At the Maclellan Foundation, our granting agenda is centered on the concept of Transformation.  We believe that communities and nations are changed by transforming one heart at a time into the likeness of Christ.

We desire to partner with organizations that are driven by the same sense of personal and spiritual imperative to “go and make disciples of all nations”.  Priority is given to those groups who have a clear vision of the results their programs are intended to realize and demonstrate the ability to measure the tangible outcomes of their efforts.   Therefore, we seek organizations whose vision statements describe a targeted change over time.  Grant requests should define how activities will be measured by their ongoing contribution to a set of mission-driven outcomes in a well-defined target population.

Too often, we see great organizations focus on process (activity) rather than transformation (an outcome or measured change).  Thus, the Foundation will award grant proposals that adopt an outcomes-based approach: 

• Has the proposal made explicit the desired outcomes that flow from the request? Do the identified outcomes lend themselves to measurable effects on behavior or conditions?
• Does the proposal cite reliable data sources when describing the “current conditions” they seek to address?  Are specific populations targeted for change?
• Which results will be measured?  How will they be measured?  Who will measure them?  When will they be measured?  Have costs been built into the budget to perform these measurements?

It is our hope that organizations will not view this outcomes-mindset as merely a funding hurdle.  Rather, by incorporating these disciplines the organization will find they have ability to:

• Increase program effectiveness through measurable means of evaluation
• Communicate to funders the value of their programs through clearly demonstrable outcomes
• Find a logical path from outcomes back to program development, and thus be able to drive internal change or course corrections along the way.