The Imperative for Impact Measurement

All organisations have an impact on social or environmental conditions, whether directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally. [...] the framing of impact influences the way in which it is measured, and indeed, valued. Rather than viewing impact measurement as the search for a single consolidated metric, we instead think of it as a toolkit of principles, approaches, and processes which allow for informed judgements of what a project or investment has achieved in terms of social and/or environmental changes.

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Impact Investing Handbook

Many impact investors still struggle with impact measurement. But keep in mind that the financial-accounting standards that we take for granted today are the product of decades of iterative development, review, and negotiation. We are still in the early days for the analogous journey in social- and environmental-impact accounting. In this chapter, some starting points were provided which allow you to design your IMM approach in a pragmatic manner.

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Impact Measurement Guide

This guide seeks to help impact ventures identify and advocate for the impact measurement and management (IMM) strategy that will serve them best in the moment. We provide new insights and actionable guidance for both ventures and investors committed to improving their IMM practices and performance.

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Reports & Guides

Ventures At The Helm: How Ventures & Investors Navigate the Impact Measurement & Management (IMM) Journey, Together

Commissioned by Working Capital Fund, Humanity United, Laudes Foundation

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Formative Mid-Term Evaluation of Convergence Blended Finance Inc

Commissioned by Global Affairs Canada

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Impact Investing in Canada: Notes from the Field

Intersections and Innovations / Muttart Foundation

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Improving the Measurement of the Social Impact of Market-Based Approaches

American Journal of Evaluation

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Nesta Impact Investments: Impact Strategy Audit Report

Commissioned by NESTA

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Impact Investing: Measuring Household Results in Rural West Africa

ACRN Oxford Journal of Finance and Risk Perspectives

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Unlocking Capital, Activating a Movement: Strategic Assessment of the Impact Investing Initiative

Commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation

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Accelerating Impact: Achievements, Challenges & What's Next in Building the Impact Investing Industry

Commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation

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Growing Supply and Demand Together: Ten Priorities for the Impact Investing Industry

Commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation

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Measurement That Matters: Ten Steps for Assessing Social Impact

Commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation

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Assessing Impact Investing: Five Doorways for Evaluators

Commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation

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Field-Building for Resilience: Ten Field-Building Tactics for the Impact Investing Industry

Commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation

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Assessing Market-Based Solutions: Lessons from Evaluating a Youth Employment Initiative

Commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation

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Developmental Evaluation in Practice: Lessons from Evaluating a Market-Based Employment Initiative

Commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation

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Youth at Work: Building Economic Opportunities for Young People in Africa

Commissioned by the MasterCard Foundation

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State of the Nation: Impact Investing in Canada

Commissioned by RBC & MaRS Centre for Impact Investing

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Impact Investing In Canada: Iterative Experimentation With Policy And Practice

Impact Investing Policy Collaborative

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Social Finance in North America

Global Social Policy

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Guidebook on Retail Impact Investing for Canadian Credit Unions

Commissioned by Canadian Credit Union Association

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Guidebook for Impact Investors: Impact Measurement

Commissioned by Employment & Social Development Canada

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Social Impact Measurement Use Among Canadian Impact Investors

Commissioned by Employment & Social Development Canada

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Social Finance Models for the Settlement and Integration Sector in Canada

Commissioned by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

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Opportunities for Impact: A White Paper on Social Impact Investing

Commissioned by the TD Bank Group

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Redefining Returns: Social Finance Awareness and Opportunities in the Canadian Financial Sector

Commissioned by Employment & Social Development Canada

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Articles & Posts

The Imperative for Impact Measurement

Oxford Answers / Said Business School

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The Free Market Must Account for Environmental and Social Impact

Stanford Social Innovation Review

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Streams of Social Impact Work

Rockefeller Foundation

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Generational Partnerships for Impact

Your Guide to Responsible Investing / Globe & Mail Supplement

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Mainstreaming Impact Investing

Your Guide to Responsible Investing / Globe & Mail Supplement

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How to Invest with Impact

CSI Collider Magazine / Centre for Social Innovation

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Lessons from a Foundation’s (Ongoing) Journey to a 100% Responsible Portfolio

Responsible Investment Association

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Training and Curriculum for Evaluating Impact Investing

American Evaluation Association

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Market-Based Approaches to Poverty Alleviation: Ways to Engage as an Evaluator

American Evaluation Association

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Contributor - as Advisor, Expert, or Committee member

Measuring Impact: Subject Paper of the Impact Measurement Working Group

Member of the Impact Measurement Working Group (IMWG), created as part of the G8 Social Impact Investment Taskforce, which developed measurement guidelines for impact investors, as well as a aspirational vision for impact measurement in impact investing.

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An Action Plan towards a common approach to impact measurement for social enterprise in Ontario

Co-Chair of the Taskforce commissioned by the Government of Ontario, with a mandate to integrate diverse perspectives across the social enterprise sector to inform and support development of an Impact Measurement Action Plan for Ontario.

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Impact Investing Handbook: An Implementation Guide for Practitioners

Member of the Advisory Board and co-author of two chapters (theory of change and impact measurement), for this handbook from Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. It guides asset owners to establish impact and investment goals; describes approaches, practices, tools, and structures; and guidance on how to measure success and impact.

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Impact Principle: Widening participation and deepening practice for impact investment at scale

Member of the Working Group of the Global Steering Group which published this report on widening (encouraging more actors to engage, more effectively, and at scale) and deepening (concrete guidance to promote impact integrity, measurement, and transparency) the impact investing market.

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Why Impact Management?

Contributed an article to this compilation from Salesforce.org & Mission Investors Exchange to reiterate the importance of impact management as dynamic, integrated, and forward-looking.

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A Developmental Evaluation Companion

Shared a case study for this report supported by the McConnell Foundation of how developmental evaluation principles were applied in an impact investing fund context.

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Impact Due Diligence: Emerging Best Practices

Advisor to Pacific Community Ventures on this report that describes the impact due diligence approaches employed by leading impact investors. While systematic impact due diligence approaches are still emerging across the impact investing industry, the report identified seven areas of best practice.

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The Impact Due Diligence Guide

Advisor to Pacific Community Ventures on “How To” Guide, covering topics such as building impact-focused due diligence questionnaires and quantitative tools, integrating impact due diligence into existing processes, and using impact due diligence to inform investment decision-making.

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Good & Well: Approach to Impact Measurement and Management

Advisor to Good & Well on this report that describes their approach to impact measurement and management.

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Good & Well: Step by Step Guide on Impact Measurement and Management

Advisor to Good & Well on this step by step guide for their approach to impact measurement and management.

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(Re)Calibrating Feedback Loops: Guidance for Asset Owners and Institutional Investors Assessing the Influence of System-level Investing

Advisor on the report/framework by TIIP for investors to measure their impacts and influence on system-level investing.

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Impact-Linked Compensation: Considerations, Design Options and Frameworks

Advisor on the report/framework supported by The ImPact for fund managers on approaches and considerations for impact-linked compensation.

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