The Weight of Power: The Role of Metrics & Evaluation at the Intersection of Social Justice
Year: 2023
Type: report
Abstract: Dismantling and shifting power structures is key for achieving meaningful social impact. For far too long, funders have had significant control over social impact organizations: what they focus on, how they allocate resources, and how they measure their own success. This control contributes to ongoing inequity and impedes progress. If we want to bring about effective and lasting change, we need to shift that power to the people on the front lines — social innovation leaders and the communities they serve. Their voices need to be heard and respected. We must work together with them to develop solutions that make a meaningful difference. This report, a collaboration between Echoing Green and CCRE, seeks to contribute to those solutions by beginning to address two essential questions:Who has power to define success?Who should have power to define success?Guided by this frame of reference, we conducted a review of existing literature, a series of 22 interviews, and a survey of 409 nonprofit leaders, social innovators, and philanthropic funders to understand how philanthropy and social innovators measure success. We focused on the challenges faced specifically by Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) leaders. Across these three methods, we sought to understand four key questions:Who has power to define vision, mission, and metrics?What metrics are collected and how are they used?What effect do metrics have on BIPOC leaders?How can we create more equitable funding streams?
Source: Issue Lab (Candid)
Language: English
Subfield: Finance
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Reduced inequalities
Open Access status: green
Funder: Robin Hood Foundation
OpenAlex ID: W7062682976