The Role of Nonprofits in Designing and Implementing Evidence-Based Programs

Abstract

Human service nonprofits are a major provider of social services in this country, spending billions of dollars each year implementing programs to improve outcomes for their clients. Unfortunately, these programs are typically not rigorously evaluated to determine whether they are having their intended effect. Many obstacles make it challenging to rigorously evaluate services provided by these nonprofits, including evaluation costs, limited access to data, and small sample sizes, but these obstacles are surmountable. Policy-makers could accelerate the pace and quality of evidence building by providing more resources for impact evaluations, streamlining and standardizing access to key administrative data, and expanding support for the replication of effective programs. Better evidence of what works for human service nonprofits will ultimately mean more effective programs at the national level.