The Critical Capacity Upgrade Organizations Must Make in 2024: Impact Measurement & Management (IMM)
Consept specializes in helping organizations upgrade their organizational capacity and among those capacities is impact measurement. In the dynamic landscape of organizations, upgrading organizational capacity is essential not only to survive, but to grow greater impact and attract more resources. The most critical, yet easily achievable capacity upgrade that stands above all others is a robust impact measurement system. Here are the top three reasons why organizations should work with Consept to prioritize and implement this upgrade in 2024:
Strategic Learning: You Figure Out What Works and What Doesn't
Here's an uncomfortable fact: Most organizations pursue their mission in the way that they do because they believe their methods work and indeed have some evidence for that. However, most organizations don't interrogate how they know what they are doing works. They don't actually pick apart the relationship between their interventions and their outcomes. Impact measurement and management is the organizational skillset that makes it possible to do that, yet most organizations lack the impact measurement tools or infrastructure to do it. A well-implemented impact measurement system is not a reporting tool; its a powerful instrument for strategic learning. By collecting and analyzing data on the outcomes and impact of their work, organizations get real insights into what works, what hurts and what's next. This empowers them to adapt and refine their strategies, and lean into what they do, or should do, that creates the most impact for achieving their mission.
Answer The "Okay, So What?" Question
Let's tell the truth. The vast majority of organizations pursuing community development outcomes are indeed doing good work, BUT, if you asked them to quantitively or qualitatively demonstrate their impact with data over time, they couldn't do it. This reality exists on a spectrum. Some organizations can tell you many good qualitive stories about their impact. Others can show you a slew of stats. Few can do both and most don't do either well. When you tell a stakeholder what you do and they ask you "okay, so what?" you need an effective answer.
Community organizations rely on the support of stakeholders, including donors, volunteers, and the general public. An impact measurement system allows organizations to showcase their results in a compelling and data-driven manner. In an era where transparency and accountability can really set organizations apart from others seeking the attention of stakeholders, organizations must communicate their successes effectively. A robust impact measurement system enables organizations to tell a compelling story about the change they are making in the community and answer the question "so what?"
Raise More Money!
Every single NOFA, RFP, RFQ, RFA, RFB, EOI and any other acronym for a funding or procurement opportunity issued by local, state or federal agencies asks you to tell them what is your evidence based methodology for documenting impact. EVERY SINGLE ONE. However, most of the answers organizations provide to the question of how will you measure impact are often ill thought out and tepid. It's typical for the key performance indicators (KPIs) to lack real heft or strong connectivity to the outcomes being promised. But this is one of the few areas left where an organization can make their proposal stand out in the reviewers mind. Truly effective impact measurement is an area that can set your proposal apart from the rest. A capable IMM system demonstrates an actionable and implemented commitment to evidence-based practices. Whether you are going after a local CDBG award or responding to a highly competitive federal NOFA opportunity or something in between, a strong IMM system is one of the few areas that can give you a competitive edge in such competitions.
This is equally true in the case of traditional and corporate philanthropy as well. Private entities, be it foundations or corporate sponsors, want assurance and evidence that their investments create tangible and meaningful outcomes. Granting organizations value transparency and accountability. An effective impact measurement system provides concrete evidence of your organization's achievements and instills confidence in donors. This significantly enhances the competitiveness of the organization when pursuing funding.
Here's the Bottom line: an upgrade of your organizational capacity with an IMM system pays for itself with increased funding, higher effectiveness and increased stakeholder support. Your organization can begin to realize that ROI within 12 months. Investing in a robust impact measurement system is not simply a technological upgrade—it's a strategic capacity improvement for the entire organization that positions it for success. Whether competing for funding, striving for continuous improvement, or engaging with stakeholders, an effective impact measurement system is the core organizational capacity upgrade organizations need to win the next quarter century of impact for their communities.
