When starting a charity organisation it’s important to measure the impact of its work in order to give better insights into how to improve. As a small charity this can be tricky, but there are ways to make this less daunting and make it work to your advantage.
Measurement is about improving – the measure should help you make decisions.
Have a clear understanding of what impact is – impact should be tangible results or changes implemented. Start by looking at data that has already been collected and how you can gain access to it and use it.
Have a plan– work out how you’ll use impact measurement before you do it. Make sure your approach is going to be effective in giving you what you need. If I’s to communicate your results to funders, make sure you know what it is they’re looking for and how to tell your story in a way that will be simple for them to understand. Work out a plan for how you’ll communicate the findings internally and externally.
Start somewhere– it can seem daunting, but remain open-minded about the measure of impact. No matter what the results are, remember that they serve to help you improve the operations of your charity organisation. Ask yourself questions such as:
What changes does my organisation look to bring about? How does it work?
How will I know if I’ve achieved them?
The best approach is to start by asking yourself some basic questions about what all this effort is for.