About Kara Barnes

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So far Kara Barnes has created 7 blog entries.

5 Ways to Align Community Partners Towards Community Impact

5 Ways to Align Community Partners Towards Community Impact    Aligning community partners towards driving community impact is a topic almost every community in the world is trying to grapple with.  Every community wants to improve conditions of well-being for its residents.  Every community wants a clean environment, healthy people, children succeeding in school, [...]

Maximizing the Impact of Community Development Financial Institutions

Breaking Down Data Silos: How CDFIs Can Modernize Impact Reporting and Strengthen Community Outcomes Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) are more than lenders — they’re change-makers. From financing small businesses to supporting affordable housing, their work fuels local economies and creates opportunities for communities often left behind. But while their missions are ambitious, their [...]

How Funders Can Turn a Bureaucratic Burden into a Strategic Asset

Government funders typically collect data reporting from grantees through a combination of periodic narrative and financial reports, standardized forms, and online grant management systems. These methods are intended to ensure accountability, track performance, and measure outcomes. However, many grantees and funders alike find the current reporting landscape burdensome, inconsistent, and not always conducive to [...]

State and Local Government Must Prioritize Measurable Impact to Navigate Budget Cuts 

With the recent media focus on DOGE efforts, the concept of “government efficiency” has been at the forefront of federal and local government planning and budgeting in 2025.  Putting aside the shock and awe of the initial DOGE approach, the idea of government embracing a focus on government efficiency is as old as government [...]

Hey NGOs – Do You Have the Data That Funders Want?

Nonprofits operate in a challenging environment, often striving to deliver essential services with limited resources. When funding is reduced or lost altogether, the pressure intensifies. In such situations, better data and data tools can become a lifeline. These tools—ranging from data management systems to analytics platforms—equip nonprofits with the ability to make smarter decisions, [...]

Outdated and Inconsistent Grantee Reporting is Sinking Your Philanthropic Ship

  After 15 years in business structuring and supporting the data needs of foundations, governments, and nonprofits, I have found that disparate reporting systems often create confusion and hinder strategic progress towards a shared mission. One way of improving communication for both parties is a singular unified data reporting system. Here’s how a unified [...]

Press Release

For Immediate Release Institute for Educational Leadership and Clear Impact Announce New Technology Partnership Focused on Data and Impact  [Rockville, MD] — September 9, 2025: Clear Impact and Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) are thrilled to jointly introduce to their networks “Partnering for Child and Family Peak Results: An Initiative of IEL and Clear [...]

2025-12-03T16:21:59-05:00By |Categories: community schools, education|0 Comments