Robert L. Fischer is the Grace Longwell Coyle Professor in Civil Society at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences of ǿմý, where he leads a range of evaluation research studies and teaches evaluation methods to graduate students in social work and nonprofit management. He is also Co-Director of the . Since 2001, he has led the Center’s research on Invest in Children, a county-wide early childhood initiative that includes home visiting, children’s health, and childcare components. Dr. Fischer is also faculty director of the Master of Nonprofit Organizations (MNO) degree program.
Why I Teach
All of us want to have an impact in our careers. I can have impact through my personal interactions with community partners and policymakers. Teaching allows me to assist emerging professionals in preparing for their own impactful careers. My students will go on to be in many rooms that I will never be in and I like to think that I am helping them prepare to have a larger impact in those spaces acting for the social good. Plus, I learn as much from my students as they do from me.
Why I Chose this Profession
I originally thought I would pursue a position in policymaking. What I learned was that good policy is often limited by not having good evidence and research on which to base decisions. So, I turned my attention to trying to better inform the work of policy by contributing to the evidence base through social science research and evaluation. That led me to an academic career and the Center on Poverty & Community Development as the home base from which to work from.
The Center on Poverty and Community Development
Robert L. Fischer, Ph.D is Co-Director of the Center on Poverty and Community Development. The Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development seeks to address the problems of persistent and concentrated urban poverty and is dedicated to understanding how social and economic changes affect low-income communities and their residents. Based in Cleveland, the Center views the city as both a tool for building communities and producing change locally, and as a representative urban center from which nationally-relevant research and policy implications can be drawn.
Teaching Information
Courses Taught
Research Information
Recent Funding
Recent Grants
Kaiser HEAL Evaluations
Principal Investigator
Kaiser Permanente of Ohio
$95,000
2012‐2015
Cleveland Botanical Gardens – Green Corps Evaluation
Principal Investigator
Cleveland Botanical Garden
$91,450
2012–2015
East Cleveland Teen Collaborative
Principal Investigator (Co‐Investigator: Cyleste Collins)
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
$105,250
2012–2014
Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Evaluation
Principal Investigator
Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation
$82,000
2012–2014
Positively Moms of Cuyahoga County Evaluation
Principal Investigator
O’Neill, William J. Foundation
$65,000
2012–2103
Evaluation of Campbell Works for Children
Principal Investigator
Swanston Fund/Community Foundation of Mahoning Valley
$15,000
2012–2013
2010 Census Community Survey
Principal Investigator
Center for Community Solutions
$21,900
2012
Ways and Means at Cascade Village
Co‐Principal Investigator (Co‐Principal Investigator: Mark Joseph)
The Community Builders, Inc.
$253,000
2011-2014
Business Plan Development for NEO CANDO
Project Director
O’Neill, William J. Foundation
$25,000
2011–2012
Collaboration for Ministry Research on Women Religious
Principal Investigator
Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland
$20,825
2011–2012
Cuyahoga County Invest in Children: Ongoing Evaluation 2011‐2012
Co‐Investigator (Principal Investigator: Claudia Coulton)
Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners
$403,000
2011–2012
NPI Organizational Assessment
Co‐Principal Investigator (Co‐Principal Investigators: Mark Joseph and Mark Chupp)
Neighborhood Progress Inc.
$28,000
2011–2012
Cuyahoga County Land Bank 2010 Data
Project Director
Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation
$72,000
2010–2012
Promise Neighborhood Data Collection & Analysis
Project Director
Gund Foundation
$9,200
2010–2011
Cuyahoga County Invest in Children: Ongoing Evaluation 2009‐2011
Co‐Investigator (Principal Investigator: Claudia Coulton)
Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners
$550,000
2009–2011
Research on Ministries of Women Religious in Cleveland Region
Principal Investigator
Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland
$30,211
2009–2011
Cuyahoga County Invest in Children: Ongoing Evaluation 2006‐2009
Co‐Investigator (Principal Investigator: Claudia Coulton)
Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners
$2,018,950
2007–2010
NPI (Reform Initiative) CanDo Database
Co‐Project Director (Project Director: Sharon Milligan)
Neighborhood Progress, Inc.
$181,500
2006–2012
Strategic Investment Initiative Support
Co‐Project Director (Project Director: Sharon Milligan)
Neighborhood Progress, Inc.
$155,000
2006–2012
External Appointments
Publications
Recent Publications
Fischer, R. L. & Bai, R. (2018). Ministries of Catholic Sisters in the Diocese of Cleveland: Assessing capacity and opportunity in a period of transition. Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion, 14(5), 2-18.
Fischer, R. L., Vadapalli, D., & Coulton, C. (2017). . Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs, 3(1), 40-54.
Dorman, R., Anthony, E., Osborne-Fears, B., & Fischer, R. L. (2017). Investing in high quality preschool: Lessons from an urban setting. Early Years: An International Research Journal, 37(1), 91-107.
Fischer, R. L., & Richter, F. G. C. (2017). Evaluation and Program Planning, 2017 Oct; 64:105-109.
Anthony, E., Fischer, R. L., & D’Orazio, A. (2016). . Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 97(4), 330-335.
Brudney, J. L., Russell, A., & Fischer, R. L. (2016). . Community Development Journal, 52(2), 354-371.
Coulton, C., Richter, F., Kim, S.J., Fischer, R. L., & Cho, Y. (2016). . Children and Youth Services Review, 68, 59-72.
Fischer, R. L., Anthony, B. A., Lalich, N., Nevar, A., Bakaki, P., & Koroukian, S. (2016). . Maternal and Child Health Journal, 20, 674-683
Theurer, J., Pike, E., Sehgal, A., Fischer, R. L. & Collins, C. (2015). . Clinical and Translation Science, 8(4), 341-346.
Collins, C. C., Fischer, R. L., & Lalich, N. (2015). . The Journal of Family Strengths, 14(1), article 9.
Presentations
Recent Presentations
Fischer, R. (2018). Legacy of disadvantage due to housing during early childhood. Cleveland: A Community Committed to Our Children." Schubert Center for Child Studies. Cleveland, OH. April.
Fischer, R. & Dorman, R. (2018). Expanding high quality preschool through the use of data. Data Days Cleveland. Cleveland, OH. April.
Fischer, R. (2018). Understanding the poverty landscape in Cleveland. Stokes Civic Leadership Institute. Cleveland, OH. January.
Anthony, E., & Fischer, R. L. (2017). FERPA and integrated data: Exploring longitudinal educational outcomes with high quality pre-school attendance. American Evaluation Association Annual Conference. Washington, DC. November.
Fischer, R., Schuch, L., & Foreman, K. (2017). Integrated data, child lead exposure, and kindergarten readiness. Data Days CTRL+ALT+CLE. Cleveland, OH. March.
Coulton, C., Richter, F., Kim, S. J., & Fischer, R. (2017). Temporal Effects of Distressed Housing on Child Maltreatment Among Young Children. 21st Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research. New Orleans, LA. January.
Bai, R., Collins, C.C., Crampton, D., & Fischer, R. L. (2017). Evaluating the implementation of Partnering for Family Success. 21st Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, New Orleans, LA. January. [Poster]
Fischer, R. (2016). The link between housing conditions, elevated lead exposure, and kindergarten readiness. Ohio Healthy Homes Network Fall Forum. Columbus, OH. November.
Anthony, E., & Fischer, R. L. (2016). Compared to what? Exploring the value of an RCT in interpreting program delivery in a home visiting context. American Evaluation Association Annual Conference. Atlanta, GA. October.
Fischer, R., & Richter, F.. SROI in the Pay For Success context: Are they at odds? American Evaluation Association Annual Conference. Atlanta, GA. October.
Anthony, E., & Fischer, R. (2016). Compared to what? Discerning Healthy Start impact on birth outcomes using propensity score matching methods. National Healthy Start Convention. Washington, DC. September.
Fischer, R. L., Adams, L., Larson, C. & Long, J. (2016). Building nonprofit appeal to attract and retain upcoming professionals. Not-for-Profit Leadership Conference. Ohio Society of CPAs. Independence, OH. September.
Fischer, R. L. (2016). Using data and technology to inform action in Cleveland. Cleveland Council on World Affairs. Presentation for Civil Society representatives from Belarus. Cleveland, OH. September.
Fischer, R. L. (2016) Using child lead exposure data in Cuyahoga County. Ohio Department of Health Lead Advisory Committee. Columbus, OH. August.
Fischer, R. L. (2016). When the evaluation works but not the program. Ohio Program Evaluators’ Group. Otterbein University. Columbus, OH. May.
Dearborn, D., Shoch, C, Foreman, K., & Fischer R. (2016). Lead exposure in children – what’s going on in Cuyahoga County. Cuyahoga County Conference on Social Welfare. Cleveland, OH. March. [Panel]
Merriman, D., Crampton, D., Hovancsek, A., Anderson, K., & Fischer R. (2016). Partnering for Family Success: Cuyahoga County’s social impact bond experience. Cuyahoga County Conference on Social Welfare. Cleveland, OH. March. [Panel]
Fischer, R. L., Crampton, D., & Coulton, C. (2015). Nonprofits in the social impact bond environment. Annual Conference of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action. Chicago, IL. November. [Poster]
Walsh, M., Matthews, L., Lalich, N., Anthony, E., Fischer, R. & Blue, M. (2015). Exploring the relationship between reproductive life plans, subsequent births and birth spacing. National Healthy Start Convention. Washington, DC. November. [Poster]
Fischer, R. L., Anthony, E., Crampton, D. & Coulton, C. (2015). Evaluating social impact financing in human services. American Evaluation Association Annual Conference. Chicago, IL. November.
Fischer, R. L. (2015). Evaluation design in nonprofit settings. Swanston Fund Innovations Conference. Youngstown, OH. November.
Fischer, R. L. (2015). Showing that your work matters: Usable program evaluation for the nonprofit sector. Annual Nonprofit Summit, The Raymond John Wean Foundation. Youngstown, OH. September.
Fischer, R. L., Crampton, D., & Coulton, C. (2015). Nonprofits in the social impact bond environment. Nonprofit Academic Centers Council Conference. Chicago, IL. July.
Fischer, R. L., & Anthony, B. A. (2015). Evaluating a strategy to reduce maternal distress through home visiting: Cuyahoga County, OH. Fifth National Summit on Quality in Home Visiting. Washington, DC. May.
Anthony, B. A., Fischer, R. L., & Lalich, N. (2015). Maternal stress and home visiting: Learning from a field-based experiment. Ohio Program Evaluators’ Group 2015 Exchange. Columbus, OH. May.
Fischer, R. L. (2015). Leveraging policy and evaluation: Integrated data as a tool. Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, The Ohio State University. Columbus, OH. February.
Education
Additional Information
Concentration
- Master of Nonprofit Organizations (Chair)
- Undergraduate Minor in Social Work
- Community Practice for Social Change
Affiliation
- Faculty Associate,