By Ebonie Johnson Cooper on behalf of Exponent Philanthropy

Although we may not realize it, Americans today make data-driven decisions almost instinctively. Who books a hotel room without reading online reviews or makes a restaurant reservation without consulting Yelp? We rely on crowdsourced evaluations to inform our choices on everything from dating to shopping. Yet how many of us consider data when making philanthropic decisions? How many ask about a nonprofit’s impact? About the number of lives transformed?

This was the challenge presented this morning by Michael Smith, newly appointed head of the White House initiative My Brother’s Keeper, at the opening plenary of Exponent Philanthropy’s 2014 National Conference.

Smith talked about why we must think about investing in communities in new ways—why we “must move [all support] to organizations with evidence of impact.” As former director of the Corporation for National and Community Service’s Social Innovation Fund, which uses the federal government to mobilize public and private support for community solutions with strong results, Smith knows a thing or two about focusing on outcomes.

Need is at an all-time high, said Smith, and resources are down—and are likely to be down for the next 10 years. Fifteen percent of Americans live in poverty, including 16 million children. Children who are looking for opportunity.

He recalled his own experience growing up in Springfield, Massachusetts, where, he explained, children like him were expected to land in jail, be a “leach on society,” or worse. Smith recalled the roles of his mother, church, and local Boys & Girls Club in helping him avoid such pitfalls. Yet, he also noted that, like many urban communities, multiple youth-serving organizations operated within a 5-mile radius but never worked together to address the community’s systemic problems. Despite charitable efforts, Springfield remains the 12th most dangerous city in the U.S., with 154 murders in the past decade. Sadly, though, this is not just the reality of Springfield—there are many Springfields across the country.

“We pat ourselves on the back for doing good enough. Meanwhile, thousands of kids are falling through the cracks. Where is the outrage, the urgency, the demands for results?” Smith asked. “If you won’t eat a burger that hasn’t been prodded, picked, and reviewed, why won’t we do the same for our most vulnerable populations?”

Smith offered three points to guide you in giving to organizations that will make a meaningful impact.

1. Be fearless. Borrowed from the Case Foundation’s “Be Fearless” campaign, Smith shared how people can take bold steps in their giving by making big bets, experimenting early and often, making failure matter, and reaching beyond their bubble. In short, be bold. Create unlikely partnerships. Let the challenges inspire and the urgency conquer any fear.

2. Don’t donate another dollar…unless the receiving organization has evidence of impact. It’s not enough to know that a nonprofit served 2,000 meals last year. What truly matters is how many people moved to stable housing or gainful employment because of the organization’s programming. “Take a stand,” challenged Smith, “and commit to investing in results.” 

3. Know when to walk away. This is probably the harshest reality donors sometimes have to face. If an organization is not performing to the best of its ability, the donor or funder has to move on. “The 1.5 million nonprofits in our country are not created equally,” Smith reminded everyone.

“There is such a thing as being too late,” ended Smith, in the fitting words from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Are you ready to let urgency conquer any fear?

Visit Exponent Philanthropy’s National Conference webpage for session resources, media highlights, and more

Ebonie Johnson Cooper is Chief Millennial Officer at Friends of Ebonie, freelance writer, and professional coach. She uses her research, thought leadership, and expertise on young black philanthropy to serve as a bridge connecting civically engaged black millennials to public sector organizations.