Research and Policy
Understanding Research
THIS AREA IS HELPING FOUNDATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS to understand and connect to research in support of their specific grantmaking strategies. Although research is rarely definitive, it is nonetheless a critical tool in the arsenal of resources that foundations have to improve their craft and to promote practical, informed program designs and practices in the not-for-profit sector.
WHAT WORKS BEST FOR WHOM?
Researchers have much to say about the question "what works best for whom?" in a particular field under investigation. Researchers can also share how strong and reliable the knowledge base is in support of statements about promising practices. Philanthropists should use available research - both on the context that new initiatives address (e.g, needs, target groups, community factors, policy environment) and evaluation of previous comparable models -- to strategically target resources and improve effectiveness..
Through its six research institutes, the Heller School brings a faculty and research staff deeply immersed in scholarship that can be deployed toward meeting this goal.
