Candid insights
The big picture of the social sector, backed by data and expertise
How do you define a nonprofit’s size?
Visitors sometimes ask us if there are industry standards for"large", "medium", or "small" nonprofits. They often ask in the context of a funder's eligibility requirements or a released report. The simple answer: No standardized scale for "nonprofit's size" exists. However,…
October 27, 2014
Ants in the Kitchen: The Role of Data in Human Rights Funding
A professor at Vanderbilt University, Brooke Ackerly, once told me, “Numbers matter. If someone tells you there are ants in your kitchen, you will want to know whether there are two ants in your kitchen or whether there are TWO…
June 19, 2013
Sean Parker and the Perils of Stealth Philanthropy
I love weddings and I love philanthropy, so I have been following the fallout from Sean Parker’s wedding with growing interest over the last couple of weeks of unrelenting news coverage surrounding the big event. Mr. Parker is the co-founder…
June 17, 2013
Philanthropy’s Data Dilemma
When McKinsey & Co. released its seminal study Big Data: The Next Frontier for Innovation, Competition, and Productivity, the firm confidently predicted that the world was "on the cusp of a tremendous wave of innovation, productivity, and growth, as well…
July 11, 2012