More than a decade ago, the concept of "gender lens investing" emerged, aiming to support the economic and social well-being of women. Since then, the field has grown significantly, with numerous venture funds, accelerators, and incubators actively investing in and supporting women founders, funders, and customers.

[San Francisco, CA] - Fluxx, the leading cloud-based grants management software solution, and UpMetrics, the leading impact analytics platform for the social sector, are excited to announce their partnership to provide foundations and grantees with an end-to-end solution that combines grantmaking data (via Fluxx) with impact data, measurement and analytics (via UpMetrics). The partnership will empower foundations to make more informed grantmaking decisions while strengthening relationships with grantee partners through shared learning, enabling them to drive impact at scale.

Companies focused on impact investing are on a mission to create positive social and environmental outcomes while generating financial returns. These purpose-driven business models are designed to address the world's most pressing challenges, such as poverty, climate change, and inequality.

Organizations that invest in developing the fundamental systems, protocols, and processes needed to support key business functions are more successful than those that don’t. That’s a fact that traverses every industry, including the nonprofit sector. However, the impacts are arguably more severe for mismanaged nonprofit organizations.

As the philanthropic sector continues to grow and evolve, there is an increasing need for accurate and reliable impact measurement. Impact measurement refers to the process of evaluating the effectiveness of philanthropic programs, initiatives and interventions. This helps organizations determine whether they are meeting their intended goals and delivering the intended benefits to their target beneficiaries.

In recent years, leaders across the philanthropic sector have recognized and worked to shift power imbalances that exist between funders, nonprofits, and the communities that they serve. This work - called trust-based philanthropy - requires addressing deep-seated inequities at their root and implementing real changes to the structures, organizations, cultures, and norms within which so many philanthropic organizations operate.

Chances are you’ve heard this common question asked in business, academia, and scientific research settings: "What is the data telling you?"

There’s a good reason why — it reflects how data contains a treasure trove of insights and wisdom that could help drive effective, profitable decisions. However, the problem is that most people have difficulty reading and interpreting raw data.

The human mind is programmed to remember and respond to stories. For thousands of years, our minds have used stories to understand the world around us and share our experiences. Today, stories are a means of entertainment, a source of inspiration, and a method of connecting with one another in more deep and meaningful ways.

Whether you’re an international business or a local nonprofit, all organizations must take calculated risks to maximize their impact and achieve their goals. When it comes to the hard work you’ve put in to build your organization, would you simply roll the dice? Or would you make informed, strategic decisions? 

One of the things I love most about UpMetrics is that our values are not just words on a website – they actively guide our decision-making and our partnerships with other impact organizations.

Two of those values – Reflect & Improve and Client Focused – are top of mind as we pilot, in partnership with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, two Impact Data Fellows to strengthen the data collection and analysis capabilities of a cohort of nonprofit organizations.