Publications

Our Research on the Greater DC region.

Research Report

Three Decades of Mary's Center's Social Change Model

This report tells the story of the first 30 years of Mary’s Center, documenting its evolution from a basement clinic to a nationally recognized federally qualified health center (FQHC) serving nearly 55,000 participants in 2018.
Research Report

Equitable Development and Urban Park Space

Results and insights from the first two years of implementation of the equitable development plan of DC’s 11th Street Bridge Park Project.
Research Report

Analyzing a Localized Giving Culture

A recent survey of charitable giving practices at the state, county, and metropolitan level published by the Chronicle of Philanthropy sparked questions about the nature of the disparities in giving patterns between various locales and a
Research Report

Analysis of the Giving Potential of High-Income Donors in the Washington, DC, Metropolitan Region

The recent Chronicle of Philanthropy How America Gives report highlighted the Washington, DC, metropolitan region as a place of exceptional giving—DC ranks high on the list of total charitable dollars given—and one of unmet “giv
Brief

Elevating Cultural Relevance and Racial Equity in Research and Evaluation

Interest in evidence-based programs is increasing—not just among policymakers, but among philanthropic organizations. Simultaneously, more foundations are interested in supporting efforts that advance racial equity in research and in the field.
Research Report

Voices of the Community: DC, Maryland, Virginia

Voices of the Community: DC, Maryland, Virginia (VoicesDMV), is a community engagement initiative from the Greater Washington Community Foundation, in partnership with the Urban Institute, designed to lift up residents’ stories and perceptions of
Brief

A New Model for Growing Impact

Essential to improving the services nonprofits provide is performance management—monitoring and learning activities that use information to shape programming.
Brief

Performance Measurement to Evaluation

Nonprofits are increasingly expected to use data and evidence to manage and improve their programs and to demonstrate that they are producing positive results for their clients.
Testimony

Social Impact Bonds

Social welfare problems in Maryland and elsewhere have remained intractable because their scale is beyond the ability of government to address alone, John Roman told the Appropriations Committee of the Maryland House of Delegates.
Brief

Nonprofit-Government Contracting in the Nation's Capital: Challenges and Opportunities

Findings from the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropys National Survey of Nonprofit-Government Contracting and Grants show that a majority of human service organizations in Washington, D.C.
Research Report

Rising Foreclosures Overwhelm Washington, DC Area Counseling Organizations

This report discusses the results from surveys of housing counseling and legal service organizations and interviews with social service organizations in the Washington, DC, area.
Research Report

D.C. Out-of-School Time Programs Tackle Outcome Measures

Funders and nonprofit leaders are increasingly looking for information that demonstrates the achievements of community-based programs. In this results-oriented environment, the Urban Institute, The Center for What Works, and the D.C.
Research Report

Measuring Racial-Ethnic Diversity in the Baltimore-Washington Region's Nonprofit Sector

The nonprofit sector in the Baltimore-Washington region is undergoing a profound, albeit quiet, revolution driven by demographic change.
Research Report

Community-Based Organizations and Immigrant Integration in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area

This study examines immigrant integration through the lens of community-based organizations.
Research Report

Evaluation Matters

Nonprofits face growing demands to demonstrate their impact. Their ability to report on program performance is essential to organizational legitimacy and financial survival.