Can Measures Change the World?
Our ability to track and report is accelerating, resulting in a proliferation of measures. It’s time to focus more effort on understanding how those measures can be used to change complex social systems.
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New and in-depth explorations of solutions to social, environmental, or organizational problems (more)
How Field Catalysts Galvanize Social Change
Surmounting daunting social challenges such as ending malaria or achieving marriage equality can require the help of an intermediary organization—a field catalyst—that amplifies the efforts of others. Open access to this article is made possible by The Bridgespan Group.
Do Benefit Corporations Respect Human Rights?
The B Corp movement has pushed a powerful model of socially responsible business that has the potential to advance human rights. But it has so far failed to engage human rights advocates—to its detriment.
Scaling Science
A new approach to scaling is needed in which the goal is scaling up social impact for public good. Open access to this article is made possible by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
The Promise of Skills-Based Volunteering
One of the fastest-growing corporate citizenship programs is skills-based volunteering—in which a team of corporate employees works for an extended period of time to help a nonprofit solve a complex operational problem.
Creating a Policy Index for the Arts
The National Arts Index established a quantitative measure for arts vitality in the United States that aided public discussion by policy makers and the arts community. In the era of big data, what can we learn from its creation and impact?
A Revamped ACLU Takes on Today’s Fights
The ACLU pursued a 10-year plan to expand the capacity of its affiliates nationwide and defend people’s constitutional rights against the threats of a Trump presidency.
Creating Breakout Innovation
Nonprofits, community groups, and philanthropists are embracing cocreation as a way to engage a wider community in tackling pressing problems.
The Chinese Collectivist Model of Charity
In the West, most wealthy entrepreneurs prefer to give to specific individual causes, by establishing their own foundation, family office, or donor-advised fund. Most Chinese entrepreneurs, by contrast, would rather work together and pursue philanthropy collectively.
The Generalizability Puzzle
Rigorous impact evaluations tell us a lot about the world, not just the particular contexts in which they are conducted. Open access to this article is made possible by MIT.