I learned how impactful clear impact metrics can be while working as an administrator at a large private university. Two external entities—their accrediting body and U.S. News & World Report rankings—exerted their influence to push universities toward measurable outcomes. The accrediting body shifted from counting inputs (like
Why layered solutions and clear goals matter more than silver bullets There’s something irresistible about a single, elegant solution to a big, messy problem. Back in the early 1990s, Todd and I were drawn to the idea that group-based microcredit could be the solution to poverty. The premise
Our Recommendation Shamiri has a structural advantage over almost every organization in our directory, and it is worth naming plainly: the outcome Shamiri measures is an ultimate outcome. Most organizations we evaluate deliver something (a well, a loan, a bag of food, a job placement) and then hope it produces
We live in a time when hundreds of thousands of organizations are focused on solving social problems in our own communities and around the globe. Though many people only see a broken world, we see optimism in the eyes and hearts of the funders, employees, and volunteers of these organizations.