Welcome to the Fall 2015 Demonstrating Value Newsletter!
The Value Herald newsletter shares engaging ideas, useful advice and informative resources that relate to measuring what matters and demonstrating value. This issue focuses on the practical issues like making better use of the data you do collect and getting a leg up with templates. You'll also find our usual mix of what's interesting out there, practical tips and ideas. If you like our newsletter, share it with a friend!
The Practical Corner
Get a Leg up with Templates
Templates that can support data collection, analysis and reporting abound in many different formats and locations on websites that support community and business development, and as part of software tools out there. Here is a small sampling of the range of templates that are out there that could be directly relevant to what you do. Following one link will bring you to many many more. Read more
Helpful Ratios to Balance Social Mission and Business
JustWork Economic Initiative is an inspiring organization in Vancouver that operates three social enterprises that offer dignified, meaningful employment to people who face barriers to work in the traditional workforce. Executive Director, David Holcomb, recently told me about three measures, which they find to be very helpful in managing the social enterprises. Read more
Issues & Ideas
In the Quest for Big Data, Don't Forget the Little Data!
It easy to overlook the importance of using the ‘little data’ out there. These are the data that organizations collect, but which may not always be used to their potential. Time spent summarizing, analyzing and using data is as important as collecting it. Get into the practice of communicating quality and not quantity, and invest in people and systems to get to the insights, and not just the data collection. For these and other tips, Read more
A New Farmers Market Toolkit is in the Piloting Stage in the U.S.
The Farmers Market Coalition (FMC) in the United States has been embarking on an impact measurement project, which builds in many ways on our 2012 BC Farmers Market toolkit. Bryn Sadownik has been serving as an advisor to their project, which they are conducing in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. They recently finished the first year of their pilot, and it is really interesting to look at the similarities and differences in what they are doing and finding. Read more
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