February 19, 2013
We find ourselves in the flurry of activity that is to be expected of the dawn of any movement. On this ground, there is an equalizing factor as the social sector, business, and government are all staring into an opportunity that demands immediate ramping of high-quality data practice. In that sense, I don’t mind the […]
February 18, 2013
Markets For Good talks with Jeannine Corey , Director of Grants Information Management of The Foundation Center for an update on the Reporting Commitment, an initiative launched by a group of the largest U.S. foundations. We read many announcements of start-ups, projects, and initiatives; but, it’s good to check in from time to time to […]
February 13, 2013
The following post begins a new series: Notes From The Field. Here, we will take a look at various initiatives and organizations, or applications and tools on the landscape of the information infrastructure. We start with Elizabeth Clay Roy, Deputy Director of Opportunity Nation, discussing the “Opportunity Index.” If there is such thing as a widow “of” […]
February 11, 2013
Recently I had the opportunity to sit with Andrew Ackerman, Executive Director of the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM). The conversation landed squarely on the information infrastructure in the social sector, particularly as it concerns knowledge networks. How do you build and maintain one that works for your organization? How does it actually work? We […]
February 6, 2013
Our conversation on upgrading the information infrastructure for the social sector takes place at a moment in which both the technological and cultural/organizational changes needed to make it happen are equally urgent. And they’re happening. Elizabeth Boris offers a researcher’s perspective on these movements toward better data practice and talks about what’s needed to ensure […]
February 5, 2013
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been examining the theme of Beneficiary Feedback. We’ve chosen “beneficiary” for convenience, but even finding an appropriate word (consumer? constituent? recipient?) is more than semantics, giving insight into how an organization perceives the people it proposes to help. A brief tour of the sector shows encouraging efforts, but also […]
January 31, 2013
Markets For Good, Curator’s Note The nonprofit sector is on the front-lines, working to solve the toughest social problems. But, perhaps the first problem to solve today is an internal one: upgrading our data practices. On airplanes we are strongly advised to put our individual oxygen masks on first, before attempting to help anyone else. […]
January 30, 2013
Denise Raquel Dunning, Program Director of AGALI, contends that the social sector is missing out on knowledge and expertise that is patently available. We’re not listening to the voices of people served – not on the level of a recognizable and consistent competency. And that means we are falling short in our subsequent responsibility to […]
January 29, 2013
Based on his work as Founder, President and CEO of the Family Independence Initiative, MacArthur Genius Award winner Mauricio Lim Miller brings an uncommon lens to the modern concept of “social,” redirecting the investment of thought and resources toward the social ties that can directly change lives. He also refreshes another couple of words, “innovation” […]
January 28, 2013
Continuing Markets For Good’s examination of beneficiary feedback in the social sector, Debby Visser notes movement at the infrastructural level of data (the stocks, flows, and sources) in community development work, particularly how data from beneficiaries is being aggregated and incorporated into the work of improving communities and changing lives. …
