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Program Overview

When it comes to measuring organizational performance, nonprofits face unique challenges. In addition to measuring financial performance, nonprofit executives must be able to tangibly evaluate social and environmental impacts.

Harvard Kennedy School’s Driving Nonprofit Performance and Innovation online executive program that helps nonprofit leaders think conceptually about organizational performance-measurement systems. Through live presentations led by Faculty Chair Dutch Leonard, along with case studies and group discussions, you will examine the rationale behind performance measurement.

Join us to learn how to align your organization’s mission, strategy, and performance—and how to develop a culture of learning and innovation at your nonprofit. You will also discover how to assess and communicate outcomes to partners and stakeholders. And you will find out how to identify, institute, and sustain key metrics.

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PROGRAM CURRICULUM

Developed by the Harvard Business School Social Enterprise Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education, and The Hauser Institute for Civil Society, Driving Nonprofit Performance and Innovation is an online program designed to cover all aspects of nonprofit performance measurement.

The program will take place over six half days: Thursday, March 21 from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM Eastern Time (ET), and Monday, March 25 through Friday, March 29 from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET daily. Live online classes will run from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM ET. Participants will spend one hour with their discussion groups in the mornings before classes on Monday, March 25 through Friday, March 29 from 8:00 to 9:00 AM ET. Select days will also feature open conversations with faculty. The program sessions take place via the Zoom platform. Please note that there are no live program sessions scheduled from Friday, March 22 through Sunday, March 24.

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Driving Nonprofit Performance and Innovation covers these key areas:

  • Aligning mission and organizational performance management: Linking organizational performance, mission, and impact; comparing what is being measured and what is being delivered; developing a theory of change and logic model
  • Challenges and obstacles to managing organizational performance: Building a performance-based culture; developing capacity within the organization; implementing a performance management strategy
  • Innovation through measurement: Designing experiments to develop new interventions and improve existing programs; fostering a learning mindset
  • Collaborating with partners: Using data to communicate social and environmental outcomes to key stakeholders; dealing with the forces that shape the nonprofit environment
  • Sustainable performance management systems: Understanding and overcoming implementation challenges; institutionalizing continuous improvement in your organization; assessing communication issues

Application Information

Recommended Applicants

Driving Nonprofit Performance and Innovation is designed for senior leaders (typically with budgets over $1 million) committed to improving performance measurement and management.

Those who will benefit from the program include:

  • Chief executive officers
  • Presidents
  • Executive directors
  • Chief financial officers
  • Chief operating officers
  • Board chairs
  • Deputy directors
Sample Schedule

This leadership training program is suited for individuals as well as teams. It is focused on organization-level performance measurement and management, not individual-level or human resource-focused performance measurement and management. View a sample program schedule here.

WHAT PARTICIPANTS ARE SAYING

“This program gave me the tools to create a properly calibrated, flexible performance measurement system. It is a transformational experience for anyone leading a nonprofit organization.”

Kevin Worden, Executive Director, Rochester Habitat for Humanity
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Faculty & Research

Faculty Chair
Herman B. (Dutch) Leonard Photo

Herman B. (Dutch) Leonard

George F. Baker, Jr. Professor of Public Management, HKS; Eliot I. Snider and Family Professor of Business Administration, HBS
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Harvard Faculty and Guest Speakers
James Honan Photo

James Honan

Senior Lecturer on Education, HGSE

Julie Boatright Wilson Photo

Julie Boatright Wilson

Harry S. Kahn Senior Lecturer in Social Policy

Related Research
ALUMNI PERSPECTIVE

"This is a great program for any leader looking to help their nonprofit organization adapt to a new reality, objectively assess performance, and improve decision making at all levels of the organization"

RODRIGO MERINO ARANGO, CEO, YMCA
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