Donor Value Vs Social Value: Rethinking Results-Based Funding
Featuring Sripad Devalkar
When donors tie funding to measurable outcomes, they may inadvertently reduce the very social benefits they seek to create, finds a study.
January 15, 2026
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Sripad Devalkar
Associate Professor of Operations Management. His research focuses on agricultural operations and operations in the non-profit and public sectors, with a particular interest in supply chain management. He studies how operational, financial, and risk management decisions interact to influence outcomes in these contexts.
Key Takeaways
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Paying non-profit organisations only when results are achieved (Payment for Results OR PfR) directs funds to effective projects but can create financial strain for smaller organisations.
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The adoption of PfR depends on the certainty of the outcomes of a project.
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The method maximising donor value is not always the one that produces the most social impact.