From Activity to Impact: Measuring What Truly Changes Lives

*From Activity to Impact: Measuring What Truly Changes Lives

Nonprofits routinely track outputs and outcomes, yet many struggle to clearly articulate their impact. Funders, donors, board members, and partners are increasingly asking a harder question: What actually changed because you exist?
At the same time, pressure to prove value has pushed many organizations to collect data in ways that take more from people than they give back, sometimes reopening old wounds, centering what funders want to know over what communities need, or turning real human experiences into little more than numbers. Counting activity is not enough—and how data is collected matters just as much as what is measured.

Participants will leave with a practical framework for distinguishing impact from outcomes, clarity on what evidence they already have (and what they actually need), and language they can use immediately to tell a more compelling story about why their work matters, especially in a crowded and competitive funding environment.

Date:  April 14, 2026
Time/s:  5:15 PM to 7:30 PM ET (US and Canada)
Location:  DeVries Nature Center - 2635 North Michigan 52, Owosso, MI 48867
Facilitator/s:  Anne de Irala & Zoe Lyons

*Sponsored by the Cook Family Foundation - These board training sessions are open to any current Shiawassee County nonprofit leadership, board members, staff members, or volunteers that live in, or are directly serving the Shiawassee County community.

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