[GRAYSON COUNTY] Empower Texoma Symposium

The Empower Texoma Symposium Series is a quarterly regional training initiative designed to support nonprofit organizations across the Texoma region. Each symposium rotates host locations among Fannin, Grayson, Bryan, and Marshall Counties to ensure accessibility throughout the area. The series was established to provide high-quality professional development opportunities focused on the unique challenges and operational needs commonly faced by nonprofits serving the Texoma community.

Data Collection and Program Evaluation: Measuring What Matters

Nonprofits collect a lot of data, but collecting it and using it well are two different things. This workshop helps organizations move from data collection as a compliance task to evaluation as a strategic tool, equipping staff to design simple, sustainable systems that capture meaningful outcomes rather than just activity counts.

Participants will learn how to identify the right metrics for their programs, choose appropriate data collection methods, and turn evaluation findings into stories and decisions that strengthen funding proposals, board reporting, and program design. Through hands-on examples, attendees will leave with practical tools for building (or improving) an evaluation system that fits their organization's size and capacity.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Distinguish between outputs, outcomes, and impact, and identify which their organization is currently measuring.
• Select data collection methods appropriate to their program size, staff capacity, and funder requirements.
• Design a simple logic model or outcomes framework to guide ongoing evaluation.
• Translate evaluation data into clear narratives for funders, boards, and community stakeholders.
• Build a sustainable, low-burden system for collecting and reviewing program data on an ongoing basis.

You’ll leave with clear, actionable steps you can implement immediately, not just theory. Designed specifically for small and mid-sized nonprofits in rural communities, this training addresses the real challenges you’re facing right now.