Formative, summative, out-come-based, quantitative, qualitative, post-test, benchmarking ...

Is this all jargon, or does it all really do something?  Or does everyone do it just to please their funders?

As a funder, I can tell you having some sort of measurement strategy in place is an important assessment tool--not just to please the Humanities Council, but for you and your institution as well.

Figuring out a way to take a snap shot of your project or initiative at its outset, and to develop indicators of its successes and failures along the way, is the best way to make mid-course adjustments and, in the end, to see if your project met its intended goals.

(Is your project a drain on staff and resources, or does it further your institutional mission and enhance your value?)

There are plenty of assessment books out there for non-profits, and evaluation can be time consuming and expensive, but Benchmarking for Nonprofts by Jason Saul seems to be a reliable way to streamline the benchmarking process.

It is easy to read, sheds a lot of jargon, and offers downloadable worksheets to help you and your team prepare to measure performance and implement best practices.