Lauren Gilbert has written a fascinating piece on the experiences that her organization, BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life), has faced in measuring its performance. BELL has received funding from the Social Innovation Fund and Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, among others, and is considered a leader in the nonprofit performance management field.
In the piece, Gilbert cites several specific barriers to be overcome, including capacity (BELL has a full-time Manager of Evaluation who has significant experience in educational research), the development of public and private partnerships, and the willingness of clients and others to participate in evaluations.
It is a strong companion piece to a recent Center for Effective Philanthropy report on foundation funding of nonprofit performance assessment.