Bridgespan - Measuring to Improve

Measuring to Improve vs. Improving Measurement

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:37:40 GMT

From Skoll World Forum 2013: Will new measurement tools such as “big data” be a big distraction or a big opportunity?

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Ten Years of Performance Measurement

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:33:47 GMT

Five successes to celebrate, and five areas where we need to see more progress.

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How Leading Philanthropists Fail Well

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:49:28 GMT

Five insights from results-oriented philanthropists on how to reap the benefits of failure.

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What Obama’s Campaign Can Teach Nonprofits about Measurement

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 19:20:14 GMT

Five measurement practices that Obama’s campaign and high-performing nonprofits have in common.

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Social Sector Measurement: Down but Not Out

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 19:30:50 GMT

Recently released studies confirm that few nonprofits possess the capacity to measure for continuous improvement, but new initiatives launched in 2012 provide some hope.

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Measuring to Scale What Works at the YMCA

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:44:50 GMT

Armed with robust shared measurement systems, national nonprofit networks are well positioned to scale promising and proven programs.

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Five Ways to Avoid the Data System Trap

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:57:50 GMT

Matt Forti shares five strategies for how nonprofits can assess readiness and lay the groundwork for a successful data system.

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Communicating Impact: If You’ve Got It, Flaunt It!

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 13:24:57 GMT

Nonprofits can use tried-and-true mechanisms from the private sector to better communicate their impact to donors.

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On Sports and Performance Assessment

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 18:52:37 GMT

In this guest post, Kevin Rafter of The James Irvine Foundation discusses the challenge of assessing performance in philanthropy, and shares how Irvine has tackled this challenge in a pragmatic, learning-centered fashion.

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Actionable Measurement at the Gates Foundation

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:31:29 GMT

Matt Forti sat down with Jodi Nelson, the head of measurement and evaluation at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to learn about how the organization structures its M&E function, works with its grantees on M&E, and assesses its own impact.

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How Would Your Constituents Measure?

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Matt Forti suggests that you ask constituents how they'd measure their own success to help improve the impact of your organization.

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Measuring Advocacy - Yes We Can!

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 04:00:00 GMT

The very nature of advocacy work, particularly the dynamic environment in which it takes place, makes it the perfect candidate for measurement ‘along the way’ that enables rapid course correction and continuous improvement. The five strategies Matt Forti shares in this blog post will help you get started.

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Measurement that Benefits the Measured

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 04:00:00 GMT

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Four Ways Donors Support Their Grantees with Performance Measurement

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 04:00:00 GMT

This week, Matt Forti is excited to welcome Alison Powell, a manager in Bridgespan’s Advancing Philanthropy practice. In this guest post, Alison shares four ways results-oriented donors can support their grantees with performance measurement, ensuring grantees remain in the driver’s seat and have the capacity and external resources they need to be successful.

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Six Pitfalls To Avoid in Developing Your Theory of Change

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 04:00:00 GMT

A nonprofit's theory of change should answer six big questions, according to Manager Matt Forti.

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How FIRST Refined Its Theory of Change to Improve Measurement

Thu, 17 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

FIRST Evaluations Manager Nancy Boyer shares how her nonprofit organization approached refinining its theory of change, logic model, and measurement and evaluation plan—and the advice she'd give to the field having gone through the process.

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You May Be Looking for the Wrong Measurement Director - Matthew Forti

Thu, 03 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Nonprofits on the journey to using measurement as a continuous improvement tool will eventually need to decide whether to create a full-time position to lead their performance measurement function. But as Matthew Forti points out in this Stanford Social Innovation Review blog, most organizations that do so will prioritize the wrong skills in their search for a measurement director.

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Making Measurement More Than an Add-on

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

In this guest post on the "Measuring to Improve" blog, Bridgespan Manager Jacob Allen discusses the concept of 'embedded measurement,' an intentionally integrateive approach to measurement for improvement by building data collection, analysis, and action into the routine activities of front-line staff and program participants.

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Worth a Look: PerformWell Performance Management Resource

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 04:00:00 GMT

A new online resource, Performwell, can help human service organizations answer some of the big questions in performance management.

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Pop Quiz: How Can Measurement Improve Student Learning?

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 04:00:00 GMT

This week, Matt Forti is excited to welcome Lija McHugh, a manager in Bridgespan's education practice. In this guest post, Lija paints a powerful picture as to why the education field needs to move towards measurement as a continuous improvement tool to drive increases in student learning.

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Seven Deadly Sins of Impact Evaluation

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Impact evaluations—typically, third-party studies that seek to prove a program model's effectiveness—seem to be all the rage in social sector circles these days. Maybe in part that’s because the process seems so straightforward: Just commission one when the time is right, and, when all goes well, proudly show off your "stamp of approval." You’ll soon receive the resources you need to grow your organization and to influence all the other nonprofits in your field. The problem is that it’s rarely that simple in practice.

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What “The Wire” Has to Teach Us about Nonprofit Performance Measurement

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

HBO's "The Wire" has a lot to tell us about how and why nonprofit performance measurement so often—and paradoxically—makes social problems worse instead of helping us solve them.

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Ensuring That “Scaling What Works” Actually Works

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

"We know what works, and if we could just steer funds to those nonprofit organizations with superior results, society would be much better off." Sound familiar? But in order for "scaling what works" to actually work, we need a new and improved version that addresses some fundamental constraints.

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Refreshing Your Nonprofit Board Dashboard

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

With 2012 upon us and many New Year’s resolutions already broken, Matt Forti suggests one you can easily keep: a refreshed dashboard for your nonprofit's board!

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Donors Want More Information on Impact

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Guest blogger Greg Ulrich, director at Hope Consulting and lead researcher for the recently released “Money for Good II” writes about the gap in impact and effectiveness information for donors and what nonprofits can do get donors the information they need to make results-driven decisions.

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Measuring Leadership Development

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Matt Forti shares some important take-aways from an assessment Bridgespan conducted of the nation’s largest philanthropic leadership program—Neighborhood Builders®, operated by Bank of America.

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Making Money: A Bonus of Measuring to Improve Performance

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Measurement, first and foremost, should be a tool for continuous improvement in nonprofit organizations. But there is no denying that measurement can also attract money, so it’s worth exploring the potential performance measurement work has to draw in funders.

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Could Poor Economics Unleash a Quality Revolution?

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Bridgespan's Matt Forti discusses the book Poor Economics and its implications for measurement and evaluation in nonprofit organizations.

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Mobile Measurement: Lowering Costs and Engaging Beneficiaries

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:00:00 GMT

A considerable amount of innovation is occuring in monitoring and evaluation in developing countries. Here Bridgespan's Matt Forti shares examples of nonprofit organizations employing mobile technology to lower costs, accelerate data collection, improve response rates and accuracy, and ultimately, create better programs.

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Developing Your Measurement Pathway

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 04:00:00 GMT

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Don’t Let Conventional Measurement Wisdom Fragment Your Impact

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 04:00:00 GMT

The sad truth, according to Matt Forti, is that conventional wisdom on performance measurement perpetuates a status quo. One that fragments impact into stages that can be evaluated, rather than encouraging nonprofit organizations to aim for trajectory change.

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Live from InterAction Forum: Trends to Watch in NGO Measurement

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 04:00:00 GMT

From the 2011 InterAction Forum, three exciting trends in measurement and accountability for NGOs.

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How Funders Can Support the Leap of Reason

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Bridgespan Manager Matt Forti invites Leap of Reason: Managing to Outcomes in an Era of Scarcity author Mario Morino to the "Measuring to Improve" blog, where he shares his thoughts on the important topic of how funders and grantees can work together as the latter pursue "measuring to improve," or as Mario calls it, "managing to outcomes."

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Now, What Exactly Should We Measure? - Nonprofit Performance Measurement

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 04:00:00 GMT

The most common question we get at Bridgespan when a nonprofit organization wants to talk about performance measurement is: What exactly should we measure. As in most aspects of measurement, there isn’t a cookie cutter answer. That said, we believe three principles that relate to what to measure, how to bound your effort, and how to clarify what you want to achieve can help you mark the trail.

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Creating a Culture of Learning and Accountability

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Despite what is now fairly widespread agreement around the necessity of creating a culture of learning and accountability if you want to use data to improve, little has been researched or written about how to go about doing this. It's time to start a conversation around what works—and what doesn't.

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Best of Both Worlds: Bridging the Gap Between Monitoring and Evaluation

Fri, 27 May 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Measurement should first and foremost be a tool to help organizations improve their impact. So a natural question follows, Which type of measurement best accomplishes this purpose: monitoring or evaluation?

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Measuring to Improve Impact

Tue, 17 May 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Measurement that helps nonprofit organizations create greater outcomes for their beneficiaries, and/or lower their cost per outcome achieved so they can do more with less, are the kinds of measurement we should be encouraging.

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