Comments on: More on NPR Marketplace: countering the counter-point http://blog.socialmarkets.org/more-on-npr-marketplace-countering-the-counter-point The official blog of socialmarkets Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:36:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Barry Diamond http://blog.socialmarkets.org/more-on-npr-marketplace-countering-the-counter-point#comment-13 Barry Diamond Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:57:37 +0000 http://blog.socialmarkets.org/more-on-npr-marketplace-countering-the-counter-point#comment-13 I agree with Trent Stamp that it is difficult for non-profits to measure the bottom line, but at some point, we do have to measure how much benefit a non-profit is producing. The idea of measuring social benefit is actually fairly common in our society through the methods of social research. If a non-profit wanted to produce an outcome such as "the citizens of New York living their lives in security," they would do the first step in all social research, operationalizing their variables. They may choose to measure the number of police calls over a given time or the number of gunshot wounds reported to hospitals. The point is that they would need to choose a reasonable, measurable variable. It does not have to be the perfect variable that is unassailable, it need only be reasonable. We must not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. The fact is, if non-profits even did a mediocre job of measuring outcomes, they would be so far ahead of where they are today that it would be a huge leap forward. The Social Market project might just be the most important initiative in the non-profit world in the last thirty years. I know I want to be involved. I agree with Trent Stamp that it is difficult for non-profits to measure the bottom line, but at some point, we do have to measure how much benefit a non-profit is producing. The idea of measuring social benefit is actually fairly common in our society through the methods of social research. If a non-profit wanted to produce an outcome such as “the citizens of New York living their lives in security,” they would do the first step in all social research, operationalizing their variables. They may choose to measure the number of police calls over a given time or the number of gunshot wounds reported to hospitals. The point is that they would need to choose a reasonable, measurable variable. It does not have to be the perfect variable that is unassailable, it need only be reasonable. We must not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. The fact is, if non-profits even did a mediocre job of measuring outcomes, they would be so far ahead of where they are today that it would be a huge leap forward.

The Social Market project might just be the most important initiative in the non-profit world in the last thirty years. I know I want to be involved.

]]> By: www.kikono.org http://blog.socialmarkets.org/more-on-npr-marketplace-countering-the-counter-point#comment-12 www.kikono.org Mon, 05 Nov 2007 20:54:39 +0000 http://blog.socialmarkets.org/more-on-npr-marketplace-countering-the-counter-point#comment-12 <strong>Answering Trent Stamp's comments on socialmarkets...</strong> We're answering Trent Stamp's comments about socialmarkets on our blog.... Answering Trent Stamp’s comments on socialmarkets…

We’re answering Trent Stamp’s comments about socialmarkets on our blog….

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