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Current News

Knowledge to Policy: Making the Most of Development Research

I am continually impressed with Canada's International Development Research Centre. They do a lot of genuinely meaningful research and they share it broadly. Last year, they put out a fantastic compilation of 23 research projects on development around the world. The resulting publication is entitled Knowledge to Policy: Making the Most of Development Research (cover page, available in various media). The report, available for free in English, French and Spanish, is focused strongly on identifying what works and touches on the areas of poverty monitoring, trade & finance, resource management, water management, health & education reform, networks & innovation, and information & communication technologies. The wrap up chapter on using evaluation for organizational change is worth the time it takes to study the entire thing. Posted: 4/21/10; 6:18:13 PM #

10 Tactics for Turning Information into Action

I have lost count of the number of activists I've met whose basic strategy for social or political change is premised on the notion of "if only they knew the facts". Sadly, facts and opinion have a confusing relationship in people's minds, at best. (I recently read some research that showed that, all other things being equal, hearing that scientists are skeptical about ESP actually increased many people's belief.) Because we care about certain issues, we tend to think that the information about that issue will be transparently motivating. But it's not. The Tactical Technology Collective has put out a website (with videos and training cards) on 10 Tactics for Turning Information into Action. Although they are not going to change human nature, they can sure help us be a little smarter about how we use the information we care about. In summary, the ten tactics are: mobilise people, witness & record, visualize your message, amplify personal stories, just add humor, manage your contacts, use complex data, use collective intelligence, let people ask the questions, and investigate & expose. For each of these there are video stories, case studies, suggestions for use, featured tools, and tips. Posted: 4/21/10; 6:11:33 PM #

Adventures in Email Fundraising

Writing for Idealware, Andrea Berry has profiled two Adventures in Email Fundraising: what she calls the "basic email fundraising" of the White Mountain School in New Hampshire and the "social media extravaganza" of the United Way of Western Connecticut. Although I have my misgivings about the use of case studies, I have to remember that there are plenty of organizations for whom email still plays little or no role in fundraising. It's good to see what people are doing. Posted: 4/21/10; 5:55:55 PM #