Achieving Advantageous Outcomes with Self Assessments
SONYA STEARNS
Network Manager
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When an individual or family walks through the doors of your church or nonprofit asking for help, properly assessing their situation is the first step in their journey toward free and flourishing lives. One of the tools True Charity Network organizations use to do that is the client self-assessment survey, which provides a solid starting point for the journey to long-term stability.
Using Cantril’s ladder as the basis for most questions, it encourages individuals to think about their overall well-being, ranking different factors with a numerical scale. Their responses will help you (and them) understand more about their families, their self-concept, and their social capital.
The beauty of True Charity documents like the self-assessment survey is that they are adaptable, which means volunteers, staff members, and others can edit them to suit their region and desired outcomes. For instance, some think the term “client” sounds sterile and lacks a personable approach. If you feel this way, you can choose a more relational term like “neighbor,” “partner,” or “champion.”
Regardless of whether you use this exact True Charity tool as your initial intake form or implement a questionnaire you have used before, here are three approaches that will ensure better long-term results:
1. Set aside enough time to treat every individual or family with dignity and respect.
Implement an appointment-based system to help ensure the people you’re serving won’t feel like numbers in a rushed pandemonium. This will protect your time as well. You can set up Google Calendar, Calendly, and others for free on your church or nonprofit’s website.
It’s important to remember that often, people asking for help have been treated like a number so many times that they have shut down emotionally. Many have lost all hope of being treated with dignity and have stopped dreaming of being free from poverty. Thus, they may come across as demanding or entitled when, in fact, it’s what they’ve learned to do to survive.
Smile. Look them in the eyes and patiently help them evaluate their overall situation. Being in a relaxed atmosphere will help them understand both the positives and negatives of their current circumstance and grasp a realistic view of their state of affairs.
Also, remember that simply handing someone a questionnaire and leaving them isolated in a room does not communicate respect and care. Instead, guide them conversationally through its thoughtful questions. That will let them know you value them and want to know their story.
If it’s impossible to sit one-on-one with every individual, explain that they are important image bearers of God who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Communicate that you want to help them achieve long-term stability and can best do that by getting to know them through the questionnaire.
And please consider this: if time is a constant restraint, it may be necessary to reevaluate your program to allow for a more relational approach. True Charity’s Program Refinement Toolkit is available to member organizations to help toward this effort. Its PDF guide is free to nonmembers who subscribe to the True Charity mailing list or upon request at info@truecharity.us.
2. Use easy-to-understand questions that apply to the specific audience for your program.
Every individual and context is unique. While you’ll find the questions on True Charity’s Client Self Assessment Survey fit a variety of situations, they won’t fit every context perfectly. Feel free to use only the questions relevant to your context.
Keep in mind that the average American reads at a 7th – 8th-grade level. Shape questions so they are easily understood. A free online tool like the Hemingway Editor can help simplify the language.
More and more network members realize that having Spanish-speaking volunteers makes a huge difference. Your region may have another prevalent non-English language group, so consider enlisting dual-language students or retirees to help. Many would welcome a part-time income, and some may want to volunteer their time.
Shape your programs’ check-in process according to your clientele. For example, Christmas markets and back-to-school programs attract parents and families, while church benevolence ministries and food pantries also serve single individuals.
3. Plan for follow-through and continued development.
James Whitford, TC’s co-founder and CEO, often says, “Until we want to spend time with those in poverty as much as we want to solve the problem of poverty, we won’t see measurable results.” Re-read that sentence and let it sink in.
Continued communication with our neighbors increases the likelihood they’ll reach a stable and flourishing destination. To that end, a mentoring program with bought-in volunteers will be a natural relational venue for growth to take place.
Likewise, planning periodic check-ins is an effective way to stay in touch and strengthen relationships. Meeting an individual or family over donuts and coffee once a month might be easier than you think. Recruiting churches and new volunteers to join in these follow-ups is wise and will increase the social capital of those you’re serving.
Walking alongside those in need, helping them understand their opportunities, and following up regularly is a multi-faceted journey. Start it with an effective assessment of the situation. Doing so will put you on course to help those you serve achieve outcomes that demonstrate independent and flourishing lives!
The Client Self-Assessment Survey is only a small piece of the resources available to network members. To learn more about the True Charity Network, visit truecharity.us/join.
