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...
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...
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...
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 14, 2013
Today, the social sector (and Markets For Good, in particular) is not only asking critical questions about data, but also dealing with them head-on… Which data? Who pays for it? Where’s the accountability? and others. In this post, David Bank of Impact IQ, a firm that is seeking to track...
January 4, 2013
Accountability is not just a buzzword. It is the summary focus on what we have actually done to change lives through our work. Nicholas Van Praag of Keystone Accountability shines a sharp light on accountability in the social sector, through the lens of humanitarian efforts and the current state of...
December 18, 2012
“Listening to the customer” is often taken as a businesses assumption. But, solid program design is what brings that assumption into a method for gaining actionable data. Before providing a few practical guidelines on design, however, Marny Sumrall, Executive Director of YouthTruth, starts with a less talked-about question: Are you emotionally prepared...
November 27, 2012
Reliable and accessible data in the social sector is hard to come by. But, changing the way we generate, use, and share data is more than simply creating better collections of data. Independent consultant, Cynthia Gibson Ph.D., takes on this topic, starting with a brief look back at how we’ve...
November 8, 2012
Greg Ulrich, Director, Advisory Services for Hope Consulting, offers a different perspective on people who donate to nonprofits and supports it with research. As individual donors, each one of us tends to “give from the heart,” but there’s more to it than that. Markets for Good is an initiative to...
November 7, 2012
As Markets for Good curator Eric J. Henderson writes, "I look forward to writing these notes periodically to orient the conversation and to keep our focus on ways to convert that conversation into action."
