Markets for Good: Good Data Grants to Improve Decision-Making in Philanthropy

Deadline: 30 September 2016

Markets for Good have launched two new Grant programs to focus on the role of digital data and infrastructure to improve decision-making in philanthropy (particularly individual giving) and in the social sector writ large.

The aim is to support research, prototypes, and shared learning that can help donors and social sector organizations use digital data safely, ethically, and effectively to improve their work.

Projects

Grants will be awarded for two types of projects:

Scholarly research
Practical innovations

Topics

Research Grants

Evaluate the potential applications/benefits of data standards within a specific segment (e.g. homelessness, legal services, community health, etc.) of social sector work
What is the current practice for sharing data from crowd funding platforms, what do they report and when, and what accountability practices/data access policies would best serve the public interest?
What legal and technical strategies exist for making algorithmically-informed decisions accountable to the public or beyond the walls of individual institutions? What examples exist of good practice and what are the benefits/limitations to these practices?
Conduct a market landscape of data collection tools that are privacy preserving and assess the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches
Research and design practices for algorithmic transparency or community-based governance and oversight of data assets

Innovation Grants

Development and/or field testing of tools that teach others in civil society to better use data or that create and implement shared data standards
Conduct experiments on donors’ use of digital data as a decision factor in their giving
Prototype a weighted index that draws together multiple types of private resources being used for public benefit, including impact investing, charitable giving, political contributions, and consumer spending
Prototype an evaluation using propensity testing and a data repository and share cautions, successes, and lessons learned
Develop an industry-informed standard for public reporting of data from crowdfunding platforms
Develop a shared repository and system for committing/forking civil society data governance policies (e.g. using digitalIMPACT.io or github)
Create, prototype, and report on resources to improve digital data literacy among nonprofits and donors

Grant Structure

Amount: Markets for Good have a total funding pool of $200,000. Markets for Good anticipate making between 5 and 15 grants, although number and size will depend on the applicant pool.
Duration: Grants are for one year, beginning Fall 2016 and ending Fall 2017.
Disbursement: Funds will be dispersed at the beginning of the grant period, in Fall 2016.

Eligibility Criteria

Research Grants will be made to faculty or graduate students at accredited universities in the United States.

An affiliation with Stanford is preferred, but not required.
Transnational research teams must apply for funding to a U.S.-based university.
Priority will be given to research projects with either a demonstrated commitment to practical applications in the social sector or those that clearly articulate a plan to turn their research into practical knowledge.

Innovation Grants will be made to 501(c)(3) organizations in the United States or transnational/cross-sector teams that include a 501(c)(3) that can serve as the grant recipient and fiscal manager.