Resources

CASE STUDY: How the Related Affordable Foundation Built Trust Through Impact Measurement

gcohen@trueimpact.com (Gabe Cohen) — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:53:39 GMT

Overview

Related Affordable (RA) is one of the largest preservationists of affordable housing in the country, with the core belief that everyone deserves a quality home. The Related Affordable Foundation (RAF) was created in 2016 with the mission to expand this critical work to more people, seeking to enrich the lives of affordable housing residents and the larger community.

RAF’s breadth of work spans across food security, education, workforce development, and health and wellness. But, even with the experience of working with a range of organizations, RAF still faced a familiar challenge: credible impact data to inform performance.

When it came to impact reporting, each nonprofit partner brought its own approach, metrics, and reporting style. Some organizations tracked outputs such as meals delivered, while others captured only stories or attendance. RAF wanted to know: Are our investments creating the outcomes we think they are? Is RAF funding the right things? Are we actually helping the needs of the community?

Those questions were difficult to answer.

Recognizing the need for stronger internal alignment and more transparent relationships with their nonprofit partners, RAF, partnered with True Impact. Together, they launched a standardized, outcomes‑focused measurement process – one that strengthened trust, elevated nonprofit capacity, and gave RAF the confidence to stand behind programmatic results from grant recipients.

1. The Situation

Before partnering with True Impact, RAF funded a diverse group of nonprofits – 17 in the first cohort alone – each using its own definitions of success. Reports came in as spreadsheets, emailed summaries, anecdotes, and sometimes not at all. Even when results looked positive, RAF struggled to compare programs across cities, categories, or funding levels, limiting leadership’s ability to tell cohesive stories and make strategic decisions.

Internally, teams across the company were accustomed to tracking their own performance through clear, standardized operational key performance indicators (KPI) and robust data systems. By contrast, RAF lacked access to similarly consistent or comparable data – making it difficult to quantify outcomes, demonstrate results, or translate community impact.

As housing needs across the nation and resident expectations grew more complex, it became evident that a more structured, consistent, and trustworthy measurement process was necessary not only to strengthen grantmaking, but also to build internal alignment and credibility.

2. The Challenge

Beyond internal expectations, RAF needed to navigate the realities of the nonprofit sector. Many nonprofit partners expressed fear that deeper reporting requirements would be used punitively or jeopardize future funding. Other grantees had limited data capacity and needed guidance on how to measure the outcomes they were already achieving.

RAF needed greater clarity: Which programs were performing strongest? Which partners needed more support? Which focus areas were delivering the greatest resident outcomes?

Without comparable metrics, these questions were difficult to answer.

RAF needed a measurement approach that:

Created equity and transparency between funder and grantee.
Provided standardized, comparable metrics across programs and regions.
Built internal trust by aligning social impact data with broader business reporting.
Supported, rather than burdened, nonprofits in their own evaluation capacity.

3. The Solution

In 2021, RAF partnered with True Impact to strengthen, standardize, and streamline its impact measurement approach. The partnership centered on capacity‑building, trusted guidance, and a fair, outcomes‑driven reporting process.

Key elements of the solution included:

Standardized logic models for every nonprofit, integrated into True Impact’s guided reporting tool. These clarified program goals, activities, and intended outcomes while aligning metrics across partners.
Curated outcome indicators tailored to RAF impact areas (food security, workforce development, education, and health and wellness) so partners could report in consistent and comparable ways.
Hands‑on support and coaching from True Impact, ensuring nonprofits could complete reporting regardless of their internal capacity.
A structured process and timeline including onboarding webinars, draft reviews, individualized feedback, and final report approval.
Impact data communicated in a language used in day-to-day business decision-making across finance, asset management, senior leadership, and other business units.

Together, this framework replaced anecdotal reporting with clear, evidence‑based outcomes – and helped RAF improve both internal alignment and external relationships.

4. The Results

With consistent outcomes data and strong nonprofit collaboration, RAF now operates with far greater clarity, confidence, and credibility through its partnership with True Impact.

First, the organization developed a shared language across departments. With logic models and standardized indicators, resident outcomes could be articulated using the same level of rigor as business metrics. This created stronger alignment with leadership and made corporate social responsibility (CSR) results far easier to communicate. Moreover, different parts of the business now wanted to align the new data with their own internal KPIs.

Second, the team now makes more equitable, transparent funding decisions. With comparable metrics across partners, RAF can clearly understand which organizations are delivering strong outcomes, where additional support is needed, and where opportunities for expansion exist. This structure also reduced the power imbalance between funder and grantee.

Finally, impact data empowered the team to advocate for nonprofits more effectively. In some cases, True Impact’s reports highlighted that partners were delivering value above and beyond what they were funded for.

Together, these changes created a systemic, repeatable way of capturing impact. Through the True Impact reporting process, clear and consistent outcomes data now enables the team to speak confidently about results in leadership settings, strengthening internal alignment and elevating the value of RAF’s work. As a result, community engagement outcomes are better understood, more trusted, and more valuable across the organization.

5. Nonprofit Partner Benefits

One of the most significant outcomes of the partnership between RAF and True Impact is how much nonprofits have benefited from the process.

Feedback from nonprofit partners indicated that what began as a measurement requirement evolved into a meaningful capacity‑building experience for some organizations.

Nonprofits reported several benefits from the process, many of which extended far beyond the initial reporting requirement. Some organizations shared that they were able to secure additional funding by presenting the standardized True Impact reports to other foundations, corporate donors, and local government partners. These reports offered a level of clarity and credibility that nonprofits often struggled to produce on their own, helping them articulate their value in ways that resonated with multiple funders.

Nonprofit teams also used the data internally – to communicate program accomplishments more effectively, align staff around shared goals, and strengthen board reporting. For several partners, the process created a helpful structure for evaluating what was working and what needed to change, offering a clearer view of their strengths, challenges, and opportunities for deeper impact. This clarity often sparked operational improvements, from refining program design to improving volunteer coordination and resident engagement strategies.

Below are some of the ways in which RAF’s grant partners described the reporting experience:

“This data allows us to demonstrate program effectiveness and measurable results to potential funders.”

“Report findings directly informed the expansion of our Chicagoland Toy Drive initiative.”

“Reporting improved onboarding workflows, communication, and strategic staffing decisions.”

By grounding reporting expectations in fairness, transparency, and individualized support, RAF helped nonprofits strengthen their internal systems and operate more strategically – ultimately increasing the positive outcomes achieved for residents.

Conclusion

RAF’s journey shows how thoughtful, outcomes‑driven measurement can build trust inside and outside an organization. By partnering with True Impact, RAF established a measurement system that is rigorous in guiding strategy, supportive in building capacity, and transparent in fostering strong relationships.

The work is continuing. With a strong measurement foundation now in place, the Community Engagement team is increasingly exploring ways to deepen and expand its use of outcomes data – both internally and across its national portfolio. Leadership has expressed growing interest in using impact reporting to inform strategic planning, enhance cross‑department collaboration, and identify opportunities to scale programs that deliver the strongest resident outcomes.

Additionally, RAF is looking toward creating multi‑year views of partner performance, refining outcome benchmarks, and exploring how impact insights can help shape future community engagement investments.

Together, these next steps signal a shift from impact reporting as a compliance task to impact reporting as a strategic and future‑driving function – one that strengthens the entire ecosystem of resident support.

Want to build a more consistent, trusted approach to impact measurement?

See how True Impact helps organizations standardize reporting, strengthen nonprofit partnerships, and generate data you can stand behind.

Schedule a conversation to learn more →

A New Era for Impact Reporting

Farron Levy — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:23:08 GMT

For years, nonprofits have faced a frustrating challenge: every time a funder asks for impact data, they have to create a new bespoke report. One funder, one report. Multiply that across dozens of donors, and the reporting burden becomes overwhelming—pulling time, talent, and attention away from delivering on mission.

What’s behind these custom requests? Often, the best of intentions. In the absence of shared, trusted ways to understand nonprofit outcomes, funders are left guessing at which success indicators to request. Nonprofits, in turn, are left re‑explaining the same work in slightly different ways, again and again.

The result is a system where impact data rarely travels beyond a single relationship. Even when high‑quality, expert‑reviewed reporting exists, it is typically used once and then siloed—limiting its value and reinforcing a one‑to‑one model that was never designed to scale. Too often, nonprofits have little control over how their results are reused, shared, or recognized beyond an individual funder.

A Better Path Emerges

At True Impact, we’ve long believed there’s a better way. The challenge is not a lack of commitment or effort across the sector—it is fragmentation. Impact data lives in too many places, locked into one‑off reports and disconnected systems.

The turning point came when that long‑held belief met real alignment. In a working session with our friends at Charity Navigator—whiteboards covered in diagrams, sticky notes moving from wall to wall—it became clear we shared compatible visions for the philanthropic sector—and complementary offerings.

Soon, the pieces fell into place to do something different. Not another reporting requirement. Not more bespoke forms for more platforms and donors. But shared infrastructure that lets impact data go further—while nonprofits do less to get it there.

Today, I’m excited to announce the launch of the Impact Reporting Network.

What Is the Impact Reporting Network?

The Impact Reporting Network is a new, collaborative approach to impact reporting—one that allows nonprofits to report once and have their impact reach many audiences, while remaining firmly in control of how that information is shared—across funders, platforms, and decision-making environments.

At its core, the Impact Reporting Network works as a simple, step‑by‑step flow:

A nonprofit creates a universal impact report using a consistent, supported reporting process available across multiple partner platforms—designed so results can be reused without re-reporting.
The nonprofit chooses to share that report with the network, retaining control over where and how their impact data is visible.
Funders, CSR teams, donors, and employees access the same trusted results within the tools they already rely on—supporting smarter funding decisions, discovery of high-performing organizations, and more confident engagement.

The Impact Reporting Network works because it brings together partners willing to do the hard work of aligning around a shared system—so nonprofits can focus on the even harder work of delivering impact.

We’re excited to launch the network alongside two such partners. Charity Navigator provides a trusted, public lens on nonprofit performance, helping ensure impact data is credible and comparable. YourCause from Blackbaud brings that same information into the corporate giving and employee engagement environments where real decisions get made. Together, this collaboration allows impact data to move across the sector—without forcing nonprofits or funders into yet another set of custom reporting formats.

We look forward to welcoming additional partners who want to help extend this shared approach—so credible impact data can reach more decision-makers, with less work required from nonprofits.

A Nonprofit’s Journey

To see what this looks like in practice, imagine a nonprofit—let’s call it Community Health Alliance.

Under the old model, Community Health Alliance might be asked to create a custom impact report for a single funder—tailored to that funder’s specific questions or templates. The report would take real effort to produce, but once submitted, it would largely live in isolation. When the next funder came along, the process would start again.

In the Impact Reporting Network, that experience changes. Community Health Alliance creates a single, reusable social impact report through Charity Navigator’s nonprofit portal, which Charity Navigator uses to supplement its profile of Community Health Alliance, and to guide its ratings.

Now, when a funder requests an impact report, Community Health Alliance doesn’t start from scratch. A universal social impact report is already in the True Impact system—structured, reviewed, and ready to share, regardless of which platform a funder uses. With a few clicks, it’s available to the funder, with no re‑entry of data and no reshaping of the story.

Meanwhile, if Community Health Alliance chooses, it can set the visibility status of its report to “Public” which automatically makes it visible within platforms like YourCause from Blackbaud. A new corporate funder, looking to identify high‑performing organizations in their community, discovers Community Health Alliance and can immediately understand how its outcomes compare to similar nonprofits. A new relationship begins—again, without asking the nonprofit to do any additional reporting.

This moves us from a world of one‑to‑one reporting to one where impact data can be reused, discovered, and acted on at scale.

Looking Ahead

What excites me most about the Impact Reporting Network isn’t just the efficiency it creates—it’s the trust it makes possible. Trust that nonprofits’ time is respected. Trust that impact data is credible and comparable. Trust that decisions about funding and engagement can be grounded in real outcomes, not proxies.

I’m deeply grateful to Charity Navigator for their leadership and willingness to rethink how impact information is shared publicly, and to Blackbaud for stepping forward as a serious ecosystem partner that understands where impact data actually gets used.

This is only the beginning. As more partners join and more nonprofits opt in, the value of the network will continue to grow—not through mandates or lock-in, but because shared infrastructure makes impact data more useful for everyone involved.

I’m optimistic about what’s ahead, and excited to see what becomes possible when we build systems that finally match the values of the social sector.

New Impact Reporting Network Launches to Help Nonprofits Report Once and Share Outcome Data Across Platforms

gcohen@trueimpact.com (Gabe Cohen) — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:10:41 GMT

New Impact Reporting Network Launches to Help Nonprofits Report Once and Share Outcome Data Across Platforms

Charity Navigator and YourCause® from Blackbaud join True Impact to launch a network that reduces nonprofit reporting burden while improving the quality of impact data for donors and funders.

February 2, 2026 – Today marks the launch of the Impact Reporting Network, a new shared infrastructure powered by leading impact measurement platform True Impact. The Network enables nonprofits to create a single outcomes report and choose where and when to share it across participating platforms where funders and donors make decisions – reducing duplicative reporting while keeping nonprofits in control of how their information is used. Charity Navigator, the country’s largest independent nonprofit evaluator, and YourCause from Blackbaud join True Impact to launch a network that enables nonprofit outcomes to reach millions of donors and funders while reducing the reporting burden and making credible outcomes data more useful across the sector.

True Impact partnered with Charity Navigator to create the Impact Reporting Network to address a long-standing challenge in the sector: rising impact reporting expectations for different audiences and formats. Rather than taking a top-down approach or introducing another standalone tool, the Network aligns partners around True Impact’s reporting approach, giving nonprofits the option to submit one report that can be shared across platforms. In a constrained funding environment, this shared infrastructure makes it possible to scale credible impact data while reducing reporting burden and improving consistency.

"Nonprofits have been asked for years to prove their impact in ways that don't always reflect how they actually work," said Farron Levy, Founder and CEO of True Impact. "The Impact Reporting Network creates a new path forward--one where nonprofits can report in a common format, share their results across multiple platforms, and have their work recognized based on the outcomes they are creating. By sharing what works, we're building a social sector that can learn faster and achieve more good."

As part of the Network's launch, Charity Navigator is embedding True Impact's guided impact reporting module directly into its Nonprofit Portal, making it easier for nonprofits to showcase to potential donors their outcomes and impact within the trusted Charity Navigator rating. To donors, this translates into clear visibility of a nonprofit’s results, regardless of the specific mission size or type.

"Expanding how outcomes and impacts are reflected in our ratings has long been a priority for Charity Navigator," said Michael Thatcher, President and CEO of Charity Navigator. "By participating in the Impact Reporting Network, we're making it easier for nonprofits to share their results and for donors to access deeper and more meaningful information so that they can give with confidence."

As a signature partner, YourCause from Blackbaud brings the Impact Reporting Network directly into the corporate philanthropy, employee giving, and volunteerism workflows used by leading companies and foundations. Nonprofit outcomes data from the Network will now flow into YourCause, giving funders earlier, more consistent insight into the results of their giving. Later this year, YourCause will also embed True Impact-powered impact reporting directly within the Blackbaud Verified Network portal, giving nonprofits a one-stop destination to submit impact reports to corporate funders while also providing the option to share the results across the Impact Reporting Network.

"Blackbaud is here to empower the people and institutions changing the world – accelerating human progress and building a future where resources move at the speed of need,” said Dale Strange, Senior Vice President and Head of Corporate Impact at Blackbaud. "We are committed to doing anything we can to remove friction from the systems that drive the social impact sector, which is why we’re participating in the Impact Reporting Network to help mission-driven organizations do more with less.”

How the Impact Reporting Network Works

The Network is powered by True Impact's reporting infrastructure, including its APIs, outcomes taxonomy, and analytics platform. Nonprofits can create impact reports either directly through True Impact or via embedded reporting within partner platforms like Charity Navigator and YourCause from Blackbaud.

Participation is entirely opt-in and nonprofit-led. Nonprofits choose whether to create reports, and whether to share them across the Network. This approach was designed specifically to put nonprofits in control of their own information.

U.S.-based nonprofits can begin creating impact reports now through a pilot phase within Charity Navigator's Nonprofit Portal, and eligible nonprofits that choose to participate may receive an impact-based rating. Nonprofits can learn more and check eligibility at www.charitynavigator.org/portal. YourCause from Blackbaud will launch its embedded reporting module later in 2026, expanding access for nonprofits already working with corporate and foundation funders.

Looking Ahead

The Impact Reporting Network is designed to expand and evolve in response to the needs of nonprofits and donors. Additional partners will be joining in the coming months and years, expanding where and how credible outcomes data can be reused across the sector – while keeping nonprofits in control of when and how their information is shared.

About True Impact

True Impact is a Public Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corp that helps nonprofits, funders, and Fortune 1000 companies measure and maximize the results of their charitable initiatives. With over 20 years of experience, True Impact combines expert guidance with a leading impact measurement platform to make it easy for nonprofits to demonstrate outcomes and for foundation teams to drive strategic decisions, strengthen partnerships, and showcase results. True Impact provides the infrastructure that enables the Impact Reporting Network, helping thousands of organizations reduce reporting burden and use impact data to drive better decisions. Learn more at trueimpact.com.

About Charity Navigator

Founded in 2002, Charity Navigator is a 501(c)(3) organization that guides intelligent giving with the nation's largest, most comprehensive charity evaluation system. The organization helps donors easily identify U.S.-registered charities making a difference on the issues they care about most while assisting charities to share their impact through data and increase awareness and funding. Learn more at charitynavigator.org

About YourCause from Blackbaud

YourCause from Blackbaud is a leading corporate social responsibility and employee engagement platform that connects companies, employees, and nonprofits to drive social impact. Part of Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), a leading provider of software for powering social impact, YourCause helps corporations and foundations manage their giving programs, engage employees in volunteerism and donations, and measure the outcomes of their philanthropic investments. Learn more at yourcause.com.

Media Contacts

True Impact

Gabe Cohen

VP of Partnerships and Growth

gcohen@trueimpact.com

410-903-1307

Charity Navigator

Kelly Ramirez

Director, Communications and Public Relations

kramirez@charitynavigator.org

201-345-5081

Introducing The Impact Reporting Network

gcohen@trueimpact.com (Gabe Cohen) — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:50:48 GMT

For years, nonprofits have invested real time in measuring their impact, often repeating similar reports for multiple funders with different requirements—only to see those insights remain siloed instead of informing broader giving decisions. This duplicative reporting pulls valuable time away from mission work, even as funders and platforms seek clearer, more consistent ways to understand nonprofit impact.

That’s why we’re excited to introduce the Impact Reporting Network—a new, collaborative initiative designed to address this challenge by making it easier for nonprofits to share and reuse impact reporting they already complete. Rather than starting from scratch and introducing another reporting requirement or standalone tool, the Network builds on an existing shared approach to reduce repetitive requests, respect nonprofit choice, and ensure existing impact insights are used more effectively across the sector.

The Impact Reporting Network is created and powered by True Impact, and launched in partnership with Charity Navigator and YourCause from Blackbaud. Together, these organizations connect nonprofit‑controlled impact reports to widely used platforms, turning individual reporting efforts into shared infrastructure.

Reducing Reporting Burden.
Improving Impact Insights—at Scale.

Nonprofits are increasingly asked to report on their impact in different formats, for different audiences, with little alignment across funders and platforms. This fragmentation pulls valuable time away from mission work.

The Impact Reporting Network responds by creating shared infrastructure. It builds on reporting nonprofits already complete and adds a common layer that allows them to securely share impact data more widely—reducing duplication while preserving nonprofit choice and control.

The Network brings together organizations that touch different parts of the social sector ecosystem, starting with True Impact, Charity Navigator, and YourCause from Blackbaud. From day one, the Network connects nonprofit-controlled reports to millions of annual donors who rely on Charity Navigator, thousands of already-reviewed nonprofits ready to share through True Impact's platform, and 10 million+ employees across 600 purpose-driven brands in over 170 countries through YourCause. By connecting these platforms, the Network transforms work that already exists into broadly accessible impact information.

Participation is opt-in and nonprofit-led. Organizations choose what to share and who can access it. The Network isn't a comprehensive solution to all reporting challenges—it's designed to chip away at fragmentation by enabling shared use of impact reports wherever possible, freeing up meaningful time for mission-driven work.

How the Impact Reporting Network Works

At its core, the Impact Reporting Network works as a step-by-step flow designed to be accessible to nonprofits at many different stages of capacity and sophistication:

A nonprofit creates a universal impact report using a consistent, supported reporting process available across multiple partner platforms—designed so results can be reused without re-reporting.
The nonprofit chooses to share that report with the network, retaining control over where and how their impact data is visible.
Funders, CSR teams, donors, and employees access the same trusted results within the tools they already rely on—supporting smarter funding decisions, discovery of high-performing organizations, and more confident engagement.

The Impact Reporting Network is designed to be accessible to nonprofits at many different stages of capacity and sophistication. Participation does not depend on advanced evaluation systems or polished narratives—only on credible, context-rich impact information grounded in an organization’s existing work. By prioritizing reuse, choice, and flexibility, the Network aims to make impact reporting more equitable while reducing unnecessary burden.

What This Means for Nonprofits

For nonprofits, the Impact Reporting Network is designed to reduce repetitive reporting while increasing the reach and usefulness of the impact work they already do.

Nonprofits participating in the Impact Reporting Network can:

Share existing impact reports rather than recreating similar content for multiple audiences
Create new reports if and when it is useful for their organization
Control report visibility, including public, private, or case-by-case sharing

Participation is opt-in and nonprofit-led.

Starting today, nonprofits can participate through the Charity Navigator reporting portal. Soon, nonprofits will also be able to participate through Blackbaud and True Impact, with additional participation pathways introduced over time through other Network partners.

Learn more about creating and sharing nonprofit reports.

What This Means for Donors and CSR Teams

For foundations, institutional donors, and corporate social responsibility teams, the Impact Reporting Network supports:

More consistent access to nonprofit‑reported impact information
Reduced reliance on fragmented summaries or proxy metrics
Clearer ability to understand outcomes across portfolios

By making it easier for nonprofits to share impact information in credible, structured ways, the Network helps improve decision‑making without increasing reporting burden.

Learn more about how donors and CSR teams can benefit from the Impact Reporting Network.

What This Means for Platforms and Partners

For platforms that support giving, grantmaking, or employee engagement, the Impact Reporting Network offers shared infrastructure for impact reporting.

Rather than building parallel systems or requesting custom reports, partners can surface nonprofit‑approved impact information through a common approach—reducing duplication while improving usability for end users.

The Network is open to additional partners who share an interest in reducing fragmentation and supporting nonprofit‑centered reporting.

Learn more about your platform joining the Impact Reporting Network.

What’s Next

The Impact Reporting Network will grow through use. Each nonprofit that opts in, each funder that relies on shared reports, and each platform that surfaces nonprofit‑approved impact data strengthens the Network for everyone involved. Over time, participation creates a more consistent, credible foundation for understanding impact—without adding new reporting burden or asking any single group to carry the system on its own.

Progress in impact reporting does not require sweeping change all at once. It requires practical steps that make the system work better over time.

Here’s how you can join the Network:

Nonprofits can learn more about participating through Charity Navigator.
Donors and CSR teams can explore how shared impact reporting supports better decisions.
Platforms and partners interested in joining the Network are encouraged to start a conversation.

Making Partnerships Work: Lessons from a Conversation with CSR Leaders and Nonprofits

gcohen@trueimpact.com (Gabe Cohen) — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:13:00 GMT

A few weeks ago, we gathered a room full of people who rarely get to sit down together without an agenda: CSR leaders from major corporations and nonprofit executives. All dealing with the same reality: everyone wants to do more, but resources feel tighter than ever.

The setup was simple. We started with just the corporate funders, joined by Leleah James and Ashley Rigby, for the first conversation of the afternoon. No presentations. No pitches. We gathered their insights and advice to share during the second half of the conversation, when we invited nonprofit leaders to join us – with our friends from Charity Navigator helping to facilitate the discussion.

Our goal wasn't to solve everything in one room. It was to create some real connection and share practical insights. Because let's be honest – we're all trying to figure this out as we go.

The conversations were refreshingly candid. Here's what we heard:

1. Everyone's Juggling More Than They Can Handle (And Looking for Collective Courage)

This wasn't news to anyone in the room. Nonprofit teams are stretched thin. CSR teams are facing increased scrutiny and pressure to justify their programs..

But here's what was encouraging: there was real energy around finding ways to be collectively courageous. Individual funders may feel limited in what they can do alone, but when they come together and find the right nonprofit partners, they can make a greater impact.

The takeaway: When both sides start with their shared purpose, they can create a virtuous cycle. Funders who are transparent about their capacity constraints and priorities enable nonprofits to make better asks. Nonprofits who are honest about their bandwidth and realistic about deliverables help funders feel confident in their investments. Mission alignment becomes the groundwork for mutual support.

2. Know Your Numbers (And Know Your Partner's Priorities)

This one was crystal clear from the CSR side: funders want to know nonprofit numbers. How much do your programs cost? How much does it cost to create impact? How much impact can you actually create?

Not knowing these numbers could exclude you from funding. But so will a "we'll do whatever" response.

The flip side? Nonprofits should understand funder priorities before asking for money. Make sure your mission aligns with theirs. And always bring case studies showing how you've helped in related areas before.

The takeaway: Nonprofits need to come prepared with clear metrics and relevant examples. Funders need to be transparent about their priorities and focus areas upfront.

3. Focus on Partnership, Not Pitching

One of the strongest themes from both conversations: the best relationships start with partnership thinking, not transactional pitching.

Nonprofits should think about what they need beyond the check. What other resources could a corporate funder supply that would be valuable from a mission perspective? Networks? Communications support? Strategic expertise?

And funders acknowledged that some responsibility for finding good partnerships should lie with them, not just expecting nonprofits to do all the outreach.

The takeaway: A good mantra emerged: "If you ask for money, you'll get advice. If you ask for advice, you'll get money." Start with partnership conversations, not funding requests.

4. Get Local and Get Specific

There was strong consensus that finding the right local focus should be a priority for corporate funders right now. This includes working with the right intermediaries – groups of similarly aligned organizations based on geography or cause that can work collectively toward greater action.

Local community foundations came up as particularly valuable partners in this approach. They know the landscape and can help connect funders with the right local players.

The takeaway: Think local, act collectively. Use intermediaries like community foundations to find the right partners and create more targeted impact.

5. Build Coalitions (Everyone Wants This)

Both sides were excited about coalition-building. Nonprofits are already thinking about ways to work together more strategically. Funders see the value in supporting collaborative approaches that can serve end beneficiaries more effectively.

This included real talk about innovative approaches like organizational consolidations that could be helpful to the communities they serve.

The takeaway: Look for opportunities to build coalitions and support collaborative approaches. Small gatherings of the right players can create in-person opportunities to connect and innovate.

6. Make It Feel Like True Partnership

Nonprofits were clear about wanting funders to really participate in their missions, not just write checks. They want multi-year and unrestricted funding for good reason – it allows for real partnership.

They also want different staff members to have conversations, not just executive directors and development directors doing all the relationship building.

The takeaway: Funders can engage beyond the C-suite and think about how different team members can connect. Nonprofits can create opportunities for funders to truly understand and participate in the work.

7. Impact Measurement Can Work for Everyone – When Done Right

A practical insight that resonated: nonprofits and funders can use data to create stories that lead to justification for more funding.

Both sides acknowledged that authentic conversations are challenging right now because funders are limited in what they can say and how they can say it. But impact measurement that is collaborative and intentional can clarify priorities, guide strategy, and tell better stories for both nonprofits and their funders.

We heard real optimism about measurement when it is constructive rather than rigid and imposed. The corporate funders getting the best results were asking nonprofits to help define what success looks like. When both sides have a voice in measurement, it builds trust instead of creating more hoops to jump through.

The takeaway: Good measurement isn't about proving perfection – it's about learning, improving, and aligning on what matters most. Focus on collaborative frameworks that help both sides tell compelling stories and justify continued investment. (Ya know, like True Impact–and sorry for the shameless plug!)

What's Next?

This wasn't about solving everything in one afternoon. It was about surfacing the practical insights that can lead to stronger partnerships in a challenging environment.

The energy in the room was genuine. People want to work together better. They want to find ways to be collectively courageous. And they're willing to have honest conversations about how to make that happen.

At True Impact, we'll keep creating space for these kinds of discussions. We'll keep helping partners figure out what success looks like and how to measure it in ways that support the work.

But mostly, we'll keep showing up and listening. Because that's where real progress happens – in rooms full of people who care enough to keep trying to find calm in the chaos.

Impact Measurement 101 for CSR Professionals

Sara Ansell — Wed, 28 May 2025 17:27:51 GMT

As a CSR professional, you play a pivotal role in positioning your company as a driver of good in your community. You're not just executing corporate initiatives; you're connecting your company’s purpose with the causes that matter most. And that connection has never been more important than it is today.

Despite your critical role, a disconnect often occurs between CSR efforts and the executives you work with: that is, how to meaningfully demonstrate the impact of your work. Without concrete impact measures, it is difficult to determine if you are successful, for yourself or leadership. And if you can’t demonstrate success, it’s hard to inspire support.

Does the following sound familiar?

A CSR team launches a well-intentioned signature initiative, but they struggle to measure its results. Without concrete evidence of impact, they can't confidently determine whether the initiative (1) achieved overall success or (2) effectively addressed the causes and communities most aligned with the company’s priorities. This disconnect between the company, the cause, and the community diminishes leadership support, leaving the initiative without the momentum it needs to thrive.

How do you avoid this scenario and ensure your initiatives are effective and on target to win over the hearts and minds of internal and external stakeholders?

We believe the answer is to adopt a straightforward and practical impact measurement process.

Below, we describe a four-step process that will focus your CSR efforts on your actual一or you could say TRUE一impact, not just your efforts. This process will ensure equitable and accessible processes, streamline your path, and empower you to navigate impact measurement confidently. Before we get to the four-step process, let's ensure we're all using the same measurement terms.

What is social impact measurement?

Much of the confusion about “impact measurement” is rooted in a misunderstanding over what does and doesn't count as “impact.” That’s where a vocabulary lesson may be helpful, gaining clarity on the terms input, output, and outcomes as they apply to CSR.

So to begin with, let’s give you an example of those terms using a hypothetical career development program.

Input: Your foundation gave $10,000 to a nonprofit to support job placement for underprivileged communities.
Output: Your grant helped the nonprofit’s career development program train 50 under-employed people.
Outcomes: 43 of those individuals gained new, upwardly mobile, and better-paying jobs.

Inputs and outputs are only measures of your efforts. Outcomes are the results. We define impact as the outcome on your target beneficiaries: that is, how much does your CSR program improve their lives or wellbeing?

While it’s tempting一and easier in the short term一to only measure inputs or outputs, CSR professionals need to focus on impact一how lives were changed一not how much money you gave or hours your employees volunteered. It’s your impact that really matters to your stakeholders and society at large, not the efforts behind that impact. How will measuring your impact help you, your CSR program, and your company?

Measuring your impact allows you to both measure (prove) and maximize (improve) your philanthropic investments. Specifically, being able to demonstrate the impact of your CSR investment:

Puts your CSR department on par with other corporate departments and enhances the stature of your work with your company’s leadership.
Shows your employees that your commitment to social impact is authentic and more than a mere statement.
Provides proof of societal impact to external stakeholders.
Enables you to evaluate, compare, and improve your CSR work, thus creating more social impact.

How do you measure your impact?

Based on 20 years of experience working with more than 150 Fortune 1000 companies and thousands of nonprofits, we recommend a four-step process. (For a deep dive into the following steps, we’ve created a guided toolkit for corporate social impact measurement with the team at ACCP. Check it out.)

STEP 1: Determine and Track Your Philanthropic Priorities

Before you try to measure, you need a clear vision for your CSR.

Who do you want to help? Try to be specific about gender, age, ethnic and racial identities, employment status, or whatever other characteristics are a priority.
What do you want to help them achieve? Are you focused on a specific issue (e.g., income, health, food security) or UN SDG (Sustainable Development Goal)?
Where do you want to focus your support? Are you focused on a region, a market, or a country?

Often, these choices are tied to your business goals, company purpose, or goals of specific stakeholders, including your board, staff, and customers.

Once you’ve identified your philanthropic priorities, determine your capacity and tools for measurement.

STEP 2: Set Practical Reporting Requirements

Now that your philanthropic priorities and donation tracking systems are in place, it’s time to focus on reporting. Good impact measurement contains two key ingredients:

A focus on the end outcomes: Simply put, count what counts. For this, you’ll have to rely on your grantees, who are faced with securing and reporting on grants, all while converting those grants to social impact. So, don’t waste their time asking about their inputs or outputs—ask them to focus on how they improved people’s lives (i.e., their impact).
Clarity and consistency: Make clear your reporting expectations from the start so grantees can plan. Ideally, this should include a shared understanding of your grantee’s expected impact at the beginning of the grant (e.g., how many people's lives they expect to improve and to what degree), and offer support and guidance along the way, if needed. Finally, ask for a single holistic report about their program overall, not just your donation.

STEP 3: Claim Your Impact—No More, No Less

Once your grantees have reported on their program’s full impact and provided you with their full program costs, you can calculate the social impact of your donations. These claims are the key to attracting and retaining support from your stakeholders and illuminating opportunities to improve your social investments. The challenge is to capture the full impact of your investments without over-claiming and putting your assertions at risk.

Here's the formula for and an example of a contribution claim, which is the most basic and common claim.

Overall Nonprofit Program Impact * (Your contribution/Overall Program Cost) = Your Claim of Impact

STEP 4: Improve Your Investment with Data

Once your philanthropic priorities are in place, your reporting process is clear, and you’re measuring impact, it’s time to use that data to:

Track progress toward your goals by mapping impact to your philanthropic priorities.
Communicate your impact with your internal and external stakeholders via impact dashboards, investor reports, social media, and more.
Improve your investment strategy and ensure that every dollar spent generates the maximum social and environmental return on investment.
Collaborate with your community partners to improve your measurement approach, increase the impact of your investments, and deepen your partnerships for years to come.

Putting the Pieces Together

PIMCO is a global investment management firm with more than $2T in assets and a deep commitment to philanthropy that blends corporate foundations, employee matching programs, and local grants.

As a data-driven organization, PIMCO was looking to more systematically measure philanthropic efforts as well as model attribution to better understand where investments were making the most impact, without overburdening their nonprofit partners. PIMCO partnered with True Impact to measure and analyze over 180 programs and $27M in investments.

Together, we identified PIMCO’s CSR investments improved the food security of over 12M people and the economic empowerment of over 10,000 girls and women, further underscoring PIMCO’s leadership in the CSR space and in turn helping to provide additional funding for key partners. Additionally, True Impact provided PIMCO’s CSR leaders with critical insights that are enabling them to model future impact and attribution for philanthropic investments, demonstrating the connection back to core objectives of PIMCO’s corporate responsibility platform.

Ready to Dive Deeper?

Of course, there’s more to impact measurement than this brief overview.

Check out this toolkit we produced with ACCP, which offers a wealth of information for CSR professionals like you: Measuring Corporate Social Impact: Recommendations for Better Partnerships and Reporting
Want a guided overview of impact measurement best practices, tailored to your company and CSR program? Schedule a free consultation with one of our social impact experts–you can think of it like office hours but for CSR leaders!

6 Myths About Impact Measurement: Are You Falling for Them?

gcohen@trueimpact.com (Gabe Cohen) — Wed, 28 May 2025 17:27:17 GMT

Impact measurement is on the rise, and it’s no surprise why. In 2024, 71% of CSR professionals¹ said there’s more pressure than ever to show measurable results. But there’s still a lot of confusion about how to get it right.

That’s why we teamed up with Rocket Social Impact to bust six common myths about measuring impact. These myths can stunt organizations from achieving their full potential, but you can turn challenges into opportunities with the right insights (like the ones you will find in the article!).

Here are a few highlights:

Myth: Measurement is a burden.
Reality: Done right, it builds trust and leads to better outcomes.
Myth: You need to be perfect from day one.
Reality: Start simple and grow over time.
Myth: It’s all about the numbers.
Reality: Numbers tell part of the story—real impact needs stories, too.

Want to see the full list of myths and how to tackle them? Let’s rethink impact measurement together. Check out all six myths now!

¹= https://accp.org/resources/csr-resources/insights-survey-2024/

Why I was Wrong to Believe that Reporting Clashes with Trust-Based Philanthropy

jntambi@trueimpact.com (Jessica Ntambi) — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 15:39:30 GMT

The following is a post by Jessica Ntambi, True Impact’s Nonprofit Manager. In this role, Jessica oversees the support of nonprofit organizations through our social impact reporting platform. Jessica is committed to advancing the transformative work of the nonprofit sector by serving organizations on their impact measurement journeys. She brings a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector, previously working at GlobalGiving and UW's Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies.

To be transparent, when I first entered the measurement and evaluation space, I was skeptical about its value for nonprofit organizations. While the value for funders is more readily apparent, I couldn’t initially see how the work would benefit nonprofits.

My passion has always been about amplifying the voices of those affected by society's most pressing issues. Before joining True Impact, I spent my career and educational journey directly serving nonprofits. In my previous role at GlobalGiving, that meant supporting the fundraising efforts of small, locally-led nonprofits around the world.

Through my Master’s studies in Human Ecology, I developed an appreciation for how data can drive better outcomes and strengthen programs. At the same time, I’ve seen firsthand how reporting requirements can feel burdensome to nonprofits,﹘especially when they’re imposed without trust or collaboration. In those cases, I can understand why a request for data might feel like a threat to the principles of trust-based philanthropy, rather than a tool to support them.

Over the years, however, I’ve learned that when done thoughtfully, measurement and trust-based philanthropy don’t have to be at odds—they can complement each other and work toward the same goal of lasting, positive change.

Let’s take a look at the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project's six core practices to foster stronger, more equitable relationships between funders and nonprofits:

Providing multi-year, unrestricted funding
Doing the necessary research
Simplifying and streamlining paperwork
Being transparent and accountable
Actively seeking and acting on feedback and
Offering support beyond just financial contributions.

After spending three years on the front line supporting nonprofits in telling their impact stories at True Impact, I believe these principles are not at odds with reporting, and instead are a critical ingredient to creating a trust-filled relationship between funders and nonprofits﹘with the ultimate end goal of Trust-Based Philanthropy.

For those unfamiliar, True Impact is a measurement platform (and team) that validates the end impacts of nonprofit programs. We support nonprofits with the creation of universal impact reports on their core programs to illustrate their theory of change and ultimately tell the story of their end outcomes and﹘how lives are improved because of their work.

Let’s look at how we align our measurement efforts with the six core Trust-based practices.

Give Multi-Year, Unrestricted Funding

At True Impact, we make reporting on multi-year grants or unrestricted funding simple by allowing the grantee to tell their impact story in their way. We work directly with nonprofits to help them create annual reports that accurately reflect their work and also allows the funder to understand how their donations are contributing to the overall impact.

We also meet nonprofits where they are. If they need to report on an unrestricted grant, nonprofits are guided to create an organizational-level report. If they are reporting on a multi-year grant, they can tell their story in multiple annual reports, or cohort style, multi-year reports.

Regardless, our platform (and our team) will be there every step of the way to support nonprofits with the reporting approach that makes the most sense for them.

Do the Homework

Even if this step happens before True Impact gets involved, we fully support the idea that researching prospective grantees is essential to finding organizations whose work aligns with a donor’s funding priorities. Funders should use a who, what, where, which framework to maximize impact for the causes and communities they care most about.

Who do you want to help? (e.g., socioeconomic status, age group, occupation, or other demographic categories)
What ways do you want to help them? (i.e., cause area, or UN SDGs)
Where do you want to focus your support?

And then…
Which organizations can create the most aligned impact based on the answer to the first three categories?

The answers to these questions, and corresponding impact data, can be a useful tool to allow funders to understand grantees' work and alignment.

Simplify & Streamline Paperwork

At True Impact, our ultimate goal is to have nonprofits create one report﹘telling their story their way﹘to be used with any funder. When a nonprofit creates a report in our system, they report on the entirety of their impact, not the amount created for a specific funder (that’s handled automatically in the backend of our platform). This means that nonprofits can create one report and share it with multiple funders (current funders and, to our previous point, potential new funders as well). This streamlines their reporting efforts with the goal of being a simple and less burdensome reporting process.

Be Transparent & Responsible

Creating a dynamic that fosters honesty and trust is so important in the funder-grantee relationship. That’s why we work with funders to be transparent and clear about any data and reporting requirements as early as possible. This allows grantees to plan accordingly and also have the power to turn down any opportunities for which they simply don’t have the capacity. Similarly, we’ve found that the grantees who know about their reporting requirements early on are more responsive and prepared when the reporting process begins–this leads to better data for funders.

Solicit & Act on Feedback

This is something we are constantly working on ourselves! We conduct quarterly reviews of all grantee feedback for improving our platform and processes. We also conduct annual surveys on the grantee experience to understand their challenges, areas for improvement, and additional resources we can provide. We act on this feedback by continuously improving our platform to simplify the user experience, creating new resources in our Help Center, and providing 1:1 support with nonprofits as needed. Ultimately, we consistently prioritize the nonprofit experience with the tool and are constantly working to improve our offerings and support to enhance their overall experience.

Offer Support Beyond the Check

Nonprofit partners receive access to impact measurement experts and resources through the reporting process with True Impact. We provide feedback on every submitted report to help strengthen their story of impact, provide 1:1 support to strengthen measurement practices and translate stories into the True Impact model, offer communication tools so they can use the data they collect to share more externally, and provide support every step of the way in their reporting journey.

Why I was Wrong (Why Impact Measurement Builds Trust)

While the nonprofit sector has traditionally viewed data collection and reporting as a potential obstacle to trust-based practices, I’ve come to see that these two can—and should—go hand in hand.

The key lies in how we approach measurement: with respect, transparency, and a commitment to making the process as simple and supportive as possible for our nonprofit partners.

By aligning reporting with trust-based philanthropy principles—such as simplifying processes, being transparent, and offering meaningful support—we can build stronger, more effective partnerships that empower nonprofits to share their full stories and demonstrate their true impact (maybe they can even do this on True Impact!)

The future of philanthropy is not about creating barriers but about building trust, fostering collaboration, and ultimately enhancing the impact we all strive to achieve. Through thoughtful, trust-building reporting, we not only track progress but actively support nonprofits in their mission to make a difference in the world.

Announcing a New Partnership with Blackbaud to Advance Impact Measurement

gcohen@trueimpact.com (Gabe Cohen) — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 15:09:17 GMT

We’re thrilled to announce our new partnership with Blackbaud, a leading provider of software for powering social impact.

Through this collaboration, True Impact's outcome-driven measurement tools will integrate into YourCause® from Blackbaud®, including Impact Edge™, their AI-powered platform for social impact reporting and storytelling.

By combining our data-driven insights with Blackbaud’s innovative tools, this partnership delivers value across the social impact community:

For donors: providing actionable, real-time intelligence to enhance the effectiveness of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. From predictive modeling to clear, evidence-based impact stories, this integration equips CSR leaders with everything they need to plan smarter investments and demonstrate meaningful outcomes.
For nonprofits: reducing reporting burden by streamlining data collection and analysis, so they can focus more time and resources on their missions.
For the sector as a whole: fostering an ecosystem guided by impact-driven insights, enabling smarter decision-making, predictive modeling, and more effective partnerships.

Together, we’re helping purpose-driven companies, nonprofits, and other stakeholders invest in and report on authentic, outcome-focused philanthropic initiatives that drive measurable change.

For more information, read the full press release here.

CSR in 2025: Five Strategies for Accountability and Authenticity

Sara Ansell — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 15:42:00 GMT

We know you’ve heard it before—“CSR is no longer a nice-to-have.” But in 2025, we think this framing will take a slight turn: “CSR teams must prove their work is not just a nice-to-have.”

As corporate citizenship professionals—more than ever—we will have to do two things at once:

Connect corporate purpose with measurable community impact, and

Link that impact back to the company’s success.

That is: How does our work create real value for both our business and the communities we engage with?

This is the opportunity before CSR teams; they must take a pivotal role as the bridge between a company’s purpose and the communities it serves.

Communities want localized, meaningful solutions. Leadership teams—not to mention outside influencers—are asking how CSR aligns with long-term business goals. This is where the right strategies can make or break success.

In this blog, we’ll break down five must-know measurement priorities for CSR teams in 2025. These are the tools and tactics to create real alignment, drive measurable outcomes, and make a lasting impact. Let’s dig in.

1. Focus on Place-Based Analytics

Place-based initiatives are increasingly vital as communities face unique and localized challenges. By refining place-based analytics, you can better understand community-specific needs, leading to stronger, data-driven decisions that resonate with local stakeholders.

Bottom Line: Adopt place-based impact measurement and storytelling that reflect unique community challenges and outcomes to ensure a localized and impactful approach.

How True Impact Can Help: True Impact’s new reporting platform (releasing this month) will simplify the process of collecting location-specific data, enabling us to deliver customized analytics more effectively than ever before. (Want to learn more about our new platform? Let’s chat!)

2. Integrate Business and Social Value

Aligning business outcomes with social impact goals will be a priority for many companies looking to justify their CSR programs in 2025. To do this, we recommend focusing on the Who, What, and Where of corporate giving to get this right.

Who do you want to help?
What do you want to do to help them?
And where do you want that support to take place?

Strategically managing your social impact initiatives to support the people, geographies, and issue areas that match your company's business interests is key to creating a sustainable win-win approach to CSR.

Bottom line: It’s your job to tell a story internally and externally that aligns business performance with social impact goals to drive mutually beneficial outcomes. You need the right data to do that.

How True Impact Can Help: As part of our standard support offering, True Impact collaborates with clients to ensure alignment and success of long-term goals. Our five-part Measurement Success Framework ensures CSR teams—and their companies—thrive by focusing our efforts on the correct Goals, Metrics, Partner Capacity, Management, and Reporting.

3. Strengthen Your Climate Action Assessments

Climate change continues to be one of the most pressing issues of our time. In 2025, measuring the effectiveness of sustainability and resilience efforts will be paramount. Focusing on clear and effective assessments will ensure that your climate strategies deliver measurable, lasting impact for both people and the planet.

Bottom Line: Prioritize measuring compliance and effectiveness in sustainability initiatives to drive real progress in climate resilience.

How True Impact Can Help: While the majority of our end-outcome metrics boil down to “people’s lives improved” we also help funders and nonprofits track environmental end outcomes like acres of land protected or restored, animals protected, metric tons of CO2e reduced, and gallons of water conserved, among others. The bonus of these metrics is they can support both the E and S of ESG.

4. Implement Standardized and Equitable Metrics

The social impact sector must adopt consistent frameworks to achieve transparency, comparability, and equity in evaluation—and to avoid claims of greenwashing and cherry-picking. This includes coming to a consensus around what counts as impact and what doesn’t. (Hint: “We are pledging $2 million…” isn’t impact, it’s a donation that one hopes has an impact.)

By prioritizing a standardized yet supportive measurement process that improves the evaluation of place-based funding impacts, you can meet your nonprofit partners where they are in their measurement journey while still ensuring rigorous data for your team.

This approach will not only elevate transparency but also foster trust and collaboration across the sector.

Bottom Line: Develop consistent and equitable frameworks to enhance transparency, comparability, aggregation, and evaluation of social impact initiatives.

How True Impact Can Help: True Impact’s 20+ years of experience in developing and implementing standardized measurement practices with nonprofits around the world has given us considerable experience in this best practice and we’d be thrilled to support your CSR Team in implementing a tailored measurement solution.

5. Leverage AI for Social Impact Measurement

Like in most other fields, AI is emerging as a transformative force in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). We are starting to hear stories of it reshaping traditional frameworks and enabling data-driven, efficient, and scalable strategies.

Across the sector, AI is beginning to be applied in areas such as grant management, strategic planning, content creation, sustainability reporting, optimizing processes, and improving decision-making. However, challenges like ethical dilemmas, skill gaps, and biases remain significant. Successful integration of AI in CSR requires addressing ethical concerns and investing in training for your own CSR Team and your nonprofit partners,

Bottom Line: AI is not merely a tool but a strategic partner in the evolution of CSR. While it hasn’t revolutionized CSR (yet!), it’s important to get ahead of the potential ethical dilemmas and opportunities now. And never underestimate the human touch, even if that human touch is sandwiching support from AI. (“The AI Human Sandwich”: human prompts AI, AI generates response, human reviews and edits response.)

How True Impact Can Help: We’ll have more exciting news to share about how our platform can combine with AI to help CSR teams do good better in the next few months—stand by for more soon!

Looking Ahead

The priorities outlined above represent both challenges and opportunities for the social impact space in 2025. The future of social impact measurement will require comprehensive, localized, and standardized approaches to capture the complexity of social impact efforts effectively. By doubling down on place-based analytics, business alignment, climate action, and standardized frameworks, you can ensure your measurement practices drive meaningful and equitable progress.

Have questions about how we can work together to lead with rigor, innovation, and impact? We're happy to offer you advice based on our 20 years of helping companies and their nonprofits measure their impacts.

Resources

CASE STUDY: How the Related Affordable Foundation Built Trust Through Impact Measurement

Overview

1. The Situation

2. The Challenge

3. The Solution

Key elements of the solution included:

4. The Results

5. Nonprofit Partner Benefits

Conclusion

Want to build a more consistent, trusted approach to impact measurement?

A New Era for Impact Reporting

A Better Path Emerges

What Is the Impact Reporting Network?

A Nonprofit’s Journey

Looking Ahead

New Impact Reporting Network Launches to Help Nonprofits Report Once and Share Outcome Data Across Platforms

New Impact Reporting Network Launches to Help Nonprofits Report Once and Share Outcome Data Across Platforms

How the Impact Reporting Network Works

Looking Ahead

Introducing The Impact Reporting Network

Reducing Reporting Burden. Improving Impact Insights—at Scale.

How the Impact Reporting Network Works

What This Means for Nonprofits

What This Means for Donors and CSR Teams

What This Means for Platforms and Partners

What’s Next

Making Partnerships Work: Lessons from a Conversation with CSR Leaders and Nonprofits

1. Everyone's Juggling More Than They Can Handle (And Looking for Collective Courage)

2. Know Your Numbers (And Know Your Partner's Priorities)

3. Focus on Partnership, Not Pitching

4. Get Local and Get Specific

5. Build Coalitions (Everyone Wants This)

6. Make It Feel Like True Partnership

7. Impact Measurement Can Work for Everyone – When Done Right

What's Next?

Impact Measurement 101 for CSR Professionals

What is social impact measurement?

How do you measure your impact?

STEP 1: Determine and Track Your Philanthropic Priorities

STEP 2: Set Practical Reporting Requirements

STEP 3: Claim Your Impact—No More, No Less

STEP 4: Improve Your Investment with Data

Putting the Pieces Together

Ready to Dive Deeper?

6 Myths About Impact Measurement: Are You Falling for Them?

Why I was Wrong to Believe that Reporting Clashes with Trust-Based Philanthropy

Give Multi-Year, Unrestricted Funding

Do the Homework

Simplify & Streamline Paperwork

Be Transparent & Responsible

Solicit & Act on Feedback

Offer Support Beyond the Check

Why I was Wrong (Why Impact Measurement Builds Trust)

Announcing a New Partnership with Blackbaud to Advance Impact Measurement

CSR in 2025: Five Strategies for Accountability and Authenticity

1. Focus on Place-Based Analytics

2. Integrate Business and Social Value

3. Strengthen Your Climate Action Assessments

4. Implement Standardized and Equitable Metrics

5. Leverage AI for Social Impact Measurement

Looking Ahead

Reducing Reporting Burden.
Improving Impact Insights—at Scale.