As philanthropists and the social sector shift towards more strategic approaches to get a ‘social return’, higher premiums are being placed on an organization’s ability to demonstrate impact and transparency. What’s more, philanthropy practitioners are looking for evaluation tools that transcend the limitations of ‘one size fits all’ solutions. The Foundation Center’s new online database, TRASI (Tools and Resources for Assessing Social Impact), addresses these growing needs by offering more than 150 proven approaches to measuring and analysing the effectiveness of social investments.

Developed in partnership with McKinsey & Co, the TRASI social impact assessment database features resources that range from off-the-shelf tools and concrete methodologies to generalized best practices; it is complemented by multimedia features and social networking tools. Additionally, the TRASI Community page offers opportunities to connect with experts from the field and other individuals seeking to measure social change.

The Foundation Center has also recently launched GrantSpace, a website that provides grantseekers with a one-stop-shop for knowledge, community and expert guidance. Complementing the resources on the Foundation Center’s main site, GrantSpace gathers on a single convenient platform recent news, reports, podcasts, videos, statistics, sample documents and requests for proposals related to the most pressing social change issues of the day. GrantSpace also serves as an active, and interactive, community by enabling registered visitors to post comments and to share and rate content. In doing so, GrantSpace makes it easier than ever to navigate the grantseeking process effectively, while fostering a network of engagement and collaboration.

For more information
http://trasi.foundationcenter.org
http://trasicommunity.ning.com
http://grantspace.org
http://foundationcenter.org