As described in an earlier blog post, the Common Foundations provide guidance for how to measure impact based around five essential practices. They are part of the Common Approach to Impact Measurement, a community-driven, evolving standard for impact measurement in Canada. The Common Approach has a quick guide about these practices as well as a self-assessment that you can complete to see if you if your organization meets the minimum standard. If you do, they invite you to say that you are, which you can do by adding the Common Approach logo to your website and reports. For more information and to take the self assessment, visit the Common Foundations page on the new CommonApproach.org website.

Tools like Survey Monkey and Fluid Survey are low or no-cost, easy to use and accessible to anyone with e-mail.   But this also means there are many more surveys out there as well as other competing demands on people’s attention.   It is more important than ever, to design an effective survey that yields data that you can act on.  Here are some design tips to help:

In the space of weeks, countless community-based organizations have had to shift what they are doing while being faced with reduced staff hours, fewer volunteers, disruptions to revenue, social distancing restrictions and other constraints.  Yet the demand and need for many services that non-profits and social enterprises deliver are high. New needs are emerging, and many programs are being introduced. Across the community – in health care delivery, social services, education, to name a few – we are witnessing a great deal of creativity and experimentation in (re)designing programs. 

By planning your intended change, you’re breaking down the big, awesome visionary change that is very challenging to measure, into more immediate and visible steps.  In this way, impact measurement is more possible and useful. It’s also about breaking out what you can influence and then making the link between that and the bolder, systems-level change that you seek. Mapping out your intended change can really help you focus on what you should and could influence.  It can also demonstrate your value and engage others in your mission.

A goal of impact measurement is to be able to clearly identify and measure the net, positive effects that result directly from the activities of an initiative, program or social enterprise.   This could make it clearer for impact investors about what they invest in, what strategies and models are most effective, and how to replicate and scale what matters. 

What do hundreds of tools, frameworks, guides, templates and other resources on impact measurement have in common?

A limited number of fundamental practices!

This is what The Common Approach to Impact Measurement, an initiative led by the Carleton Centre for Community Innovation, discovered in examining 500+ impact measurement resources, international standards and in consulting directly with social enterprise and social finance organizations. 

The Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet) is hosting a free webinar on March 12 at 1:00 pm (Eastern Daylight Time) to introduce the Common Approach. In this webinar, they will explore how the Common Foundations were derived and how they can help evaluators, consultants, and trainers guide organizations to improved impact measurement.

Head over to the Demonstrating Value blog archives to read more of our posts.
You'll find posts dating back to our very first "Welcome" back in September 2011.

The starting point for most social enterprises in measurement is to set up a bookkeeping system to track money in and money out.  While financial bookkeeping and accounting are fundamental to running a business, it may also be useful to track other aspects of business performance early on to be able to make good operational and planning decisions. So if you're increasing profits, it can be useful to understand: What led to that? How you can do more of that? What decisions led to the improvement: targeted sales, marketing campaign, staff hire, new equipment investment (among other things)? Having a picture of the critical factors driving success, can help inform wise future investment decisions.Just looking at profit won't reveal this.