How does MVP measure success and evaluate grantees' work?
Measures of Success
We take a holistic "triple-bottom-line" approach to our investment strategy, measuring success in three key areas:
- Electoral impact: Are they registering, engaging, educating, persuading, and mobilizing voters? Are they contributing meaningfully to the outcomes of elections?
- Policy impact: Are they helping to shape the public discourse and set the policy agenda at the local, state, and/or national levels? Are they playing a meaningful role in blocking regressive policies and/or enacting policies that advance progress?
- Civic power: Are they doing the hard, year-round work of organizing and base building? Are they growing in their ability to mobilize large constituencies, influence elections, shape narratives, shift culture, and steer governance?
Evaluation Process
MVP works hard to foster a relationship of honest evaluation and mutual accountability with our grantee partners.
We evaluate our partners' strategies and impact through ongoing on-the-ground assessment, annual reporting, and empirical evidence by allied research organizations.
On-the-Ground Assessment
Throughout the year, our team routinely monitors and interacts with groups to more deeply understand their strengths and growth areas and proactively supports them in continuous improvement.
Annual Reporting
Each year, we review plans, budgets, and reports on the progress of all groups that we have supported. We also review plans and budgets for new and emerging groups on an ongoing basis.
Our annual reporting form covers quantitative measures of impact related to voter registration, get-out-the-vote contacts, volunteer recruitment, and leadership development, as well as more detailed, qualitative information on issue-organizing campaigns, organizational development, and broader "base-building" efforts.
Empirical Research
A growing body of empirical research validates our approach. We’ve compiled a primer here.
MVP is a member of a renowned research consortium, Analyst Institute, whose randomized control trials (RCTs) and other findings we use to corroborate the effectiveness of our local partners’ voter engagement tactics.
Additionally, we work with allies such as Democracy & Power Innovation Fund to incorporate measures of "civic power" that holistically capture organizations' ability to influence both elections and governance.