Interactive resources for incubators and accelerators
Interactive resources for incubators and accelerators
Interactive resources for incubators and accelerators

Impact Measurement Concepts

This section provides an overview of the different concepts within impact measurement. It identifies some of the common challenges faced by intermediaries who are measuring the impact of their own programs before breaking down the different reasons and incentives for measuring and managing impact. It then provides a brief overview of the types of impact that can be measured, and how that measurement might look at the entrepreneur, program, organisation and ecosystem level.

  • Impact is the story of how you are making the world a better place.

    Sana Kapadia, Spring

Challenges of Impact Measurement

Impact measurement and management is a complex area for all organisations. Measuring impact can be particularly challenging for incubators and accelerators, as you must consider a wide range of stakeholders, the complexity of data, the degree of attribution that can be made to your program, and the multiple possible levels of impact.

At the practical level, common challenges faced by intermediaries measuring their own impact include:

  • Establishing a clear focus
  • Establishing a clear link between support provided to entrepreneurs and their development and achievements
  • Collecting and managing data
  • A lack of clear templates
  • Tracking outcomes once a program finishes
  • Prioritising time and resources to dig deeper into impact

Reasons for Measuring Impact

Intermediaries and enterprises measure their impact for a number of different reasons:

  • 01.

    Create Positive Change

    Some enterprises are motivated to manage impact because the creation of positive change for people and the planet is why they exist.

  • 02.

    Mitigate Risk

    Some are driven by a concern about regulatory and reputational risk.

  • 03.

    Unlock Value

    Some see it as a way to unlock commercial value — for example, cost-cutting through energy savings or increasing workforce retention or customer loyalty.

  • 04.

    Uphold Ideals

    Some just believe that businesses should respect society and want to live up to that ideal.

Levels of Impact

The impact of intermediaries and enterprises can be measured at the:

  • Entrepreneur Level

    This can include learning, mindset, and life impact.

  • Program Level

    This can include the number of participants, reach of the program, geographies covered, revenue generated, and funding secured.

  • Organisation Level

    This can include the impact on finances, operations, and networks.

  • Ecosystem Level

    This can include resources generated, lives impacted, and indications of economic change.

Resources

  • Impactasaurus

    A simple tool for reporting impact

    View
  • Geckoboard

    A business dashboard that can be used for displaying impact metrics

    View
  • Pivot Tables

    An Excel function to extract the significance from a large, detailed data set

    View
  • Social Value Map

    An Excel template of a value map with preset formulas to help you calculate your impact

    View & Download

  • Content Contributed By

     

    Spring exists to change the world through entrepreneurship. A certified B Corporation, Spring supports entrepreneurs who are using business as a force for good through incubation, acceleration, leaders roundtables, funding training, workshops, and ecosystem development advisory services. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, Spring supports entrepreneurs via City Partners in over 10 countries around the world. Spring has supported more than 700 entrepreneurs to launch more than 300 businesses in less than five years.

     

    spring.is

Next:

Dimensions of Impact

A framework to measure multiple impacts of an enterprise