Caring for Colorado is committed to monitoring the results of our grantmaking to measure how the foundation’s grants are contributing to the goal of improving the health of all Coloradans.
Caring for Colorado works with grantees to clarify goals, state desired grant results, articulate strategies and identify indicators of progress. Evaluation begins with the grant application and review process so grantees start their work with the final results in mind. This benefits grantees by providing a:
- clear statement of purpose
- focus on program goals and objectives
- plan for measuring outcomes
- mechanism to identify mid-program corrections if needed
Caring for Colorado’s project plan section of the grant application, helps applicants lay the groundwork for evaluation by identifying outcome measures at the start of the project. Grantees are asked by Caring for Colorado to report their progress every six-months through the grant term and to submit a final summary of their results at the end of grant.
We welcome the opportunity to partner with grantees to develop mutually agreed-upon goals and milestones and provide any assistance with the project evaluation. For assistance or questions regarding your evaluation, contact a Caring for Colorado Program Officer at 720-524-0770.
The Foundation is committed to learning from grants, whether they meet expectations or not. Grants that don’t achieve desired outcomes provide opportunities to learn about what doesn’t work. Learning about what does and what doesn’t work helps the foundation fine-tune and improve its grantmaking. Periodically, Caring for Colorado also conducts macro-level evaluation reviews that examine similar grant projects to glean information on best practices and impact across communities and populations. These reports are used to:
- Guide the Foundation's grantmaking strategies.
- Add to the Foundation’s knowledge about specific health issues and community health needs.
- Provide guidance to current and future grantees about strategies/programs that work.