DIG DEEPER
We identify and build tools to help our ecosystem more effectively harness story to advance social change. Use the tools on this page to dig deeper into the world of story-fueled impact. You’ll find resources developed by Active Voice Lab, such as The Prenups and our Ask the Evaluators! series, as well as a hand-picked selection of tools and research to help you make sense of media impact assessment.
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A Report From the Documentary Sustainability Summit
2017 Doc Summit Report
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Media Impact Project
A 2-in-1 Guide: Impact Assessment & Metrics
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Media Impact Project
Offline Impact Indicators for Documentary Film
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AndACTION
Pop Culture Works for Social Change
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Culture and Engagement Lab
Harnessing Documentaries for Social Change
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What filmmakers and funders should talk about before tying the knot.
The Prenups
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Evaluation of AV's TAKE YOUR PLACE campaign targeting the U.S. hunger and obesity epidemic.
AV “Take Your Place” Community Study
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Key findings from AV Lab's 2009 research on connecting with new audiences “beyond the choir”
Beyond the Choir
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AV Lab's communications framework can help you articulate how story will advance your objectives
Horticulture
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Case studies of real-world assessment of recent media projects from AV Lab's advisory group HDWK/Learn
Ask the Evaluators!
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Ford Foundation
The View From the Top: POV Leaders on the Struggle to Create Truly Public Media
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Documentary Filmmakers and Social Change: a Survey of True/False 2014 Filmmakers
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Doing the wrong thing better: your numbers will not save you
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by Elmo C. Wilson
The Effectiveness of Documentary Broadcasts
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Exploring social change documentary film outreach, engagement and impact campaigns
Winston Churchill Memorial Trust 2012 Fellowship Report
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Spitfire Strategies
AndACTION
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HDWK/Learn Organization
TCC Group
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Working Films
Impact & Assessing Impact Videos
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HotDocs
Documentary Impact: Social Change Through Storytelling
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How Do We Know/Learn Organizations
Social Science Research Institute at Duke
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Harmony Institute & BAVC
A Reaction to the Impact Playbook
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Harmony Institute and BAVC
Impact Playbook
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Harmony Institute
The Metrics of Maximum Impact
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Culture Group
Making Waves: A Guide to Cultural Strategy
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Culture Group
Reports: Culture Matters
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BRITDOC
Impact Field Guide & Toolkit
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BRITDOC
BRITDOC Impact Distribution Lab Resources
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Animating Democracy
Evaluation in Action
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Animating Democracy
Arts and Civic Engagement Impact Initiative
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Participant Media
The Participant Index Inaugural Report: Key Findings
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Norman Lear Center
Johanna Blakley and Sheena Nahm – The Primetime War on Drugs and Terror
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Norman Lear Center
Research Study Finds That a Film Can Have a Measurable Impact on Audience Behavior
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Norman Lear Center
Norman Lear Center Research & Evaluations for Hollywood Health & Society
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Norman Lear Center
Media Impact Project – The Fray
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Norman Lear Center
Media Impact Project Resources
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Norman Lear Center
How Impact Metrics can Help Documentary Filmmakers Attract More Funding
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Working Narratives
Storytelling and Social Change Guide
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Picture Motion
Measurement
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The Harmony Institute
StoryPilot
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Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR)
Collective Impact
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Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR)
Measuring Impact Isn’t for Everyone
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Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR)
Can We Measure Media Impact? Surveying the Field
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Social Impact
The Behavior Measurement Tool
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Perception Institute
Telling Our Own Story: The Role of Narrative in Racial Healing
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Learning For Action (LFA)
Deepening Engagement for Lasting Impact: A Framework for Measuring Media Performance & Results
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Learning For Action (LFA)
Measuring Public Media’s Impact: Challenges and Opportunities
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FSG-Social Impact Consultants
Measuring the Online Impact of Your Information Project
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ERIN Research Inc.
Breaking New Ground: A framework for measuring the social impact of Canadian documentaries
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ConText
Using Socio-Semantic Network Analysis for Assessing the Impact of Documentaries
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ConText
Computational Assessment of the Impact of Social Justice Documentaries
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Aspen Institute – Aspen Planning & Evaluation Program
What’s the Value of a Facebook “Like”?
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Aspen Institute – Aspen Planning & Evaluation Program
Aspen Planning and Evaluation Program
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American University
The Art, Science, and Mystery of Nonprofit News Assessment
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American University
Measuring Impact: The Importance of Evaluation for Documentary Film Campaigns
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Solutions Journalism Network
Why We Need Solutions Journalism
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MediaShift
MetricShift
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MediaShift
Measuring Non-Profit Newsroom Impact Easier Said Than Done
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Center for Investigative Reporting
Creating an impact community
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Center for Investigative Reporting
Impact: From gold standard to convertibility
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The Center for Media Justice
Measuring Impact: An Organizer’s Toolkit to Evaluate Communications Effectiveness
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PBS
Engagement Strategists for Impact
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ITVS
Building Social Change Campaigns with Documentary Films: The Case of “Women and Girls Lead Global”
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Ford Foundation
Cara Mertes, Head of Ford Foundation’s JustFilms, Explains Why Thinking about Impact Will Make Your Doc Better. Yes, Really!
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The Fledgling Fund
The Fledgling Fund Provider Directory
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The Fledgling Fund
Fledgling Fund Impact Resources
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Social sector evaluator with expertise in practicing evaluation in vulnerable communities and communities of color
jdcPartnerships
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The Fledgling Fund
Impact Workbook
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The Fledgling Fund
Assessing Creative Media’s Social Impact
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Media Impact Funders
State of the Impact Debate: Storming, Norming, Sometimes Performing
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Media Impact Funders
Funders Perspectives: Assessing Media Investments
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Media Impact Funders
Media Impact Focus: Assessing the Impact of Media
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Media Impact Funders
Building the Case for Interactive Impact
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Media Impact Funders
Assessing Impact of Media
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The Chronicle of Philanthropy
How Do You Know Your Stories Are Making a Difference?
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Works with media makers and funders on media assessment and more
Media Impact Project
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Collaborates with journalists, producers and funders to research and develop social impact media projects
Dot Connector Studio
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Specializes in the evaluation of hard-to-assess areas advocacy and systems change
Center for Evaluation Innovation
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Conducts rigorous, mixed method evaluation to advance community and systems change
Community Science
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Showcases and analyzes media for public knowledge and action
Center for Media and Social Impact
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Download a free template of the Megaphone, Active Voice Lab’s framework for linking engagement strategy with distribution milestones.
Megaphone
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Download discussion materials, event planning guides, and other campaign materials from AV Lab’s predecessor, Active Voice.
Active Voice Library
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AV Lab’s online campaign planning tool to help mediamakers, funders, and community leaders design more effective campaigns
ACTivate
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Survey of methods for researching the effects of media.
Assessing the Social Impact of Issues-Focused Documentaries
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Norman Lear Center
Advancing the Story: The Next Chapter in Media Impact
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Center for Evaluation Innovation
Five Ways Foundations Can Better Support Policy Campaigns and Build Lasting Advocacy Capacity
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Center for Evaluation Innovation
How Do You Measure Up? Finding Fit Between Foundations and Their Evaluation Functions
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Media Impact Project
How the Media Engagement Strategy Deck Helps You Play Your Way to Impact
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Norman Lear Center
What’s New Media Good For Anyway?
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Liz Manne Strategy
#PopJustice: Social Justice and the Promise of Pop Culture Strategies
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Center for Evaluation Innovation
Strategy Design Amid Complexity: Tools for Designing and Implementing Adaptive Funding Strategies
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iDocs
Impact & Engagement Resources
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Ochre.is
Measuring Impact: Just How Does Film Drive Change?
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Center for Evaluation Innovation
The Advocacy Strategy Framework: A tool for articulating an advocacy theory of change
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Center for Evaluation Innovation
Four Tools for Assessing Grantee Contribution to Advocacy Efforts
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Tribeca Film Institute
TFI Sandbox Impact
