We expect a lot from our stories these days. We may want them to bring people together, or to call them to action. But how, exactly, can stories make a difference? Our How Do We Knowresearch, focus groups, and workshops bring together creatives, funders, advocates, and evaluators to ask: What does story-fueled impact look like? What are we learning, and what are the consequences of measurement? Read more.

Visit Horticulture:

By using familiar garden tools as a metaphor, Horticulture provides a fresh, simple language for exploring media’s impact. Check out examples here.

Ask the Evaluators

Our new Ask The Evaluators! series explores real-world assessment of recent media projects, offering practical advice on what kinds of impact assessment methods might be most useful for different kinds of media. Check back here as we add more case studies.

What We're Hearing:

Why not measure to see if we’re right, to learn more about what’s working and what’s not. Bring it on.

Creative

We’re dedicated to measuring impact because we want to know if our media grantmaking strategies are working and how to advance the field.

Funder

Funders aren’t looking at proposals that don’t promise ‘measurable change.’ I don’t even submit projects anymore that aren’t trying to have a specific impact. So yes, we’re censoring ourselves.

Creative

When we consider funding media, we need to be able to prove who it influences. We have to ask: 'Are there cheaper, more cost effective ways to get where we’re trying to go?'

Funder

People come up to me after screenings in tears saying, ‘it changed the way I think.’ How do you put metrics on that?

Creative

Our policy is NOT to ask media makers about their measurable objectives at the beginning of a project. How could they possibly know - that early on? - (Besides, you’re setting yourself up for a bull#&$% answer…)

Funder

It’s hard when foundations are interested in outreach goals and objectives but don’t want to contribute to the production of the film. This limits impact because filmmakers are always struggling, and so it can be difficult to reach long-term objectives.

Creative

Have we heard from you?

If you have an opinion, sentiment, or under-expressed idea about measuring the impact of media, please share with us.

The Latest

*This is the fourth post in our new “Ask the Evaluators!” series, exploring real-world assessment of recent media projects to help you make informed decisions about what can be measured, and good questions to ask along the way. Stay tuned for future posts and click here to see all of the articles.* by Jessica Sperling, PhD What…