“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others.”
Nelson Mandela — anti-apartheid leader and former President of South Africa.
A more serious approach to social impact
Social impact is becoming more important to organisations of every kind. What is changing now is not only the level of interest, but the level of expectation.
It is no longer enough to say that an organisation is doing good. Increasingly, organisations are expected to show what change they are creating, how they know it, and whether that change is meaningful, credible and capable of growing over time.
That is the thinking behind Social Impact Excellence.
At My Social Impact, this is what we are developing: an approach to help organisations define, embed, measure and communicate social impact with greater rigour. Our vision is simple:
“A world where social impact is taken as seriously as financial performance.”
My Social Impact
At its core is a simple idea. Social impact should be treated as a management issue, not just a reporting requirement. It should be embedded into strategy, leadership, operations, data and communication, rather than sitting off to one side as a narrative layer or annual exercise.
Working between the UK and East Africa, I have seen many organisations doing genuinely valuable work, but often stopping at outputs or outcomes in how they describe it. Good intentions and strong activity are common. Clear evidence and strong communication are less common.
Social impact consulting: an emerging field, built on established disciplines
Social impact consulting is still a relatively new field. That is part of what makes it exciting. But the underlying logic is not new at all.
Much of what this field needs already exists in other professional disciplines. Accounting has spent centuries developing ways to track, interpret and communicate performance. Management consulting has long focused on strategy, operations, capability and transformation. IT consulting has helped organisations design systems, structure data and build processes that support decision-making at scale.
The opportunity now is to bring that same seriousness into the world of social impact.
As a chartered accountant, I find this particularly interesting. Finance has long understood that what matters is not just what an organisation hopes is happening, but what it can define, evidence, track and explain. Social impact, in my view, deserves increasingly similar discipline. It does not need to become cold or mechanical. But it does need more rigour.
We are also developing ideas such as the social impact statement: a clearer, more disciplined way for organisations to articulate the change they are trying to create, why it matters, and how that change links to strategy, delivery and evidence. In time, I believe this kind of thinking could become as normal and useful in serious impact-led organisations as financial statements are in the commercial world.
Setting the frame: from inputs to impact
Many readers will already be familiar with Theory of Change, and I find it one of the most useful ways to think clearly about what impact is, and what often falls short of it.
In my experience, many organisations stop too early. Some focus on inputs, activities or outputs. More mature organisations get to outcomes. But social impact sits beyond outcomes. It is the broader, deeper and more lasting change that flows from them over time.
That distinction matters. If organisations confuse outputs with outcomes, or outcomes with impact, they risk overstating what they are actually achieving.
At My Social Impact, we are also beginning to develop ideas around social impact legacy. This goes a step further still. It is especially useful in conversations with founders of impact-oriented businesses, because it sharpens the question: can what I am building sustain beyond my involvement, or even beyond my lifetime? Can it outlast the founder and continue creating meaningful change for years or even generations to come?
That, to me, is a powerful way of thinking. It forces us to ask not only whether impact is happening now, but whether it is sufficiently embedded, sustainable and well-managed to endure.
Why this matters now
The impact investing market is already enormous, and it is still growing fast.
The Global Impact Investing Network estimated in its 2024 market sizing report that the global impact investing market had reached $1.571 trillion in assets under management, and that it had grown at a 21% compound annual growth rate since 2019.
That is a huge amount of capital, and it is not standing still.
Organisations that can demonstrate impact credibly are therefore often in a much stronger position to attract funding, investment, partnerships and trust. This is one reason why now is the moment to take the subject seriously. The capital is growing. Expectations are rising. And the gap between those who can evidence impact and those who merely talk about it is likely to widen.
“Profiting from solving problems.”
Sir Ronald Cohen — investor, philanthropist and one of the pioneers of impact investing.
The wider direction of travel is clear: from philanthropy to proof, from grants to growth, and from activity to outcomes and impact.
A wider shift in economic thinking
I studied Industrial Economics at the University of Nottingham, and even back then, more than 25 years ago, the dominant mantra was still very much about profit maximisation. I do remember stakeholder economics being discussed too, but it felt more peripheral than central. Now, around 26 years on, those ideas are far more embedded in the mainstream conversation, even if there is still a long way to go.
“The Doughnut of social and planetary boundaries defines a safe and just space for humanity to thrive.”
Kate Raworth — economist and author of Doughnut Economics.
For decades, economic thinking has been dominated by profit maximisation, shareholder primacy and, at the macro level, an obsession with GDP growth. Profit and growth still matter, of course. But they are no longer enough on their own.
A wider shift is underway towards a more human view of economics: one that asks not only how much value is created, but for whom, at what cost, and whether it is sustainable. That shift is being driven by all of us: customers, staff, founders, investors, citizens and policymakers alike.
In that sense, stakeholder economics is not just a corporate trend. It is part of a broader move towards a more responsible economy, one that aims to create prosperity in ways that are fairer, more sustainable, more inclusive and more protective of the planet.
That is one reason social impact now feels more economically relevant. It sits within a wider search for better ways to define progress, reduce inequality, and build organisations that help both people and the environment to thrive.
We are not there yet. But we are moving in the right direction.
The opportunity behind the challenge
When an organisation can demonstrate social impact confidently, with evidence and numbers, it becomes easier for funders, investors and strategic partners to believe in its model. The questions become sharper and more useful. What is changing? How do you know? Is it improving? Is it scalable? Does the social value justify the resources being invested? Is there a return, commercially, socially or both?
Those are not cosmetic questions. They sit behind real decisions about funding, investment and growth.
But this is not just about investors. Customers increasingly care. Staff increasingly care. Future talent increasingly cares. Procurement teams, partners and boards increasingly care too. Trust is becoming more valuable, and trust increasingly depends on whether organisations can show that their claims are real.
“The brands that will thrive in the coming years are the ones that have a purpose beyond profit.”
Richard Branson — founder of the Virgin Group and global entrepreneur.
One of the reasons I find this field so fascinating is that, when done properly, it is not just about reporting on good work. It is about helping organisations unlock more of the capital, clarity and confidence they need to grow that work.
Problem or opportunity?
I have spent many years living between the UK and East Africa, and this logic feels especially relevant in places where social and economic need remains substantial.
Take access to electricity in Africa. Millions of people living without reliable electricity can, of course, be described as a development problem. But they can also be seen as an impact opportunity: a space where enterprise, capital, innovation and measurable outcomes can come together to improve lives and create value.
The same is true across agriculture, financial inclusion, education, youth employment, healthcare and climate resilience.
This is one reason the connection between the UK and East Africa is so relevant. A consultancy perspective spanning both can combine strategic thinking, commercial discipline, data capability and on-the-ground understanding in ways that are increasingly valuable.
The challenges in Uganda and across East Africa are visible, immediate and often enormous, but so is the entrepreneurial energy. Again and again, I find myself thinking that what many people describe only as problems can also be seen as opportunities for better systems, better investment and much more meaningful impact.
Africa should not be viewed through a tired lens of deficit and dependency. It is a continent of talent, enterprise, creativity and opportunity. The question is not simply how to fix problems, but how to build organisations and investments that respond to real needs in ways that are commercially viable, socially valuable and built to last.
“Africa’s future is not one of despair, but of opportunity.”
Strive Masiyiwa — Zimbabwean entrepreneur and founder of Econet.
Paraphrased to reflect the spirit of his public comments on African entrepreneurship and opportunity.
What social impact actually means
One of the challenges with social impact is that there is still no universally accepted definition of it. Here is mine:
“Social impact is the meaningful change an organisation helps to create for people, communities, society and the wider environment, delivered through a model that is sustainable and capable of enduring over time.”
I think it is important that this definition points beyond short-term grant cycles and towards impact that is economically and operationally capable of lasting. That is one reason the development landscape is changing so quickly. Governments, DFIs and other funders are placing growing emphasis on models that can sustain impact over time, not just deliver it briefly within the life of a grant. Blended finance is part of that shift too, bringing together development funds and private capital in ways designed to support longer-term, scalable impact.
Outcomes matter enormously. They are often the most immediate evidence that something is changing. But impact is bigger than that. It is about the more lasting, meaningful and often wider consequences of those outcomes over time.
When organisations say they are creating impact, they should be clear whether they are really describing inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes or impact itself.
“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”
The Dalai Lama — Tibetan spiritual leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Three parts of the wider landscape
Across the wider social impact landscape, three broad groups of organisations are grappling with this challenge. They differ in structure, incentives and language, but all three are increasingly being asked similar questions: what change are you creating, how do you know, and can you evidence it credibly?
Corporates and brands
Large corporates and established brands are sometimes overlooked in social impact conversations, but that is a mistake. Their scale alone means they can be enormously important. A relatively small improvement in how a major company treats staff, designs products, manages supply chains, supports communities or reduces harm can affect millions of lives.
What corporates often do well is scale, execution and operational reach. They usually have resources, management capacity and the ability to influence markets far beyond their own walls.
Where they often fall short is that impact can remain too peripheral. Many have become more fluent in ESG, sustainability and purpose-led language, but that does not always mean impact is deeply embedded in strategy, incentives, operations and management information. In some cases, the narrative runs ahead of the evidence.
The opportunity here is enormous. If large organisations can embed impact more seriously, even marginal gains can create significant change across workforces, customer bases, communities and entire value chains.
Social enterprises and B Corps
Social enterprises and B Corps are often closer to the heart of the impact economy itself. In many cases, impact is built into the business model from the start.
What they often do well is intent. They are usually highly mission-driven, close to the problem they are trying to solve, and genuinely committed to creating positive change through enterprise rather than charity alone.
Where they often struggle is in moving from strong intent to strong systems. Purpose does not automatically create clear theory of change, robust data, credible measurement, economic clarity or investment readiness. Some are doing excellent work but underselling it. Others have a compelling story but need more rigour underneath it.
The opportunity is to help impact-led businesses become more evidence-backed, more investable and more scalable, without losing the purpose that makes them distinctive in the first place.
NGOs and charities
NGOs and charities remain central to tackling some of the world’s hardest and most urgent problems. In many cases, they are working where markets alone will not go, and addressing needs that are too complex, too early-stage or too underfunded for purely commercial models.
What they often do well is mission, commitment and direct engagement with people and communities. Many have deep experience, strong local knowledge and a genuine understanding of realities on the ground.
Where they increasingly face pressure is around evidence, value for money and measurable results. Funders, governments, DFIs and institutional partners are asking harder questions. That is not always comfortable, but it reflects a wider shift in expectations. Good intentions and compelling stories are no longer enough on their own.
The opportunity is to help NGOs and charities strengthen how they define, measure and communicate impact, so that they can protect funding, attract new support and demonstrate more clearly the value of the work they do.
“Knowledge is power. Information is liberating.”
Kofi Annan — former UN Secretary-General and Ghanaian diplomat.
The problem with most impact work
Most organisations are not short of good intentions. Many have strong missions, committed teams and genuinely valuable work underway.
Too much impact work still focuses on inputs, activities and outputs, while too little reaches convincingly through to outcomes and impact.
Too often, impact becomes a collection of case studies, testimonials and smiling faces rather than a disciplined account of what is changing, why it is changing, and whether that change is likely to last.
I have seen this quite a lot. Sometimes the work itself is genuinely strong, but the organisation is still talking mostly in terms of activity and good intentions. Other times, the story sounds polished, but the logic underneath is thin. In both cases, the missing ingredient is usually the same: impact has not yet been embedded as a management discipline.
“Without data, you’re just another person with an opinion.”
W. Edwards Deming — statistician, management thinker and pioneer of quality improvement.
Impact has to be embedded, not bolted on
If social impact is to be credible, it cannot sit on the sidelines. It cannot simply appear at the end of the year in a report, on a website page, or as a layer of language added to a fundraising or investment deck.
It has to be embedded into how the organisation is defined, led, run, measured and explained.
That means impact has to be visible in strategy. It has to be owned by leadership. It has to be connected to delivery. It has to be supported by data. And it has to be communicated in a way that others can understand and trust.
This is the core idea behind Social Impact Excellence. It is not about making impact sound impressive. It is about making it real, manageable and evidence-backed.
“However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.”
Winston Churchill — former British Prime Minister.
The starting point is understanding current maturity
Before an organisation can improve its impact credibly, it usually needs to understand where it is now.
That may sound obvious, but it is often skipped. Many organisations jump straight to asking for a report, a framework, a dashboard, better messaging or investor materials. Sometimes those are the right next steps. But they are not always the right starting point.
The first questions are more basic. What impact is the organisation actually trying to create? How clearly is that defined? Is the language being used consistently? Who owns it? What evidence already exists? What systems are in place? What is missing? What is weak? How economically viable is the impact model? How mature is the overall approach?
Sometimes you have to go backwards to come forwards.
That has become one of my strongest beliefs in this space. If you start too quickly with the output someone has asked for, without understanding the maturity underneath, you can easily end up producing something that looks polished but rests on weak foundations.
“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.”
Joel A. Barker — futurist and author.
The role of the Social Impact Maturity Assessment
This is why the Social Impact Maturity Assessment is such an important entry point.
It is designed for social enterprises, B Corps, corporates and brands that want to balance commercial performance with credible, measurable social impact. It starts with the organisation as it is, not with an abstract framework imposed from outside. A dedicated Social Impact Maturity Assessment for NGOs and charities is also in development.
The assessment examines maturity across five areas.
Social Purpose, Impact Strategy and Theory of Change
This looks at whether the organisation has clearly defined the change it is trying to create, and whether there is a coherent logic linking inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and impact.
Impact Leadership, Team and Capability
This explores where ownership of impact sits, how senior that ownership is, whether teams are joined up, and whether the organisation has enough capacity and capability to manage impact seriously.
Impact Data, Systems and Technology
This looks at the quality of the data, the systems and tools in place, the ability to establish baselines and track change over time, and whether impact information is used to support management decisions rather than external reporting alone.
Impact Delivery, Economics and Sustainability
This examines how impact is delivered in practice, whether it is embedded in operations, how well the organisation understands its costs and value, and whether the model is viable.
Impact Communication, Marketing and Reporting
This considers how impact is explained internally and externally, whether the narrative is grounded in evidence, and whether the organisation can produce communications and reporting that others will understand and trust.
Together, these five areas help surface the gap between intent, capability, evidence and commercial reality.
From maturity to measurable performance
Once current maturity is better understood, the route forward becomes clearer.
For some organisations, the next step may be to sharpen the strategy or theory of change. For others, it may be to strengthen leadership ownership or internal capability. For others, the real bottleneck may be data, systems or the absence of a credible measurement architecture.
And yes, sometimes the immediate need is still a social impact report. But even then, the strongest work usually comes from understanding the foundations first.
A more rigorous pathway often moves from a maturity assessment into a clearer impact blueprint, then into stronger data architecture, and from there into implementation, dashboards, reporting and communications. That is how impact begins to move from aspiration to operational reality.
This is also where the idea of a roadmap towards Social Impact Excellence becomes useful. Once an organisation understands its current maturity, it becomes much easier to shape a practical route forward based on its ambitions, gaps and priorities.
“What gets measured gets managed.”
Widely cited management maxim associated with Peter Drucker’s school of thought — often used in business and performance management, though the direct attribution to Drucker is disputed.
Why this matters for the future
The organisations that will lead in the years ahead will not simply be the ones with the strongest claims or the most polished language.
They will be the ones that can prove what they are doing.
They will define impact clearly. They will embed it into leadership and operations. They will invest in data, systems and capability. They will understand the relationship between purpose and performance. And they will communicate their impact in ways that are clear, credible and trusted.
Good intentions still matter. But they are no longer enough on their own.
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
Mahatma Gandhi — leader of India’s independence movement.
A final thought
Social impact is no longer a side story.
It is becoming a central question of strategy, performance, trust and growth. The organisations that thrive in the years ahead are likely to be those that treat impact not as a soft extra, but as something to be managed with discipline, ambition and seriousness.
That is what makes this space so exciting.
We are still early. Social impact consulting is an emerging field, expectations are rising fast, and there is still a huge amount to build. But that is exactly why this is such an important moment. The organisations that get ahead now will not only be better placed to attract trust, talent, funding and investment. They will also be better placed to create the kind of meaningful, sustainable change that lasts.
That is the purpose of Social Impact Excellence.
It is also one of the reasons we love working in this area. It sits at the intersection of purpose, strategy, economics, evidence and real-world change. Done properly, it is not just interesting. It is powerful.
And that is why the first step is so often to understand where an organisation stands today.
If you are thinking seriously about social impact, but want clarity on where you are and what to focus on next, we would love to talk.
A good place to start is our free Social Impact Maturity Assessment, which helps organisations understand how developed their current approach to impact is, where the gaps are, and where effort is likely to make the greatest difference. It also includes a 30-minute follow-up call to discuss the results and practical next steps.
We are also currently developing a short presentation on Social Impact Excellence, which we are offering free of charge to B Corps, social enterprises and other impact-oriented organisations. The session takes around 20 minutes, followed by discussion and questions. If that would be useful for your team, we would be very happy to arrange it.
Marcus Warry
Founder and Director, My Social Impact
Marcus works between the UK and Uganda in East Africa, increasingly acting as a bridge between the two. His work spans both consulting and hands-on delivery: supporting organisations with social impact strategy, measurement, reporting and systems, while also helping build and deliver impact-oriented projects on the ground in East Africa. He is currently researching the 75 B Corps operating in Uganda, with plans to expand that work across East Africa, and is also launching the B Corp and Social Impact Club to bring together like-minded people and organisations committed to creating meaningful impact in the region.
