Impact
“It is essential that we hold ourselves and our grantees to the highest standards of performance. Our effectiveness matters not just to us, but more importantly to the communities we are entrusted to serve.”
Luis A. Ubiñas
President
Our Approach to Impact Assessment and Learning
At every stage of our work, we ask ourselves: Are the foundation’s strategic initiatives, approaches and grants achieving the maximum impact they can? Are there adjustments we can make to our strategies or the activities we are supporting that could yield better results?
What We're Following
Using a Social Justice Lens in Advocacy Evaluation
A thoughtful discussion of a challenging topic in evaluation, written by Barbara Klugman, former Ford Foundation program officer
The Dirty Little Secret About Measurement
Mission Measurement CEO has an epiphany about measuring social impact
The Fetishization of Metrics
Charles "Hipbone" Cameron of Social Edge starts a new discussion thread for the social entrepreneur community
The Promise and Pitfalls of Utilization-Focused and Empowerment Evaluation
Journal of MultiDisciplinary Evaluation's transcription of the 2009 Annual Claremont Evaluation Debates
Learning for Social Impact
New McKinsey & Company social impact assessment site provides best practices, resources and insights for funders and grantees
A Guide to Actionable Measurement
Guidelines developed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help its staff determine how best to measure grants and strategies
Drowning in Data
Stanford Social Innovation Review on how funders can improve evaluation and maximize the opportunities it yields
'Social Outcomes': Missing the Forest for the Trees?
Chairman of Venture Philanthropy Partners on nonprofit efforts to measure impact and social outcomes and his ongoing question: "To what end?"
Building a Performance Measurement System
A how-to guide from Root Cause that helps organizations maximize investments in social impact
Contemporary Thinking About Causation in Evaluation
Thomas D. Cook and Michael Scriven explore cause and effect, and the credibility of randomized studies, edited by the American Journal of Evaluation
The Knowledge-Creating Company
A seminal publication on how individuals contribute knowledge to their organizations and how organizations best impart their collective acquired wisdom to employees
'Social Outcomes': The Elephants in the Room
Mario Morino of Venture Philanthropy Partners devotes his "Chairman's Corner" to how nonprofits can effectively manage outcomes
Theory of Change: A Collaborative Tool
Charles "Hipbone" Cameron hosts online dialogue between bloggers about unique approaches to social change on Social Edge
Transparency: One Size Does Not Fit All
In response to increased demand for transparency, Foundation Center president introduces new web tool Glasspockets on the center's PhilanTopic blog
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