Does Your Program Make a Difference?

If you can answer this question in the affirmative, congratulations! Now, how does it make a difference? Carefully evaluate each of the following to ensure that your organization's work has a positive influence on both the community, and, ultimately, funders for your work:

Is your work defined by its benefits instead of its feaures? While funders want to know how you accomplish your goals, try to focus on the benefits gained in the community by your program. Yes, again I'm talking about both quantitative and qualitative measures - good, old-fashioned data collection.
Are you able to demonstrate the difference you make? What would happen if your program were to suddenly disappear? What gaps in service delivery would there be? The key I'm getting at is non-duplication of services in the community. Be careful to prove that your program is unique and offers unique benefits.
Can you explain why this difference is important? Again, this means addressing both quantitative and qualitative measures. For example, "Our program delivers service to 1,000 underserved cancer patients. Without our service, these patients would be unable to access both medication vital to their treatment and transportation to and from their chemotherapy appointments."

Be prepared to always go the extra mile in describing why your program makes a difference. It can literally mean your application falling into the Funded pile rather than that fellow who didn't go that extra distance whose application falls into Sorry - try again next year!

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