How can companies measure their social impact?

Ao definir objetivos de mensuração de impacto um passo importante é dar clareza em sua estratégia na diferenciação de ações/projetos que geram impacto social de iniciativas que tem valor social. Para isso, é preciso compreender que o valor social se concentra nos benefícios de curto prazo que um negócio proporciona à sociedade, enquanto o impacto social analisa o resultado do impacto de longo prazo e sustentável que um negócio tem na sociedade e no meio ambiente. As duas frentes estão interligadas, mas muitas vezes empresas concentram esforços em ações que tem valor social, mas geram pouco impacto social.

To really understand your org's social impact, talk with the people you aim to help and get their thoughts regularly. Look at both numbers and personal stories for a complete picture.

Social impact indicators can also include goals that those most impacted want to see as well. This requires organizations to have both community awareness and strong collaboration with local partners. In these instances, organizations can look for places of alignment when setting their indicators. By aligning indicators of success or change with communities, organizations demonstrate a level of engagement that goes beyond the interest of their brand.

Instead of just presenting facts and figures, it's important to contextualize your data within a larger narrative. Share stories of the individuals or communities you've impacted. Connect the dots between your actions and the positive changes they've brought about. Human stories resonate with people far more effectively than raw statistics. If you're in the for-profit sector, the best way to learn impactful storytelling is from the non-profit sector.

I think impact measurement should be as simple as possible. The beginners in impact measurement can start with two or three key indicators of social and environmental impact, then measure them. After measuring them, the company can report the results with simple tools. Traditional reports are one of them, but there are more simple ones such as infographics and casual videos. What most matter in impact measurement is the use of results in impact improvement.

Acredito que antes de mensurar, é necessário que a empresa ou organização faça um exercício extenso sobre a mudança que deseja promover, para isso recomendo a utilização do framework de teoria da mudança. Ele é uma maneira visual de contar a história de como você utiliza seus recursos, os emprega em atividades que, por sua vez, causam mudanças significativas para as pessoas (ou para o planeta).

Companies can measure their social impact by first understanding the community they aim to serve and collecting baseline data to have a narrative of the community's needs and challenges. Then, working closely with the community, companies can collaboratively define key performance indicators and measurement methods that align with the community's priorities. Involving community members in evaluating the program and regularly seeking their feedback ensures that the impact measurement process is inclusive and that it provides valuable insights into the program's effectiveness and relevance. This community-centered approach is key to truly understanding and improving social impact in the areas the company serves.