Evaluation Blues
How accountability requirements hurt small, innovative programs the most.
Solutions - Articles
The Axiology of Nonprofit Impact
Is "return on investment" the right measure for evaluating the work of nonprofits?
Podcast
The Future of Philanthropy - Skoll World Forum 2007
As the boundary between the for-profit and nonprofit worlds continues to blur, how may philanthropy evolve to assist social change? In this panel discussion, academics and practitioners consider how public—and private—sector support may be combined in new ways in the future to fund progressive domestic and global social enterprises.
Let’s Be Unrealistic
Social innovators need to hold a positive vision of where we can go, and must work on building faith that there is a common good and that people can work together.
Working All Fronts
How Sustainable Conservation unites all sectors for the environment.
Podcast
Making Supply Chains Socially Responsible - Measuring Corporate Social Responsibility
Companies around the world are trying to figure out how to evaluate their performance—as well as that of their suppliers—on a host of corporate social responsibility (CSR) dimensions in areas such as diversity, community development, and environmental issues. How can CSR influence business initiatives and the value of CSR efforts be measured? In this panel discussion, Stanford 2007 Responsible Supply Chains Conference panelists share lessons and resources.
Podcast
Supporting More Social Enterprise - Skoll World Forum 2007
How do we foster more social enterprise and innovation? In this panel discussion, panelists John Elkington, Bill Drayton, and Ed Milibrand consider the question. They explore what's needed on the local, regional, national, and international levels, and acknowledge the role that governments and entrepreneurs play in improving the social landscape.
Butter Your Way to the Top
Flattery, not good governance, reaps corporate directorships – especially for white males.
Podcast
William Foster - How to Grow a Nonprofit Big
Many nonprofits want to expand their staff and funding base so that they may serve a broader public. Until recently, little information was available about how such organizations may do so successfully. In an audio interview with Stanford Social Innovation Review managing editor Eric Nee, William Foster shares findings from the Bridgespan Group's groundbreaking research on what it takes to be in the big leagues. He discusses types of funders to pursue, how to restructure an expanding organization, and whether going big is right for everyone.
Podcast
Heather McLeod Grant - What Makes Great Nonprofits Great?
Now, more than ever, nonprofit leaders need to know how to maximize their social impact. Center for Social Innovation researcher Heather McLeod Grant shares some of the groundbreaking research explored in her coauthored book Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits. Drawing on her extensive study of nonprofit leaders and organizations, Grant reveals that success isn't just about "nonprofit management," but about creating larger systemic change. She shares three of the six practices for making such transformation possible.