Abstract

With external pressures on, and internal developments of, the philanthropy field, performance and impact measurement have become increasingly prominent themes across policy, practice, and research (Light, 2004; Zimmermann and Stevens, 2006; Carman, 2007). Driving factors include: a public interest in evaluation, better accountability, responsibility and success; the changing nature and characteristics of philanthropy brought about by philanthropreneurs, venture philanthropy, impact investment, and the financialization of philanthropy (Gordon et al., Chapter 21; Defourny et al., Chapter 22; Thümler, Chapter 23; Hebb and MacKinnon, Chapter 29); and, the hybridization of philanthropy itself (Smith, Chapter, 20). As such, there is a growing interest in understanding why, and how, things are done (Evers, 2005; Billis, 2010).