Shaping Research to Create More Social Impact
Co-creating evidence with communities and decision makers can lead to research with more impact.
Measurement & Evaluation New ways to measure and evaluate the impact an organization’s work has on society
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On Hiatus: Call for Submissions to SSIR Series on Social Change in an Era of Extreme Polarization
In response to the coronavirus epidemic, SSIR has temporarily halted seeking submissions for a series on extreme polarization and how it affects civil society's efforts to solve social problems, and how to build collaborations, communicate with the public, and manage conflict in a divided world.
Reframing Human Services for Greater Impact
To realize the full value of human services community-based organizations, we need to change both the narrative around what they do and the structures for funding them, stressing shared values and a commitment to outcomes.
How Philanthropy Can Help Lead on Data Justice
By embracing community-based participatory research and other equity approaches to data, philanthropy can change the game, revitalize research and communities, and realize greater impact.
Predicting a ‘Kilo of Impact’
Instead of relying on measurement to prove the value of a past investment, determining the value of an intervention before it has even started allows investors to factor in social impact alongside calculations of financial value.
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Drowning in Data
Funders are calling for more program evaluation, but nonprofits are often collecting dubious data, at great cost to themselves and ultimately to the people they serve.
Plotting Impact Beyond Simple Metrics
For NGOs, impact comes in different forms and to track the cycles of social change work, we must think across the tangibility and the speed of emergence of change.
Ten Nonprofit Funding Models
With an understanding of these 10 funding models, nonprofit leaders can use the for-profit world's valuable practice of engaging in succinct and clear conversations about long-term financial strategy.
Creating High-Impact Nonprofits
Conventional wisdom says that scaling social innovation starts with strengthening internal management capabilities. This study of 12 high-impact nonprofits, however, shows that real social change happens when organizations go outside their own walls and find creative ways to enlist the help of others.
Ethics and Nonprofits
Unethical behavior remains a persistent problem in nonprofits and for-profits alike. To help organizations solve that problem, the authors examine the factors that influence moral conduct, the ethical issues that arise specifically in charitable organizations, and the best ways to promote ethical behavior within organizations.