Here for good. - Amherst H. Wilder Foundation

A Message from the President and Board Chair
Making wise, effective spending choices
in human services is the focus of
Return on Investment (ROI) studies
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Return on Investment
Return on Investment (ROI)
studies can serve as a tool
In touch with effective solutions.
for understanding whether
conducted by Wilder Research. ROI
programs that seem to make
a difference in the lives of
studies can serve as a tool to identify
people and communities also
the financial impact of nonprofit
have financial benefits. ROI
programs and to prioritize where
studies examine programs (or
to invest financial resources.
policies) that have demonstrated
positive impacts. They total the
For example, Scott Beaty, executive
costs of a program, estimate
director of Minnesota Youth
14
the dollar and cents value of
15
Intervention Programs Association
the program’s outcomes, and
(YIPA), wanted to measure the effects
then compare them. In an era
of programs that counsel and redirect
of scarce resources, today’s
taxpayers, policymakers,
young people involved in truancy
philanthropists, and all of us
or criminal behavior. Paul Anton,
who care about our community
chief economist at Wilder Research,
need ROI studies to help us
working with Professor Judy Temple,
make wise spending choices.
University of Minnesota, developed
an ROI framework and estimated a
well-run early intervention program
can yield $4.89 in benefit for every
dollar invested. The State of Minnesota
increased its funding for YIPA by
45 percent after the study was
published.
Return on Investment is one
way Wilder Research provides
greater understanding of our
community, its needs and
possible solutions. Wilder
Research, one of the nation’s
largest nonprofit research and
evaluation groups dedicated
to practical research in the field
of human services, works with
more than 100 organizations
each year.