This brief offers an overview of current practice in the new and now rapidly growing field of advocacy evaluation. It highlights the kinds of approaches being used, offers specific examples of how they are being used and who is using them, and identifies the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.

• advocacy
• evaluation

Animating Democracy, a program of Americans for the Arts, has an online storehouse of resources aimed at helping arts organizations evaluate the social impact of creative work that aims to make social change.  Although the site is intended for arts-focused organizations, many of the resources offered are applicable to the work of a wide variety of service agencies interested social change work.

• advocacy
• arts
• social justice

Theory of Change is a method or technique that can assist communities to think about, plan and evaluate their work. It involves ‘backwards mapping’ from the goals or desired outcomes of the program to identify what is needed in the program design to accomplish these goals. This website offers in depth resources, guides, and examples for how to develop and apply a TOC.

• change
• education
• human rights
• social change
• sustainability
• theory of change

This facilitator source book defines Theory of Change vocabulary, offers suggestions for preparation for group process, and provides a step-by-step explanation of what it takes to design a Theory of Change.

• development
• facilitator
• guide
• impact
• social change
• source book
• theory of change

In 2006, the Building Movement Project published Social Service to Social Change: A Process Guide for staff and board members of nonprofit organizations to learn to incorporate social change values and practice into their work. While it has many activities, understanding the “Transformation Process” on page nine is foundational to making lasting change.

• constituents
• consultant learning.
• equality
• social change
• social services

A logic model can be used separately or in addition to a TOC, though the focus of a logic model is more programmatic. Two sources are offered here: (1) a guide to developing a logic model and, (2) a presentation that helps distinguish between the two.

• critical thinking
• logic model
• pathways
• theory of change

This section of “Other Models for Promoting Community Health and Development,” from the Community Tools Box, answers the following questions:
1) What is a logic model?
2) When can a logic model be used?
3) How do you create a logic model?
4) What makes a logic model effective?
5) What are the benefits and limitations of logic modeling?

• change
• community development
• logic model
• model of change
• roadmap

The Organizational Readiness Assessment is designed as a tool to help organizations explore the status of their vision and mission, their relationship to staff, partners and constituents, and their leadership approach as part of an organizational culture conducive to social change efforts.

• assessment
• collaboration
• collective impact
• community building
• constituent engagement
• consultant
• leadership
• mission
• organizational readiness
• social change
• systems change
• vision

This guide is for facilitators administering the Organizational Readiness Assessment Tool.

• community building
• facilitator
• feedback
• guide
• participation
• readiness assessment

This fact sheet from BMP highlights some key differences between capacity building for organizational sustainability and capacity building for social change. It identifies nine areas identified as important building blocks of social movement capacity for nonprofit organizations.

• capacity building
• change
• movement capacity
• social justice
• sustainability