New & Noteworthy
California’s Rural Health Transformation Program: What Counties, Providers, and CBOs Need to Know
California is receiving $233 million in federal funding to transform rural health care — and applications are open now, with most windows closing by the end of August. Given the program’s performance-contingent structure, strong evaluation and reporting is the mechanism through which California and its grantees will protect future funding. This blog details what that…
Service Expansion Announcement: Data Utility Assessment and Planning
We live in an era of unprecedented information abundance. Organizations today generate and receive more data than ever before, from program metrics and regulatory compliance reporting to data dashboards and billing systems. Yet, more data does not automatically mean better decisions. Without the right infrastructure to organize, interpret, and act on that information, data can…
From Data to Impact: A Practical Guide to Continuous Quality Improvement for Mission-Driven Organizations
Mission-driven organizations operate in a complex environment where accountability, efficiency, and community impact matter deeply. Whether managing social services, public health programs, behavioral health treatment initiatives, justice programs, or other areas, organizations face mounting pressure to demonstrate results while working within constrained budgets. The communities they serve deserve nothing less than excellence. That’s where continuous…
Outcomes vs. Impact: What Funders Really Want to See in Your Reports
When nonprofit leaders and government program managers sit down to write their funder reports, many face the same frustrating challenge: how do you effectively communicate your organization’s true value? Too often, well-intentioned reports fall flat because they confuse outcomes with impact, leaving funders questioning whether their investment is truly making a difference. Putting in the effort…
The BHSA Transition Guide Part 6: ISL Implementation & Data Modernization
In our previous post, we explored the reporting and performance expectations under the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA). As the sixth installment in our BHSA Transition Guide series, we now turn to a substantial new county requirement: reporting individual service level (ISL) data by January 1, 2027. DHCS now requires counties to collect and report non-Medi-Cal person-level…
Maximizing Impact with Comprehensive Program Evaluations: Key Metrics for Success
Organizations invest significant time, funding, and resources into programs designed to create meaningful outcomes for the communities, populations, and stakeholders they serve. Whether the goal is improving educational achievement, advancing workforce development, supporting public health initiatives, or strengthening community engagement, understanding whether a program is achieving its intended results is essential. This is where a…
5 Lessons We’ve Learned About Community Engagement in the CHNA Process
Community engagement is one of the most important components of the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) process. Federal requirements mandate that nonprofit hospitals solicit input from specific stakeholder groups—but over the years, we’ve come to see that the most meaningful CHNAs are built in the space between meeting the minimum standard and conducting engagement that…
The $50B Rural Health Transformation Program: What States Need to Know
The federal government is allocating $50 billion in rural health care funding to all states that apply. With half of funding tied to demonstrated performance year-over-year, states that invest early in planning, evaluation, and reporting will be best positioned to maximize their funding potential. What Is the Rural Health Transformation Program? On September 15, 2025,…
Asking Good Evaluation Questions
Evaluation questions are an excellent focal point around which to design an evaluation, but asking these questions the right way is harder than it seems. A sophisticated analysis cannot rescue a poorly formed evaluation question. Yet evaluators, program managers, and funders routinely find themselves deep into an evaluation before realizing that the questions guiding their…