Dynamism and Impact Opportunity Screen
Fund problems when momentum, innovation potential, and scalable impact align
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 95%
The Dynamism and Impact Opportunity Screen distinguishes actionable opportunities from the many problems that are unquestionably urgent. First, decision-makers confirm the severity of the need. They then look for dynamism: a policy shift, private-sector development, civic movement, technological change, or other momentum that makes intervention unusually timely. Next they assess whether meaningful innovation is possible rather than simply funding an obvious incumbent response. Finally, they examine the potential for impact at scale, particularly for poor and vulnerable people. The framework does not guarantee success, but it improves portfolio discipline by asking why this problem, why this intervention, and why now. It favors opportunities where philanthropic capital can build on momentum and unlock change beyond the initial grant.
Origin
Extracted from Masters in Business, where Saadia Madsbjerg explains how the Rockefeller Foundation turns broad issue areas into specific engagement decisions.
Core principles
- 01Urgency alone does not distinguish among worthy problems
- 02Timing improves the probability of successful intervention
- 03Existing momentum can be accelerated
- 04Innovation potential matters when obvious solutions are insufficient
- 05Impact on poor and vulnerable people is the ultimate test
How to run it
- 1
Establish urgency
Document the severity, affected population, and consequences of inaction.
Pro tip Use comparable indicators so urgency can be assessed across opportunities.
Watch out Most candidates will be pressing, so urgency cannot be the only criterion.
- 2
Find present dynamism
Identify a current development in policy, business, technology, or civil society that creates momentum for change.
Pro tip Ask what has changed recently that makes action more promising now.
Watch out Do not label general public interest as actionable momentum without evidence.
- 3
Assess innovation potential
Determine whether a new mechanism, partnership, or delivery model could outperform existing approaches.
Pro tip Specify what the proposed innovation changes and why it may work.
Watch out Novelty by itself is not evidence of usefulness.
- 4
Estimate impact at scale
Evaluate the number and vulnerability of people who could benefit and whether the mechanism can expand beyond a pilot.
Pro tip Include both direct outcomes and the path to wider adoption.
Watch out Large theoretical reach is meaningless without a credible scaling mechanism.
- 5
Confirm strategic fit
Decide whether the organization has suitable capital, expertise, relationships, and risk tolerance to accelerate the opportunity.
Pro tip Define the contribution that other actors are currently unable or unwilling to make.
Watch out Do not enter merely because the problem is important.
- 6
Make the portfolio decision
Compare the opportunity against alternatives and fund it when urgency, dynamism, innovation potential, impact, and fit align.
Pro tip Record the decision assumptions so they can be reviewed later.
Watch out Avoid allowing a compelling narrative to override weak evidence on several criteria.
In the wild
A foundation sees persistent exclusion from electricity alongside falling solar costs, emerging decentralized systems, and potential private-sector participation. It funds tests of sustainable business models in rural Indian villages rather than treating electrification solely as a conventional grid-construction problem.
→ The initiative uses technological and market momentum to pursue inclusive economic development at potentially scalable cost.
A city considers several employment problems. It prioritizes one where employers are changing hiring requirements, community colleges are ready to redesign courses, and a digital credential can be tested with a large cohort.
→ Existing institutional momentum gives the intervention a clearer route from pilot to scaled adoption.
Common mistakes
Treating urgency as sufficient
Nearly every social problem can be described as pressing, so urgency alone does not reveal where limited capital can have distinctive impact.
Chasing novelty without momentum
An inventive proposal may remain isolated if policy, markets, and civic institutions are not ready to support it.
Ignoring organizational fit
An attractive opportunity can still be a poor investment when the funder lacks a useful role or relevant capabilities.
Is it for you?
Best for
Leadership teams allocating limited philanthropic or public-interest capital across competing opportunities.
Not ideal for
Mandatory emergency responses where immediate action is required regardless of innovation potential or scale.
From the transcript
“it's also about what we like to call looking at dynamism and potential for innovation.”
“is there something happening at this point in time that makes it the right time for us as a foundation to go in and engage.”
“at the end of it, it comes down to our ability to have impact.”
From the episode
Interview With Saadia Madsbjerg: Masters in Business (Audio)
Saadia Madsbjerg