Development Media International (DMI) has been awarded the highest ranking in an impact audit carried out by ImpactMatters, the independent organisation that rates the impact of non-profits. The audit assessed the impact of DMI’s national scale-up of its child survival campaign in Burkina Faso, and estimates that by the time DMI’s three-year campaign ends, it will have saved 8,700 lives at a cost of $400 per life saved.
As part of a thorough impact review, ImpactMatters evaluated DMI’s quality of evidence, the quality of our monitoring systems and assessed our learning and iteration processes. In their report published today, ImpactMatters has awarded DMI the highest ranking (three stars) across all three categories of the impact audit.
Impact Matters also calculated DMI’s cost per life saved and estimated the total cost of DMI’s life-saving campaign to society. Their model estimates that the cost to DMI of saving one child’s life is $400. This cost includes the cost of producing radio spots, paying for airtime and conducting research to inform its campaigns.
Taking into account the costs that patients incur when accessing health services (e.g. travel, treatment costs) and the costs incurred by the government (such as staffing of health facilities), ImpactMatters then estimated the total cost per life saved of the programme to society. This cost is estimated to be $1,700 per life saved, which ImpactMatters judges to be “an impressive cost/benefit ratio.”
These exciting results echo with DMI’s emphasis on impact, evaluation and cost-effectiveness.
GiveWell has also carried out an in-depth review of DMI and ranked it as a standout charity.
You can learn more about DMI here or donate here.
Additional information:
ImpactMatters carries out impact audits of non-profit organisations. The Impact Audit is an independent rating tool that provides donors with the analysis needed to make smart, informed funding decisions. Impact audits draw from internal and external data to generate the best estimate of philanthropic impact, while providing advice on how to create evidence of effectiveness.
The Life You Can Save’s charity selection process utilizes assessments from ImpactMatters and GiveWell.
