Effective Communities Project

Effective Communities Project

Steven E. Mayer, Ph.D.

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Homesystem change

system change

confusing measures of success
PROGRAM EVALUATION

Measures of Success Reflect Someone’s Vision of Success

April 1, 2022 Steve Mayer

Measures of success, especially in the nonprofit world, reflect someone’s personal vision of success. The choice of measures for gauging the success or effectiveness of a nonprofit organization is not as objective as one might […]

Cooperation
EFFECTIVE PHILANTHROPY

Can Grantmakers and Nonprofits Work Together? Can Anyone See These Indicators of Success?

April 1, 2022 Steve Mayer

If there really were a growing trend of cooperation between grantmakers and nonprofits, what would we notice?  A partial list includes:
[…]

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

The Assets Model of Community Development

November 7, 2021 Steve Mayer

The “assets model of community development,” as distinct from the “deficits model,” has really caught on in philanthropy in the last 30 years.  Articulated first by John McKnight at the Asset-Based Community Development Institute, the […]

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Education Works Only When Justice and Economics Work

November 5, 2021 Steve Mayer

When trouble brews… When trouble brews and the people in charge realize there’s trouble ahead, politicians like to double down on Education. But doubling down on Education works only when our Justice systems and Economics […]

Philanthropy, Justice, and Evaluation
EFFECTIVE PHILANTHROPY

Pathways to Progress: Focusing Philanthropy on Racial Equity and Social Justice

April 10, 2021 Steve Mayer

Philanthropy could make greater gains in racial equity and social justice if it pursued these six field-tested pathways to progress. […]

Evaluating philanthropy
PROGRAM EVALUATION

Wanted: Better Evaluation Practices for a Better Philanthropy

January 16, 2021 Steve Mayer

Philanthropy by definition is a noble endeavor. Yet people want to know, “what good does philanthropy do?” The answer is hard to get, partly because philanthropy doesn’t really want to know, and evaluation doesn’t really know how to serve up good answers. This article illuminates the dilemma. […]

Long term solutions
EFFECTIVE PHILANTHROPY

Foundations Should Support Solutions, Not Put Up Barriers To Progress

June 7, 2020 Steve Mayer

“Barriers to progress?  Foundations should support solutions, not put up barriers to progress.  Even foundations who claim to be in the business of tackling big systemic problems insist on funding short-term projects with easily countable […]

Community Development and System Change After a Crisis
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

After a Crisis: Opportunities for Community Development and System Change

June 6, 2020 Steve Mayer

As we said after Katrina, foundations have many useful assets – purchasing power, influence and leadership, knowledge of communities, and development know-how – all of which can be used creatively to aid a more equitable reconstruction of Gulf Coast communities wrecked by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. […]

Recent Articles

  • Power Dynamics in the Philanthropic Sector
    April 1, 2022
  • Community Philanthropy in Central and Eastern Europe
    April 1, 2022
  • How to Show Off Your Wicked Strong Sexy and Incredibly Effective Nonprofit
    April 1, 2022
  • Measures of Success Reflect Someone’s Vision of Success
    April 1, 2022
  • Op-Ed: Philanthropy Must Address Structural Inequities
    April 1, 2022
  • Can Grantmakers and Nonprofits Work Together? Can Anyone See These Indicators of Success?
    April 1, 2022
  • The Assets Model of Community Development
    November 7, 2021
  • Education Works Only When Justice and Economics Work
    November 5, 2021
  • Supporting Low-Income Neighborhood Organizations: A Guide for Community Foundations
    August 23, 2021
  • Relationships as Infrastructure in Southern African American Communities
    July 13, 2021

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ACTIVISM advocacy Appreciative inquiry Asset development Best practices CAPACITY BUILDING Central and Eastern Europe COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Community Foundations Community leadership community philanthropy dignity disparities Effective Communities Project Effective philanthropy EVALUATION Ford Foundation foundations GRANTMAKING hunger institutional racism Jim Crow Justice Just Philanthropy measurement metrics metrics in philanthropy Neighborhood organizations Nonprofit evaluation NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT nonprofits Organizational capacity Paradigms Pathways to Progress philanthropic effectiveness PHILANTHROPY program evaluation progress racial equity social change SOCIAL JUSTICE strategic grantmaking system change Twin Cities venture philanthropy
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Recent Post
  • Power Dynamics in the Philanthropic Sector
  • Community Philanthropy in Central and Eastern Europe
  • How to Show Off Your Wicked Strong Sexy and Incredibly Effective Nonprofit
  • Measures of Success Reflect Someone’s Vision of Success
  • Op-Ed: Philanthropy Must Address Structural Inequities
Tags
ACTIVISM advocacy Appreciative inquiry Asset development Best practices CAPACITY BUILDING Central and Eastern Europe COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Community Foundations Community leadership community philanthropy dignity disparities Effective Communities Project Effective philanthropy EVALUATION Ford Foundation foundations GRANTMAKING hunger institutional racism Jim Crow Justice Just Philanthropy measurement metrics metrics in philanthropy Neighborhood organizations Nonprofit evaluation NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT nonprofits Organizational capacity Paradigms Pathways to Progress philanthropic effectiveness PHILANTHROPY program evaluation progress racial equity social change SOCIAL JUSTICE strategic grantmaking system change Twin Cities venture philanthropy
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