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How Nonprofits Can Use Data to Solve the World's Problems

Victor Luckerson

December 10, 2012 |

Time Magazine |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Tucson, Arizona

Like their for-profit counterparts, charities are starting to embrace Big Data as a means to perform more efficiently and share that performance with potential donors. Data gathered is used both to measure successes and to highlight areas where program structure could be improved.

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Putting Charities to the Test

Tina Rosenberg

December 05, 2012 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, Oxford

For most well-meaning donors, it can be difficult to calculate which charities are most effective with their funding - that is those that aim to solve the most serious problems, use interventions that work, employ cost-effective strategies, are competent and honest, and can make good use of each additional dollar. Organizations like GiveWell are part of a new and welcome trend toward rigorous evaluation of social change programs, and helps people best decide where to donate based on what causes matter to them most.

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The Power of Failure

Sarika Bansal

November 28, 2012 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Jose, California

Nongovernmental groups – especially ones that depend on donations – hate to fail, and never make their failures public. But at new conferences, social activists share and learn from failure.

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What a Little Land Can Do

Tina Rosenberg

November 21, 2012 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Kolkata, West Bengal

In many parts of the world, not owning one's own land is more directly correlated to poverty than other factors such as illiteracy, but land reform is controversial, difficult, and expensive. A new program called Landesa is having success in India through a non-confiscatory model that gives families tennis-court size plots.

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The Rise of the Social Entrepreneur

David Bornstein

November 13, 2012 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

In a world divided into factions, social entrepreneurs are connecting people in new configurations and helping them work together more effectively because social entrepreneurs tend to pursue an end in a communal way.

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For Ambitious Nonprofits, Capital to Grow

David Bornstein

June 27, 2012 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Funding with too many strings attached makes it hard for non-profits to grow and be impactful. An American organization, Nonprofit Finance Fund (N.F.F.) Capital Partners division, is finding ways to finance non-profits likes companies and has already shown great success in pilot situations.

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Shopping for a Better World

Sarika Bansal

May 09, 2012 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

The philanthropic practice of buy-one-give-one can be ineffective if communities are given ill-fitting donations or if the donations supplant local markets. The company Warby Parker ensures lasting change by financing the means of local production of a pair of glasses for every pair bought.

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Liter by Liter, Indians Get Cleaner Water

Amy Yee

March 21, 2012 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, New Delhi

Low-cost filtration plants are finding their place in some of the most underserved areas of India. Making a cultural shift from drinking well water to filtered water isn't well-received by all villages in the country, however. Thanks in part to word of mouth as well as a noted difference in health outcomes, there is still hope in fighting the fight to persuade local communities to pay for and drink clean water.

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From Young Adult Book Fans to Wizards of Change

Courtney E. Martin

March 21, 2012 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

Global social and economic problems are difficult to change. However, fan-activism fuels the interests of fans of popular young adult fiction. Books such as Harry Potter and the Hunger Games have inspired activist groups that raise awareness of global hunger, reading, and relief supplies to impoverished nations, among others. Being a fan has served as a bridge to become politically active and solve the world’s problems.

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In the Fight Against Poverty, It's Time for a Revolution

David Bornstein

January 12, 2012 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

LIFT, founded in 1988 by college students, employs an approach to poverty alleviation grounded in building relationships with communities. LIFT finds volunteers who have demonstrated empathy and then employs them to meet with local families in need, helping them set goals, monitor their progress, and access services.

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