Responsible Social Impact Measurement Examined in New Report from Big Elephant Studios

CHICAGO, May 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A coalition of organizations today released, Impacting Responsibly, a report designed to help the social sector measure its social impact in a responsible manner. The coalition includes Candid (formerly Guidestar), the Urban Institute's Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, New Philanthropy Capital, and Salesforce.org.

The Impacting Responsibly report engaged thought leaders in philanthropy and measurement & evaluation around a core set of important impact-related themes ranging from capacity building, data privacy, governance, and data ownership to name a few. More than two dozen contributors outline these key themes in greater detail, further identifying salient issues and helpful resources for those seeking further exploration.

"We believe the philanthropic sector is near a tipping point," said Jacob Harold, Executive Vice President, Candid (formerly GuideStar and Foundation Center), the leading source of information on nonprofit organizations. "Technological change, rising expectations, and new partnerships are driving the field towards a new orientation around impact."

"The impact measurement movement presents a unique opportunity to reimagine how to address long-standing sector challenges including diversity and inclusion, beneficiary feedback, onerous reporting, and transparency and accountability," said Brian Komar, VP Global Impact at Salesforce.org." Komar added, "Overcoming these challenges and seizing these opportunities, however, will not happen if left to chance."

Among the philanthropic sector, measurement & evaluation, and social impact measurement experts that contributed to the report are Brad Dudding, Beverly Parsons, Janice Noga, Deborah Rugg, Nina R. Sabarre, Jeremy Nicholls, Dennis Whittle, Brian Walsh, Ben Goodwin, Natalie Evans Harris, Kathy Richardson, John Gargani, Chantal Forster, Jeff Edmondson, Eric Barela and Tris Lumley. Andrew Means, CEO, Good Tech Fest, was the project lead.

"Much is to be gained by the outcomes-first paradigm shift, but this transition is not without significant challenges," said Tris Lumley, Director of Innovation and Development, New Philanthropy Capital.

Shena Ashley, Vice President of the Urban Institute, noted "with the mainstreaming of measurement tools and approaches, more organizations have the opportunity to demonstrate what works and inform better policy and practice."

Many of the thought leaders engaged in developing the report will discuss the topics addressed in Impacting Responsibly at the upcoming Good Tech Fest to be held in Chicago from May 21 to 23. The coalition will continue to discuss the findings of the report with the social sector throughout the year via webinars and presentations at conferences.

The coalition hopes that Impacting Responsibly will help to identify both key paths worthy of further exploration and help drive consensus for appropriate follow-up recommendations interested parties can take to further explore these topics.

About The Partners

Candid
Foundation Center and GuideStar recently joined forces to become Candid, a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Candid connects people who want to change the world to the resources they need to do it.

The Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy
For over two decades, the center has been a critical resource for credible nonpartisan data and insights related to nonprofit and philanthropic activity. They draw on the unmatched expertise of the entire Urban Institute to provide the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors access to the most relevant and useful evidence to inform and improve performance.

New Philanthropy Capital 
NPC is a charity that supports the social sector, and organisations intersecting with the sector, that are creating positive change for people. We do this through leading research, providing practical guidance and tools, developing innovative programmes and convening important players from different worlds to get together and have an impact.

Salesforce.org 
Salesforce.org puts the world's best technology in the hands of nonprofits and educational institutions, so they connect their organizations and accelerate their impact. As a social enterprise, the more missions our technology supports, the more we can invest back into the community, creating an endless circle of good.

SOURCE Big Elephant Studios

Related Links

https://www.bigelephant.io/