Our Services
Evaluation
The Poverty Center staff conduct program evaluation on a wide variety of projects and programs administered by nonprofit and governmental organizations. We help organizations understand the extent to which they are meeting their program and/or project goals, the impact they are having on the people they serve, and what strategies might be most effective in achieving their goals. While we have conducted evaluations with a variety of organizations, we specialize in working with organizations that focus on underserved populations.
Program evaluation is highly individualized and involves a number of steps. One of the first steps is designing an evaluation plan that best suits the needs of the organization/program/project. Activities might involve but are not limited to: designing evaluation methodologies, developing measurement tools, administering focus groups and individual interviews, site observation, analyzing program records and where possible, utilization of other data previously collected by the organization/program/project (e.g., achievement test scores, administrative service receipt records). Other activities are also essential, including primary data collection, management and analysis, as well as reporting and otherwise disseminating evaluation findings (e.g., presentations to stakeholders and at larger conferences, publications, etc).
Our staff is both highly qualified and experienced in conducting program evaluation. Led by Dr. Rob Fischer, co-director of the Poverty Center, our staff expertly utilize the university’s resources and the most current methods available to conduct high quality evaluation.
Previous clients have included The Cleveland Botanical Garden Green Corps, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, the National Youth Sports Program, Youngstown Schools, Cuyahoga County’s Pay for Success Program, Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood, and the County’s Office of Early Childhood/Invest in Children project.
Maps and Data
The Poverty Center can create customized maps featuring different geographic (municipality, ward, neighborhood, census tract) and topical layers, in a variety of sizes. Our maps are regularly used by nonprofits and city and county units to more effectively visualize issues.
If you are interested in more information on our services, we can work with you!
Please contact us for details and a price quote.