Comments for Just Philanthropy

Comment on The way we think about charity is dead wrong by Steven Mayer on Nonprofit Management | jhublogs

Steven Mayer on Nonprofit Management | jhublogs — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:09:13 +0000

[...] More here. [...]

Comment on How can we evaluate a program’s effectiveness? by Wright Evaluation, LLC

Wright Evaluation, LLC — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:41:26 +0000

Yes, good evaluation research, like all good science, is about collecting the best evidence to solve your research problem.

Non-experimental techniques are frequently viewed as a second-best alternative when experimental methods are not possible. However, many of us applied evaluation researchers would contend that non-experimental methods can provide as good or better evidence as experimental methods in many situations. Research strategies should be selected to match the question, rather than based on a pre-existing bias towards a particular type of design.

For more information, see:

http://aje.sagepub.com/content/31/1/105.abstract and

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Documents/publications1/design-method-impact-eval.pdf

Comment on The corrupting power of numbers by Wright Evaluation, LLC

Wright Evaluation, LLC — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:10:12 +0000

Absolutely. We need to beware of the siren call of statistics* and instead focus on devising the best research strategies to provide information needed for planning and action, within available time and resources. We need to remember that “the numbers are only an indication of the real, observable world of facts that will ultimately yield the evidence needed to solve the problem.”

* Leedy, P. D. Practical Research: Planning and Design (Fifth Edition). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1993.

Comment on Fundable goals for advocacy: strong networks of support by Ron Kroese

Ron Kroese — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:53:46 +0000

Thanks for this post, Steve. As I’m confident you’d agree, “Signs of progress” is also the best evaluative indicator for an environmental program such as our river program with its goal to restore the water quality and resilience of the Mississippi that can never be totally or permanently achieved.

Ron

Ron Kroese
Environment Program Director
McKnight Foundation

Sent from my mobile

Comment on What is “advocacy”? by Fundable goals for advocacy: strong networks of support | Just Philanthropy

Fundable goals for advocacy: strong networks of support | Just Philanthropy — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 03:05:35 +0000

[...] ← What is “advocacy”? [...]

Comment on A Consumers Union for Philanthropy? by Steven E. Mayer

Steven E. Mayer — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 18:44:53 +0000

Thanks, Roger. I hope to address this in my next blog.

Steve Mayer

Comment on A Consumers Union for Philanthropy? by Roger Burnham

Roger Burnham — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 21:49:16 +0000

Wouldn’t it be fun – fun being a big incentive these days — to extend the Consumers Union model into the philanthropic worlds of charity, development, and justice? This reminds me of a recent post by Craig Newmark (founder of craigslist) on his new adventure at craigconnects. It seems to me that "Charity Navigator 2.0: figuring out nonprofits that get the job done" has some overlap with your question of measuring "...performance in the social services" -but I could be wrong! Roger

Comment on Would “pay for performance” be good for the social services? by Steven E. Mayer

Steven E. Mayer — Mon, 23 May 2011 18:37:21 +0000

The number of entry-level bureaucrats that would be needed to police Pay for Success outcomes and the financial transactions underlying them will make Medicare administration look miniscule. If we’re going to rationalize and monetize social service, let’s create a Consumers’ Union for Social Services to rate the quality of different vendors. Promoting a key set of performance dimensions for these services is the key first step, just as CU tells us what a really good toaster, or insurance plan, does.

Comment on Would “pay for performance” be good for the social services? by Philanthropy Daily Digest 05/21/2011 | Tactical Philanthropy

Philanthropy Daily Digest 05/21/2011 | Tactical Philanthropy — Sat, 21 May 2011 01:31:11 +0000

[...] Would “pay for performance” be good for the social services? | JustPhilanthropy.org [...]

Comment on Dashboards for philanthropy by Steven E. Mayer

Steven E. Mayer — Wed, 04 May 2011 16:21:28 +0000

People who use dashboards incorrectly can’t go very far. And one direction is as good as another, as your comment suggests. What I’ll be interested to learn is if this post sets off a search for the philanthropic equivalent of the GPS!

Comment on Dashboards for philanthropy by paul1942

paul1942 — Wed, 04 May 2011 06:56:32 +0000

I’ll be interested to learn if people using dashboards incorrectly respond to the advice. Someone who thinks a dashboard shows us where we’re going is displaying, I believe, an organizationally tolerated inability to imagine and think through implications. I never did find a way of getting through to people who didn’t understand – except, occasionally to show an eager learner what ‘good’ looks like. How about an article on how we can get the eager learners to be in charge.

Comment on Making a Difference (#3) by Steven E. Mayer

Steven E. Mayer — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 03:09:03 +0000

Thanks, L’il Black Man On The Prairie!

Comment on Making a Difference (#3) by lilblackmanontheprairie

lilblackmanontheprairie — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:59:34 +0000

Pretty witty, which is an effective way to provide some relief to the burdensome tasks of “evaluating” did we make a difference. Especially interesting to look at impact based on the “point of entry” where the gift is made. As you said, maybe we should look early and often to see the immediate consequences of our entry.

P.S.-The Philanthropic Scene Investigation may have some potential for a potential affinity group.

Comment on Social Justice? by Steven E. Mayer

Steven E. Mayer — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:13:20 +0000

Thanks for the question, Paul -- I agree injustice is easier to recognize than justice. I'll respond with examples more fully in a future post. In the meantime I'll be reading Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, whose view is similar (and obviously much more developed!) than mine, that we needn't wait around for a perfect definition, and that humans are well-equipped to understand examples and degrees of injustice, and to work against them. There's an excellent review of his book, The Idea of Justice, here.

Comment on Social Justice? by paul1942

paul1942 — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:29:06 +0000

Steve,
How about ‘social injustice’? As in we CAN define injustice and recognise it.
Social justice = being fair to all people in a society.
Examples of social injustice we think we want to do something about are: ………..
Paul

Comment on Wanted: Better Evaluation Practices for a Better Philanthropy by luke

luke — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:30:25 +0000

Well done!