You can compile all the statistics in the world to demonstrate the effectiveness of your program – but it’s the stories behind the statistics that will be remembered. The workbook Impact and Value: Telling Your Program’s Story provides valuable tips and examples for developing success stories to demonstrate program achievements. This workbook goes beyond describing how to collect anecdotes of individuals who have benefited from your program (although anecdotes are used effectively in the workbook examples). Rather, the workbook shows how to frame your project’s successes in a story format that is easily communicated and remembered. The authors give outlines for a variety of presentation formats, from short elevator speeches delivered to high-powered stakeholders to 2-page write-ups for various audiences. The workbook includes a useful template for developing success stories. Impact and Value: Telling Your Program’s Story is a good resource for those who want to use their evaluation results for effective program advocacy.

This workbook, published by the CDC, is available for download here.

Citation: Lavinghouze SR, Price AW. Impact and Value: Telling your Program’s Story. Atlanta, Georgia: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Oral Health, 2007.