Station 02 — Outcomes & National Benchmarks

Building an Evidence Base

Using Copilot to discover national data sources and frame a compelling outcomes narrative

The Scenario

You're a data analyst or outcomes-focused team member who's been asked to help build a stronger evidence base for grant writing and fundraising. The challenge isn't a lack of data — it's knowing where to look for the right national comparisons and how to frame the story those comparisons tell.

For Hope Ignites, measuring outcomes against national benchmarks is increasingly important as the network pursues its bold goal to triple the scholars served by 2035. Funders, grant writers, and board members all want to understand not just what the organization does, but how the results compare to what young people experience without that support.

This scenario is designed to help you discover national data sources you may not have encountered yet, like the Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT Data Center — a free and publicly accessible resource that houses hundreds of indicators on child and family well-being at the national, state, and local level.

Your Starting Prompt

"I'm working on building a stronger outcomes framework for our organization that we can use to support grant writing and fundraising as we grow. We serve motivated young people from under-resourced communities and we track outcomes like high school graduation, college enrollment, college persistence, and economic mobility. Before you suggest anything, ask me a few questions about what we measure and who our audience is. Then help me identify national data sources and benchmarks we could compare our outcomes against — including sources I might not already know about. For each source, help me understand what it measures, how it's organized, and how it connects to what we track. I want to use this to help our grant writers frame a more compelling story about our impact, especially as we make the case for growth."

What's Provided

A one-page fictional outcomes summary listing Hope Ignites' key tracked metrics with sample figures — high school graduation rate, college enrollment rate, college persistence rate, and a brief scholar demographic profile
A one-paragraph framing note explaining the growth context — the network goal to grow from 1,200 to 3,600 scholars by 2035 — and why a strong outcomes narrative is essential to the fundraising strategy that will support that growth

Goal Output

A clearer sense of how to use national data sources to build a compelling, credible narrative around Hope Ignites' outcomes — one that positions the organization's growth goals as both ambitious and well-supported by evidence. Participants should leave with knowledge of specific data sources and how to frame outcomes for different audiences.

Tips for This Station

Make the conversation iterative and discovery-oriented, with Copilot helping you identify which sources are most useful for which audiences
A grant writer making the case to a foundation needs a different framing than a board member reviewing an annual impact report — ask Copilot to help you think through those distinctions
Finding a resource like KIDS COUNT through this conversation is itself a win — don't worry about becoming an expert, focus on discovery

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