What We Measure—and Why It Matters to Our Donors

You care about impact. Not press releases. Not feel-good stories with no substance. Not vanity metrics that sound impressive but mean nothing.

You want to know: Is my money actually making a difference?

We get it. And we respect it.

That's why we're committed to radical transparency about what we measure, how we measure it, and why it matters.

Why Most Nonprofits Miss the Mark on Accountability

Let's be honest: The nonprofit sector has an accountability problem.

Too many organizations lean on emotional appeals without backing them up with data. They share heartwarming stories but dodge questions about outcomes. They report "students served" without explaining what "served" actually means or whether those students are better off.

We refuse to operate that way.

At The Lantern Network, we believe donors deserve clarity. You deserve to know exactly how your dollars translate into outcomes. You deserve transparency about what's working, what's not, and how we're adapting based on results.

What We Measure (and Why)

Here are the core metrics that drive our work—and that we report back to our donors:

1. Mentor-Mentee Match Rate & Retention

We track how many students we successfully match with mentors—and how many of those relationships last through the full program cycle.

Why it matters: A match is only valuable if it's sustainable. We measure retention to ensure we're creating relationships that thrive, not just pairing people on paper and hoping for the best.

2. Career Outcomes

We track:

• Percentage of mentees who secure internships or full-time employment in their field
• Average time to job placement after program participation
• Salary ranges for mentees entering the workforce
• Percentage of mentees who report career advancement within one year

Why it matters: Economic mobility isn't theoretical. It shows up in job placements, salary increases, and career progression. We measure these to ensure our mentorship translates into tangible professional gains.

3. Skill Development

We assess growth in key professional competencies:

• Resume and cover letter quality
• Interview preparedness
• Professional communication skills
• Networking ability
• Career decision-making confidence

Why it matters: Skills are the foundation of career success. We track growth to ensure our workshops and one-on-one mentorship are building the competencies students need to compete and thrive.

4. Network Expansion

We track:

• Number of new professional connections mentees make through the program
• Quality of those connections (informational interviews, job referrals, ongoing relationships)
• Percentage of mentees who report feeling more connected to professional networks

Why it matters: Access to networks is one of the biggest advantages mentorship provides. We measure this to ensure we're truly bridging the access gap.

5. Mentee Satisfaction & Confidence

We survey mentees regularly to measure:

• Satisfaction with their mentor relationship
• Confidence in navigating career decisions
• Sense of belonging in professional spaces
• Overall program impact

Why it matters: Numbers tell part of the story. Lived experience tells the rest. We track satisfaction and confidence because we care about how students feel as they navigate their careers—not just where they end up.

6. Long-Term Engagement

We track:

• Percentage of former mentees who return as mentors
• Percentage who remain engaged with The Lantern Network community
• Alumni career progression over time

Why it matters: The true test of our impact is whether mentees pay it forward. If our program works, graduates should want to give back—and they should continue advancing in their careers.

How We Collect This Data

We're methodical about data collection:

• Pre-program surveys: We assess each mentee's starting point—career goals, skill levels, network size, confidence—before they begin
• Monthly check-ins: We gather feedback from both mentors and mentees throughout the program
• Post-program surveys: We measure outcomes immediately after program completion
• Alumni follow-up: We track career progression at 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years post-program

This approach allows us to measure not just outputs (how many students we serve) but outcomes (how those students' lives actually change).

What We Don't Measure (and Why)

We could inflate our numbers. We could report every single touchpoint, every email sent, every social media impression. We could make our impact sound bigger than it is.

We don't.

We focus on metrics that matter—outcomes that reflect real change in students' lives. We're not interested in vanity metrics. We're interested in trajectory shifts.

Transparency You Can Trust

Here's our commitment to you:

• We share both wins and challenges. When something isn't working, we say so—and we explain how we're adapting.
• We report regularly. Donors receive updates on program outcomes, not just thank-you notes.
• We welcome questions. If you want to dig deeper into our data, ask. We'll answer.
• We steward your investment. Every dollar is accounted for. We're committed to operational efficiency so more of your money goes directly to program impact.

Why This Level of Rigor?

Because you deserve it. Because the students we serve deserve it. Because if we're asking you to invest in our mission, we owe you proof that it's working.

Mentorship changes lives. But we don't just say it—we show it.

Our donors value clarity and outcomes. Join them in supporting mentorship that delivers results.