Event Recap City Club Chicago: Rethinking How We Measure Impact

At the City Club of Chicago on October 15, leaders from philanthropy, academia, and Chicago’s nonprofit community came together for a timely conversation: “(Mis)measuring Impact in the Nonprofit Sector.”

The event explored a critical question facing today’s changemakers — how do we truly measure impact in ways that reflect people’s lived experiences, not just numbers on a page?

Panelists challenged the long-standing notion that Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) and similar evaluation methods represent the only “gold standard” for measuring success. Instead, they offered insights into how traditional approaches can sometimes overlook the complexity and creativity of work happening on the ground — especially in communities that have long been over-researched.

Featuring Daniel Ash, President of The Field Foundation, UIC Crown Family School professors Jennifer Mosley and Nicole Marwell, along with Chicago Beyond’s Founder & CEO, Liz Dozier, the discussion called for a more equitable, community-centered approach to understanding progress.

Chicago Beyond’s guidebook, Why Am I Always Being Researched? offers practical guidance on reshaping research practices so that communities maintain ownership of their stories and solutions. Jennifer and Nicole’s new book, Mismeasuring Impact: How Randomized Controlled Trials Threaten the Nonprofit Sector, examines how the elevation of RCTs as the “gold standard” for nonprofit effectiveness may reduce responsiveness and innovation, potentially weakening the sector in the long run.