OUR IMPACT
We invest in local leaders solving urgent problems in their communities. We measure what changes, listen to the people they serve, and share what we learn, including where we fall short.
IMPACT AT A GLANCE
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS
Leadership programs aim to change leaders first, then the organizations they run, then the communities they serve. Each step takes longer to show up, so we report on each one separately.
FELLOWS VS. SIMILAR LEADERS WE DIDN'T SELECT
In October 2026, we ran a quasi-experimental (QED) study. We compared 18 Fellows from our 2024 and 2025 cohorts with 19 finalists: leaders who made it to the final round of our selection process but weren't chosen. Finalists passed the same screens as Fellows, which makes them a fair comparison group. We matched the two groups by year, region, and sector before contacting anyone.
What this does and doesn't show. These are strong early results, not final proof. We tested many outcomes at once and asked leaders only after the program, so we treat these findings as promising and are designing a larger study to confirm them.
WHAT THE PEOPLE FELLOWS SERVE TELL US
Through the Impact Fellowships Network (IFN), a research initiative led by IREX and funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, we surveyed 117 people served by six Fellows in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Sudan, and Indonesia, in four languages. We also interviewed Fellows and community members.
FROM OUR INTERVIEWS: CHANGING A SYSTEM FROM THE INSIDE
STORIES OF IMPACT
RESULTS FROM EVERY COHORT
Fellows rate us after every Leadership Institute, at quarterly check-ins, and at the end of the fellowship. For each question we show two numbers: the share who chose the top answer, and the share who chose either of the top two answers.
OUR 2026 GOALS
Each year our team sets goals for the whole organization. Here is every 2026 goal we have data for so far.
