What do you do if your organization's social impact is not effectively communicated to stakeholders?

1 Define your impact

The first step to communicate your social impact is to define it clearly. You need to have a clear vision of what change you want to create, how you plan to do it, and how you measure it. You can use tools such as a theory of change, a logic model, or a results framework to map out your impact pathway. These tools help you to identify your inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and impacts. They also help you to establish indicators, targets, and baselines to track your progress and performance.

2 Collect and analyze data

The second step to communicate your social impact is to collect and analyze data that supports your impact claims. You need to have reliable and relevant data that shows the changes that your organization is contributing to. You can use different methods and sources of data collection, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, or secondary data. You also need to analyze your data to identify patterns, trends, gaps, and insights. You can use tools such as spreadsheets, graphs, charts, or dashboards to organize and visualize your data.

4 Seek feedback and improvement

The fourth step to communicate your social impact is to seek feedback and improvement. You need to monitor and evaluate your impact communication efforts, and learn from your successes and failures. You can use tools such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or analytics to gather feedback from your stakeholders. You also need to use the feedback to improve your impact communication strategies, methods, and practices. You can use techniques such as feedback loops, action plans, or learning cycles to implement and track your improvement actions.

5 Collaborate and share

The fifth step to communicate your social impact is to collaborate and share with others. You need to build and maintain relationships with your stakeholders, and involve them in your impact communication processes. You can use tools such as stakeholder mapping, engagement plans, or co-creation workshops to identify and engage your stakeholders. You also need to share your impact communication results and learnings with others, and celebrate your achievements. You can use tools such as events, webinars, newsletters, or social media to share and celebrate your impact.

6 Be transparent and accountable

The sixth and final step to communicate your social impact is to be transparent and accountable. You need to be honest and open about your impact, and acknowledge your limitations, challenges, and failures. You can use tools such as standards, guidelines, or codes of conduct to ensure your impact communication is ethical and credible. You also need to be accountable to your stakeholders, and report on your impact communication activities, results, and learnings. You can use tools such as reports, dashboards, or feedback mechanisms to report and be accountable for your impact.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?