Imagine how much good could be accomplished if all nonprofits could articulate goals, plan programs, define success, measure results, and use those results for program improvement. Innovation Network's Point K Learning Center provides free online tools and resources for program planning and evaluation, and we're seeking to develop our online community features. Recently spotlighted on SocialEdge as "a Web 2.0 tool for measuring effectiveness in the social sector," Point K serves a community of nearly 9,000 people at over 1,800 organizations in 60 countries and counting. This community has grown steadily despite very little marketing, because users find Point K's tools relevant, practical, and readily available.

In the words of our "Community Faces,"

* Point K tools helped push us to establish protocols for the implementation and refinement of our services. They aren't top-down guidelines that don’t apply; they based on the reality of our work, and that is more useful than anything.

* Participants have commented that Point K was immediately helpful to get a broad grasp of organizational issues, and have asked if their entire staff could also use it.

* Before Point K, we had no stationary place or idea of how to share information. Having a logic model on Point K makes it easier to explain to new staff, the board, and our partners what we do, and it has saved us an enormous amount of time communicating new ideas.

Built on the open source LAMP platform, Point K supports and connects nonprofit practitioners in planning, managing, and evaluating their programs. A NetSquared Innovation Award supporting enhancements to Point K would accelerate the possibilities and implications for nonprofit practitioners, evaluators, funders, and consultants to share and collaborate as they articulate, measure, and communicate the impact of their work.