One of the central components of national accreditation is the focus on performance and quality improvement (PQI) programs. This is the process of collecting, aggregating and analyzing data to discover trends and patterns and make improvements (or expand upon achievements) where necessary. However, it is not just the accrediting bodies, but funders, licensing organizations and individual donors who are looking for data on outcomes to help demonstrate mission fulfillment.

Nonprofits are increasingly being held accountable for measuring their service outcomes. And for health and behavioral service providers, the focus on process – or fee-for-service arrangements – is obsolete: the new priority centers on positive patient results, which must be documented.