Social Impact – What Works

NEFF

7 September 2011

Carol Candler NRF

Outline

• Why a focus on social impact matters

• Why we need a range of approaches

• What organisations need to do

• Real life examples

• How we can help

Why are we all here?

• Foundations / Funders – support for organisations that work with people with social problems

• Organisations – support for people with social problems

Aim – to make a difference

Why social impact matters

• Knowing we’ve made a difference

• Knowing what difference we’ve made

• Showing what difference we’ve made (contribution not attribution!)

The Sector in the North East (TSTS)

• 40-60% small, community focussed, orgs (few staff - mainly voluntary)

• 15-25% large, enterprising orgs including some with <£1mill turnover (mainly employers)

• 20-30% ‘squeezed middle’

Source - Third Sector Trends Study (Prof T Chapman – Teesside University)

The organisations NRF supports

• 3700 grants since established• 1900 organisations• Current average grant £67K (3 years)• Range £1K - £1.5Mill• Local projects (some national organisations)

• M&E requirements for all grants (epf / reports)

One size fits all?

• Different needs (planning / proving / improving)

• Different capacity (size and scope of organisation)

• Different capability (experience / support)• Different focus (individuals / communities /

policies)

One size fits all?

• What funders want (need?)

• What organisations need

• What benefits the people we support

• What it is feasible to do

Measuring what matters

• Knowing what success looks like (Tris)

• Choosing the right approach (Chris)

• Asking the right questions

• Getting feedback from the right people

• Using the information

How it works in practice

Eg. large organisation – good intentions (Social Accounts)

• Positives – broad stakeholders engaged, clearer objectives, lots of information (some useful), glossy report

• Negatives – lots of work, few ‘actionable’ findings, (wrong) measures / questions, Focus issues (tipex test), ‘seemed like a good thing’

How it works in practice

Eg. Small organisation – clear understanding (measures and feedback)

• Positives – clear objectives / USP (tipex test), audience, recommendations for future, stakeholders engaged, clear graphics, quotes help it live

• Negatives – Leading questions, lots of narrative, mix of outputs, outcomes and impacts

How we can help

• Only ask for what we need• Make sure the effort will be proportionate

to the funding• Provide other forms of support (training,

guidance, funding for evaluation, help to clarify project objectives / realistic outcomes and impacts, signposting)

Final thoughts

• Support to measure what matters

• Social Impact work that is useful and used

• Examples www.nr-foundation.org.uk