Why Impact Matters
At a recent gathering of business, civic, and philanthropic leaders in Los Angeles, REDF's Founder and Board Chair, George R. Roberts, reflected on REDF's beginnings and its early focus on measurement:
"So we tried to come up with criteria and metrics of what success would be, and, pretty simply, if somebody can keep a job for two years, that’s success. If they can get a place to live, that would be success. If they could get health insurance and eventually move on to other jobs in the economy, that would be success. If you’re going to invest—which I look at [REDF] as a form of investing—you need metrics and you need measurement systems to be able to do it. And we have been able to at least get that information over time, so that we can get better at it."
Fifteen years later, measuring impact is still the heartbeat of this organization's work "so that we can get better at it." In this latest edition of our e-newsletter, Melinda Tuan, one of REDF's co-founders and current Advisory Council member and consultant to philanthropy, offers her thoughts on the subject of impact and its role in social innovation.
Carla I. Javits
President
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Impact: Beyond Individual to Collective
by Melinda T. Tuan, Principal, Melinda Tuan Consulting
Over the past decade, there has been an increased emphasis on impact measurement throughout the nonprofit sector. Since co-founding REDF fifteen years ago with George Roberts and Jed Emerson, I have been a big fan of the appropriate use of evaluation and measurement. I believe it is a good thing for us to find out whether a program works (or not) to improve people’s lives and the world around us. Funders and nonprofits alike must continue to invest in their capacity to measure the impact of their efforts to inform their practices and better meet their missions.
In recent years, however, and especially with the federal government’s 2012 publication of guidelines on the need to use evidence and rigorous evaluation in making budget, management and policy decisions, some funders seem to be enamored with using a specific evaluation methodology to measure impact: randomized control trials or RCTs.
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Save the Date! Click on the image for more information or visit www.redf.org/15.
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From The REDF Portfolio
- Josh, a former social enterprise employee at Buckelew Programs (San Rafael, CA), was featured in a blog post by Jonathan Greenblatt, Director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation. Read about how Josh found employment and hope through social enterprise!
- Taller San Jose (Santa Ana, CA) was one of 15 organizations in ten states selected from among 82 applicants to participate in the first cohort of the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation's (EMCF) PropelNext venture (former REDF Portfolio organization, New Door Ventures, was also selected). PropelNext is a new venture of the prestigious Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, which focuses on disadvantaged youth at greatest risk of failing to reach successful adulthood.
- The Los Angeles Times covers a $14 million public-private partnership to restore the historic Dunbar Hotel that includes the Coalition for Responsible Community Development. The Dunbar was "the hub of African American culture in Los Angeles in the decades around World War II" whose notable guests included Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Joe Louis and Thurgood Marshall.
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Announcements
REDF receives $1.28 million in commitments from regional and national funders! The Weingart Foundation (Los Angeles, CA) and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (Battle Creek, MI) recently pledged to support REDF's work in southern California and our efforts to create a social enterprise model that can be scaled to communities across America. Read the press releases.
REDF is growing! In addition to welcoming Chris O'Donnell, the newest member of REDF's Board of Directors, the following individuals recently joined the REDF team:
- Mette Andersen (Event Manager)
- Nadia Anggraini (Portfolio Associate)
- LaMecia Butler (Farber Fellow)*
- Gordon Chan (Farber Fellow)*
- Christina Garcia (Director, Evaluation and Knowledge)
- Tracy Lam-Hine (Portfolio Analyst)
- Sophia Perez (Portfolio Executive Assistant)*
- Minakshi Radhakrishnan (Senior Manager, Portfolio)
- Miquette Thompson (Development Associate)
REDF is hiring! REDF is looking for even more outstanding people to join the team. Click on the position below or visit www.redf.org/jobs to find out more.
* Position based in REDF's Los Angeles office.
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