On Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Measuring Impact
Don’t let evaluation distort your mission.
Philanthropy Innovative ideas for donors, foundation leaders, and philanthropists
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Getting Results Data Off the Dusty Shelf
Charities and funders need support and guidance to make sure that information collected does not go to waste.
Impact, Not Overhead, Is What Counts
A look at barriers global NGOs face in reporting the right measures of effectiveness—and how funders and grantees can begin to overcome them.
Using Metrics to Encourage Innovation
By introducing a learning agenda, funders can encourage innovation, drive philanthropic dollars to the best programs, and become better partners to grantees.
Struggling to Innovate: Together We Stand
Takeaways from a discussion on the promises and perils of innovation in the social sector.
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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.
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.
What Is Community Anyway?
Our understanding of community can help funders and evaluators identify, understand, and strengthen the communities they work with.
Ten Reasons Not to Measure Impact—and What to Do Instead
Impact evaluations are an important tool for learning about effective solutions to social problems, but they are a good investment only in the right circumstances.
The Elitist Philanthropy of So-Called Effective Altruism
The superficially enticing “logic” of effective altruism ultimately leads to a moralistic, hyper-rationalistic, top-down approach to philanthropy that can kill the very altruistic spirit it claims to foster.