Keystone’s Chief Executive, David Bonbright, recently partook in the NGO Soul + Strategy Podcast series by Five Oaks Consulting (hosted by Tosca Bruno-Van Vijeijken) to discuss the role Constituent Voice has in continual improvement. This is a podcast series for leaders of NGOs and other philanthropic organizations who are not satisfied with the status quo[…]
At Keystone we know that effectively communicating with the people you serve is a great way to build trust and improve outcomes. In this blog we explore the work of Flamboyan Foundation, partnering with schools in Washington DC to improve learning outcomes for students through effective family engagement. At the heart of the approach is[…]
Nafisika Trust works in Kenya providing counselling and training to people in prison. The Trust is reaping the benefits of a Constituent Voice feedback system and using data to improve their programs. Vickie Wambura the founder and director of the charity said: “We thought were gathering feedback but we kept having snarl ups. We were[…]
Keeping your employees happy is essential to the success of your business. Evidence proves that happier employees translates to higher stock prices and stronger overall business performance. That said, knowing you need to keep your employees satisfied isn’t the same thing as knowing how to accomplish such goals. Do you offer free lunches? Holiday bonuses?[…]
How do you make the most of feedback? – discuss further with the people who gave it to you. We have writing recently about how closing the loop is the most scary but also most valuable part of understanding feedback. Going back to the people who gave you the feedback should not be an optional[…]
How can youth charities collect meaningful feedback from the young people they serve? Twelve UK based youth organizations received grants to listen and respond to the young people they serve and in this blog post we share what they learnt. The organizations were all charities supporting young people in the UK and funded by the[…]
Usually if you want to get something done you set a goal. Run a marathon, lose a stone, reduce poverty – that kind of thing. This is certainly how traditional development projects work. Logframes are full of targets – 500 people attend training sessions, 1,000 families lifted out of poverty, or 3,000 jobs created. There[…]
US nonprofit LIFT, which works to end intergenerational poverty, has been using client feedback to test its theory of change. LIFT works with low income families in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C. Parents (who LIFT call members) are paired with volunteer advocates and they work together to achieve the member’s goals. These[…]
At Keystone, we are very quick to make the argument that listening to those you aim to serve is not only the right thing to do, but also the bright thing – a way to not only better understand impact, but more importantly as a way to improve impact.
Surveys are a double-edged sword. It is useful, irresistibly so, to be able to assert something that is supported by survey results. Most of us are enthralled by this sirens’ call – I certainly am! But at the same time, surveys are riddled with two kinds of distortions. These have various technical names but boil[…]