Comments on: Return on Engagement for your Community

By: Thinking about Return on Engagement | Community Organizer 2.0

Thinking about Return on Engagement | Community Organizer 2.0 — Wed, 11 May 2011 14:42:39 +0000

[…] comparing the return on engagement from campaign to campaign or from ask to ask. Amy Sample Ward writes, “is ROI limiting our community impact?” I think it is. Understanding and defining ROE […]

By: Nonprofit Blog Exchange Roundup for February 2010 « Nonprofit Blog Exchange Blog

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:45:53 +0000

[…] Return on Engagement for your Community (Amy Sample Ward’s Version of NPTech) […]

By: June #4Change Chat: Local Community Organizing « 4change

June #4Change Chat: Local Community Organizing « 4change — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:46:21 +0000

[…] Return on Engagement for your Community […]

By: Amy Sample Ward

Amy Sample Ward — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 09:51:52 +0000

In reply to Bonnie Koenig.

Thanks for contributing to making this such a rich discussion, Bonnie!

Your comment, bringing things full circle in a way, also makes me think about the way that we tell the story that, “just because something can not be easily measured as money (return on investment), or in other easily quantifiable ways, does not make it a less valuable return on investment, and may in fact make it a more valuable one.”

What tools, methods, processes, strategies are we using in our work to tell the stories of the hard-to-define returns on our investment/engagement? We might not be able to quantify all of those metrics or evaluation areas, but we can showcase the effects through storytelling.

Sure this is at least one more full blog post just in itself, so I’ll stew on it a bit and dive in soon.

By: Bonnie Koenig

Bonnie Koenig — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:04:59 +0000

I believe it’s modeling the change we want to be & the power of a shared (community engagement) process. The measurements should just be the tools that help us to bring about change, not as so often seen as an outcome themselves. And of course more intangible outcomes will always be a challenge to measure. But back to your original thesis, just because something can not be easily measured as money (return on investment), or in other easily quantifiable ways, does not make it a less valuable return on investment, and may in fact may it a more valuable one.

By: PamelaGrow

PamelaGrow — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:16:52 +0000

In reply to amyrsward. @amyrsward You're welcome - a great great topic!

By: Amy Sample Ward

Amy Sample Ward — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:48:44 +0000

In reply to Bonnie Koenig.

Hi Bonnie – I think you’ve touched on something really integral here: it isn’t so much about the metrics (duh?) themselves but the fact that focusing on the “right” metrics can mean we approach our work in a new, better, more change-focused way. And that leads to demonstrating the results we really want.

Thanks for sharing that nuance!

By: Bonnie Koenig

Bonnie Koenig — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:36:36 +0000

Amy – Nice to see that this blog has generated so much continuing conversation. You’ve obviously picked up on something that’s been percolating for many of us. I agree with your comment that [as change agents] “it is our job to show how engagement (comments vs friends, etc.) actually does correlate to reaching our vision and supporting mission-driven projects”. Change will come about when skeptical leaders see demonstrated results from doing things differently.

By: amyrsward

amyrsward — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:23:12 +0000

In reply to aeringuy. @aeringuy MY PLEASURE! thanks for spurring a fun post :)