AUGUST 2010

Measuring Social Value: Can subjectivity guide real decisions?
By Emily DeMasi
Whether you are a social enterprise, NGO (non-governmental organization), non-profit, policy-maker or an investor interested in a quantifiable social return on your investment, measuring social value remains an elusive goal. Click here to read full article

EVENTS- Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector 

GCVS has won funding from Glasgow Community Planning to provide bursary support for ten ambitious organisations who, over a four month period, would like to learn how to use a powerful analytical tool called Social Return on Investment (SROI).

This is the second time that we will run the SROI development course. The first session ran in early 2010, and the level of interest - and the first-rate feedback from participants - has persuaded us of the real need in the sector for SROI development training. Click here for full details

July 2010

REDF Press Release

STILL KEEN ON YOUR VIEWS ON SOCIAL RETURN ON INVESTEMNT (SROI)

We need your views on Social Return on Investment (SROI) through a short questionnaire. Through your answer you can influence future support with demonstrating social value- which may result in more contracts for the third sector and better service delivery overall.

Hall Aitken are evaluating two projects the English and Scottish governments have put on to promote SROI as an approach for measuring the social impacts of an organisation, project or programme. For this evaluation they are exploring people's awareness and use of SROI, as well as gathering their views on its benefits or limitations.

Your views are important for this research – even if you have no experience of SROI yet. But also if you have already completed the survey that went out earlier this year. The link below takes you to a short questionnaire which should take no more than five or ten minutes to complete.

Click here to take survey

The Princes Regeneration Trust's Sustainable Heritage Toolkit has a section dedicated to Social Return on Investment Analysis.
"Social Return on Investment analysis is an extremely useful tool that local authorities can use to calculate the monetary value of wider social returns brought about by disposing of a heritage asset. In cases where an asset is disposed of at undervalue, or where public subsidy is needed to bring the asset back into viable use, the tool can be used to demonstrate that any public money invested in a project will be repaid to the tax payer in the long term due to economic and social outcomes delivered by the project."

For more information please click here

May 2010

"The need to reduce costs is shared across the government, but here in DWP we always have to be conscious that we are often dealing with some of the most vulnerable members of our society.   That is why I will be guided throughout this process by this question – does what we are doing result in a positive Social Return on Investment?

In short, does this investment decision mean a real life change that will improve outcomes and allow an individual’s life to become more positive and productive?  That is how we will be guided on every decision."

Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

For full article please click here

Measuring the added Social Value created by Social Firms. For the powerpoint presentation please click here

SROI SUPPORT DAYS

The SROI Network has organised some support days. These are 1 day sessions where people can come and have advice on SROI's that they are completing. For more information please go to our training page.

APRIL 2010

Its all about your mission- Cloud for Good Story
Click here to watch the video

MARCH 2010

Sparkseed Wins Financial Times / Justmeans Award
Last night, the Financial Times Social Innovation Awards confirmed the rise of a new force: student innovation. The Social Innovation Awards present a forum for organizations to highlight their latest methods for addressing social needs and promoting better business......read full article

Head of SROI UK Network to visit Australia 
In March and April 2010, Jeremy Nicholls, Chief Executive of the SROI Network and one of the world’s leading experts in SROI, will be visiting Australia to share his expertise in a number of training and information workshops to be held around the country......read full article

MEASURING THE BANG OF EVERY DONATED BUCK
Scoring charitable work is evolving from an art into a science

To read the full article in featured in the Wall Street Journal click here 

FEBRUARY 2010

Social Return on Investment was featured in an article in The Guardian newspaper on Wednesday 24th February 2010. Click here to read the full article.

Social Return on Investment was featured in the February issue of Social Enterprise magazine.

Abstract
'Smith tells third sector to measure up for local authorities- Chrisanthi Giotis

Third sector organisations should measure their social return on investment if they want to gain more local authority contracts, said third sector minister Angela Smith today'.....read full article

Nursing Times.net has published an article on Social Return on Investment

Abstract
'Ex-leader urges greater social policy scrutiny

Programmes to tackle social problems like teenage pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse and joblessness should be submitted to independent scrutiny for value for money, former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith has said.

Mr Duncan Smith proposed the creation of an independent Social Return on Investment body modelled on an organisation set up in the US state of Washington'....read full article

JANUARY 2010

Keen on your views on Social Return on Investment (SROI)- win an ipod or Sony eReader!

We need your views on Social Return on Investment (SROI) through a short questionnaire. Not only can you influence future support with demonstrating social value- which may result in more contracts for the third sector. But you also have the chance to win one of those fancy gadgets.

Hall Aitken are evaluating two Government- funded projects that both aim to promote SROI as an approach for measuring the social impacts of an organisation, project or programme. To do this they are exploring people's awareness and use of SROI, as well as gathering their views on its benefits or limitations.

 Your views are important for this evaluation- even if you have no experience of SROI yet. The link below takes you to a short questionnaire which should not take more than five minutes to complete. Please submit your response by 26 February. And please don't forget to let Hall Aitken know if you'd prefer to win an ipod touch or a Sony Pocket e-Reader!

Click here to take the survey

DECEMBER 2009

The Measuring Social Value conference took place on Monday 7th December and was a huge success. For more information please click here

The Big Lottery Fund today announced the award of research programme funding for greenspace scotland's two year research project Greenspace is good- so prove it! This groundbreaking project will work with 12 urban community greenspace groups to enable them to understand, calculate and demonstrate the impact of their projects using Social Return on Investment (SROI) model. SROI is an approach which measures the multiple social, economic and environmental outcomes and calculates a monetary value to represent these impacts. Recruiting of the participating groups will take place in January 2010

NOVEMEBER 2009 

OCTOBER 2009

 The Social Return on Investment Network was featured in an article in the October issue of 'Third Sector Magazine' in Australia.

Abstract
'How To Measure Social Impact - Joanne McNeill, Third Sector

Social impact assessment is a growing field with influences being drawn from practice, academia and public policy. At a recent forum in Sydney, three methods of measuring social impact were profiled: Social Accounting and Audit, Social Return on Investment, and Logic Frame'......read full article 

SEPTEMBER 2009

Office of the Third Sector Publishes Three Supplementary Guides on Social Return on Investment

Abstract
'As part of a package of support from Government to help maximise the social value the third sector creates, the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) has published three tailored guides to Social Return on Investment (SROI), which supplement 'A Guide to Social Return on Investment', published in May 2009....read full article