1 Goals and Objectives & 2 Methods & Week 3 Discussion

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Step 4 Defi ning Clear Goals and Objectives

IN THIS STEP GRANTSEEKERS LEARN the concept of writing clear goals and objectives. Grantseekers must also focus on the important differences between them. Using a worksheet and following the examples, grantseekers construct goals and a set of objectives for their own proposals.

Purpose of the Goals and Objectives Components:

The “So What?” Factor

Once the problem to be addressed by an organization is identifi ed and clearly articulated via the problem statement, the next step is to develop solid goals that clearly defi ne what the organization intends to accom- plish through its program and also to establish measurable objectives that will indicate the organization’s progress toward its goals. The goals and objectives will allow the organization and its funders to know whether the program is successful at the conclusion of the grant. Poorly defi ned goals and objectives, or goals without objectives, push projects into missed milestones, overworked staff, unhappy clients, and disillusioned funders. Goals and objectives should be clear statements of purpose that defi ne the end result of the project.1

Defi nition of Goals and Objectives

Words can be confusing, especially if the assumption is made that everyone understands what they mean. For this reason, let’s clarify one more time: A goal is what the program aspires to achieve and the objectives are how an organization will know if it is meeting its goal(s). This distinction is the foundation upon which successful goals and objectives are based. Equally

O'Neal-McElrath, Tori, and Mim Carlson. Winning Grants Step by Step : The Complete Workbook for Planning, Developing and Writing Successful Proposals, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ashford-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1469450. Created from ashford-ebooks on 2022-03-16 10:14:12.

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Winning Grants Step by Step40

important is the fact that both goals and objectives are directly tied to the problem statement (Step Three). Also, each goal will have one or more objec- tives. However, it is worthwhile to note that smaller projects may have only one focused goal and two or three objectives.

Everyone struggles in the beginning with the difference between goals and objectives. Use the following side-by-side comparison as an aid.4

Goals Objectives

Are broad statements

Provide focus, vision, and direction

Can be idealistic and do not neces-

sarily have to be reached during

the proposed grant period

Can be nonspecifi c and

nonmeasureable

Are realistic steps to achieve the goal(s)

Are always active and use strong action

verbs

Answer: What? Why? Who? How? When?

Can be validated

Are clear to everyone with a basic

knowledge

Are SMART:

Specifi c

Measurable

Achievable

Relevant

Time-bound

Defi nitions Goals. “Goals are things your organization hopes to achieve. Goals can be set at the organizational level, the program level, and the individual employee level.”2

Example: Youth in underserved communities in King County who complete the Swim 4 Life program will know how to swim.

Objectives. “Objectives are smaller steps that one must accomplish to reach a goal, and they’re always stated in a way that can be measured.”3

Example: In the Learn-to-Swim program within one year:

• 100 percent of participants will recognize the rules of water safety • 90 percent of participants will demonstrate basic water safety and drowning prevention skills • 80 percent of participants will develop self-confi dence as swimmers and the motivation to improve

physical fi tness

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Step 4—Defining Clear Goals and Objectives 41

Example of Strong Goals and Objectives

Goals Objectives

Our theater is enjoyed by all our

communities

Fifty percent of our Asian/Pacifi c Islander

audience will increase their attendance

from one show per year to two shows by

end of the year.

There is a playground within walk-

ing distance for all children

Increase the access to playgrounds for chil-

dren in Eastown by two playgrounds each

year for the next fi ve years.

Asthma is no longer the number

one reason that children miss

school

All students in grades K–3 who are diag-

nosed with asthma decrease their inci-

dents of severe attacks by 15 percent in the

fi rst semester.

All adults can read confi dently to

their children

Eighty-fi ve percent of fi rst-time, new par-

ents in the Barrisville section of Anytown

can read and have child-appropriate books

in their homes within a year of their fi rst

child’s birth.

Outcome Focus Objectives

It is important to ensure that a grant proposal’s objectives focus on outcomes (the change) versus the process (how the change will be made). The “how” is addressed in the next step, which focuses on methods (also referred to as strategies). When the focus is on outcomes, the focus is on the results of an organization’s actions. It is important to be able to envision what will be different because of the actions of the organization. What is the organiza- tion hoping to accomplish? What will be different, improved, better? What can be measured?

An example of an outcome objective: In the next year, a minimum of eighty new parents who complete the program will increase their confi dence in their role as disciplinarian and teacher as evidenced by achieving at least a 90 percent on their fi nal parenting quiz.

Process objectives focus on activities. By focusing on the outcomes instead of the process, it allows an organization the fl exibility needed to reach its intended results. An organization can adjust and edit the methods when needed and as needed to reach its objectives, a process that leads ultimately to achieving its goals. An example of a process objective: To recruit 120 par- ents for our parent education courses.

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Winning Grants Step by Step42

Because outcomes are considered powerful indicators of success, this workbook focuses more specifi cally on these objectives rather than process objectives. More and more funders, as well as individual donors, are looking to make an impact or positive change with their grants. A grantseeker’s outcome objectives as outlined in their proposal will assist funders in understanding how their investment in the organization will make a difference or impact.

The following chart contains some questions that may help grantseekers defi ne better outcomes.5

Process-Oriented Questions Outcome-Oriented Questions

What services do you off er? What community results do you hope to

accomplish through your services?

What is it that your organization

does?

What is it that your organization is striving to

achieve?

Describe the service needs your

agency meets?

What change in condition or behavior are you

attempting to eff ect in the people you serve?

Defi nitions Methods, also known as strategies or tactics, are the activities that an organization will use to deliver its services in order to reach its objectives. When working on a proposal, the focus begins on the goals. The order is as follows: 1. Goal is what the program will achieve. Goals are visionary and may not be measurable.

2. Objectives are how grantseekers will know if their program is meeting its goal(s). Objectives are measurable.

3. Methods defi ne the strategies or activities needed to accomplish the objectives. Methods are the “how to.”

Reality Check: Advocacy Creating systems change, advocating for a community, group of people or position, and/or community activism takes time and the path to success is not always clear or easy to quantify. Thus, because of the nature of this kind of work, it is important to include outcome objectives as well as process objectives. These process objectives are the small wins that allow everyone to measure the progress in moving toward the goals.

Example for Advocacy Work

• Outcome: Schools remove all vending machines from campus. • Process or small win: Have a proposition on the November ballot banning vending machines in schools. • Process or small win: Collect enough signatures to be on the November ballot.

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Step 4—Defining Clear Goals and Objectives 43

Writing Outcome Objectives

Answering the following questions will help in clearly articulating the results the organization expects to accomplish:

• Based on the problem statement, what is (are) the key area(s) the orga- nization is seeking to change?

• Who (what segment of the population or community) will be involved in the change?

• How will the change be measured (an increase or improvement, or a decrease and reduction)? And by what degree (by how much)?

• When will this change take place? How many months or years or by what specifi c date?

• After you have written your objectives, it is helpful to run one last test to see if the objectives are “SMART”:6

• Specifi c: Do they clearly explain what the change the organization wants will be? Are they action oriented?

• Measurable: Do the objectives help everyone know precisely when the goal(s) have been reached?

• Achievable: This is the reality check. Based on available resources (knowledge, funding, staffi ng, partners, physical space, etc.) and access to the target population, will the organization be able to make the change it envisions within the defi ned time? And with the resources requested? It is important to strike a balance between being overly ambitious and aiming too low.

• Relevant: Are the objectives results-oriented and rewarding to the organization, its funder(s), and, most important, the commu- nity being served?

• Time-bound: What is the deadline for reach- ing the change envi- sioned? Is it tangible and tractable?

Tips for Writing Good Goals and Objectives

Do . . .

• Include at least one focused goal for the project and one or two out- come objectives.

Helpful Hint Objectives measure an increase or im- provement, or a decrease and reduction. Therefore, use phrases like the following examples to assist in framing organiza- tional outcome objectives appropriately: To reduce To increase To decrease To expand

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Winning Grants Step by Step44

• Make sure that the goals and objectives tie back to the problem state- ment. This is critical.

• Include all relevant groups in the target population in the goal(s). Although when writing objectives, consider specifying an outcome for a specifi c population or community.

• Allow plenty of time to accomplish objectives. Things always take longer to implement than planned. It is better to undercommit and overperform than to overcommit and underperform.

Don’t . . .

• Overly commit what can be accomplished. Limit the number of goals to one to three per program and no more than three objectives per goal. The reason is this: an organization will need to keep track of all the objectives and methods tied to the goals, so the entire process needs to be manageable.

• Confuse outcome objectives and methods or activities. Collaborating with the YMCA to expand the program and keep costs low is a method. Expanding the Swim 4 Life program to the Cooperville Elementary School resulting in an additional 100 kids completing the program over the course of 2012 is an outcome objective, as it describes the result achieved through the intervention outlined in the method.

• Forget to budget for evaluation activities (Step Six) if measuring the objective(s) will have costs associated with them.

Use Worksheet 4.1A to prepare to write proposal goals and objectives by focusing on outcomes. Start by writing down the goal of the program. Then describe the objectives that tie to that goal. Use the fi lled-out Worksheet 4.1B as a guide. If an organization has more than one goal for its program, use a separate copy of Worksheet 4.1A for each goal. Limit the objectives to no more than three per goal.

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WORKSHEET 4.1A:

Goals and Objectives Exercise

Worksheet 4.1B contains sample goals and objectives based on the Swim 4 Life Program. Grantseekers should refer to it as they complete this worksheet for

themselves.

GOAL:

Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3 Objective 4

Direction of change

Area of change

Target population

Degree of change

Time frame

Follow this standard form as objective statements are developed: To (direction of change) + (area of change) + (target population) + (degree of change) +

(time frame).

On the Web

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WORKSHEET 4.1B:

Objective Worksheet Completed for the Swim 4 Life Program

GOAL: All youth in underserved communities in the Gathenton School District will know how to swim and understand the rules of water safety.

Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3 Objective 4

Direction of change Increase

Area of change Underserved youth in

the Gathenton School

District

Target population Students at Cooperville

Middle School in

Abbington

Degree of change 25% increase in stu-

dent participation over

previous year

Time frame One full school year

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Step 4—Defining Clear Goals and Objectives 47

When this is completed, go through the Goals and Objectives Review Questions with the same approach as the problem statement. Remember, the goal is to be able to answer yes to each question in the review questions.

Goals and Objectives Review Questions

1. Are the goals stated as results? And do they relate to the problem statement?

2. Are the outcome objectives stated as specifi c results that relate to a program goal? Are they steppingstones to achieving success (the goal)? Can everyone understand them?

3. Can progress in meeting the objectives be measured and assessed?

4. Do the objectives describe the population and a specifi c time frame for change?

The organization’s problem statement is in order, and the “so what?” factor has been specifi cally addressed in the program’s goals and objectives. So let’s move on to Step Five where the development of the organization’s methods, or activities, will help in achieving the program’s objectives, thus leading to the accomplishment of the program’s goals.

Notes

1. Rhonda Goetz. January 2010. Defi ning Project Goals and Objectives. www .projectsmart.co.uk

2. Stan Hutton and Frances Phillips. 2001. Nonprofi t Kit for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, p. 131.

3. Stan Hutton and Frances Phillips. 2001. Nonprofi t Kit for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, p. 131.

4. Adapted from UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Health Data, Train the Trainer Project. Performing a Community Assessment Curriculum. 2004. www.healthpolicy.ucla.edu/healthdata/tw_cba4.pdf

5. Adapted from Robert A. Penna and William J. Phillips. 2004. Outcome Frameworks. Rensselaerville Institute’s Center for Outcomes. Albany, NY: Fort Orange Press, p. 8.

6. Paul J. Meyer. 2003. “What Would You Do If You Knew You Couldn’t Fail? Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals.” Attitude Is Everything: If You Want to Succeed Above and Beyond. Meyer Resource Group, Inc. www.pauljmeyer.com

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http://www.healthpolicy.ucla.edu/healthdata/tw_cba4.pdf

http://www.pauljmeyer.com

http://www.projectsmart.co.uk

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