Five Strategies for Advancing to the Next Generation of Evidence

As we approach the end of a tumultuous year and look toward a new year and a new administration, we believe a next generation of evidence – a data and evidence ecosystem that is more equitable and actionable – will allow us to build back stronger. Despite progress made under both the Bush and Obama…

Making the Case for Social Sector R&D

Q&A with Jon Baron In his most recent Straight Talk on Evidence post, Arnold Ventures’ Vice President of Evidence-Based Policy Jon Baron argues that – just like with medical research – we must strengthen the way we build and use evidence in the social sector in order to develop a body of demonstrably effective strategies for meeting…

Supporting Effective Policymaking through the Development of Strategic Evidence Plans

The COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement has put a stark spotlight on the racial and economic inequities that stem from policies and practices in health, housing, education, employment, criminal justice, and other domains. There is immense urgency for systemic reforms and effective solutions that deliver equitable outcomes for communities of color and…

Presentation to the Evidence Commission: A Funder’s Perspective

In 2016, Managing Director Kelly Fitzsimmons presented to the Commission on Evidence-based Policymaking (CEP) in order to help inform its strategy around the use of data and evidence in government policy and programs. Her presentation lays out existing constraints for using and building evidence – including limited innovation in evaluation, constrained data access and weak…

Rethinking Early Childhood Policy: Finding Our Way Out of the Silos

It has been 15 years since the death of Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-New York). While at times provocative, Moynihan was a keen observer of the systemic barriers facing poor and underserved communities in the United States and respected across both parties for his policy and diplomatic leadership. Accordingly, his views on social policy can…