Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Charitable Trust • Major Gifts • 501(c)(3)

Program Evaluation

Term from Nonprofit Organizations industry explained for recruiters

Program Evaluation is a systematic way to assess how well nonprofit programs are working. It's like a report card for charitable activities and social services. Organizations use it to measure if their efforts are making the intended difference, prove to donors their money is being well spent, and find ways to improve their services. Think of it as quality control for nonprofit work - checking if food banks are reaching the hungry, if youth programs are helping kids succeed, or if job training programs are leading to employment. Similar terms include Impact Assessment, Outcomes Measurement, or Performance Measurement.

Examples in Resumes

Conducted Program Evaluation of youth mentoring initiative, showing 40% improvement in participant outcomes

Led Program Evaluation and Impact Assessment efforts across five community programs

Designed and implemented Program Evaluation frameworks for $2M grant-funded projects

Typical job title: "Program Evaluators"

Also try searching for:

Impact Assessment Specialist Evaluation Coordinator Program Assessment Manager Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Outcomes Measurement Coordinator Research and Evaluation Manager Impact Manager

Where to Find Program Evaluators

Professional Associations

Online Communities

Job Boards

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you design an evaluation strategy for a multi-year, multi-location program?

Expected Answer: Look for answers that show experience in creating comprehensive evaluation plans, managing complex data collection across different sites, and ability to track long-term impact while providing interim reporting.

Q: How do you handle stakeholder disagreements about evaluation methods or findings?

Expected Answer: Strong answers should demonstrate diplomatic skills, ability to balance different perspectives, and experience in building consensus while maintaining evaluation integrity.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What methods would you use to evaluate a new youth mentoring program?

Expected Answer: Should mention mix of quantitative and qualitative methods, such as surveys, interviews, tracking academic progress, and gathering feedback from mentors, youth, and parents.

Q: How do you ensure evaluation data is reliable and useful?

Expected Answer: Should discuss creating clear measurement tools, training staff on data collection, regular quality checks, and making sure findings can be used for program improvements.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What's the difference between outputs and outcomes in program evaluation?

Expected Answer: Should explain that outputs are direct activities (like number of workshops held) while outcomes are the actual changes achieved (like improved job skills).

Q: How would you collect feedback from program participants?

Expected Answer: Should discuss basic data collection methods like surveys, feedback forms, and simple interviews, showing awareness of making these accessible to participants.