By: Joleen Ong
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The 12th Issue of NTEN: Change is Out – “Outcomes & Impact”

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The true test of any nonprofit is to demonstrate impact. But the first test is to set up a way to measure it. Every nonprofit aims to have impact, but few have the systems in place to calculate little more than outputs.

Prior to joining NTEN in 2013, I worked in the human rights field with Social Accountability International (SAI). Much of 2010 was focused on Project Cultivar, which worked in the Dominican Republic sugarcane plantations and its company towns, bateyes. Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti, cholera spreading into the bateyes posed an imminent threat as most of the workers migrated from Haiti.

With our local partners, we were able to connect with the farms we worked with to quickly distribute water bottles with purification tablets to workers. We were proud to note that through this intervention, there were no reported outbreaks.

While this story was inspiring, it didn’t necessarily represent the great work SAI did as a whole. For nonprofits, measuring their broader impact can be easier said than done. That’s why we’ve focused this entire issue on nonprofit impact.

Here’s a quick snapshot of what’s in this issue:

We also go behind the scenes with charity: water and Transparency International, and shine a spotlight on two projects from the ISEAL Alliance and the Foundation Center. Plus, check out the new NTEN Voices section for tips and tools from our team and community!

Get started! The NTEN: Change publication, designed especially for busy nonprofit executive directors, departmental directors, boards, and other leadership staff, is free and ready to download!

Joleen Ong
Joleen is a strong advocate of the nonprofit sector’s role in bringing about social change, and the power of technology to make this happen. At NTEN, Joleen is the editor of NTEN: Change, the quarterly journal for nonprofit leaders, and helps to support NTEN’s 50,000+ community members meet their mission through technology. Joleen is a published writer and researcher on the topic of nonprofit fundraising, communications, marketing, as well as international human rights and labor relations in Asia and Latin America. Prior to NTEN, she was the Communications Manager at Social Accountability International in New York for five years, where she focused on supporting programs to advance workers rights in factories around the world. Joleen earned her MS in Nonprofit Management from the New School, and BA in International Studies and Spanish/Anthropology at the College of New Jersey. She has led presentations on the topic of nonprofit marketing, communications, and sustainability worldwide. She is also a member/blogger of the Integrated Marketing Advisory Board (IMAB) and frequent webinar trainer for FundsForNGOs. Joleen is also the editor of two award-winning social justice documentaries that focus on responsible procurement with Fair Trade on college campuses, and military recruitment.