Director of Program Efficacy & Learning (Volunteer)

Mentor A Promise is a New York City–based nonprofit serving children and youth (ages 5–18) experiencing housing instability, grounded in the belief that every child is a Promise—full of potential, dignity, and possibility. We deliver consistent, high-quality programming across mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, and creative expression in shelters, schools, and community spaces, creating structured environments where students can grow, be seen, and build lasting skills. Through signature experiences like The Imagination Studio, The Kitchen Table, The Sound Lab, and The Story Space, we nurture academic development, emotional well-being, and creative voice, all within a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and accessibility-centered framework. Our work prioritizes dignity-protective storytelling, consent-driven engagement, and deep community partnership, ensuring that how we serve is as intentional as whom we serve. We are not only addressing immediate needs - we are building pathways to confidence, belonging, and long-term opportunity, so every child has the support and foundation to carry their promise forward.

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Director of Program Efficacy & Learning (Volunteer)

PromiseMeasure | Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning & Program Impact

Organization Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Division PromiseMeasure

Location Remote / Hybrid (NYC Collaboration as Needed)

Type Volunteer Leadership Role

Reports To Chief of Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)

Works Closely With Program Leadership, PromiseLearning, PromiseRooted, PromiseConnects, PromiseShield, Research Teams, Communications, and Executive Leadership

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit dedicated to supporting children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability through mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, academic enrichment, and creative programming.

At MAP, we believe

Every child is a Promise.

Our work is grounded in consistency, accountability, trauma-informed practice, dignity-centered engagement, and long-term impact. Through PromiseRooted, PromiseConnects, and cross-disciplinary youth programming, MAP seeks to create environments where young people can grow academically, emotionally, socially, and creatively.

We believe meaningful programs require meaningful reflection.

Impact is not only measured by activity—but by growth, learning, and strengthened opportunity.

About PromiseMeasure | Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning

PromiseMeasure is MAP’s Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) division responsible for research, impact measurement, organizational learning, and evidence-informed decision-making.

The division works to help MAP understand

• What is working
• What can improve
• How impact is experienced
• How learning can strengthen programs and systems
  
  

PromiseMeasure helps ensure that data becomes understanding—and understanding becomes action.

Role Overview

Mentor A Promise is seeking a thoughtful, mission-driven, and analytically strong Director of Program Efficacy & Learning to help lead MAP’s efforts to understand, strengthen, and communicate program effectiveness.

This leadership role sits within PromiseMeasure and serves as a bridge between

• Data
• Program practice
• Organizational learning
• Youth experience
• Strategic improvement
  
  

The Director helps guide one of MAP’s central organizational questions

How do we know our programs are making a meaningful difference—and how do we continuously strengthen that impact?

This role supports development of systems that help translate

• Mission into measurable outcomes
• Learning into action
• Evidence into program improvement
  
  

This is a program impact and organizational learning leadership role focused on efficacy, continuous improvement, and mission accountability.

Core Responsibilities

Program Efficacy & Evaluation Leadership

Help lead development of MAP’s program efficacy and impact systems through

• Organization-wide efficacy frameworks
• Logic models and theories of change
• Outcome measurement strategies
• KPI and success metric development
• Program effectiveness evaluation
  
  

Support measurement across

• Mentorship
• SEL
• Literacy
• Enrichment
• Youth engagement
• Educational and developmental outcomes
  
  

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)

Design and support

• Surveys and assessments
• Observation frameworks
• Feedback systems
• Learning and evaluation tools
• Dashboards and reporting systems
  
  

Analyze qualitative and quantitative information to

• Assess effectiveness
• Identify patterns
• Surface learning
• Support decision-making
• Strengthen program understanding
  
  

Continuous Learning & Program Improvement

Work closely with program and educational teams to

• Translate findings into improvement strategies
• Build feedback loops
• Foster reflective practice
• Support innovation and pilot evaluation
• Strengthen adaptive and learning-centered culture
  
  

Help move teams beyond data collection and toward organizational learning.

Research & Impact Communication

Support development of

• Impact reports
• Learning summaries
• Evaluation briefs
• Outcome narratives
• Grant and partner reporting materials
  
  

Collaborate with communications and leadership teams to communicate MAP’s impact with clarity, responsibility, and integrity.

Support university and research partnerships where appropriate.

Ethics, Equity & Safeguarding

Help ensure that evaluation and learning systems remain

• Trauma-informed
• Youth-centered
• Ethical
• Respectful
• Culturally responsive
• Strengths-based
  
  

Collaborate with safeguarding and privacy teams to support responsible and ethical data practices.

Qualifications

We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds.

Helpful experience may include

• Program evaluation
• Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)
• Education research
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Public policy
• Nonprofit management
• Research or social sciences
• Youth development
• Impact measurement
  
  

Strong candidates often demonstrate

• Analytical thinking
• Research ability
• Systems thinking
• Communication skills
• Data interpretation
• Collaborative leadership
• Commitment to ethical and trauma-informed practice
  
  

Experience with youth-serving organizations, schools, nonprofits, or community programs is highly valued.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role may include

• A stronger MAP Program Efficacy Framework
• Clearer outcome measurement systems
• Improved impact reporting
• Meaningful learning loops
• Stronger organizational learning culture
• Greater confidence in how MAP defines and demonstrates impact
  
  

This work helps ensure that learning becomes part of how MAP grows.

Commitment

Volunteer leadership role

Approximately 5–10 hours per week

Minimum 6-month Commitment Required

Remote / hybrid collaboration

US-based volunteers only

Responsive communication through MAP email and Google Chat

48-hour communication expectation

Participation in MAP onboarding, safeguarding, and organizational orientation processes

What You’ll Gain

• Leadership experience within MAP’s PromiseMeasure division
• Opportunity to shape organizational learning and impact systems
• Collaboration across programs, research, education, and leadership teams
• Portfolio-building evaluation and MEL experience
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• Meaningful work strengthening outcomes for children and families
  
  

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist and submit

• Resume
• Cover letter or statement of interest
• Relevant evaluation, research, or impact work (if available)
  
  

Please share experience involving

• Evaluation or research
• Youth development or education
• MEL or program measurement
• Learning systems
• Data interpretation or impact communication
  
  

Help strengthen how impact is understood.

Because meaningful programs deserve thoughtful learning, responsible reflection, and systems that help every promise grow stronger.

This role holds the pieces together.

From research to outreach to execution—help ensure every program is fully understood before it is scaled.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, and programmatic requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.