Case Studies
Searchable Database of Case Studies on Scaling Social Impact
Intended to inform practice and identify gaps for new research, this searchable database catalogues organizational case studies, as well as articles, books, videos, and other sources of case examples, that document a variety of issues, challenges, and strategies relevant to scaling social impact. While the body of knowledge about scaling social impact is expanding rapidly, finding those resources can be a challenge. This database allows social entrepreneurs, other practitioners, researchers, educators, and students to find and access cases illustrating scaling social impact examples about which they wish to learn, research, or teach. Case studies produced by CASE and many other sources are included.
• Database provides access to over 160 case studies on scaling social
impact. Includes overview with search tips.
• Users can search by Organization, Industry, Location, Geographic Ambition,
Key Word, Year Published, Format, and Source.
• In addition to these fields, each entry also includes a Citation, Abstract,
live Web Link for accessing the case document, and an opportunity to give feedback
on the case’s usefulness and read others’ comments.
Selected Case Studies about Scale Published by CASE
Girls on the Run, January 2007, Case Study SE-04
Abstract: Girls on the Run International oversees an educational program that puts pre-teen girls through a 12-week curriculum that uses running-related activities to teach self-respect and healthy living habits. From its start in 1996 as a small, after-school activity with 13 girls from Charlotte, North Carolina, Girls on the Run grew to deliver its program to over 40,000 girls per year by 2006, connecting to them through over 140 affiliates (or councils) that operate at hundreds of sites throughout the United States and Canada. The program has received numerous awards and recognitions, and evaluations of its efforts have indicated that graduates of the program have improved their self-esteem and formed more positive attitudes about healthy eating and physical activity. The case describes the mix of strategies that Girls on the Run International employed to scale to where it was in 2006, while also identifying the challenges the organization faced in trying to scale further. Particular attention is paid to the ecosystem in which the organization operated, identifying the different players and forces in that system that must be leveraged and accommodated for successful scaling of the organization’s social impact to occur.
Download "Girls on the Run" Case (".pdf" format)Latino Community Credit Union (LCCU), February 2004, Case Study SE-02
Abstract: Through a unique partnership of the grassroots organization El Centro Hispano, the NC State Employees’ Credit Union, Self-Help Credit Union and the NC Minority Support Center, the Latino Community Credit Union was chartered in February 2000 by the state of North Carolina. With the goal of providing affordable, accessible, and fair financial services to the Latino population of North Carolina, LCCU opened its doors on June 26, 2000 in downtown Durham. By December 2003, LCCU had 5 branches serving close to 15,000 members around the state, making it the fastest growing credit union in the country. At the time of the case, LCCU has been offered funds to expand to Winston-Salem, the only one of the six largest cities where it did not have a presence. LCCU’s leaders must wrestle with the decision to open a new branch there, shift their attention to the vastly underserved rural populations, or slow their geographic growth and focus on improving existing operations, building their product line, and achieving financial sustainability.)
Download LCCU Case (".pdf" format)
View LCCU Video: dialup: 56K, broadband: 100K, 200K, 300K, 500K) RealPlayer required for all videosYouthBuild USA, February 2004. Case Study SE-03:
Abstract: From its roots in 1978 as a project of the Youth Action Program in East Harlem, by early 2003, the YouthBuild movement had grown to encompass a network of over 200 local sites nationwide. This case study was designed to tell the YouthBuild story in a way that provides a learning experience for others who are interested in scaling social innovations. The case has been written to highlight the strategic decisions made in this scaling process, with particular attention to the challenges and opportunities associated with collaborating across sectors to achieve national scale. The case has been divided into eight parts, with supplemental material provided in three appendices. While the case unfolds roughly in chronological fashion, each part focuses on specific strategic dimensions of the scaling process. Thus, readers will encounter occasional temporal overlaps as separate parts look at different questions that arose during the same time period. We recommend that interested readers work through the decision-oriented parts in order, referring to the appendices when they are mentioned in the text.
All the following documents are in ".pdf" format.Download The Growth of YouthBuild: A Case Study
Download Appendix A: The Core YouthBuild Model
Download Appendix B: Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 Subtitle D--Hope for Youth: YouthBuild
Download Appendix C: The YouthBuild Organization as of 2002
Other Sources for Case Studies on Scaling Social Impact
• Ashoka Fellows Profiles: Searchable database of profiles of over 1,700 Ashoka fellows in 60 counties. Includes information on the social entrepreneur, and the innovation and strategy they employ, which in many cases seeks to scale social impact. Ashoka is a global non-profit organization that invests in social entrepreneurs around the world.
• Echoing Green Fellows Profiles: Searchable database of profiles of over 400 Echoing Green Fellows, many of whom seek to scale their social impact. Echoing Green provides first-stage funding and support to social entrepreneurs.
• Skoll Foundation Award Winners Profiles: Short profiles of the winners of the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, granted by the Skoll Foundation to social entrepreneurs “whose work has the potential for large-scale influence on critical challenges of our time.”
• World Bank Case Studies on Scaling Up Poverty Reduction: Over 100 case studies focused on poverty reduction and scale in international development.
• USAID Micro-Links Website: Substantial resources and case studies on microenterprise and microfinance, some about scale.
• CGAP Microfinance Gateway Library: Searchable database of resources about microfinance, including case studies, some about scale. Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), is a consortium of 33 public and private development agencies working together to expand access to financial services for the poor in developing countries