Many nonprofit programs working with populations that have unique health needs must adhere to compliance regulations. However, compliance reporting often emphasizes outputs—such as the number of individuals served or the number of programs implemented—rather than focusing on establishing outcomes. While outputs provide a snapshot of program activities, they fail to reflect the deeper impact, such as changes in knowledge or behavior, that the program aims to achieve for its clients.
At TCG, we recently collaborated with Turnstone, an organization based in Fort Wayne, IN that provides comprehensive services to people with disabilities so that they can achieve their full potential. We provided a social return on investment analysis to gain insights into the impact of Turnstone’s therapy services. One key step of the social return on investment was establishing measurable outcomes. 
As a team, we had to think beyond the funding and compliance requirements to uncover outcomes that could show the impact of Turnstone’s therapy programs. This included:
- Aligning outcomes with what is achievable
- What changes am I seeing in program participants?
- How do I know the change has occurred?
- Determining the time it takes to see the change
- When does the outcome occur? During program engagement or after completion?
- How will I see the change take place?
- Ensuring outcomes align with organizational mission and vision
- To what extent do the identified outcomes align with our overarching goals?
- Do my staff understand the outcomes?
Once outcomes were established, we worked together to see how the outcomes would be measured. This often includes identifying indicators that will show progress made toward the outcomes.
For example, one of Turnstone’s outcomes for therapy services was to increase independence. Indicators of this outcome included 1) a reduction in the number of therapy services over time, and 2) the extent to which the client met their uniquely identified goals. Turnstone staff ensured that they were documenting this information through data collection processes and protocols. Documenting the extent to which clients are meeting outcomes will take you beyond compliance reporting to communicating change. In this blog, we break down the difference between outputs and outcomes.
Learn more about the Turnstone SROI project here! Do you need support establishing and measuring outcomes for your program(s)? Let’s chat!
