Social challenges are complex. People live within human, natural, and economic systems that are constantly in flux. Power dynamics within those systems shift and change, almost always in ways that are unfavorable to the most vulnerable. Social impact organizations seek to address injustice, alleviate suffering, provide opportunities and protect the
A Participant Advisory Council is a group of beneficiaries and community members who can advise on social impact programs and services meant for them. They can be a great resource throughout the entire lifecycle of your program. They will have valuable insight and can share context regarding their challenges. They
Understanding the true problem your audience is experiencing is critical to developing a solution that will genuinely help them overcome challenges and achieve their goals. A good problem statement is compelling and will inspire so many ideas for you and your team! After doing a good discovery you can focus
Evaluating the true impact of a social impact program requires the input of beneficiaries. Many organizations seek this through surveys or interviews, but this is only the first step towards true co-evaluation. Benefits to Co-EvaluationCo-evaluating programs provides humanitarian organizations with deep insight into the impact theirprograms are making or could
Facilitating an effective ideation session is as much art as it is science. Now is the time to go wide and dream up anything and everything that might help. Some tips for facilitating this are below. Consider: How might you best create a creative environment for ideation? Invite multiple perspectives.
Human-centered Programming gives Non-profits, Humanitarian, and Social Impact organizations the tools needed to solve challenging human problems in deep partnership with program beneficiaries. It brings their stories, experience, and creativity into solutions meant for them. The benefits are real and sustainable as your organization and your audience become co-designers, co-implementers,
Human-centered programming is an approach to solving challenging social problems in deep partnership with your audience. Partnering with your audience brings their stories, their goals, their challenges, and their creativity into your programs. This self-assessment will help you determine if this approach will really help your organization. Keep track of
These three essential questions can guide the work we do every day in non-profit, NGO, and humanitarian organizations. Who are you helping? What do you truly know about their goals, their experiences, and their challenges? How do you currently use that knowledge to make decisions? Answering these questions bring us
With so many difficult challenges and so many people to help, it is tempting to run with the first feasible solution. Time is often short and moving quickly is necessary. There may be pressure from donors, solutions may have been predetermined by leadership, or there may be legacy solutions in
Center for Design Kindness 