Our Writing
Our writing on a bunch of stuff in longer articles and short form pieces: whenever (and only whenever) we have something useful to say.
Thriving People in Thriving Places - Part 1
For community-led conservation to work, livelihoods have to be front and center.
September 5, 2025
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Big Aid Is Over
We need to design for what African governments can do and will pay for.
May 21, 2025
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Funders, Do Your !!@%@#! Job.
Don’t just spray money. Be accountable to those we’re trying to serve.
January 16, 2025
Restricting Funding by Geography Makes Less Sense Than You Think It Does
Fund great ideas wherever they are
December 20, 2024
Randomized Control Trials: You're Betting The Farm
Don’t do one until you already know the answer.
December 2, 2024
Big Bet Bonanza
Turning a one-time score into an impact jackpot.
October 30, 2024
Dump The Prizes
Contests, challenges, awards — they do more harm than good. Let's get rid of them.
October 23, 2024
Fear Of Flying
Travel thoughtfully, probably less, but do get out there if it drives impact.
June 12, 2024
Big Bet Bummer
We need big bet philanthropy. We also need it to change.
April 25, 2024
In Numbers We Trust
Because trust-based philanthropy shouldn’t mean blind faith.
March 20, 2024
Don't Feed the Zombies
When funders aren’t accountable for impact, it ruins the party for everyone.
May 17, 2023
Making Ourselves Accountable
A systematic approach to tracking progress toward real impact at scale.
August 15, 2022
Strategy: Go Big or Go… Oh, Just Go Big
Four steps to impact at a scale that really matters.
May 18, 2022
Another Day, Another DIB
A DIB on an ultra-poverty graduation project in Kenya/Uganda has people going nuts over the results. My own reaction was "WTF!"
March 17, 2022
Do They Still Need Our Money?
A wave of big-bet grants has left some funders asking whether recipient organizations still “need” their money. That’s always the wrong question.
February 8, 2022
Building Your Dream Board
A step-by-step guide to build a board that accelerates your impact.
August 9, 2021
Getting to Scale: Size Matters. Shape Matters More.
Scale is a verb, not a noun: The trajectory and curve of impact are more important than the numbers.
August 4, 2021
Yes, They Still Need Your Money
MacKenzie Scott has just given you a big opportunity.
July 2, 2021
If You’re Going To Have A Call, Make It A Good One
Bad Internet is just one more inequity. But don’t let it hurt you.
May 6, 2021
We’re Beating Systems Change to Death
Systems change is more a destination than a journey. “Scalable solutions” might be a better way to make the trip.
April 21, 2021
Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Give a Family Cash, and You Feed Them for…a While
For all the glowing press that unconditional cash transfers (UCT) have gotten, cash is still a long way from living up to the hype and transforming the development sector.
March 2, 2021
Many Roads to Impact
If you can’t physically get there – and get there safely – then we’re not going to get much impact.
January 27, 2021
Nowhere to Grow
The systematic scale-up of social entrepreneurs’ solutions by Big International NGOs (BINGOs) is simply not a thing. Why not?
October 22, 2020
Cash Benchmarking: A Solution in Search of a Problem
The problem is a pervasive lack of impact evidence. Benchmarking is beside the point.
September 29, 2020
Your Software, Their Hardware: Stacking the Deck for High-Quality Replication
Your awesome model doesn’t get to serious scale unless others replicate it, too. Here’s how to make it happen.
August 13, 2020
A Strategic Approach to Rapid COVID Crisis Funding
The right money to the right people in the right way at the right time.
May 11, 2020
A Quick and Dirty Guide to COVID-19 Planning for Non-Profits
Focus on cash and what it means for charting the path forward
April 14, 2020
Survive to Thrive: Advice We Gave to Our Fellows
Here's the quick and dirty advice we gave to our early stage fellows in the time of COVID-19.
March 26, 2020
Twitter wars
Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight, and other lessons.
February 26, 2020
A Messy Start, Solid Research, and Huge Potential
Mulago’s take on the LEAP RCT results in Liberia.
January 15, 2020
Impact Investing is Failing the People Who Need it the Most
Let me tell you a story.
December 11, 2019
Big Enough. Simple Enough. Cheap Enough.
Daunting social problems need scalable solutions. Here’s how to know if you’ve got one.
December 4, 2019
There's Still No Free Lunch
We’re in big trouble if complicated, expensive schemes like Development Impact Bonds are what it takes to get big funders to fund for impact.
December 13, 2018
Somebody's Gotta Get Rich
If we’re serious about solving problems, marginal businesses won’t do.
August 22, 2018
Enough Innovation Already!
Innovation without replication is a waste of time.
April 6, 2018
The Primary Health Care Jackpot
The Cool Stuff Doesn’t Matter If the Basics Aren’t There
December 11, 2017
Let the Man Do His Job!
It’s hard to be a government minister in a country where resources are scarce. Don’t make it worse.
July 26, 2017
Development Malpractice in Ghana
How stuff that doesn’t work can screw up stuff that does.
April 3, 2017
The Lazy Funder’s Guide to High-Yield Philanthropy
Six ways to do more with less.
December 14, 2016
Seduced by “The Reductive Seduction of Other People’s Problems”
Even in the world of poverty and development, seduction sometimes works out OK.
December 14, 2016
A Big Problem, a Small Experiment, and a Lot of Noise
Liberia’s leaders are trying to jump-start their schools. Give them a break.
December 14, 2016
Three Buckets of Money
It’s more of a desert than a jungle out there.
September 29, 2016
The Pitch Is Dead. Long Live the Conversation.
If you treat funders like prey, they'll probably run.
June 20, 2016
The Joy of Hanging in There
Don’t stop funding just because you can.
March 4, 2016
The Doer and the Payer: A Simple Approach to Scale
Growth and scale aren't the same thing. Here's what you need to know if you're serious about getting to scale.
August 20, 2015
The Seven Commandments of Funding
Don’t shoot me, I’m just the messenger.
April 9, 2015
Getting Beyond Hype: Four Questions to Predict Real Impact
A simple way to think about investment and design.
September 1, 2014
Give Thoughtfully: It Depends on Your Point of View
Bringing a discussion of cash transfers in for a landing
March 27, 2014
Give Directly? Not So Fast
We are mistaking an important experiment for a proven solution
March 10, 2014
Get Out of the Office
You'll never get what's going on out there by sitting in here
January 29, 2014
Stumbling into Philanthropy
Turning a bunch of money into a lot of impact.
November 3, 2013
Half-Baked: Why We Need to Rethink Social Enterprise Accelerator Programs
Accelerators risk accelerating an impact story instead of real impact.
October 9, 2013
Dump the Prizes
Contests, challenges, awards -- they do more harm than good. Let's get rid of them.
August 21, 2013
At Least Take Down the Signs
Old-school development and its rusting reminders.
May 30, 2013
Be Nice. Fund Results. Minimize Hassle. Help Out.
The word from the trenches on how funders can make life easier for everyone.
April 3, 2013
The Eight-Word Mission Statement
Don't settle for more.
December 31, 2012
Premature Incorporation
Don't let it happen to you.
December 10, 2012
Real World Impact Measurement
"Good enough" means simple enough to do, but rigorous enough to mean something.
September 23, 2012
The Trouble With Impact Investing: Part 3
Real impact investing is not for the timid.
July 10, 2012
The Trouble With Impact Investing: Part 2
Impact investors -- especially those who consider investing an alternative to grant making -- need to step back and think about exactly what problem they want to solve.
April 17, 2012
Another Look at "Carbon for Water" in Western Kenya
There needs to be more scrutiny around the use of the LifeStraw water filter and more debate about the validity of its carbon for water deal.
March 11, 2012
The Trouble With Impact Investing: Part 1
There's only one bottom line. It ought to be impact.
January 23, 2012
Just Give 'Em the Money: The Power and Pleasure of Unrestricted Funding
Unrestricted money makes an organization work smoothly, enables innovation, and provides fuel for growth.
August 2, 2011
Thirty Million Dollars, a Little Bit of Carbon, and a Lot of Hot Air
Carbon for Water is engaged in a loopy funding scheme and offers a lousy public health solution.
June 15, 2011
New School Economics
"More Than Good Intentions: How a New Economics is Helping to Solve Global Poverty" by Dean Karlan & Jacob Appel
May 31, 2011
It's Not About the Tea
By and large, the Central Asia Institute's supporters went for a feel-good story, didn't do their homework, and didn't ask the right questions with the Three Cups of Tea dust up.
April 25, 2011
Impact Market Failure
It comes down to this: we're all operating in a dysfunctional market for impact.
April 6, 2011
Impact in your inbox
The best stuff we run into, straight to your inbox. Zero spam, promise. See past issues here.
