San Francisco Children and Families Commission
The San Francisco Children and Families Commission provides grants to both public and private entities. Funds are intended to promote, support and improve early childhood development through coordinated resources and programs that emphasize family support, parent education, early care and education, and health care.
Services
Need
The Commission contracted Harder+Company to evaluate the short-term and long-term impact of its targeted funding for children ages 0-5 and their families. Since 1998, the Commission distributed Proposition 10 tobacco tax funds to programs for health, development, and education programs that promote early child development.
Realizing its need for an evaluation of the Commissions impact as a whole, rather than relying on individual program findings, the Commission hired us to develop and implement an evaluation of the Commission's impact on San Francisco to guide future grant making decisions.
What We Did
Our team worked closely with the Commission’s staff to develop an evaluation system that responded to local Commission needs and meet the State’s reporting requirements. Using traditional evaluation and research methods, such as client surveys, case studies and focus groups, and innovative methods, such as Photovoice, we developed a comprehensive evaluation design for the Commission. We also built local capacity and ensured the evaluation reflected the work of funded programs by developing surveys and protocols in partnership with funded programs and Commission staff.
Results
Harder+Company developed a comprehensive report detailing the findings of the Commissions work. Our Photovoice work was showcased at city hall and drew a diverse crowd of participating parents, community members, Commissioners, and elected officials.
Staff
For more information on Harder + Company, please contact us at 415-522-5400.
