Lesson 4 of 6
Community benefit and impact measurement
Learning objectives
- Define the impact you are actually trying to create
- Choose a small number of credible impact metrics
- Collect impact data without exploiting participants
- Report impact in a way funders, corporates and the public trust
Impact has to be defined before it can be measured
'Helping the community' is not measurable. 'Delivering 40 weekly fitness sessions to 120 young people in two prisons, with a pre/post wellbeing score' is. Specific impact statements earn funding; vague ones get politely ignored.
Pick a small number of metrics you will actually collect
Outputs (sessions delivered, people reached). Outcomes (wellbeing scores, attendance, qualifications gained, return-to-work, reoffending data where ethically appropriate). Stories (consented case studies). Three to five metrics tracked consistently beats twenty tracked badly.
Collect data without exploiting people
Consent up front, explain how the data will be used, anonymise where possible, never trade dignity for a testimonial. Funders and corporates increasingly check this. So should you.
Founder insight — Derrick Twum
MEM Academy CIC tracks sessions delivered, participants reached, attendance and consented wellbeing outcomes. That is what unlocks repeat funding and corporate partnerships — not adjectives.
Key takeaway
Define impact specifically, measure a small number of credible metrics, and protect the dignity of the people whose data you hold.
Reflection questions
- 1What is the specific impact you are creating, in numbers?
- 2Which three to five metrics will you actually collect every quarter?
- 3How do participants give informed consent?
Action task
Write your impact statement (who, how many, what change, where, when). List three to five metrics you will track and how each will be collected.
Worksheet
Work through these prompts. Answers save to this device.
Answers are saved to this device only. Cloud sync coming soon.
Related MEM tools
- CRM
- Reporting Dashboards