CSSL conducts research to understand social impact for fostering social action and change, with a focus on participatory action research. This approach emphasizes community involvement, collective inquiry, and experimentation rooted in social experience. Researchers, practitioners, and beneficiaries collaborate closely in defining research goals, methods, interpretation, and dissemination, fostering a democratic and inclusive process.
Nonprofit Board Chief Governance Officer (CGO) Pilot
A Leadership & Capacity Building Research Initiative
Recent research suggests that governance is often a vague concept among directors, prompting the need for a standardized approach. In response, CSSL faculty Paul Jansen developed a pilot program, drawing on a comprehensive list of governance quality questions to aid nonprofit boards in assessing and enhancing their performance. This initiative emerged from a year-long study involving interviews with over 30 nonprofit board and executive leaders, focusing on various aspects of board governance.
Nonprofit Board CGO Pilot
The pilot program aims to evaluate whether the introduction and support of a Chief Governance Officer (CGO) position can positively impact nonprofit governance, measured through self-reported assessments of governance responsibilities before and after implementation.
- Does Your Nonprofit Board Need a CGO?
- DOWNLOAD CGO CHECKLIST HERE
CSSL Research Publications
This paper aims to emphasize specific areas where foundation grant-making can adopt diverse innovative approaches, which we believe will lead to increased social impact.
Written by Nora Silver and Paul Jansen, published by the California Management Review
This article assesses the cross-sector experiences of current leaders, spanning public, private, and nonprofit sectors, finding that nearly half have at least one multisector affiliation and 15% have four or more. It delves into the benefits and drawbacks of such experiences for both individuals and their organizations. The leaders interviewed commonly described an unforeseen yet rewarding path, highlighting the emergence of a new career trajectory where part-time cross-sector affiliations complement traditional employment, fostering developmentally rich and career-accelerating experiences.
Written by Jane Wei-Skillern and Nora Silver, published by Foundation Review
This article presents four counterintuitive principles crucial for successful collaboration in the social sector, providing guidance for leaders to amplify the impact of their collaborations. Drawing from a decade of research and detailed case studies on successful networks, the authors outline essential factors common to effective networking.
