Apr 20, 2010

Global Philanthropy Forum: Nutrition

The most important thing about Singer’s steps is that they are all modeled on successful, cheap initiatives in other industries that didn’t require everyone to come to the table and agree in the first place. They are examples of individuals and organizations just starting their work and then getting others to join them. If we can replicate those successes in the nutrition space, we can fix this problem. We don’t need new innovations in nutrition, we just need to use the ones that are already there.

Apr 20, 2010

Thoughts from Day One of the Global Philanthropy Forum

Apr 15, 2010

How Not to React to Rigorous Evaluation

The past few weeks have provided some insight into the impact of rigorous evaluation of philanthropic programs on charities, donors and policymakers. Unfortunately those insights show that we’ve still got a long ways to go if the goal is evidence-based philanthropy and policy.

Mar 24, 2010

Obama’s Missed Opportunity and the P2P Revolution in Philanthropy

Recent posts at Stanford Social Innovation Review and Harvard Business Review cover Obama’s missed opportunity with his donation of the Nobel prize money and the coming P2P revolution in philanthropy.

Mar 22, 2010

Philanthropy Action is Co-Winner of 2010 Best in Aid Award

Last Week, the Aid Watchers blog named it’s winners of the best and worst in aid for the last year. We’re proud to be named among the winners—all of whom are groups aiming to help people give better.

Mar 02, 2010

Measuring the Unmeasureable

Some new materials on measuring the unmeasureable in philanthropy.

Feb 27, 2010

Toward Better Qualitative Metrics

Earlier this week we hosted a conference call with David Roberts of New Dominion Philanthropy Metrics and Sean Stannard-Stockton of Tactical Philanthropy looking at the role of qualitative metrics in good philanthropic decision-making, and especially how non-profits and foundations could capture qualitative data in reliable and useful ways. We recorded the call for those who were unable to attend, or for those who’d like to share it with friends and peers.

Feb 26, 2010

A Lesson from Haiti: Are Search and Rescue Teams Worth It?

The images of people being rescued from the rubble in Haiti by international search and rescue teams were inspiring and have led some to call for more investment in search and rescue teams. But looking at the data, I think that’s exactly the wrong lesson from the experience in Haiti. As a public health practitioner, and someone dedicated to outcomes measurement, it seems likely to me that SAR-focused relief efforts improperly subordinate the good of the many to the good of a very few. In other words, there are much better ways to direct disaster relief than SAR.

Feb 24, 2010

Helping Haiti’s Children, Part II

What should people do who want to help Haiti’s children?

Jan 25, 2010

A Downside of Donor Education?

In an earlier post I argued that donors pushing for better measurement and accountability might not be as effective as non-profit employees pushing for those same reforms internally, but Mario Morino of Venture Philanthropy Partners takes it one step further and says external pressure might actually be detrimental.