Coffee & Quality 2026 Fellows Program: A Comprehensive Guide for Nonprofits Strengthening Data & Evaluation Capacity

The Coffee & Quality 2026 Fellows Program, hosted by United Way of Greater Houston, is a deeply structured, multi‑month capacity‑building initiative designed to help nonprofit organizations strengthen their data, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement (CQI) practices. This program is intentionally built as a community of practice, offering hands‑on learning, coaching, infrastructure development, and long‑term sustainability support.

This article provides a full, detailed breakdown of the program, its purpose, structure, expectations, benefits, timeline, and application requirements. It is written to help organizations fully understand the opportunity and prepare a strong application.

Program Purpose

The Fellows Program expands on the existing Coffee & Quality initiative by offering nonprofits a deeper, more sustained opportunity to build and strengthen their internal data and evaluation infrastructure. As stated in the document:

“The Fellows Program is designed as a community of practice focused on supporting and strengthening the existing conditions for data and evaluation practices (infrastructure) of nonprofit organizations.”

The program aims to ensure organizations can:

• Use data and evaluation findings to inform decisions and improve programmatic impact.
• Promote sustainable data practices that preserve institutional knowledge and support business continuity even during staff transitions.

Program Structure

Cohort Size & Participation

• 12–14 organizations will be selected.
• Each organization must designate two staff members to participate.
• Participants must attend all sessions; missing more than one session disqualifies the organization from the current cycle.

Duration & Format

The program includes:

1. Initial 3‑month program
   • Eight in‑person sessions (2 hours each)
   • Coaching
   • Article reviews
   • Technical guidance
   • Site visits
   • One‑on‑one check‑ins
2. Quarterly gatherings after the initial program
3. Final site visits in 2027
4. A showcase ceremony with United Way staff, agency leadership, funders, and supporters

Program Objectives

Organizational Objectives

Organizations will strengthen their internal systems and processes to measure impact through sustained data and evaluation practices.

Individual Objectives

Participants will build their personal skills in data literacy, evaluation, and CQI, improving both knowledge and application.

Topics Covered in the Fellows Program

The curriculum is comprehensive and designed to build a strong foundation for sustainable data practices. Topics include:

1. Assessing organizational data and evaluation maturity
   • Data literacy
   • CQI culture
   • Equitable data infrastructures
2. Inventory and quality improvement
   • Ensuring sustainability
   • Meaningful use of data
3. Enhancement of existing practices
   • Strengthening soft and hard infrastructures
4. Foundational elements for sustainable data collection
   • Clear strategies for collecting and using data
   • Logic model development
   • Evaluation and CQI planning
5. Documenting and strengthening data practices
   • Data dictionaries (codebooks)
   • Analysis procedure documentation
   • Output, outcome, and target measurement
6. Streamlining and demystifying reporting
   • Reducing reporting burden
   • Improving efficiency
7. Using data for learning and improvement
   • Distinguishing analysis vs. interpretation
   • Using visualizations to communicate value
8. Sustainability strategies
   • Embedding long‑term data and evaluation practices

Participation Requirements & Time Commitment

Participants must commit to:

• Attending all eight in‑person sessions
• Participating in site visits
• Engaging in coaching and technical guidance
• Attending the showcase ceremony

The document states:

“If more than one session is missed by both participants, the organization will be invited to join the next cycle of the Fellows Program.”

Initial Program Schedule (Deadline Included)

All sessions occur at United Way of Greater Houston (50 Waugh Drive, Houston, TX 77007) from 9 AM – 11 AM.

August 2026

• Friday, August 14
• Friday, August 28

September 2026

• Friday, September 11
• Friday, September 18
• Friday, September 25

October 2026

• Friday, October 2
• Friday, October 9
• Thursday, October 22 (Showcase)

Site visits occur during September & October 2026.

Capacity Building Grant (Up to $10,000)

Each selected organization receives a stipend to support sustainable data and evaluation capacity. This can be used for:

Soft Infrastructure

• Workshops, conferences, specialized courses
• Team learning activities
• Internal data discussions
• Coaching
• Research and development

Hard Infrastructure

• Software licenses
• Data platforms, dashboards, CRMs
• Technical support or system developers

Other Uses

Organizations may propose additional uses that support data sustainability.

Application Requirements

Deadline

Thursday, July 16, 2026 at 6 PM CST

Required Submission

• Online Interest Form
• Letter of Interest (LOI) from CEO/Executive Director (max 2 pages)

Optional Submission

• Letter of Support from Board Chair

LOI Must Address:

• What the organization hopes to gain
• Three areas of improvement related to data and evaluation
• Key questions the organization wants to answer with data
• Leadership buy‑in and experience using data
• Names of the two staff participants

Eligibility

Nonprofits must:

• Be a 501(c)(3)
• Be located in Greater Houston area (Brazoria, Fort Bend, Harris, Montgomery, Waller counties)

Interest Form Preview

The interest form includes:

• Organizational information
• Budget range
• Participant details
• Likert‑scale questions on data practices
• Confidence ratings
• Organizational ability ratings

Apply here

For more information about this opportunity visit here

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