Philanthropy
Does Your Program Officer Actually Read Your Progress Report?
It sometimes seems that the nonprofit sector is being bureaucratized faster than it is becoming professionalized.
Measurement & Evaluation - Most Popular
New ways to measure and evaluate the impact an organization’s work has on society (more)
Podcast
Council on Foundations Annual Conference - Philanthropy and Nonprofit Acountability Practices
In the field of philanthropy, are foundations' grantmaking and reporting processes aligned with nonprofits' strategies? In this panel discussion exploring data from a Center for Social Innovation study on nonprofit accountability practices and the costs of conflicting demands, experts debate ways in which evaluation requirements may help or hinder mission delivery.
15 Minutes with Kevin Johnson
SSIR Academic Editor Jim Phills sat down with former NBA superstar Kevin Johnson to discuss how he's revitalizing his old inner-city neighborhood.
Luck of the Draw
Grantees of foundations have little control over which program officer takes their case. Yet program officers make or break grantees’ experiences with foundations. To trigger social change, foundations must give program officers better training, clearer expectations, and regular performance feedback.
Podcast
Denise Gammal - The Nonprofit Accountability Trap
Why should a grantee invest $50,000 in computing infrastructure and add staff to comply with the reporting requirements of a $16,000 grant? The inherent tensions between the high resource costs of evaluation and the demands of service delivery are a challenge for nonprofits and foundations alike. In this audio lecture, Denise Gammal presents the results from Stanford Center for Social Innovation's large-scale study on nonprofit management to foundation professionals.
Podcast
Evaluating Social Venture Ideas - Net Impact 2005
Three social-venture experts share the process and tools they use to evaluate the impact and viability of aspiring change-makers' ideas in this panel discussion from Bridging the Gap, the Stanford 2005 Net Impact Conference organized by the Stanford Graduate School of Business. A must-hear for anyone planning on starting a social or environmental enterprise.
15 Minutes with Alan Bersin
California’s secretary of education tackles the nation’s largest school system.
Podcast
Measuring Social Impact - Bridging the Gap Conference
Measuring the social impact created by philanthropic projects has forever been the nonprofit sector's philosopher's stone. This panel discussion, at the Stanford 2005 Net Impact Conference sponsored by the Stanford Graduate School of Business, highlights innovative examples of measurement systems and explores some of the complex problems that arise when attempting to apply metrics to social impact.