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Measuring the Multiplicity of Impact in Philanthropy

NPC Jan 11, 2019
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
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Giving Compass’ Take:

• NPC describes ways to measure impact in philanthropic work (by citing a specific youth program), and the risk of inconsistency when comparing benefit-cost ratios.

• How can we an adopt a more holistic way to track the effectiveness of nonprofits?

• Here are some impactful actions your foundation can complete in 2019.


As part of our three-year learning journey with the £40m Youth Investment Fund, we’ve been tasked with assessing the potential economic value of the youth programs it’s funding. In preparation, I’ve been reading previous economic evaluations of youth programs.

It’s got me thinking about what we can all learn about value and impact from the process of economic analysis — whether we’re economists or not.

A striking observation, when you’re reading economic evaluations of similar programs, is the variation in the methodology evaluators use. This isn’t just the technical aspects of how value is estimated (e.g., discount rates, deadweight and attributions — which can have very substantial implications for results). At a more intuitive level, the variation occurs because there are so many things you could value. After all, social programs have wide reaching and complex impacts on our lives. The result is that different economic evaluations often include different sorts of impacts in their estimations of how much ‘value’ programs generates, even when the programs have lots in common.

Let me illustrate with the example of a youth club.

Youth work creates intrinsic value for participants — feeling better about yourself, having more self-confidence, getting on better with people. It’s possible to estimate what these improvements to subjective wellbeing are “worth” to people experiencing them. But these attributes are not just intrinsically valuable, they might have long lasting impacting on the lives of young people and their communities.

Read the full article about measuring the multiplicity of impact by Anoushka Kenley at thinknpc.org.

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Learning and benchmarking are key steps towards becoming an impact giver. If you are interested in giving with impact on Impact Philanthropy take a look at these selections from Giving Compass.

  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    What it Means to Get Uncomfortable With Work Purpose

    Giving Compass' Take: • In this Medium post, the author argues for taking a long, hard look at our efforts at system change, wondering if much of it is surface. Is the game rigged? • This essay closely ties into recent criticisms of elite philanthropy, that good intentions aren't enough to create real social progress. We need to thoroughly dig deep into the root causes of our problems, even if it means having awkward, uncomfortable conversations. • For more on this debate, check out this piece from Anand Giridharadas, author of "Winners Take All." Doing good is becoming the new currency of success for my generation of Western, middle-class millennials who’re learning that putting work purpose before paycheck brings more happiness.  


Are you ready to give?

In addition to learning and connecting with others, taking action is a key step towards becoming an impact giver. If you are interested in giving with impact for Impact Philanthropy take a look at these Giving Funds, Charitable Organizations or Projects.

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