 |
| “There
is only one rule for being a good talker -- learn how
to listen.”
— Christopher Morley |
Report Recipients
So, who do you want to share your findings with? There is
typically an internal audience or external
audience. An internal audience consists of staff,
volunteers, management, community supporters, funders, and
members of the target population. An external audience includes
members of the public. The Community Toolbox suggests
that there are three main levels of the public that you can
tell about your evaluation findings: local, regional/state,
and sometimes national.
The table below describes some of the reasons for sharing
your evaluation results with an internal and external audience.
| INTERNAL AUDIENCE |
| Audience
Type |
Examples of Reasons
for Sharing Report Findings |
Possible Venues For
Sharing The Results |
| Staff |
Provide feedback about the job they are
doing |
Staff meetings |
| Volunteers |
Demonstrate the value of their efforts |
Volunteer luncheon |
| Management |
Guide decisions about program modifications |
Management team meeting |
| Community Supporters |
Demonstrate the value of the program |
Tobacco Fair |
| Funders |
Gain continued funding |
One-on-one meeting |
| Members of the Target
Population |
Elicit input for how to
improve the less effective areas of the program |
Health Fair |
| EXTERNAL AUDIENCE |
| Public Level |
Examples of Reasons for Sharing
Report Findings |
Possible Venues For Sharing The
Results |
| Local |
| • |
Help raise awareness about the issue
|
| • |
Help attract volunteers, funding, and in-kind
resources from local concerned citizens and agencies
|
| • |
Promote registration of the efforts of volunteers
and collaborators
|
| • |
Help lobby for local ordinances or program changes
to address issues of concern
|
| • |
Provide accountability to the community, trustees,
and funders |
|
| • |
Civic organizations
|
| • |
Business groups
|
| • |
Grassroots organizations
|
| • |
School boards
|
| • |
Parent-teacher groups
|
| • |
Church organizations
|
| • |
The local press (editors, editorial boards, or
just the beat reporters that normally cover your
group or initiative)
|
| • |
Health organizations
|
| • |
Elected and appointed local government officials
|
| • |
Grantmakers |
|
| State/Regional |
| • |
Create a "name" for your
initiative in the state, which makes it more competitive
when seeking state resources
|
| • |
Help establish a statewide network of persons
and agencies with similar goals
|
| • |
Help lobby for legislative changes to address
the issues of concern
|
| • |
Help the initiative garner recognition and resources
from the state and region |
|
| • |
State and regional professional conferences
|
| • |
Regional professional training workshops
|
| • |
Grassroots and advocacy organizations
|
| • |
Church conferences
|
| • |
Grantmakers |
|
National
|
| • |
Create a "name" for the
initiative nationwide, which makes you more competitive
when seeking resources from the state or federal
government or from large private foundations
|
| • |
Help tap into nationwide networks of persons and
agencies with similar goals and wide expertise
|
| • |
Help the initiative garner recognition and resources
from across the country
|
| • |
Encourage community partnerships to work on the
problem or issue
|
|
| • |
Professional conferences
|
| • |
Professional training workshops
|
| • |
Grassroots and advocacy organizations
|
| • |
Church conferences
|
| • |
Grantmakers |
|
Tip:
For some useful guidelines for presenting
findings to the press, click
here. |
Top
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Bibliography:
Source: Hampton, C., Francisco, V.T., &
Berkowitz, B. (n.d.). Communicating information to funders
for support and accountability. Retrieved September 1,
2004 from the Community Tool Box web site.
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