Impact reporting

Organisations have for some time reported financial results, but reporting the less tangible aspects of an organisation’s work and its impact upon beneficiaries is more problematic. Nevertheless, the idea is here to stay and several have produced clear and informative reports on their impact.

Impact reporting really gathered momentum in 2004, when the charity Commission published its guidance Hallmarks of an Effective Charity, which stated that “an effective charity considers the impact it that it wants to have and actually has on the people who benefit from it”.

The Impact Coalition, now housed within Acevo after spending its first years at the Institute of Fundraising,  was set up in 2006 to improve accountability and transparency in the sector and considers itself the starting point for good impact reporting.