Measuring the Impacts of Advocacy and Community Organizing: Application of a Methodology and Initial Findings

· The increasing emphasis by funders on strategic grantmaking and measurable outcomes may be a disincentive to support policy and advocacy work, because of the perception that outcomes can be difficult to assess. · A tool for measuring impact can reduce the barriers to funding advocacy and policy work. · The tool draws upon the literatures on evaluating advocacy and organizing, social capital building efforts, and return on investment approaches to evaluation. · The tool was applied in two sites, where funders found it useful to understand advocacy impacts and learn how advocacy can enhance their grantmaking goals