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Articles & Reports
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The compass: your guide to social impact measurement

This guide provides a comprehensive framework for measuring and reporting social impact. It outlines key concepts and approaches to understanding outcomes and assessing the value created through programs and activities.

The resource supports organisations to build structured approaches to impact measurement, enabling clearer reporting and stronger evidence of outcomes for stakeholders and funders.

Benefits for volunteer managers

  • supports effective measurement of program and volunteer impact
  • demonstrate value and social impact of volunteering to stakeholders and funders
  • strengthen evaluation and continuous improvement practices of programs.

How to apply this resource

This guide is most useful when developing evaluation frameworks, reporting outcomes, strengthening impact measurement, or supporting funding and advocacy activities.

Downloads and sources

More about the author

University-based collaboration delivering research, education and tools to support social impact initiatives and organisations.

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