Where do you think monitoring, evaluation, and learning in philanthropy will be in 10 years? In partnership with six other funders, the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation is supporting a field-wide process to reimagine measurement as a vital tool for social change. Guided by Monitor Institute, this process has already involved more than 125 foundation executives and program staff, evaluation experts, nonprofit leaders, and data specialists. Among the issues being examined: How can foundations and nonprofits get better at learning from and with each other, so that we can address large-scale, complex social problems more efficiently?
The intent is to create a brighter future in which smart data collection and analysis fuel continuous learning that steadily improves organizational effectiveness and results. The Monitor Institute team is writing about this journey via the Stanford Social Innovation Review blog.