ACADEMICS AS "INNOVATORS" AND "AGENTS OF CHANGE
http://www.ut-ie.com/about-ie.html
From the web site: "Intellectual Entrepreneurship is a philosophy and vision of education viewing academics as "innovators" and "agents of change." It focuses on creating cross-disciplinary and multi-institutional collaborations designed to produce intellectual advancements with a capacity to provide real solutions to society's problems and needs. Intellectual Entrepreneurship is academic engagement for the purpose of changing lives."

T/MC Note: If your university wants to apply this philosophy in partnership with the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, we want to hear from you!!!

ACTION RESEARCH - VIDEO SHOWS PROCESS
https://research-for-real.co.uk/2012/08/13/how-action-research-can-help-to-deliver-better-services/
This site offers many ideas and resources for applying action research in building and sustaining effective social problem solving organizations

APPLIED COLLABORATION STUDIOS- SYSTEMS OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
https://timreview.ca/article/268
From the web site "This paper asserts that the voluntary or social sector plays a pivotal role in generating and disseminating social innovations through collaboration with diverse partners. The authors explore the potential to engender a quantum leap in the sector’s efficiency, reach, and impact through the combined use of open source technologies, social process tools and collaboration platforms. The objective is to contribute to a new generation of intelligent social systems, enabling an evolutionary recalibration of relationships among ourselves, our social and economic institutions, and the planet."

ASSESSMENT TOOLS IN INFORMAL STEM (ATIS) FROM PEAR WEBSITE
http://pearweb.org/atis/tools/jump?range=AC
This site host an extensive list of evaluation and assessment tools that focus on STEM, but probably could be used by many types of youth serving organizations.  

ASSET BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AT DEPAUL
https://resources.depaul.edu/abcd-institute/Pages/default.aspx
From the web site: " The Asset-Based Community Development Institute (ABCD) is at the center of a large and growing movement that considers local assets as the primary building blocks of sustainable community development. Building on the skills of local residents, the power of local associations, and the supportive functions of local institutions, asset-based community development draws upon existing community strengths to build stronger, more sustainable communities for the future."   The ABCD Institute originated at Northwestern University and moved to DePaul in recent years.

BENCHMARKING - WIKIPEDIA PAGE
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benchmarking
By looking at how others operate volunteer-based tutoring and/or mentoring programs and reading research about what works program leaders and donors can gather ideas that can help each program constantly improve their impact on young people and the volunteers involved in their programs.

BENCHMARKING. WHAT IS IT? HOW TO USE IT?
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/overview-and-examples-of-benchmarking-in-business-2275114
Benchmarking is the process of determining who is the very best, who sets the standard, and what that standard is. The links on this web site are intended to help tutor/mentor programs compare themselves to the very best as a part of ongoing innovation and process improvement strategies.

BOXES AND ARROWS: PRACTICE, INNOVATION, AND DISCUSSION OF DESIGN
https://boxesandarrows.com/about-boxes-and-arrows/
From the web site: "Boxes and Arrows is devoted to the practice, innovation, and discussion of design; including graphic design, interaction design, information architecture and the design of business. Since 2001, it’s been a peer-written journal promoting contributors who want to provoke thinking, push limits, and teach a few things along the way.

CHICAGOLAND TUTOR/MENTOR VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN - ARCHIVE
http://www.tutormentorexchange.net/chicagoland-volunteer-recruitment
When individual programs, volunteers, donors and business partners join together to build public awareness and draw volunteers to tutor/mentor programs throughout the city, more volunteers will respond and more youth will be connected to tutors and mentors.  Visit this link to learn about the campaign the Tutor/Mentor Connection hosted in Chicago each year between 1994 and 2003. This campaign has continued as an Internet campaign since 2003.  It's a strategy that requires many leaders, not just one small organization's efforts.

CLARIFYING IMPACT. LESSONS FROM CIVIC TECH TORONTO
click here
This article show how Civic Tech Toronto engaged in a planning process and produced a Theory of Change document.

COMMUNITY INTELLIGENCE - ENABLING THE NEXT STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT IN PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS
http://community-intelligence.com/
From the web site: "We, at Community Intelligence, believe a better world is possible and it needs the courageous and wise action of all of us who care for it. We hold our vision not as an agenda to accomplish but as a future, we feel passionately attracted to." Visit the site and learn more. 

COMMUNITY TOOL BOX - UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
https://ctb.ku.edu/en
This is an extremely helpful, comprehensive resource, committed to connecting people, ideas and resources for the work of community health and development. Sponsored by the University of Kansas. The site includes troubleshooting guides, like community planning and action. Also includes profiles of partners, such as The Access Project of Boston, Mass. which works to increase access to health care with a focus on people who are without insurance.

DAVID P. WEIKART CENTER FOR YOUTH PROGRAM QUALITY
https://forumfyi.org/weikartcenter/
From the web site: "The  David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality empowers education and human service leaders to adapt, implement, and scale best-in-class, research validated quality improvement systems to advance child and youth development." This is part of the Forum For Youth Investment.

FORWARD AND BACKWARD MAPPING: REVERSIBLE LOGIC IN THE ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC POLICY ARTICLE BY DR. RICHARD ELMORE
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2149628
Dr. Elmore's backward mapping article is the basis of much of the thinking of the Tutor/Mentor Connection. If we start with a goal in mind, then work backward, we can frame flexible steps, and define resources, needed to achieve the goal.  You can download the PDF from this site.

GETTING RESULTS AND SOLVING PROBLEMS (GRASP)
https://cominofoundation.org.uk/our-history/getting-results-and-solving-problems-grasp/
From the web site: "Demitri Comino initiated GRASP many years ago and the Comino Foundation revived its use as a descriptive shorthand for the approach. As the title infers, its emphasis is on getting results, that is to say making those things happen that we wish to make happen. It concentrates on outcomes - what we want to achieve rather than what we want to do. It is a process of achieving. It springs from a belief that each of us has the potential to achieve far more than we do, and that through education and training young people can develop their ability and motivation to learn, to succeed and to make things happen for themselves and others."

GLOBAL FAMILY RESEARCH PROJECT
https://globalfrp.org/
From the web site: "The Global Family Research Project is the successor to the Harvard Family Research Project (1983-2016), which separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education Jan. 1, 2017, and it is no longer affiliated with Harvard University. With our long history, we have an established track record in defining and advancing the fields of family, school, and community engagement."

KNIGHT FOUNDATION COMMUNITY PARTNERS PROGRAM
https://knightfoundation.org/programs/communities/
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Community Partners Program aims to improve the quality of life in 26 U.S. communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. In each city and town, community advisory committees have developed funding strategies, focusing on no more than three of Knight's six funding priorities. Visit the web site to learn more.

MEASURING IMPACT - MULAGO FOUNDATION
https://www.mulagofoundation.org/articles/real-world-impact-measurement
This is one of many articles that share ideas of The Mulago Foundation. This is one of three 2012 articles focuses on five steps to determine impact and calculate bang for the donor buck.

MOZELLA OPEN LEADERSHIP TRANING MODULES
https://mozilla.github.io/open-leadership-training-series/articles/introduction-to-open-leadership/introduction-to-working-open/
https://mozilla.github.io/open-leadership-training-series/articles/introduction-to-open-leadership/stating-your-project-vision/
From the website: "This website introduces you to the basic concepts of working open.  When you are 'working open' you use the power, knowledge, and skills of a diverse community of volunteers (called "contributors") to accomplish something that a single person or a small team couldn't do alone."

NATIONAL SERVICES RESOURCE CENTER
https://americorps.gov/grantees-sponsors
This is the resource and knowledge center page of the Corporation for National and Community Service. It connects service programs and others with targeted training and information.

ONLINE EVALUATION RESOURCE LIBRARY (OERL)
https://oerl.sri.com/
From the web site: "Welcome to OERL, the Online Evaluation Resource Library. This library was developed for professionals seeking to design, conduct, document, or review project evaluations. The purpose of this system is to collect and make available evaluation plans, instruments, and reports for NSF projects that can be used as examples by Principal Investigators, project evaluators, and others outside the NSF community as they design proposals and projects. OERL also includes professional development modules that can be used to better understand and utilize the materials made available."


OPEN LIFE SCIENCE AND OPEN SEEDS - DEDIDICATED TO CAPACITY BUILDING AND DIVERSIFYING LEADERSHIP IN RESEARCH
https://openlifesci.org/
https://openlifesci.org/openseeds/
This non-profit organization offers online mentoring and training programs for individuals and teams worldwide to learn about and adopt open research practices. The "Open Seeds" is a mentoring and training program for Open Science ambassadors.

OUTCOME MAPPING - AN EVALUATION APPROACH SUPPORTED BY IDRC
https://idl-bnc-idrc.dspacedirect.org/bitstream/handle/10625/59318/IDL-59318.pdf
From the web site: "The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) funds research in developing countries to promote growth, reduce poverty, and drive large-scale positive change. A Crown corporation, we support leading thinkers who advance knowledge and solve practical development problems. We provide the resources, advice, and training they need to implement and share their solutions with those who need them most. In short, IDRC increases opportunities — and makes a real difference in people’s lives." Search on the https://www.idrc.ca/en site for "outcome mapping" to find several projects that focus on this.

OUTCOMES INDICATORS PROJECT AT THE URBAN INSTITUTE
click here
From the web site: "The Outcome Indicators Project provides a framework for tracking nonprofit performance. It suggests candidate outcomes and outcome indicators to assist nonprofit organizations that seek to develop new outcome monitoring processes or improve their existing systems."

PIRE EVALUATION RESOURCES
https://www.pire.org/
From the web site: "PIRE is an independent, nonprofit organization merging scientific knowledge and proven practice to create solutions that improve the health, safety, and well-being of individuals, communities, and nations around the world."

PLANNING TOOL FOR CHANGE: ACTION MAPPING
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED444266
This article by Bruce I. Matsui, The Claremont Graduate School, August 1997,  explores Backward Mapping and Action Mapping concepts.   It's one of the articles that have influence strategies of the Tutor/Mentor Connection since the mid 1990s.

ROADMAP TO SOCIAL IMPACT - STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
https://www.csi.edu.au/research/tools-and-guides/roadmap-to-social-impact/
The full title of this 2021 article is "Roadmap to social impact: Your step-by-step guide to planning, measuring and communicating social impact.  From the Center for Social Impact in Australia. 

SOCIAL PROGRAMS THAT WORK
https://evidencebasedprograms.org/
From the web site: "This site seeks to identify those social programs shown in rigorous studies to produce sizable, sustained benefits to participants and/or society. The purpose is to enable policy officials and other readers to readily distinguish these programs from the many others that claim to have such evidence."

SYSTEMS THINKING IN SCHOOLS - THE WALTERS CENTER
https://waterscenterst.org/why-systems-thinking?tab=benefits
From the web site: "We help create positive change and improved performance through the Habits and tools of systems thinking. We’re all about delivering benefits and working with others to help them do the same — whether it’s in a classroom, school, district, business or community, systems thinking helps people of all ages and walks of life see beyond the heart of a problem to find equitable and essential solutions."

TACTICAL TECHNOLOGY - INVESTIGATES HOW DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IMPACT SOCIETY
https://tacticaltech.org/projects
From the web site: "We work with an international audience of engaged citizens and civil society actors to investigate and mitigate the evolving impact of technologies on society. Our work has gone through a number of phases since the organisation was founded in 2003, but the core principle hasn't changed: we examine how issues arise in different contexts, explore what responses are needed and find strategies and tactics to work with and around them in a sustainable way."

TOOLS & RESOURCES FOR ACCESSING SOCIAL IMPACT (TRASI)
click here
From the web site: "Tools and Resources for Assessing Social Impact (TRASI) is a searchable, expert-reviewed database of over 150 approaches to measuring the impact of social programs and investments. It also features a community portal for nonprofits, grantmakers, and social enterprises to connect with peers and evaluation experts."

TUTOR/MENTOR CONNECTION (T/MC) ACTIONS DOCUMENTATION SYSTEM
http://tutormentorinstitute.wikidot.com/project:ohats-t-mc
The T/MC Organizational History and Tracking System (OHATS) was created in 2000 and was intended to capture the many actions that add up to achieving its mission over a period of years. This link points to a planning wiki with a history describing the OHATS system.  The OHATS system site is now only available as an archive. However, it is still a model that others might duplicate.

USING BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS FOR NON PROFITS - PLANNING TOOL
http://weblog.tetradian.com/2011/07/16/bmcanvas-for-nonprofits/
This article can be used by non profits or social entrepreneurs to help develop their plans and strategies. Great use of visualization to illustrate ideas.

USING CASE STUDIES TO EXPLORE AND EXPLAIN COMPLEX INTERVENTIONS
https://blogs.worldbank.org/impactevaluations/using-case-studies-explore-and-explain-complex-interventions
This is one of many articles on the World Bank web site. It focuses on the complexity of change efforts focused on multiple locations.  Worth reading.

YOUTH PROGRAM QUALITY ACCESSMENT AND PLANNING TOOLS - FROM THE FORUM FOR YOUTH INVESTMENT
https://forumfyi.org/weikartcenter/assessments/
From the website: "This page hosts a variety of resources designed to  help programs effectively observe and collect data", which is a crucial first step in planning and program improvement processes.