The Three Things You Must Measure

United Ways most often measure three things:

• Resources

• Activity

• Progress

A United Way that is measuring resources most often measures the amount of money raised from workplace campaigns. The most iconic example is the large thermometers sprinkled throughout the community which display how much money was raised, or is yet to be raised, to meet the year’s campaign goal. Another common resource measurement is the number of volunteers/hours volunteered. United Ways frequently cite the number of people who volunteered during the recent Day of Caring, the number of volunteers who serve on allocation panels, or the number of volunteers who helped with the VITA program last year.

Measuring resources is like the fuel gauge in your car. Yes, it takes gas to get somewhere, but the amount of gas only tells you the limitations in how far you can go – not which direction you are headed.

United Ways that measure activity are talking about how programs are at work within the community. For example, United Ways may discuss the number of people who were served by the food pantry, the number of calls that came into 2-1-1, or the percentage of program participants can now prepare a household budget. Most often, these measures are the outcomes of programs funded by United Way and are not the results of direct services provided by United Way.

Measuring activity is like the speedometer in your car. Yes, you can see how fast you are going, but how fast you are traveling does not indicate progress toward your final destination.

United Ways that measure progress are talking about how many lives have been changed at a community-wide level. For example, United Ways may discuss the number of families that are no longer living in poverty, how many veterans have received permanent housing and are no longer homeless, or how many children who were reading behind grade level are now reading at or beyond their grade level.

Measuring progress is like using a GPS. Using a GPS clearly shows not only what direction you are headed, but it also tells you what your final destination is and when you will arrive.

With these car analogies in mind, put yourself in the shoes of someone who wants to take their family on a vacation by car. Which tool would be most essential in getting you to your final destination: a fuel gauge that shows ¾ full, a speedometer that shows 90 m.p.h., or a GPS set for Disneyland? The car with a fuel gauge showing ¾ full has the potential to go somewhere great for vacation, but it is not clear if it will head in the direction of a vacation. The car with a speedometer that shows 90 m.p.h. can certainly go fast, but it is not clear if it is going on vacation. The car with the GPS set for Disneyland has a clear path to reach the final vacation destination.

For United Ways, it is essential to measure your resources, because it takes resources to go anywhere. It is also essential to measure your activity, because it requires activity to achieve impact. What most United Ways fail to measure their progress, which is precisely why donors give. Donors will not support your United Way solely because of how much money you raised or solely because of how many people were served by the food pantry. What every donor wants to know is how their contribution changed lives in their community, which only comes from measuring progress. In fact, when donors know your progress, they don’t even need to know how many resources you have or how much activity you have completed.

Continue measuring your resources and activity but be sure to measure your progress. If you are not sure what your progress is for your United Way, we can help you figure it out. Our board retreats and strategic planning help United Ways measure their progress every day. Make it a priority to measure all three things all the time at your United Way.