For NGOs, good intentions are only the starting point. What truly matters is understanding whether programmes are creating real, lasting change and this is where impact evaluation becomes essential. Rather than being a box-ticking exercise, impact evaluation helps nonprofits reflect, learn, and strengthen the work they do on the ground.
At its core, impact evaluation for nonprofit organizations looks beyond activities and outputs. It asks deeper questions: What changed in people’s lives? Would this change have happened without our intervention? By answering these questions, NGOs gain a clearer picture of their true contribution.
Strengthening Accountability #
One of the most important roles of impact evaluation is strengthening accountability in NGOs. Donors, partners, and communities want to see evidence that resources are being used well. Impact evaluation helps NGOs communicate results honestly and transparently, showing both successes and areas that need improvement. This credibility is especially important as donor requirements for impact evaluation continue to grow.
Learning and Improvement through Evaluation #
Impact evaluation also supports learning and improvement through evaluation. When NGOs actively use findings they can refine programme design, adapt strategies, and respond better to community needs. This is where strong M&E systems in NGOs make a difference, linking routine monitoring with deeper evaluation insights.
Building an Evaluation Culture #
Over time, regular use of evaluation helps in building an evaluation culture in nonprofit organizations, one where data, reflection, and learning guide decisions. In practice, this means NGOs don’t just ask whether a project was implemented well, but whether it truly mattered.
Ultimately, impact evaluation helps NGOs move from doing good work to doing better work grounded in evidence, accountability, and continuous learning.
List of recommended resources #
For a broad overview #
Impact Evaluation: NGO Perspectives
This webinar organised by InterAction, with financial support from the Rockefeller Foundation, presents two InterAction members – Oxfam America and Save the Children – and their approaches to and experiences with impact evaluation. The webinar provides a broad overview and is a good starting point for a discussion on the role of impact evaluation in NGOs.
Impact evaluation for NGOs: Recent Developments
This presentation slide deck by A. J. Dietz and M. Pradhan provides a broad overview of what impact is and how to measure and evaluate it along with how to strategize impact evaluations for NGOs.
For in-depth understanding #
How Can Development NGOs Be Evaluated?
This paper by Jan Willem Gunning discusses impact evaluation used by many agencies to assess the effectiveness of aid-supported interventions and how NGOs often resist impact evaluation and try to achieve their goals indirectly.
This paper by INTRAC provides an in-depth understanding on the need for appropriate methodologies for assessing NGO impact. The paper starts by defining impact as well as impact assessment, moving on to a discussion on the complexity of impact assessment along with how impact assessment works in practice.
Case study #
The Democratic Republic of Congo: Can Incentives to Take Home Textbooks Increase Learning?
This paper studies the evaluation funded by the Results in Education for All Children (REACH) Trust Fund at the World Bank measuring the effectiveness of both financial and non-financial incentives at the student, classroom, and school levels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Impact of Distributing School Uniforms on Children’s Education in Kenya
This study by Michael Kremer, David Evans, and Muthoni Ngatia presents an impact evaluation of an educational intervention implemented by NGOs, in which school uniforms were provided to children from economically disadvantaged communities in Kenya.
