driven Decision Tree Walk-Through

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2025-08-20T10:11:47-04:00August 20th, 2025|Categories: Program, Service, & Campaign Design|Tags: Capacity Building, Data Driven, Data Sense-Making, Evaluative Thinking, Try This|0 Comments

For access to the full activity, sign up for my newsletter.

Staff want to engage with data-driven decision making, but they don’t always have the time or space to do so.

When organizational leaders make decision-making processes transparent and collaborative, it supports staff, even if they can’t act on every idea right away.

This week, we’ll take a more hands-on approach. I’ll walk you through an activity you can use with your team to turn raw data into clear, actionable insights: The Data-Driven Decision Tree.

The Data-Driven Decision Tree is one of two activities taken from “Prioritize This: Data-Driven Decision Making“, a free resource provided to my newsletter subscribers. This activity helps break down program and service evaluation data into actionable steps based on feasibility and impact.

Objective:

Help your team turn data into clear, actionable next steps by exploring feasibility, mission alignment, and participant impact.

This activity is ideal for:

Staff who design and implement programs
Leadership responsible for strategic decisions
Any staff who collect, analyze, or share participant feedback

What you’ll need:

A copy of the Data-Driven Decision Tree. (Sign up for my newsletter to access the full exercise (including the decision tree visual) from Prioritize This: Data-Driven Decision Making.)
Program or evaluation data you want to analyze
A notetaker or facilitator to guide discussion
Time allotted: 30–45 minutes, depending on group size and number of data points

The steps:

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