How can you align your social impact goals with stakeholders and measure progress?

2 Identify your stakeholders

Your stakeholders are the people or groups that have a stake in your social impact goals, either because they can influence them or because they are influenced by them. They can be internal (e.g., your team, board, funders) or external (e.g., your beneficiaries, partners, competitors, regulators). To identify your stakeholders, you need to map them according to their interest and power, their needs and expectations, their contributions and challenges, and their relationships and networks. You can use tools like stakeholder analysis, stakeholder mapping, and stakeholder engagement plan to prioritize and engage them effectively.

3 Align your social impact goals with stakeholders

Aligning your social impact goals with stakeholders means finding common ground and mutual benefits, while respecting diversity and differences. It also means involving them in your planning, implementation, evaluation, and learning processes, as co-creators and collaborators. To align your goals with stakeholders, you need to communicate clearly and transparently, listen actively and empathically, negotiate and compromise when needed, and build trust and rapport. You can use tools like stakeholder interviews, surveys, focus groups, workshops, and feedback loops to co-design and co-deliver your social impact goals.

4 Measure your social impact progress

Measuring your social impact progress means collecting and analyzing data and evidence to track and assess how well you are achieving your social impact goals, and what impact you are having on your stakeholders and the wider society. It also means using the data and evidence to inform your decisions and actions, and to improve your performance and impact. To measure your progress, you need to define your indicators and targets, choose your methods and tools, collect and analyze your data, and report and share your findings. You can use tools like SMART indicators, logframes, M&E plans, data collection methods, data analysis tools, and reporting formats to measure your progress.

5 Communicate your social impact results

Communicating your social impact results means telling your story of change, using data and evidence to support your claims and demonstrate your value. It also means sharing your successes and failures, your learnings and insights, your challenges and opportunities, and your recommendations and actions. To communicate your results, you need to identify your audience and purpose, choose your channels and formats, craft your messages and narratives, and use visuals and stories to engage and inspire. You can use tools like storytelling frameworks, impact reports, case studies, dashboards, and infographics to communicate your results.

6 Learn and improve your social impact practice

Learning and improving your social impact practice means reflecting on your experience and feedback, evaluating your strengths and weaknesses, identifying your gaps and needs, and planning your next steps and actions. It also means embracing a culture of learning and improvement, where you are open to change and innovation, and where you seek and offer support and collaboration. To learn and improve, you need to ask yourself and others critical and constructive questions, use data and evidence to validate and challenge your assumptions, and use tools and resources to enhance your skills and knowledge. You can use tools like after-action reviews, SWOT analysis, learning agendas, personal development plans, and peer learning networks to learn and improve.

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?