Including people with disabilities in nonprofits and foundations: Accessibility & equity webinar series
Media Impact Funders has joined 18 philanthropic and nonprofit organizations to present a series of free online diversity, equity, access and inclusion training sessions on the nuts and bolts of how PSOs and foundations and their grantees can include people with disabilities from all backgrounds in their work. The series is hosted by RespectAbility, a […]
Success beyond scale: Evaluating outcomes that funders really care about
“Scale”—too often this is the bane of a grantee’s or evaluator’s existence when it comes to assessing the social impact of media projects. Why are funders so stuck on this concept, and what other impact models might matter more? As we’ve been reviewing materials we’ve gathered on media impact over the past several years, these […]
MIF identifies new learning priorities after yearlong strategic planning process
As part of a new strategic direction informed by a yearlong review of our organization, we’ve been tasked with outlining learning priorities for the year and beyond. We have identified the following priorities: Making the case for media funding Assessing the impact of media funding Understanding the importance of evidence-based science communications activities Presenting/identifying funding […]
6 impact tools for every type of funder and media maker
Here at Media Impact Funders, we’ve been researching best practices in measuring media impact since 2013. In addition to curating impact-related tools, producing original analyses on impact trends, and publishing a monthly impact newsletter, we also convene funders to discuss impact, and conduct research on how funders are thinking about and assessing impact in the […]
Meet Crisis Text Line, one of the winners of this year’s Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship Awards
Next week marks the beginning of the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship, the premier international platform for advancing entrepreneurial solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. (Follow #SkollWF on Twitter for updates on the Forum.) In the meantime, we were fortunate to get in touch with Nancy Lublin, founder & CEO of Crisis Text […]
10 tips for practicing lean impact in a time of rapid change
While the media and tech landscapes are changing rapidly—requiring nimble and adaptive business practices and new models—the larger social sector funding landscape can be stuck in model for a previous age, planning out discrete interventions and then collecting metrics to examine how many people were touched by them. And media funders—despite often being at the […]
Things we don’t talk about (but should): An open letter to media funders
Next week, several hundred people from national, community, and place-based foundations, as well as newsrooms and other nonprofits, will come together at the Knight Media Forum in Miami. The conference focuses on philanthropy’s role in strengthening local news and information, which is essential for healthy communities and a vibrant democracy. We believe there’s an important conversation missing […]
Here’s how to use our updated impact assessment tools
As you may have noticed, a few weeks ago we completely overhauled our website in an effort to better serve the rapidly changing fields of media and philanthropy. (Here’s an overview of what you can now find.) And with our shiny new website comes shiny new impact assessment resources, which we’re eager to showcase.
Sexual harassment in the workplace: What funders should know
Editor’s note: Much like Hollywood and the entertainment and media industries, the culture of sexual harassment at Silicon Valley tech companies is no longer a shameful open secret. Over the last few months, several high-profile men in tech have resigned or been fired over allegations of sexual harassment.
With support from the WestWind Foundation, AMAZE project removes barriers to common-sense sex education
What impact can foundation-funded media have in the contested discourse over reproductive rights around the world? In this guest post, Kristen Mahoney of the WestWind Foundation, based in Charlottesville, Va., explains the strategy behind supporting AMAZE—a project designed to make sex education approachable, engaging and informative for very young adolescents.
Funders turn fresh attention to diversity in media in troubling times
The recent violence in Charlottesville, Va., has thrust racist ideas into the national conversation in ways Americans haven’t experienced before. Of course, tensions around race relations in the U.S. have been steadily building over the past few years, with high-profile protests around police shootings and a resurgence in hate groups. Intolerance in the streets has mirrored […]
The Fledgling Fund offers insights on funding virtual reality
Editor’s note: Earlier this month, Media Impact Funders brought funders together at Philanthropy New York with organizers and presenters from the first VR for Change summit to explore how immersive platforms offer new ways to engage and mobilize users around social issues. Because this is a new and quickly evolving medium, attendees had many questions. The […]