Insights from Third Sector

• by D. Palmer and B. Beachkofski
• September 13, 2018  

In late June, the Department of Commerce created an opportunity to share input on the Federal Data Strategy by requesting comments on the Cross-Agency Priority goal of Leveraging Data as a Strategic Asset. The Department of Commerce specifically requested comments on best practices related to the four pillars of the federal data strategy:

1. Enterprise Data Governance
2. Access, Use, and Augmentation
3. Decision-Making and Accountability
4. Commercialization, Innovation, and Public Use.

Given that data is a critical component of Third Sector’s work in outcomes-oriented contracting, we were happy to share perspective from our experience (which is available in full here). In this two-part blog series, we explore how two of the Federal Data Strategy pillars can accelerate improved outcomes in social services. Part I shared some of our thinking on challenges and solutions to encourage access, use, and augmentation of federal data. Part II focuses on how federal data can improve decision-making and accountability.

• by D. Palmer and B. Beachkofski
• September 6, 2018  

In late June, the Department of Commerce created an opportunity to share input on the Federal Data Strategy by requesting comments on the Cross-Agency Priority goal of Leveraging Data as a Strategic Asset. The Department of Commerce specifically requested comments on best practices related to the four pillars of the federal data strategy:

1. Enterprise Data Governance
2. Access, Use, and Augmentation
3. Decision-Making and Accountability
4. Commercialization, Innovation, and Public Use.

Given that data is a critical component of Third Sector’s work in outcomes-oriented contracting, we were happy to share perspective from our experience (which is available in full here). In this two-part blog series, we’ll explore how two of the Federal Data Strategy pillars can accelerate improved outcomes in social services. Part I shares some of our thinking on challenges and solutions to encourage access, use, and augmentation of federal data. Part II focuses on how federal data can improve decision-making and accountability.

The federal government possesses one of the greatest untapped resources in our nation: administrative data. Substantive changes to access, use, and augmentation of administrative data would unleash tremendous value by improving outcomes for millions of people who use local, state, and federal services.  

The second pillar of the federal data strategy focuses on Access, Use and Augmentation. Specifically, this pillar considers what practices the Federal Government should study further as it develops policies and practices to enable interested parties to effectively and efficiently access and use data assets, such as:

1. Making data available more quickly and in more useful formats;
2. Maximizing the amount of non-sensitive data shared with the public;
3. Leveraging new technologies and best practices to increase access to sensitive or restricted data while protecting privacy, security, confidentiality, and the interests of data providers.

Data, often from sensitive domains such as incarceration, health, or children and families, is critical to the work we do at Third Sector. There are clear opportunities to expand outcomes-oriented government by creating easier access to federal data while still protecting the privacy of those receiving services. A concrete example is how easier access to federal data could have changed our work in Massachusetts with Governor Baker’s Learn To Earn Initiative.

• by A. Amram and A. Wong
• September 4, 2018 

At Third Sector, we work where “money meets the people.” We build data-informed feedback loops to tie government funding to the achievement of measurable social outcomes. Any program that can incentivize the achievement of real progress on social issues gets us excited, and the recent Opportunity Zone legislation has just that promise.

Opportunity Zones are a community development program authorized by the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017), with the goal of encouraging patient capital to invest in long-term community development projects. The federal legislation allows newly authorized Opportunity Funds to aggregate and deploy capital by investing a minimum of 90% of assets in designated census tracts and investment types. In return, investors in Opportunity Funds can defer, reduce and even eliminate their federal capital gains taxes after five to ten years of local investment.

Third Sector views Opportunity Funds as a potentially transformative economic tool to improve life outcomes in low-income communities. However, we also believe that meaningful impact will only be achieved through the development of a thoughtful impact framework that holds us all accountable for achieving social outcomes.

We are especially excited by the Beeck Center, NY Federal Reserve, and the US Impact Investing Alliance’s recent push to define an impact measurement framework, and wanted to share our perspective on key stakeholder roles in this effort.

State Governments: States have an opportunity during the coming months to create supportive programs that mandate management to outcomes, encourage performance improvement, and strengthen the impact of local investments. Specifically, state legislators and administrators of the Opportunity Zone program could author amplifying legislation to provide additional reductions or deferrals of capital gains taxes for Opportunity Funds which report on outcomes, work towards specific priority outcomes, or otherwise define an impact measurement framework that encourages purposeful investments.

Investors: We encourage Opportunity Funds to be purposeful about not just the pool of funding and investment geographies, but also how the Funds will measure and improve on their social impact. Funds should take a proactive role in managing to outcomes, holding themselves accountable to social returns alongside financial ones. Doing so will enable key wealth management funds to differentiate themselves from competition as they enable savvy investors real time measurement of social as well as financial returns.

Philanthropists: We look to foundations and other funders to accelerate and encourage management to impact where the government can’t by pooling funding and tying it directly to the achievement of social outcomes. This could come in the form of additional grants, concessionary loans, or program-related investments for investments that show impact or meet specific additional criteria for place-based, community-oriented investing.

Third Sector: Third Sector is excited to be a part of the conversation and would be thrilled to work with partners who similarly want to ensure Opportunity Zones deliver on their social impact promise. We are seeking to partner with governments, investors, and philanthropists to define their own impact framework and develop structures to hold everyone accountable to achieving social impact. In each of our partnerships, we leverage our national experience in helping communities identify outcomes goals, select measurable metrics, and developing continuous improvement and data-sharing processes. We facilitate deep community engagement, building cross-sector collaboration and buy-in to ensure thoughtful Opportunity Zone implementation.

• by D. Antico and J. Kuang
• July 17, 2018  

"Long before Third Sector formally committed to exploring diversity, equity, and inclusion through a critical examination of our culture, norms, and client-facing approaches, we recognized the importance of building a diverse team. We know that diverse teams perform better, and we also value the unique perspectives that surface from a group of individuals with varying lived experiences."

• by C. Whistler, J. Grossman, H. K. Howard, E. Wood
• June 19, 2018  

"Changing these systems, and achieving our mission, will only happen if we act with explicit intent. With that in mind, Third Sector has begun a journey of critically examining and improving our culture, norms, and client-facing approaches with a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) lens."

• by H. K. Howard
• May 25, 2018   

"What would it take to redesign programs with whole families at the center?" The Future Services Institute, an initiative of the Public and Nonprofit Leadership Center at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, posed this question at the onset of the recent Redesign for Whole Families Summit. 

• by E. Wood
• May 10, 2018   

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) recently released an Outcomes-Oriented ESE Toolkit to support counties statewide in strengthening their Expanded Subsidized Employment (ESE) programs. Third Sector was engaged by CDSS and the California Welfare Directors Association (CWDA), to provide technical assistance and help advance an approach that focuses on outcomes and continuous improvement in the ESE program.

• by A. Amram & R. Edwards
• March 23, 2018   

Our first blog post focused on understanding market trends and general investor appetite as the industry has changed. The next few posts in the series will focus on specific types of investors, and we chose to interview Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) first, due to their key funding and agency support for PFS and outcomes-oriented contracting.