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Outcome-based garden program planning, evaluation & funding

www.gardening.cornell.eduCultivating Community with Garden-Based Learning ProgramsWebinar Session 4March 21, 2012

Lori J. BrewerCornell Garden-Based LearningAdult and Family EducationBushway@cornell.edu

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Session objectives: Describe the basics in outcome focused project planning. Illustrate the logic model planning tool. Outline evaluation basics. Consider funding basics. Participants share planning, evaluation and funding resources.

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www.gardening.cornell.eduGetting Started with a Plan

Outline the situation.Outline the response. Inputs (human, physical & financial).Activities.Outputs (who is suppose to participate).Outline the desired outcomes (As a result of the activities).

Likely we can all agree that program planning is a helpful process, even essential to success. Knowing where you are going makes it easier to recruit supports and participants.

Plan together or bring your plan to others?Is this a vision shared by a group of dedicated people or is it a one-person driven show? If the idea originated with one person, has it been embraced by many others to be successful?Outline the situationSome of the first question to ask when beginning a gardening project: Where did the idea come from? Demonstrated need? Observed symptoms? Did community of interest identify need (stakeholder engagement)? How does the situation link to your organizations priorities, mission, resources, targeted audiences?Outline the response.What will your organization invest? Physical, human and financial resources? Any of the following: paid staff members, volunteers, time , funds, equipment, educational resources, partnerships? Other assets critical to the project?What will you do? (sometimes the easiest to describe so one might start here)Who will be reached? who is supposed to participate - individuals, families, groups, businesses, organization, communities). Examples might include:All low income families living in the city of GrantCommunity groups in Palmetto neighborhoodMiddle school youth identified as low achieversEmployees of Able City GovernmentBe as specific as possible with who is targeted. If the gardening project will culminate in a garden for a target audience have you asked what they think, is there opportunity to do so?

Outline the desired results. (more coming)

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http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/evaluation/evallogicmodel.htmlAS A RESULT OF YOUR ACTIVITIES

OUTCOMESOutcomes are the changes or benefits for individuals, families, groups, businesses, organizations, and communities.Outcomes occur along a path from short-term achievements to longer-term end results (impacts).

In order to facilitate/achieve outcomes, that extend along a continuum or chain of outcomes from short to long-term or impact. For example, changes in knowledge, skills, attitudes and intent:Change in knowledge might be increased understanding of (plant selection.)Change in skills might be (SUCCESSFUL SEED STARTING)Change in attitude might (appreciation for fresh food)Change in confidence might be increased confidence to ask questionsChange in intent might be eat healthierChange in behaviorChange in decision makingChange in individual, family, community conditions food security, long term health

Goal represents a general, big picture statement of desired results. The ultimate result of a program is usually referred to as impact. Impacts might be achieved in one year or take 10 or more years to be achieved. Such long-term impacts may or may not be reflected in the logic model, depending on scope of the initiative, purpose and audience of the logic model.

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Logic Model Planning Tool

NOT GOING TO GO INTO ALL BENEFITS OF THE LOGIC MODEL NEXT SLIDE HAS A WEBSITE ADDRESS WITH LOTS OF INFOR ABOUT USING LOGIC MODELS

Is a way to illustrate your plan and can lead to promoting communication, common language, focus on outcomes (come to consensus), differentiate between what you do and the result of what you do

Here we have a full depiction of program development. We see that everything starts with a clear articulation of the originating situation from which priorities are set. This sets into motion the programmatic response as displayed in the logic model of what is expected to occurthe connections and relationships between inputs-outputs- and outcomes. Often not included in the graphical LM display but important to articulate areAssumptionsExternal factors, for example, do financial institutions exist; are they accessible(barriers and facilitators) Evaluation runs over the course of the program and is part of the program design.Looks linear but is not5

http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/evaluation/evallogicmodel.html

Example that is detailed6

www.gardening.cornell.eduLogic Model example

Less details, smaller project7

www.gardening.cornell.eduBenefits of EvaluationDemonstrate accountability to stakeholders including participants and funders.Generate a much clearer picture of program outcomes and impacts.Continue or increase support of the garden and programming. Create an opportunity to: Increase participant satisfaction and success.Streamline and improve programs.Discovering new activities or ways of aggregating tasks.Collect vital feedback about the program providers.Alter the garden and program to better meet participants critical needs.Find positive secondary outcomes.

Advantages to providing evaluation information (data) about a garden and garden programming include:

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Identify what you want to know about your garden and gardening program. Consider all your invested resources, activities and stakeholders (including paid staff members, volunteers, funders and participants). What are the desired outcomes and impacts?

Many Extension staff will remember the Bennett hierarchy of the 1970s that was so popular and widely used throughout Extension. The Bennett hierarchy is a precursor of the present day logic model. You can see the similarities in this graphic.

Rockwell and Bennett have since developed a toolkit titled, Targeting Outcomes of Programs (TOP) that is available on the web at http://citnews.unl.edu/TOP/english/ See it for more information.

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Back to the logic model framework.what evidence do you need to answer your questions? Quantitative evaluation emphasizes gathering numbers and providing hard data. Some possibilities include:How many people actively participate in the garden?How many families are positively impacted by the garden programs?How many pounds of fresh vegetables and fruits are produced for military families?Another example of quantitative evaluation data is testing program participants to measure their increase in knowledge, skills, abilities (and even perceptions) after gardening for a set period of time. The easiest way to measure the change is to perform a pre-test/post-test evaluation. Give participants a set of questions when they first begin the program and/or first start to garden, and then give the same participants the same set of questions after they complete a period of programming and/or gardening. Measure the difference in responses. 10

www.gardening.cornell.eduQualitative Evaluation Examples of this include:Interviewing garden program participants (representative quotes can be powerful additions to reports)Observing garden activitiesVideotaping the garden and participants (which is also great for accountability)Recording the artwork for and about the garden created by participantsEncouraging gardeners to keep a journalTraining participants to interview and record each others thoughts (both gaining program managers valuable data and teaching participants interview skills)

Which of the following qualitative evaluation tool have you incorporate into your approach? (check all that apply)Interviewing garden program participants (representative quotes can be powerful additions to reports)Observing garden activitiesVideotaping the garden and participants (which is also great for accountability)Recording the artwork for and about the garden created by participantsEncouraging gardeners to keep a journalTraining participants to interview and record each others thoughts (both gaining program managers valuable data and teaching participants interview skills)Other tool

The impact of qualitative data, if presented in the appropriate way, can be immense. When a funder or base commander reads a participant quote in a report that states This garden saved my life, the strength of qualitative evaluation data becomes very clear. A fortified way of conducting evaluation is to combine numbers with quotes/visuals through a mixed-method approach, collecting both essential quantitative and qualitative data.

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www.gardening.cornell.eduFunding Strategies

For most community and school garden projects, the general rule of thumb is to start small and operate the garden on a non-cash basis for the first year or two.Friends of Burlington Gardens & the Vermont Community Garden Network (http://www.burlingtongardens.org/)

Relationship Building through Grassroots Fundraising ScavengeBorrowDonationMini-grantsVolunteers Community All community members can participate.Car washes, tag sales, bake sales, bottle drives, selling seeds, bulbs or seedlings, penny and dollar drives have proven to be successful. With multiple approaches, the funds can add up to something considerable.

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The Nonprofit Sector in Brief by Wing et al. http://www.urban.org/uploadedpdf/412209-nonprof-public-charities.pdfGiving USA 2010 The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2009, Executive Summary. http://www.givingusareports.org/free.php13

www.gardening.cornell.eduGetting Started with a Project Folder

Succinct, well written one-page description of your program.Define the problem, need or situation that motivates the organizations mission.Address the way the organization is uniquely contributing to creative solutions. Letter of endorsement and support from the key partners.Photo page, positive feedback, anecdotes, and evaluation data. Garden plan or design.List of key project leaders, participants, and volunteers.Specific, realistic and concise list of your project needs.Contributors in the community to date.

This concise packet of relevant program materials can be used to represent your program and its needs and can be left with a business for further review. Know your tax status and to whom checks should be written before you approach businesses.

If an organization cannot clearly and succinctly describe what they do and why, then it will be difficult for them to raise funds.

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www.gardening.cornell.eduBeyond Local Funding Sources

communitygarden.org/connect (look in newsletters)

www.kidsgardening.org/grants-and-awards

http://nccommunitygarden.ncsu.edu/funding.htmlGarden related. Additional suggestions?

Grant writing assistance?15

www.gardening.cornell.eduResources

Not garden specific lots related to using logic modelwww.uwex.edu/ces/pdandeFor sale publicationhttp://communitygarden.org/acga-store.php

Friends of Burlington Gardens & the Vermont Community Garden Network www.burlingtongardens.orgOthers resources people want to share?

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www.gardening.cornell.eduQUESTIONS?Lori J BrewerCornell Garden-Based LearningAdult and Family EducationBushway@cornell.edu

Session objectives: Describe the basics in outcome focused project planning. Illustrate the logic model planning tool. Outline evaluation basics. Consider funding basics. Participants share planning, evaluation and funding resources.

17Extension programs and employment are available to all without discrimination. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension office.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U. S. Department of Defense under Award No. 2009-48667-05833. Developed in partnership with Purdue University and Cornell University.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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