4 Tips for Measuring Outcomes (Not Activities)

One of the most common frustrations for nonprofits is determining how to make use of limited resources to conduct evaluations that show an organization’s impact and meet grant makers’ expectations. As your organization moves beyond collecting data about activities to measuring value, these suggestions will help.“4 Tips for Measuring Outcomes Instead of Activities,” Jason Saul, Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Get More Bang for Your CSR Buck

In our consumer insights research for numerous Fortune 100 companies, we’ve found that there is a fundamental difference between socially conscious consumers and the consumers that respond to “Social Value Drivers” — economically-valued consumer benefits delivered through social impact. By providing these benefits, you can stop spending money on causes you hope your consumers care about and start investing in social impact that measurably drives consumer behavior. “Harnessing Social Impact to Drive Consumer Demand,” Perry Yeatman, The Holmes Report.

Groupon Head of Social Innovation, Patty Morrissey, On Corporate Responsibility

How a business operates and the impact that it has on society and the environment is more important than what a company does philanthropically. If I were to tell you about a global platform designed to connect millions of customers with independently owned businesses, that generates local jobs, local wealth and local prosperity, you might think that I’m describing a B-corporation social enterprise, but that’s Groupon. Increasingly, companies are developing unique strategies around their core assets and capabilities. Mission Measurement does a lot of great work around this, helping organizations identify and maximize the social value drivers that are inextricably linked with their business practices.“How Does Groupon Think about Social Innovation?” Forbes.

Why Social Impact Funders Need Universal Outcomes

A universal outcomes framework will help funders to organize grants against priority outcomes and analyze the impact of their work on a portfolio level. Investors in social impact can better measure the resources dedicated to priority outcomes, review the relative contribution of each program in a portfolio to its relevant outcome, and understand overall portfolio performance. “The Value of Universal Outcomes,” Jason Saul, GMNsight.