Policy and Advocacy Click on the area that interests you to view our program-specific “do-it-yourself” charity evaluation questions. Political advocacy Local (i.e., advocating with your own government) Questions: What policy changes do you claim partial (or full) credit for in the past? What was your role in advocating for these changes? What evidence is available (particularly academic studies) on the impact any such changes have had on society? What specific policy changes are your top priorities currently? What evidence is available regarding the feasibility of getting these policy changes? What does public opinion say about them? Are there any groups that oppose these policy changes? What are they? What are their arguments and why are they flawed? If there are no such groups, why do you think that is? How have you spent donated funds in the past? If you've created advertisements and other publicity materials, can they be shared? How would your budget likely change if you had more revenue than expected? Less? External (i.e., advocating with foreign governments) Questions: What policy changes do you claim partial (or full) credit for in the past? What was your role in advocating for these changes? What evidence is available (particularly academic studies) on the impact any such changes have had? What policy changes are you advocating for now? How do the countries and issues you're working on resemble/differ from past successes? What evidence is available regarding the feasibility of getting these policy changes? What does public opinion say about them? Are there any groups that oppose these policy changes? What are they? What are their arguments and why are they flawed? If there are no such groups, why do you think that is? How have you spent donated funds in the past? If you've created advertisements and other publicity materials, can they be shared? How would your budget likely change if you had more revenue than expected? Less? Public advocacy Local (i.e., trying to change knowledge/attitudes/behaviors in your own society) Questions: What knowledge and behavior changes do you try to promote? What evidence is available (especially academic evidence) regarding the likely impact of such changes in knowledge and behavior? Have you tracked changes over time in knowledge and behavior? Have you tried to see whether these patterns point to your impact (i.e., if improvements are stronger in areas where your presence has been stronger)? Can you share this information? Are there any "macro" changes you claim credit for in the past (broad society-wide changes in attitudes to the point where you no longer had to be pushing for them and shifted your focus)? Are there any groups that oppose the changes you advocate? What are they? What are their arguments and why are they flawed? If there are no such groups, why do you think that is? How have you spent donated funds in the past? If you've created advertisements and other publicity materials, can they be shared? How would your budget likely change if you had more revenue than expected? Less? External (i.e., trying to change knowledge/attitudes/behaviors in foreign countries, such as with anti-smoking or pro-family planning campaigns) Questions: What knowledge and behavior changes do you try to promote? What evidence is available (especially academic evidence) regarding the likely impact of such changes in knowledge and behavior? Have you tracked changes over time in knowledge and behavior? Have you tried to see whether these patterns point to your impact (i.e., if improvements are stronger in areas where your presence has been stronger)? Can you share this information? Are there any "macro" changes you claim credit for in the past (broad society-wide changes in attitudes to the point where you no longer had to be pushing for them and shifted your focus)? Are there any groups that oppose the changes you advocate? What are they? What are their arguments and why are they flawed? If there are no such groups, why do you think that is? How have you spent donated funds in the past? If you've created advertisements and other publicity materials, can they be shared? How would your budget likely change if you had more revenue than expected? Less? Legal advocacy Questions: Can you provide a list of cases you've participated in in the past, with the following for each: Brief summary of the case Your expenses on the case Result Can you provide examples of cases that you didn't participate in primarily due to insufficient funding, with the following for each: Brief summary of the case Your expenses on the case Result Are there any nonprofits or other groups that consistently oppose you in these cases? What are they? What are their principles and why are they flawed? If there are no such groups, why do you think that is? How do you decide which cases to initiate or participate in? How would your budget likely change if you had more revenue than expected? Less? Think tanks Questions: Do your aims include: (a) conducting research and providing public information without a particular agenda; (b) changing public opinion according to the results of your research; (c) changing public opinion in a particular direction / according to certain principles; (d) changing government policy according to the results of your research; (e) changing government policy in a particular direction / according to certain principles? For (a): do you have reports that provide your organization's track record of producing concrete output from your research - for example, analysis of the citation record of your publications? For (b) and (d): What knowledge and behavior changes do you try to promote? What evidence is available (especially academic evidence) regarding the likely impact of such changes in knowledge and behavior? Have you tracked changes over time in knowledge and behavior? Have you tried to see whether these patterns point to your impact (i.e., if improvements are stronger in areas where your presence has been stronger)? Can you share this information? Are there any "macro" changes you claim credit for in the past (broad society-wide changes in attitudes to the point where you no longer had to be pushing for them and shifted your focus)? Are there any groups that oppose the changes you advocate? What are they? What are their arguments and why are they flawed? If there are no such groups, why do you think that is? For (c) and (e): What policy changes do you claim partial (or full) credit for in the past? What was your role in advocating for these changes? What evidence is available (particularly academic studies) on the impact any such changes have had? What policy changes are you advocating for now? How do the countries and issues you're working on resemble/differ from past successes? What evidence is available regarding the feasibility of getting these policy changes? What does public opinion say about them? Are there any groups that oppose these policy changes? What are they? What are their arguments and why are they flawed? If there are no such groups, why do you think that is? What would you point to as your organization's biggest successes/contributions to date? How have you spent donated funds in the past? If you've created advertisements and other publicity materials, can they be shared? How would your budget likely change if you had more revenue than expected? Less?
