Measuring Corporate Social Impact

Why, What and How

By Jason Saul and Claire Moroni

Increasingly, today’s market recognizes corporate community involvement (CCI) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) as standard business functions. Each year, companies, investors and consumers invest
significant resources in these programs:

• In 2006, charitable contributions from top U.S. corporations exceeded $12 billion; During the same year, the median corporate giving expenditure represented 0.93% of a company’s annual pre-tax profits.

• During 2007, cause marketing campaigns generated $1.4 billion in revenues for U.S. corporations.

• According to the 2005 Trends Report issued by the Social Investment Forum (SIF) socially screened investments now attract over $2.3 trillion in assets. The considerable momentum and investment behind CCI and CSR initiatives is fueling a growing demand within companies, and in the market, for effective ways to measure and communicate the impact of corporate social initiatives.

This paper represents the first phase of a yearlong study of the state of CCI and CSR measurement within U.S. corporations. In the pages that follow, we survey the landscape of corporate social impact measurement, highlighting key drivers, types of metrics, established models, and perceived challenges. We will use this paper to guide the next stage of our work, during which we will engage directly with CCI and CSR practitioners to develop an understanding of current trends, frameworks and uses of performance data.

Download Measuring Corporate Social Impact

Nonprofit Business Intelligence

By Jason Saul

This paper is intended to inform nonprofit practitioners about the benefits of better data, analyze the trends and obstacles of the performance measurement movement within the sector, and offer concrete solutions to overcoming these obstacles. It is intended for those who manage and govern nonprofit organizations, as well as those who fund their work.

Download Nonprofit Business Intelligence