What are the essential components of a successful social impact report?

1 Define your purpose

The first component of a social impact report is to define your purpose. Why are you writing this report and who are you writing it for? Your purpose should guide your tone, style, and content of your report. For example, if you are writing for potential donors, you might want to emphasize your achievements, challenges, and opportunities. If you are writing for existing funders, you might want to focus on your accountability, learning, and improvement.

2 Explain your theory of change

The second component of a social impact report is to explain your theory of change. This is the logic model that links your inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and impact. Your theory of change should show how your work contributes to solving a social problem or creating a positive change. It should also identify your assumptions, risks, and external factors that affect your impact. By explaining your theory of change, you can demonstrate your relevance, coherence, and effectiveness.

5 Share your learnings and recommendations

The fifth component of a social impact report is to share your learnings and recommendations. This is where you reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Your learnings and recommendations should show what you have learned from your data and evidence, what you have done well, what you can improve, and what you plan to do next. They should also show how you have used or will use your learnings and recommendations to inform your decisions, actions, and strategies.

6 Call for action and feedback

The sixth and final component of a social impact report is to call for action and feedback. This is where you invite your audience to engage with your work, support your cause, or collaborate with you. Your call for action and feedback should be clear, specific, and realistic. You should also provide your contact details, website, social media, and other ways to connect with you. By calling for action and feedback, you can build trust, loyalty, and partnership with your audience.