Kevin Starr talks about his article "Don't Feed the Zombies" and how if we focus on measuring reach, instead of caring about impact, we end up doing harm in the world. His vision is a world where you can't get taken seriously if you can't talk about real, measurable change in the lives of people we serve, and the evidence to back it up. "The minute you commit to impact, and a definition thereof, you're starting to be part of the solution." What's a definition of impact? Evidence of change that happened in someone's life, and a plausible description about how your part in that change worked. If we (especially donors) are not accountable for impact, they end up supporting groups that aren't accountable to the people they serve, and are not driving for the full potential of what we can get done in the world. Here are some other links to check out:
The Power of Risk: Contingency Plans, Relationships, and other lessons from COVID
Rumors, Trust, and COVID-19
A Grain of Truth in Opposition: Launching new programs in difficult times
CARE of 1000 Papers, Part 2: Improving the way we work with partners in crisis
CARE of 1000 papers: How our best intentions can hurt local activists
Designing Data Systems in Crisis: Act Quickly, Iterate Fast, and Think to the Future
Don't Jump Straight to Digital: What Ebola Taught Us About Trying to Force New Systems in Crisis
From Supervision to Empowerment: New Ways to Partner for Sustainability (English Version)
Push Aside the Panic: Thinking Bigger than Just a Health Response to COVID 19
Expect to Fail: Advocacy, Partnership, and Women Workers' Rights
Planning a Better COVID-19 Response: How Mistakes from the Ebola Crisis Can Help
It will never happen in 6 months: Lessons from building financial apps in Uganda
Just Live It: How to learn from failure in the conservation sector
From Supervision to Empowerment: New Ways to Partner for Sustainability
Walking the Tightrope: Balancing Participation and Independence in Evaluations
Understand Your Entry Points: How Admitting Failure Transforms Policy
Answering Practical Questions Instead of Academic Ones: How to design research that makes more sustainable programming
Scale and Replication: How the MENA Region is Using Failure to Create Programs that Last
9 Things You're Probably Doing Wrong: Lessons from Global Cash Programming
What's Wrong With Happy Families?
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Commercial Edge: Unleash the Power of People
The emPOWERed Half Hour
Advocacy Scoop Podcast
Social Dallas Podcast
Change Church Podcast
Six Degrees with Kevin Bacon
Nonprofits Are Messy: Lessons in Leadership | Fundraising | Board Development | Communications