Our Impact

Our evaluation work

Cleveland Leadership Center program curricula are designed to achieve the four clearly defined guiding framework outcomes, which are collectively aimed at achieving the organization’s mission.

View the Fiscal Year 2024 Impact Report >

Why?

CLC started this work in 2012 as a means to understand the organization’s impact on individuals and in the community, and to inform areas for growth and improvement. In the first phase of the work, a program evaluation rubric was designed and instituted across all programs. In the second phase, the organization’s impact on the community was explored.

How it works

CLC uses a retrospective pre-test (RPT) built around these four pillars to evaluate the impact of its programs. Participants rate their knowledge, attitude, and skills at the end of their program compared to before the program across a series of learning indicators. The charts within each accordion below indicate the percentage of participants who agreed or strongly agreed with specific outcome-related indicators before the program (pastel bars) and after the program (dark color bars). Last year, all programs showed increases across all indicators.

• Civic understanding

  Percentage of participants across all programs who report understanding the civic landscape and are able to use their knowledge to build a better Cleveland.

  

  “I am now aware of the huge amount of history and diversity that the city contains. I have been educated on topics like poverty and redlining. It has allowed me to appreciate the hard work of the small business and its owners. The program has given me a new, positive perspective on Cleveland.”
  Look Up To Cleveland 2024 graduate
  

• Relationship building

  Percentage of participants across all programs who report building meaningful relationships and regularly engaging with people from a variety of backgrounds.

  

  “I feel more confident in networking with individuals that were outside of my “comfort zone”. I have met so many CLC alumni who encouraged us to gain more knowledge and challenge future cohorts to do the same, all while giving back and fostering change for an equitable society.”
  Advanced Leadership Institute 2024 graduate

• Collaborative leadership

  Percentage of participants across all programs who report understanding their individual leadership capacity and can deploy their strengths to collaborate with community stakeholders to effect positive change.
  

  “I can think more deeply on my impact to Cleveland, what I want to change through my work, and the local leaders I should be collaborating with.”
  OnBoard Cleveland 2024 graduate

• Civic readiness

  Percentage of participants across all programs who report feeling confident to take action in the community to build a better Cleveland.
  

  “I am reenergized to think about how my assets translate to involvement in the civic realm through board service.”
  Cleveland Bridge Builders 2024 graduate

Our impact

In addition to the immediate effects CLC programs have on participants, CLC has also investigated the long-term learning and behaviors resulting from participation in CLC programs. This was done by examining current alumni involvement and behaviors in their professional organizations and in their community involvement to determine if they intersect with the four guiding framework outcomes. This exploration also defined the lasting impact CLC programming has on participants, organizations and the community and provided insight into long-term behavioral effects of alumni in the community.

Below is a brief (1:05 minute) video highlighting some of the findings. You can also read the full report.