Measuring And Improving Social Impacts

Identifying, measuring and improving social impact is a significant challenge for corporate and private foundations, charities, NGOs and corporations. How best to balance possible social and environmental benefits (and costs) against one another? How does one bring clarity to multiple possibilities and opportunities? Based on years of work and new field studies from around the globe, the authors have written a book for managers that is grounded in the best academic and managerial research.It is a practical guide that describes the steps needed for identifying, measuring and improving social impact. This approach is useful in maximizing the impact of different types of investments, including grants and donations, impact investments, and commercial investments.With numerous examples of actual organizational approaches, research into more than fifty organizations, and extensive practical guidance and best practices, Measuring and Improving Social Impacts fills a critical gap.

The world is beset with enormous problems. And as a nonprofit, NGO, foundation, impact investor, or socially responsible company, your organization is on a mission to solve them. But what exactly should you do? And how will you know whether it's working? Too many people assume that good intentions will result in meaningful actions and leave it at that. But thanks to Marc Epstein and Kristi Yuthas, social impact can now be evaluated with the same kind of precision achieved for any other organizational function. Based on years of research and analysis of field studies from around the globe, Epstein and Yuthas offer a five - step process that will help you gain clarity about the impacts that matter most to you and will provide you with methods to measure and improve them. They outline a systematic approach to deciding what resources you should invest, what problem you should address, and which activities and organizations you should support. Once you've made those decisions, you can use their tools, frameworks, and metrics to define exactly what success looks like, even for goals like reducing global warming or poverty that are extremely difficult to measure. Then they show you how to use that data to further develop and increase your social impact. Epstein and Yuthas personally interviewed leaders at over sixty different organizations for this book and include examples from nearly a hundred more. This is unquestionably the most complete, practical, and thoroughly researched guide to taking a rigorous, data - driven approach to expanding the good you do in the world.

It is widely accepted that sustainability has an inescapable social component, but companies find it very hard to understand and measure their social impacts. Why is this? This book, by noted CSR practitioner, consultant and educator Adrian Henriques, provides the first coherent approach to identifying, understanding, measuring and accounting for corporate social impact. Beginning with an analysis of the nature of corporate social impact and the role of the stakeholder, the complex relationship of social impact to economic and environmental impacts is explored. This naturally leads to an examination of the contribution which social impact makes to business practice, profitability and ultimately to global sustainability. The second part of the book assesses the theory and practise of some of the critical measures of social impact which have been developed to date. This includes Social Return on Investment (SROI), local economic impact (LM3) and social capital as well as more established techniques. . It also explores new approaches such as 'social footprinting'. This is rounded out by presentation of a social accounting framework and how this can operate in parallel to standard financial accounting procedures. This volume provides a clear, digestible and practical roadmap for companies wishing to take responsibility for their role in society and improve their internal and external performance.

This book explores the history of social impact measurement, offering justifications for the use of social impact measurement in modern society. It seeks to uncover the tensions inherent in social impact measurement, especially between creating and measuring social value creation. As the world becomes ever more globalised in its focus to deliver sustainable solutions to social and environmental problems, frameworks such as the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide basic structure through which social impact can be assessed and compared globally. Nevertheless, constructive critiques of such approaches are required to ensure that they do not misinform stakeholders, disenfranchise the disadvantaged and exacerbate existing social problems. In providing this overview, the book seeks to offer a critical review of the social impact measurement field centred on concepts of ‘empowerment’ and ‘social action’ (Weber, 1978), whilst also demonstrating best practice and potential pitfalls to policymakers and practitioners.

The social sector is undergoing a major transformation. We are witnessing an explosion in efforts to deliver social change, a burgeoning impact investing industry, and an unprecedented intergenerational transfer of wealth. Yet we live in a world of rapidly rising inequality, where social sector services are unable to keep up with societal need, and governments are stretched beyond their means. Alnoor Ebrahim addresses one of the fundamental dilemmas facing leaders as they navigate this uncertain terrain: performance measurement. How can they track performance towards worthy goals such as reducing poverty, improving public health, or advancing human rights? What results can they reasonably measure and legitimately take credit for? This book tackles three core challenges of performance faced by social enterprises and nonprofit organizations alike: what to measure, what kinds of performance systems to build, and how to align multiple demands for accountability. It lays out four different types of strategies for managers to consider—niche, integrated, emergent, and ecosystem—and details the types of performance measurement and accountability systems best suited to each. Finally, this book examines the roles of funders such as impact investors, philanthropic foundations, and international aid agencies, laying out how they can best enable meaningful performance measurement.

Master's Thesis from the year 2014 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1.2, University of Manchester (Manchester Business School), course: International Business and Management, language: English, abstract: To this day, a great variety of tools, frameworks and best practices, aiming to measure the social impact of organisations, have been developed and used in practice. This variety reflects the fact that there is no perfect measurement tool and that there are still a lot of challenges to be faced by organisations that want to measure their social impact successfully. The challenges with impact measurement can be categorised into three different areas: Measurement limitations, limitations of an organisation’s resource base and limitations arising from the external environment. The problems presented here will be discussed in more detail in part 2.3 of the literature review. The present dissertation has two objectives. Firstly, it aims at reviewing existing impact measurement tools and frameworks. Secondly, it aims at proposing a new framework that synthesises and extends the existing social impact measurement practices. This study aims to aid third sector organisations to improve their performance measurement, which would contribute to a better resource allocation in the social economy and at the same time support organisational development and the transformation towards sustainable business models. In short, this research is intended to facilitate social change.

Measuring the Impact of Volunteers: A Balanced and Strategic Approach focuses on the long-accepted principle that simply counting “heads” and hours served does NOT give a full picture of the value of volunteer engagement in an organization. The authors adapt the concepts of the “balanced scorecard” performance measurement tool (developed by Kaplan and Norton in the 1990s) to the needs and challenges of volunteer resources management, creating a unique Volunteer Resources Balanced Scorecard (VRBSc). What results is a method for evaluating and planning a volunteer engagement strategy that aligns with the priorities and goals of the organization and the needs of its clients. As a planning tool, the VRBSc helps leaders of volunteers ensure that volunteer service is in sync with the overall goals of the organization. As an evaluation tool, the VRBSc allows decision makers to take an honest look at all aspects of volunteer involvement, balancing four different perspectives that, together, lead to success. Directors of volunteer resources can assess where volunteers are having the most impact and what they should be doing next. As a reporting tool, the VRBSc shows progress and achievements to stakeholders in concrete ways that are meaningful to them. Using illustrations, worksheets, and a comprehensive appendix including survey tools, this book takes readers step by step through the process of creating and using their own VRBSc. Readers will: • See how traditional measurement tools for volunteer engagement do not effectively demonstrate the value and extent of volunteer service • Follow the evolution of the balanced scorecard concept from businesses, to nonprofits, and now to volunteer resources • Develop their own Volunteer Resources Balanced Scorecard • Write meaningful reports that spark action from organization leaders

Companies can both serve society and generate profit. This book shows how - based on rigorous evidence and an actionable framework.