Leading Nonprofit Organizations Shed New Light on Evaluation and Reporting

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - August 14, 2007) - Social Solutions, nationally recognized for empowering human service providers and the organizations that fund them to strategically tie their efforts to measurable outcomes, and the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington co-hosted an event on Tuesday, August 7 aiming to promote honest and open dialogue around the common barriers and deficiencies limiting organizational performance across the industry.

Participants assembled at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace to interact with a panel of guest speakers from prominent organizations in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area who discussed their use of outcomes measurement to improve client service and proactively steer funding toward the programs and efforts making the most impact. Panelists demonstrated, through their own experience, how outcomes data can be used to affect positive change in human service programs, in funding decisions and in policy.

The panelists also explored the obstacles arisen from compliance reporting, exposing the negative perceptions associated with data collection and how, through the use of Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) software, service providers can shift the conversation away from tedious reporting requirements to a more positive dialogue focused on measuring and demonstrating the benefits of their services. The speakers also explored the parallel between funding institutions and investors seeking measurable return on investments. By providing documentation and data relating to outcomes, service providers are better able to articulate their value to funders, and in the end, see more resources for their efforts.

"We know that nonprofits are doing good work every day, but expectations of accountability are increasing," said Chuck Bean, Executive Director of the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington. "Nonprofits must better measure and communicate their achievements. They need to demonstrate their value in quantifiable ways where possible, and with that, they need an approach that is results-oriented and effective."

"Human service organizations have been driven to focus so hard on reporting and compliance that we've seen the attention drift away from what they originally set out to do -- to help people and improve their quality of life," said Kate Robinson, Director of Advocacy for Social Solutions. "ETO Software not only helps organizations to more efficiently and effectively report essential data, but it allows them to truly see what's working and what's not so they can apply their limited resources most effectively."

The event featured speakers from the sponsoring organizations as well as representatives from other leading nonprofit organizations, including: Chuck Bean, Executive Director, Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington; Isaac Castillo, Director for Learning and Evaluation, Latin American Youth Center; Spencer Wilder, Data Administrator, Healthy Families/Thriving Communities Collaborative Council; Mary Bogel, Chief of Program Development and Evaluation, East Capitol Center for Change; and John Dillow, Managing Director, Living Classrooms of the National Capital Region.

About The Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington

The Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington's mission is to strengthen the collective influence and visibility of the nonprofit sector in Greater Washington. We are a Membership organization of about 175 nonprofit leaders including direct service providers, advocacy organizations, and grantmakers around Greater Washington.

About Social Solutions and ETO Software®

Social Solutions challenges and equips human service providers and their funders to turn good intent into measurable change by relating efforts to outcomes. The company's ETO (Efforts to Outcomes) reporting software replaces one-size-fits-all data tracking with a reporting system tailored to the unique mission of each nonprofit organization. ETO Software® generates a clear and accurate measure of impact to improve service delivery, earn more funding, and reduce the time and resources dedicated to tracking performance.

Contact Information: Media Contact: Matthew Langan DBC Public Relations (202) 298-7600 x219 matthew@dbcpr.com