Chasing the Holy Grail of Outcomes
Philanthropists need to acknowledge the challenges nonprofits face in reporting succinct and compelling outcomes, and to avoid celebrating simplistic claims.
Measurement & Evaluation - Most Popular
New ways to measure and evaluate the impact an organization’s work has on society (more)
Do Financial Inclusion Efforts Really Have an Impact on Poverty?
Affordable, accessible financial products and services like mobile money are becoming more prevalent in the developing world, but are they improving the lives of the poor?
Our Opportunity for More Data-Driven Nonprofit Program Evaluation
To accelerate the ethical use of sensitive data, governments and universities are setting up new systems to give secure access to their researchers. However, if they want to be able to evaluate the full range of social service programs, they also need to make this data is useful to nonprofits.
From Principle to Practice: Humanitarian Innovation and Experimentation
Without methods to gauge success and failure, and without appropriate ethical frameworks, humanitarian tech may do more harm than good.
To Base US Policy on Evidence, We Need to be Able to Say the Word
The Trump administration wants to ban terms like “evidence-based” from government reporting. But if policymakers can’t make budget and policy decisions based on evidence, what, exactly, is supposed to guide them?
When Does Pay-for-Success Make Sense?
Seven criteria for assessing whether an intervention is right for pay-for-success financing.
A Mismatch in Philanthropic Interest and Support
Donors say that organizational governance and competence are critical factors in determining where their grants flow. So why aren’t they putting their money where their mouths are?
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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A New Model for CSR
How Canada’s largest bank is reimagining the role of corporations in society.
Filling Essential Gaps in Nonprofit Leadership
New research shows that most nonprofits fall short in important areas of performance. But stakeholders who operate at a systems level can do a lot to help solve this problem.