• 3.9: Project Evaluation and Sustainability

    Many projects require you to present an evaluation plan for your program so the funding agency can determine whether your project was successful at the end of the funding cycle and whether you met the goals outlined.

    Remember that funding agencies are accountable to their members: taxpayers if a government agency, shareholders if a corporation, and boards of directors of a nonprofit. These grant administrators need to demonstrate they made the right decision when they chose to fund your project instead of another project that would have supported a worthy cause. Project evaluation is a required element for many federal state grant programs in the United States. Remember to build the costs for your evaluation into your budget. These results could determine whether your project receives future funding.

    Your evaluation section may include two types of project evaluations:

    1. Formative evaluations are ongoing. These assessments begin during project development and continue throughout the project's life. They provide constant feedback so you and the grant funder can assess the quality and success of your project activities and determine whether you need to make changes during the course of the project. These evaluations should be quantifiable so you can provide comparative feedback and learn whether your changes were successful.
    2. Summative evaluations assess how well a mature project has met its goals. They are sometimes called outcome evaluations. These reports usually examine progress on an annual basis. For example, for a three-year project, grantees must complete annual reports and a full summary at the end of the third year. Your evaluation methods can be quantitative – statistics that describe whether you have met your objectives – or qualitative, such as interviews, surveys, or focus groups.

    Evaluations that combine both methods offer a more well-rounded picture of your program's impacts. In your grant proposal, your evaluation section describes how you plan to measure whether you have accomplished each objective of your project. Your evaluation narrative should answer the following questions:

    • When will you conduct the evaluation?
    • How will you conduct your evaluation?
    • What data will be collected to measure whether you met each specific objective?
    • What instruments and methods will you use?
    • What will you do with the evaluation results?
    • How much will your evaluation cost?"
    • Planning Your Project's Evaluation Page

      Read these articles, which offer advice from several experts to help you plan for your project's evaluation.

    • Including Data Analysis in Your Grant Evaluation Section Page

      Read this article, which offers an overview of data analysis for your grant evaluation section.

    • Assessing the Impact and Outcomes of Projects Page

      Watch this video, which provides program-specific training on the importance of evaluating projects. It demonstrates ways to provide a low-cost evaluation.

    • Hiring an Outside Evaluator Page

      In the United States, many federal agencies require their grant-funding programs to hire an external or outside evaluator to review the projects they support to ensure they meet their stated goals and objectives. Remember to build these costs into your budget.

      Read this article with advice on how to choose an evaluator. It covers a number of factors, including the complexity of the evaluation and the role of professional versus volunteer evaluators.

    • Project Sustainability

      This section of your proposal describes how your project will be financially sustainable so it continues after the grant funding has run out and after the terms of the grant program have officially expired. Organizations generally want to know that the money they provide will continue to serve their organization's program objectives and mission without their financial support. Your narrative should respond to the following questions:

      • How will your project continue after the grant funding ends?
      • How will your organization assume any of the financial costs of the project?
      • What resources will your organization provide the program after the funding ends? For example, will you provide free rental space, paid or unpaid staff time, operational support, or other types of funding after the grant funds have expired?
      • Can you identify an alternative funding source, such as another donor or foundation?
      • Will you charge clients a fee for the services you have provided them through the grant program? For example, will you offer a subscription-based service or sell other items the project generates?