About This Report

Social Impact Research (SIR) reports are a resource to help donors learn about social issues affecting at-risk populations and identify high-performing organizations that are addressing those issues. SIR believes that rigorous information on a targeted social issue provides the best starting point for measuring nonprofit performance. Drawing on current research and interviews with experts from government, academia, nonprofits, and foundations, social issue reports provide information about the scope of an issue and the population impacted by it. It then provides a recommended approach for addressing it. This report is complemented by state reports, which provide local context, and the guide to giving, which provides criteria for evaluating nonprofits based on the recommended approach described in this report.