A Review of KIPP

  As I mentioned in my blog post earlier, I narrowed down my nonprofit choices to three potential candidates - KIPP, Reach Out and Read, and Pratham.  Don't know what I'm talking about? Scroll down a few posts and start at the beginning.  With each of the chosen nonprofits, I decided to answer the same questions.  Here is what I found about about KIPP:

  After reading and analyzing external and internal reports, I like what I see.  From the beginning the founders and ensuing program managers recognized the need to collect data, analyze it, and use the information to improve.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

  KIPP, or Knowledge is Power Program, is a network of nonprofit charter schools founded to make sure every child has the opportunity to graduate college.  Located throughout the country, they mainly serve underprivileged kids (85% of their students receive free or reduced lunch).  The program has an intense focus on developing both character and academic skills, with the ultimate goal being to graduate college. It's important to emphasis their goal being college graduation and not just college admission.

  On to the questions.

1.  How did the nonprofit originate? On what research or evidence did KIPP design their programs?

  KIPP was founded by two teachers, Mark Feinberg and Dave Levin.  In the Houston middle school where they taught, they saw first hand that only about half the students from low income families graduate high school by the time they are 18.  Research shows that those who do graduate perform, on average, at an 8th grade level.1 


  To change the standard, Levin and Feinburg, knew they needed more time with their students, a real commitment from parents and students, and an unwavering focus on achieving the college dream.  "Rigorous research and our own early experience have helped us understand factors instrumental to KIPP students college success.  These include: academic readiness and a powerful set of character strengths...," reported Levin and Feinburg.2  Their anecdotal evidence was the only direct information I uncovered regarding the research they used to formulate their program.  A plethora of research, ideas, and models exists on different methods of helping students, particularly low income, succeed.  I was unable to pinpoint what research KIPP used.


2.  What information is collected about the results of it's programs?

  KIPP deserves a round of applause for their willingness to share their milestones and failures.  The data they collect and provide in their annual reports is usable, accessible, and verifiable - something not very common in the nonprofit arena.  KIPP also commissioned an independent study from Mathematica Policy Research in 2010 to examine how students fare over the long run.  There are also multiple external studies of the charter school network; one of which is the Western Michigan University's study "What makes KIPP work? A study of Student Characteristics, Attrition, and School Finance." 3 

[note: I can email you more references if you'd like]

3.  How has KIPP altered their programs in response to the information that they've gathered?

  Several research papers argue that KIPP academies enroll fewer students with disabilities and limited english skills than traditional public schools.  These studies and others also argue that the academies have higher attrition rates.  Both of these factors could inflate their success rate. The charter schools refute accusations of high turnover citing the Mathematica study which indicated the attrition rate at an academy was 15%, on par with public schools.  KIPP does, however, openly acknowledges their small percentage of students who receive special education.  "As a network, we are specifically challenging ourselves to server greater numbers of students with special needs and to improve upon the education we offer special needs students in our schools."4 


4.  Is the nonprofit effective?

  This is an interesting question in KIPP's case.  Short answer: yes.  KIPP's goal is that 75% of KIPPsters will graduate, not just enroll, from college.  "We aspire for our students [who are low income and 95% african american and latino] to earn four year degrees at the same rate as the students from the nations highest income families."  So far KIPP has not reached their goal.  33% of the students who completed a KIPP middle school program, regardless of where they went to high school, at least 10 years ago have achieved a bachelors degree today.  Among similar students nationwide just 8% have graduated.5


  Either way you read the statistics, KIPP's public willingness to hold themself accountable to their goals is laudable.  Regarding their effectiveness, one must ask if 33% is an enormous achievement given the challenges or should KIPP be achieving better results given the intense support they receive?

Good Ideas Get Better With Conversation

Good ideas get better with conversation.  I came across this mantra while thumbing through Instyle's September issue.  The concept has been rolling around in my head for a week or so.  It finally took root this morning at two am when I was up with Gabrielle.

I am going about this blog the wrong way.  From the beginning I've approached it as an research project; a one way conversation of me researching and then presenting results.  That's not what this is about.  A blog is interactive by nature.  So what does this mean?  Posting more updates and progress reports, ultimately working to discover an educational nonprofit to donate to and to elicit conversation along the way.

If you're new read the blog from the beginning (4 posts total, 12 minutes max!) and sign up to follow me.  Either way, be on the look out for my next post, looking into candidate one: KIPP.

Decision made

Decision: field of educational philanthropy, concentrating on literacy or science

Whew.  With all the deserving fields of philanthropy I thought I would never be able to narrow down my focus.  Should I look into health and vaccines?  After all, if you don't have your health I'm not sure you can have much more.  Boiling it down, health is one of the fundamental building blocks of our lives.

However,  that is not my chosen field.  Nor is homelessness, the venue to which my husband has chosen to volunteer and dedicate his time.  If you don't have a place to live, or are bouncing from friend's couch to friend's couch, how can you possibly concentrate in school, show up to a job consistently, or engage in meaningful relationships?

Alas, the arguments are endless, almost circular.  I chose eduction.  Eduction can be the gateway to opportunity, freedom from oppression, and a healthier, happier lifestyle.  With education we all have the opportunity to open the door to something big.

What is my next step after declaring our $2K earmarked for education?  Use Guidestar and Charity Navigator to begin looking at charities in this field.  (Note: I'm using these two sites as a beginning point rather than an end state.  I explained why in my previous post).

Evaluation Overview

Okay, so we've decided to give away $2,000.00.  Now what?  How do we choose the nonprofit?  Therein lies the purpose of this blog. We all want to make an impact with our giving, otherwise why give?  But how can we make the biggest impact or largest social return on investment?

It's all in the research.  When evaluating nonprofits look past their feel good marketing stories and ask a simple question: how?  Discover:

1. How did the nonprofit or program originate?  In other words, what research or evidence did the nonprofit use to base it's program?
2. How does the nonprofit evaluate it's program or organization?  Are they actually addressing the problems they've set out to? 
3. Based on their feedback and evaluations, how has the nonprofit changed or adapted its mechanics or operations?

It boils down to this: if you can't measure the good you're doing, how do you know you're actually doing good? 

*Notice the question of how my dollar was spent was left off the list.  I disagree with the popular notion of low administrative or overhead costs as a good indicator of nonprofit effectiveness.  Overhead costs are essential to evaluate current programs, explore opportunities to expand programs and partnerships, grow the nonprofit, fundraise, etc.  Just like the business saying "you have to spend money to make money," I believe a highly effective nonprofit will have overhead costs.  Also, nonprofits are snarky and what constitutes operational costs versus administrative costs is fungible.*

Up and running!

"Wonder at something.  Invite others to wonder at it with you."

  This is me, wondering about philanthropy.  I'm inviting you to wonder about it with me or maybe read about me wondering.

  I find the realm of philanthropy interesting, it's a mix of science, math, international relations, and humanities.  Often I think we just see the humanities or the social side of giving.  There is so much more.  The web is teeming with information on nonprofits, philanthropy, social media, and the intersection of all three.  I plan to use this blog to narrate my research and my experience in those crossroads.

  With the onslaught of information, ideas, and best practices, there is much to learn about philanthropy and the workings of different nonprofits.  The discovery of how a nonprofit operates is essential (think Greg Mortenson and the Central Asia Institute scandal).  At the crux of it all, is you, the donor, giving money.  But, as you wouldn't go see an oncologist without knowing his credentials, reputation, success rate, you shouldn't blindly give to a charity.  Too often this is what we do.  I see it as our duty to donate in a specific, concerted, objective manner.  This blog will hopefully chronicle my attempts to achieve that objective.

  With that, I plan to keep a log of research, findings, and information on nonprofits.  The ultimate goal being to give $2,000.00 by December 31st to a chosen charity.  Through blog postings hopefully I can explain in a logical, almost scientific manner, how I ended up choosing the nonprofit I did.

  Let the journey begin!