Our Evaluation Model

In 2008, the Colorado Health Foundation adopted 12 Measurable Results to help guide our investments and support our grantees in evaluating their work.

These results, in the form of numeric milestones, ladder up to the Foundation's vision of making Colorado the healthiest state in the nation by ensuring access to the key components of Healthy Living, increasing the number of Coloradans with Health Coverage, and ensuring access to quality, coordinated primary Health Care. First and foremost, the evaluation model is intended to be a strategic tool to maximize progress toward the Foundation's vision.

Each Measurable Result is research-based and highly predictive of a healthy outcome. For example, research shows that increasing physical activity levels (one of our Measurable Results) is highly associated with decreasing the obesity rate in Colorado. Thus, numeric increases in each Measurable Result are one way we track our progress.

While this basic model was designed to ease the data collection burden for grantees, it's also deeply rooted in outcomes-based research. Let's say a grantee estimates it could increase physical activity for approximately 500 children. In order to "count" any child as a participant under the metric, that child would need to engage in physical activity levels recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (which sets the guideline that children need to participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on three days a week in order to be counted).

After building the architecture of the Measurable Results, the Foundation began collecting and storing data from grantees on Jan. 1, 2009. Grant proposals are filed electronically and reviewed by evaluation staff in order to assess accurate projections. In 2010, the process of reporting Measurable Results expanded as we developed an online process that captured both anticipated and achieved data. Our grantees report their annual progress and submit a final summary of their results at the end of the grant lifecycle.

To date, the implementation of this evaluation model has had a twofold impact. First, through building its own evaluation capacity, the Foundation has become a strong learning organization committed to maximizing the benefits of its grantmaking. Secondly, the Foundation has developed a powerful set of measures to assess the impact of its entire portfolio.

Learn more about the Measurable Results, our evaluation approach and how the Measurable Results relates to our grantmaking.

In addition, Measurable Results findings are updated periodically.