15/03/12

By Andrew Holt

CFG, NPC and ACEVO have today launched Principles into Practice: How charities and social enterprises communicate impact.

The publication uses case studies and expert articles to explore the themes and ideas in the Principles of Good Impact Reporting, which are also published in their final format today after being open to consultation.

Jane Tully of CFG, said: "We wanted to bring to life the standards set out in the Principles of Good Impact Reporting. The case studies are from organisations at different stages, but all dedicated to being at the forefront of impact reporting in the sector. They show how the principles may be interpreted and considered in different organisational contexts."

Tris Lumley from NPC, added: “Our aim is that charities and social enterprises are able to tell a compelling, and accurate, story about the difference they make. By focusing on simple yet powerful questions about how they make a difference, we hope organisations can use the principles to inform and inspire their staff, volunteers, boards, funders and the people they help.”

Nick Carey from ACEVO, noted: “The importance of impact reporting cannot be underestimated. In increasingly competitive marketplaces, it is a vital tool for third sector leaders to improve the efficacy of their organisations and give them the edge. However it can be a concept that initially proves challenging to understand and implement."

The publication incorporates case studies and articles from a range of organisations.

Charities such as RNIB Group and Action on Hearing Loss demonstrate how elements of the principles can be incorporated across a large organisation.

Smaller to medium sized organisations such as Body & Soul and CAADA have looked at how they incorporate thinking about the evidence and impact of their work at the very heart of their strategy.

St Giles Trust has also shown how economics can be applied to social projects in order to provide evidence of value and Unlimited Potential has shown how impact can be considered in a social enterprise context.

Part B of the publication looks at some of the key considerations for charities that want to improve their reporting, and contributes to the debate on how we can embed quality reporting into the culture of the sector.

This section includes contributions from the Pears Foundation, London Benchmarking Group and the Social Impact Analysts Association (SIAA).

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