OASIS named to national index of 100 high-impact nonprofits
St. Louis, MO—December 10, 2012 — The OASIS Institute, a national non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of people age 50 and older, has earned a new national distinction: It has been named to the Social Impact 100 (
S&I 100), the first-ever, broad index of U.S. nonprofits with proof of results and a high potential to reach even more people.
Modeled on aspects of the S&P 500, the S&I 100 is compiled by the
Growth Philanthropy Network, based in New York, in partnership with the
Center for Strategic Philanthropy and Civil Society and the
Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship, both at Duke University. The index, published for the first time in November, aggregates top-performing, evidence-based nonprofits so that funders – donors and foundations – can be confident they are contributing to organizations that consistently deliver impact. The 100 nonprofits were rigorously screened for evidence of impact through third-party verified studies and are only included in the index if they have the ability to serve more people in need.
OASIS is one of only four nonprofits in the index that deals with aging-related issues. The index offers these comments, among others, in describing OASIS’s effectiveness:
- “Through the OASIS CATCH Healthy Habits intergenerational obesity prevention program, 88% of the adult volunteers met CDC-recommended physical activity levels. Both the children and volunteers saw significant increases in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and nutrition label reading. Both groups also experienced significant decreases in time spent in front of a screen (TV, Internet, video games) and the amount of high-fat foods consumed. The volunteers contributed over 26,500 hours, valued at over $484,000 and the program achieved 93% volunteer retention.
- ”Through OASIS Tutoring, volunteers work one-on-one with students in grades k-4 who are not reading at grade level. A 2010 study of a summer reading program using OASIS tutors revealed that 63% of students maintained their school year-end reading levels. Of those, 67% maintained their reading levels and progressed toward the next grade level.
- “96% of teachers surveyed reported increased confidence and self-esteem in their students who were tutored by an OASIS volunteer.”
OASIS currently engages about 56,000 participants and 6,700 volunteers annually across the country, and has served over 700,000 since its founding in 1982. The new index notes that the older population in the United States “is on the verge of a boom” and that “the demand for programs and services that keep aging Americans healthy, engaged and independent will mirror this growth.”
“We’re thrilled to be included in the S&I 100,” commented Marcia Kerz, OASIS’s President. “This is a powerful validation of our work by third party evaluators. Our inclusion also means there is much more work to be done and we look forward to being able to play our part. Hopefully, the index will help us and potential donors find one another so we will have more opportunities to do that.”
“Right now, donors have no easy way of knowing which nonprofits are truly effective at helping people in need, which means that fewer charitable dollars are going to those programs that can do the most good,” said Alex Rossides, president of the Social Impact Exchange. “The S&I 100 changes that. By taking the guesswork out of giving, the S&I 100 has the potential to transform individual philanthropy the same way the S&P 500 changed investing for individual investors.”
OASIS is one of only three non-profits headquartered in St. Louis that made the list. The others are the Wyman Center and College Bound.
About OASIS
The OASIS mission is to promote successful aging through a three-fold approach: lifelong learning, healthy living and social engagement. Founded in 1982, the non-profit organization is now active in 40 cities across 24 states and serves more than 56,000 individuals each year. OASIS’ vision is to see that adults age 50 and older across the country have opportunities to pursue vibrant, healthy, productive and meaningful lives. OASIS reaches a broad audience through its national network of more than 700 community partners such as health providers, corporations, senior organizations, libraries, colleges and universities. The OASIS Institute in St. Louis is the national headquarters. To learn more, visit
oasisnet.org.
About the S&I 100 Index
Acco
rding to a Money for Good survey,n
ine out of 10 donors say nonprofit performance is important. Until now, funders have not had an easy way of knowing if their dollars are doing the most
good. Of the over 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in the country, there is a dearth of rigorous information donors can trust to tell them which are the highest performers and are growing their impact.
The S&I 100 was designed and implemented through a broad, sector-wide collaboration of evaluation firms, ratings firms and other leaders. Financial institutions, funder groups and other leading organizations are helping to share the index with donors. The Social Impact Exchange will continue to collaborate with leading organizations and experts across the field to expand and improve the index, and to help make the platform more accessible to donors. The aim is that as donors give to a variety of worthy causes, the S&I 100 will make it easier for them to contribute to nonprofits that they are both passionate about and that have evidence of impact.
Ma
jor foundations, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and others a
re supporting the Social Impact Exchange. The Social Impact Exchange is also working with donor advised funds, such as Schwab Charitable, to offer the S&I 100 to their philanthropic clients. To learn more, visit si100.org.
About the Social Impact Exchange
The Social Impact Exchange is a national membership association dedicated to building a capital
marketplace that scales high-impact social solutions to improve the lives of millions. The Exchange creates the conditions for breakthroughs to go big in order to deliver impact where it is needed most. Together, Exchange members are making it easier for philanthropic giving to achieve major positive change by supporting strategies that improve lives and change systems. By creating standards to evaluate impact, identifying and tracking highly effective nonprofits, and fostering significant collaborative funding to scale up top social interventions, the Exchange helps foundations, donors, business, and government increase the power of giving to achieve greater social good. To learn more, visit socialimpactexchange.org.