- Political Mutual Funds
- NPC Analysis
- Selection Process
- Benefits
To help our customers better understand the political impact of their contributions, NPC developed the Political Return on Investment™ (PROI) methodology in partnership with Social Venture Technology Group.
We heard from our customers that they are overwhelmed with information and donation requests from political organizations. They also told us that they are tired of being treated like ATM machines and want to better understand how their contributions are affecting political change.
Too often, the impact of progressive organizations is only measured by election outcomes. As a result, the important work of organizations is frequently overlooked, especially those not directly involved with electoral politics. For example, how do you measure the impact of your contribution to a think tank? Or a leadership institution? Or an advocacy organization? The PROI™ methodology captures the political value of an organization, in a sense, making the invisible, visible.
The PROI™ framework was designed to help our customer better understand the political value of organizations. Our unique framework helps individuals make more informed giving decisions based on the specific political return they seek. The framework quantifies data across the sectors that make up a political movement. The metrics and indicators developed for the framework were evaluated and rigorously tested by a group of leading political investors and organizations. The PROI™ framework also helps individuals optimize their political investment choices, clarify performance expectations, and encourage accountability among political organizations.
NPC assembled a 20-member national working group[1] comprised of both investors and organizations, who together agreed on a definition for PROI and 54 key metrics and indicators across our six sectors that bring to light the impact of member work that is often overlooked—to make visible the invisible.
The Working Group developed the framework to includes two components: core metrics and sector metrics. Both components assess political value and costs for generating these changes. The group also ensured that the metrics incorporated predictive, future-oriented indicators and data points, rather than solely those focusing on evaluating past performance, as it wanted to reward innovation and risk-taking and understand the potential return on the investment.
NPC hosted six PROI Roundtables around the country with over 200 individuals and organizations to elicit feedback on usability and data point refinement of the tool. We heard two things:
We again partnered with SVT Consulting and set up a user-friendly verification process that shows individuals that the data entered is legitimate and trustworthy. We also provide a public way for organizations to post a public response to their analysis.
A second 25-member Working Group of both individuals and organizations was invited and tasked with finalizing the PROI™ analysis guidelines; and test its feasibility, usability, and rigor. Each metric and its corresponding indicator was rated across four dimensions by individuals looking to make an contribution, and by organizations. Those indicators with the biggest divergence were then re-assessed and refined.
Six organizations then tested the framework by providing data for both the core metrics and for their specific sector. Based on this, the Working Group helped NPC provide appropriate weightings for each metric and indicator. Organizations concluded that this was a manageable and useful process to undergo. Individuals agreed that having access to this kind of information helped them make better informed decisions.
