Operations
Impact metric
Formal definition
Impact metric is a charity operations term for defining and measuring the causal link between charity activities, social outputs, and long-term community benefits.
What this actually means for you
Use Impact metric to guide live decisions: map activities to intended outcomes, collect baseline data, and use evaluation findings to improve service design, with ownership and reporting agreed before delivery changes and risk reviews.
Example: At the next review checkpoint, Impact metric is used in practice like this: the impact lead uses the theory of change to design a survey that captures year-on-year improvements in beneficiary wellbeing. Accountabilities are captured in scorecards, board packs, and exception reports.
Related guides and whitepapers
Read deeper guidance and implementation detail connected to this term.
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