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....
January 24, 2013
In this post, Perla Ni gives an overview of beneficiary feedback from the community perspective, noting that feedback tools for grantmakers, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations must demonstrate on-the-ground results and lead to improvements in programming and in quality of life for beneficiaries. So, where are we today with community...
January 17, 2013
David Bank continues his call for open deal data with a look at the recent history of movements in the impact investing space and, further, at the various players and initiatives who are pointing ways forward. …
January 3, 2013
There’s visible progress in the social sector with respect to how organizations listen to and incorporate feedback from the people they serve. But, John Hecklinger of GlobalGiving proposes that we’re at risk of only fits and starts (not real progress) toward a truly robust system to gain beneficiary feedback if...
November 19, 2012
The complexity of the “data” question is evident to the point of new cliché. Regardless of whether it is cliché or not, we have to deal with it. After any given round of wrestling with the question, we can often sense ways forward that are simple, powerful, and counterintuitive. That’s...
October 30, 2012
Performance assessment is an acknowledged necessity for nonprofits to operate effectively and attract capital. Phil Buchanan discusses the role of foundations in helping nonprofits carry out this vital function and the challenges for everyone involved. Markets for Good is a welcome push for the development and use of data to...
October 10, 2012
In Part I of this two-part look at financial analysis for nonprofits, Rebecca Thomas gave insight into the “why” of financial statement literacy. Continuing here, she uses Financial SCAN as an example to share what can be achieved when financial analysis becomes a regularly used tool among others in the...
October 9, 2012
Guest post from Darin McKeever, a deputy director at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, regarding a major new agreement among a few of the US’ largest foundations: The Reporting Commitment. At the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we firmly believe transparency is a key ingredient in maximizing impact because...
October 2, 2012
It’s worth taking the time to learn to “speak” with numbers, writes Rebecca Thomas, noted financial planning and management consultant expert for nonprofits and foundations. Part I of II. Understanding and unearthing insights about a nonprofit organization’s financial dynamics, strengths and weaknesses can be skills-intensive and time-consuming. But, avoiding it...
August 12, 2012
Markets for Good is an initiative to discover how the social sector can better use and share information to improve outcomes and change lives.
