# Evaluation Plan

Drafts an evaluation plan with measures, data collection methods, and reporting timelines tied to your stated project objectives. Reach for it when a funder asks you to describe how you will know the program worked.

## Prompt

## Context
You are helping a nonprofit grant writer draft an evaluation plan for a proposal. The organization is [ORGANIZATION NAME], a [ORGANIZATION TYPE] serving [POPULATION SERVED]. The funder is [FUNDER NAME] and the grant program is [GRANT PROGRAM NAME]. The project is [PROJECT DESCRIPTION]. The project runs from [PROJECT START DATE] to [PROJECT END DATE].

Project objectives as stated in the proposal:
[PROJECT OBJECTIVES]

Any evaluation requirements the funder specified:
[FUNDER EVALUATION REQUIREMENTS]

Data the organization can realistically collect:
[AVAILABLE DATA SOURCES]

## Task
Draft an evaluation plan for inclusion in the grant proposal. For each objective listed, provide: one or two measurable indicators, the data collection method, who collects the data, how often, and how findings will be reported to the funder. Include a brief statement on how the organization will use evaluation findings for program improvement.

## Standards
- Tie every indicator directly to an objective listed above. Do not introduce objectives not in the list.
- Use only data collection methods that match the available data sources provided. Do not propose methods the organization cannot realistically carry out.
- State indicators in measurable terms: numbers, percentages, or observable changes. Avoid vague language like "improved outcomes."
- Do not invent impact figures, benchmark statistics, or outcome targets. Where a target is needed, write [TARGET NEEDED] for the grant writer to supply.
- Match the reporting frequency and format to the funder requirements provided. If requirements are not provided, use standard semi-annual progress report plus final report.
- Do not fabricate funder names, deadlines, or program requirements not included in the inputs.
- If a project objective, available data source, or funder requirement is missing or unclear, ask before drafting.

## Variables

- ORGANIZATION NAME
- ORGANIZATION TYPE
- POPULATION SERVED
- FUNDER NAME
- GRANT PROGRAM NAME
- PROJECT DESCRIPTION
- PROJECT START DATE
- PROJECT END DATE
- PROJECT OBJECTIVES
- FUNDER EVALUATION REQUIREMENTS
- AVAILABLE DATA SOURCES

## Input checklist

- [ ] Written project objectives from the proposal narrative, not a general program description
- [ ] The funder's RFP or guidelines, specifically any evaluation or reporting requirements
- [ ] A realistic list of data the organization can actually collect (intake forms, attendance logs, pre/post surveys, case records)
- [ ] Any outcome targets or benchmarks the organization has already committed to in the application
- [ ] Confirm beneficiary data and participant records are anonymized or that your AI tool is approved under your organization's data policy

## Verification checklist

- [ ] Check that every indicator in the plan ties to a stated objective and no new objectives were introduced
- [ ] Confirm no outcome targets appear that the grant writer did not supply; resolve every [TARGET NEEDED] before submission
- [ ] Verify the data collection methods listed are ones the organization can actually carry out given its current capacity
- [ ] Check that reporting timelines match the funder's requirements from the RFP, not defaults the AI assumed
- [ ] Confirm no benchmark statistics or external research figures appear that you did not provide
- [ ] Read the program improvement statement to ensure it makes a commitment the organization can keep
- [ ] Verify the evaluation plan does not promise to deliver data the organization does not currently have a system to collect

## Sample output

Sample output. Generated by AI from sample inputs:

Evaluation Plan
Riverside Youth Coalition - After-School Literacy Program
Hartfield Foundation Community Learning Grant

Objective 1: Increase reading proficiency among enrolled students in grades 3-5.

Indicator: Percentage of enrolled students advancing one or more reading levels as measured by the program's standardized reading assessment.
Target: [TARGET NEEDED]
Data source: Pre- and post-program reading assessments administered by program staff.
Collection frequency: At program entry and at 16-week intervals.
Responsible party: Program Director.
Reporting: Results will be included in semi-annual progress reports and the final grant report.

Objective 2: Increase student attendance and consistent program participation.

Indicator: Percentage of enrolled students attending 80% or more of scheduled program sessions.
Target: [TARGET NEEDED]
Data source: Attendance logs maintained by site coordinators.
Collection frequency: Weekly; compiled monthly.
Responsible party: Site Coordinators, reviewed by Program Director.
Reporting: Attendance data will be reported semi-annually and in the final report.

Objective 3: Improve family engagement in student learning.

Indicator: Number of family members participating in quarterly family literacy nights.
Target: [TARGET NEEDED]
Data source: Sign-in sheets from family events.
Collection frequency: Quarterly.
Responsible party: Family Engagement Coordinator.
Reporting: Included in each progress report narrative.

Use of Findings
Riverside Youth Coalition will review evaluation data at the close of each 16-week cycle. The Program Director and site coordinators will meet to identify students below the attendance threshold and adjust outreach accordingly. Findings will inform curriculum adjustments for the following program cycle and will be shared with program staff and the board's program committee.

## Customization notes

If the funder requires a specific evaluation framework (logic model, theory of change, or external evaluator), add that requirement to the funder evaluation requirements input. For larger grants with external evaluation requirements, the prompt can draft the internal evaluation component while the evaluator handles the external piece. Small organizations with limited data infrastructure should specify only what they can collect in the available data sources field rather than aspiring to methods they cannot sustain.

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From The Nonprofit Grant & Fundraising Library at vetslearn.com/libraries/nonprofit