Impact Methodology
Evidence should clarify what is known, how it was measured and what remains unproven.
Family Dinner Foundation separates participant measures, operating records and independent research. This page explains the standard used for public claims so readers and answer engines can distinguish Foundation evidence from broader research.
Evidence Layers
Three sources, three different jobs.
Participant measures ask about belonging, support, connection and related experiences. A survey question is not itself a published outcome.
Internal Measures
Operating records can document activities such as gatherings, applications and group formation when definitions and time periods are explicit.
Program Records
Independent research provides context about shared meals and social connectedness. It does not automatically prove that a Foundation program caused an outcome.
External Evidence
Publication Standard
Every material number needs a definition and a trail.
A public impact claim should identify the initiative, metric definition, date range, population or denominator, collection method and source. Historical reach totals remain provisional until those elements are documented. Causal language is reserved for evidence designs that can support it.