GuideStar 2020 Building the Scaffolding of Social Change

(iteratively)(multi-dimensionally)

(at scale)(without being a jerk)

Not chaos-like together crushed and bruised;But, as the world, harmoniously confused:Where order in variety we see;And where, though all things differ, all agree.

Alexander Pope, 1713

The nonprofit sector is immensely diverse

And individual nonprofits are immensely complex

And we (all) have long had trouble wrapping our minds around that diversity and that complexity

But it is becoming possible to do just that…

…to tell the shared story of social change with both rigor and nuance.

Three strategies

Eight principles

Five findings

First, you collect data. Then, you distribute that data to people who need it.

Then, you innovate upon that supply chain

(Then, you start the cycle again and you keep learning.)

Data Innovation

Data Collection Data Distribution

The essence of GuideStar’s strategy is this:

A nonprofit common profile

…that is multidimensional,

…placed in context,

…linked to the key tech platforms of our time,

…and enhanced by constant cycles of innovation & learning…

…at scale

(without being a jerk)

We are serious when we talk about scale

2.3 billion pieces of data

7.2 million unique users

22 million API hits

15,000 new registrants per month

37,000 GuideStar Exchange participant seals

70 platform partners

C U R R E N T S C A L E

…to build upon over the next

several years…

And we also recognize that linear growth simply will not cut it

The nonprofit sector requires nonlinear change…

…that will involve shifts in cultural expectations,

…new levels of interconnection,

…new business models,

…and new forms of partnership

P R I N C I P L E # 1 : Be clear about goals

“Start with purpose.” -- Fay Twersky

P R I N C I P L E # 2 : Design for Actual use

“Thou shalt not design for thyself.” – Heather Fleming

P R I N C I P L E # 3 : Boldness or Nothing

“Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” - Goethe

P R I N C I P L E # 5 : Plan, then Iterate

“The tactical result of an engagement forms the base for new strategic decisions. " - Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

P R I N C I P L E # 6 : Build on Existing Scale

“On the Internet…you can be two sizes: you can be big, or you can be small.” – Jeff Bezos

P R I N C I P L E # 7 : Go Far, Together

"If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.“ —African proverb

P R I N C I P L E # 8 : Hold on to Humanity

"Now, now how come your talk turn cold? / Gain the whole world for the price of your soul.” – Lauryn Hill

$

F I N A N C I A L F I N D I N G # 1 :

We have built a sustainable business model

F I N A N C I A L F I N D I N G # 2 a : Our revenue base is diverse

F I N A N C I A L F I N D I N G # 2 b : Our revenue base is diverse

F I N A N C I A L F I N D I N G # 3 :

Our plan will involve significant additional costs

F I N A N C I A L F I N D I N G # 4 :

We believe we can steadily grow our earned income

We cannot face the great challenges of our time with an anemic and fragmented civil society.

It is now possible to build data systems that drive learning, enable accountability, cultivate collaboration, and ensure dignity.

So let’s do it.

Appendix

Information about…

Organizations (e.g., Nurse-Family Partnership is currently serving 22,795 babies and their mothers in 40 states across the U.S.)

Resources (e.g., The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation made a 5-year, $10 million grant to Nurse-Family Partnership in 2007)

Interventions (e.g., regular nurse visitation for new mothers their babies leads to a .2 point increase in math & reading GPA in grades 1-6)

Issues (e.g., 50% of children from at-risk backgrounds are below the basic level for reading and math skills)

Many types of information can help social change actors make good choices

Contribution (you helped)

Attribution (you were responsible)

Qualitative(stories and descriptions)

Quantitative(numbers)

Independent(just about you)

Comparative(you in the context of others)

and

and

and

Retrospective(what happened in the past)

Prospective(goals for the future) and

Data about nonprofits

Data about social issues

Data about what works (social

science research)

Data about resource flows

Operational data

Financial data

Programmatic data

Qualitative (descriptions)

Quantitative (metrics)

Perceptions

e.g. Charting Impact

activity/output/outcome data

Experts, donors, volunteers, beneficiaries

Infrastructure for philanthropic giving

Infrastructure for impact investing

Impact measurement:• common

taxonomy• shared

database

Joint partnerships with private sector:• financial institutions• search engines • social networking sites

Shared social change strategies:• joint theories of change• integrated business

models

Data Operations

Product Engineering

Information Systems

SalesStrategy Accounting

DevelopmentHuman

ResourcesMarketing

Comms

Nonprofit Programs

Product Management

Nonprofit Services

Business Intelligence

Research

Design

Market Research

Measurement and Evaluation

Facilities