ROBERT FISCHER

Robert L. Fischer

Ph.D.,Vanderbilt University
M.P.P., Vanderbilt University
A.B., Duke University

Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences
Case Western Reserve University
10900 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44106-7164
216/368-2711

Biographical Sketch   (PDF Format)

Curriculum Vitae   (PDF Format)

Affiliations

• Co-Director, Center on Urban Poverty & Community Development -- http://povertycenter.case.edu
• Program Faculty, Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations -- www.case.edu/mandelcenter/
• Board President, Ohio Program Evaluators' Group -- www.opeg.org
• • Faculty Associate, Schubert Center for Child Studies -- www.case.edu/artsci/schubert/

Course List

• MAND 410   Quantitative Analysis for Nonprofit Leaders  
• MAND 422   Organizational Assessment & Program Evaluation in Nonprofit Organizations
• MAND 444   Program Design for Nonprofit Organizations

Recent Publications

Fischer, R. L., Wilsker, A. L., & Young, D. R. (in press). Exploring the revenue mix of nonprofit organizations – Does it relate to publicness? Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. Available in on-line version on April 13, 2010.

Fischer, R. L. (in press). Evaluation, accountability, and impact of foundations. Chapter for Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations: A Reference Handbook, K. Agard (ed.). Sage Publications. Accepted September 2009.

Fischer, R. L. (2010). Evaluating the effects of community-based health interventions: Seeking impact and saving lives via organ and tissue donation promotion efforts. Chapter 16 in Understanding Organ Donation: Applied Behavioral Science Perspectives, E. M. Alvaro & J. T. Siegel (eds.). 257-271. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. January.

Coulton, C., & Fischer, R. L. (2010). Using early childhood wellbeing indicators to influence local policy and services. Chapter in From Child Welfare to Child Well-being: An International Perspective on Knowledge in the Service of Making Policy, S. B. Kamerman, S. Phipps, & A. Ben-Arieh (eds.). 101-116. New York: Springer. January.

Fischer, R. L., & Beimers, D. (2009). Executive coaching in the nonprofit sector: Preliminary experiences and outcomes. Nonprofit Management & Leadership, 19(4), 507-522.
Yung, B., Leahy, P., Deason, L., Fischer, R. L., Perkins, F., Clasen, C., & Sharma, M. (2008). Capacity building needs of minority health nonprofits. Evaluation and Program Planning, 31, 381-392.

Methodological interest/expertise: 

• • Program evaluation
  • Social/behavioral intervention research
  • Mixed methods approach with quantitative emphasis (e.g., secondary data, survey studies)
  • Research synthesis techniques/meta-analysis 
  

Content interest/expertise:

• • Child and family interventions
  • Nonprofit programming
  • Faith-based human services
  • Public policy studies 
  

How I chose this profession:

In my undergraduate and graduate training in public policy, I came to see the importance of understanding the role of evaluation in guiding the policy process and as a way to inform program development. Spending seven years directing evaluation in a large nonprofit solidified my interest in the nonprofit sector.