Evaluation tools

Although it varies from client to client, there is an increasing desire among donors to know how to define and measure the success of their giving. Different advisors may assist clients with different aspects of this. We give some examples of tools and guidance below.

You can get started with our Advisors’ Framework for Effective Giving, Stage 5: Evaluating impact.

Other Philanthropy UK resources include:

• Giving by numbers: how measuring social impact stacks up (Philanthropy UK Newsletter, June 2009). This special report explores the benefits and challenges of measuring social impact, and offers a range of case studies of various approaches. 
• Impact evaluation (A Guide to Giving). Provides an overview of impact evaluation, including descriptions of different approaches and advice on how to get started. 
• Social return on investment (A Guide to Giving). Provides an introduction to SROI, a cost-based analysis tool which assigns financial values to social and environmental impacts.  
• Reading list. Philanthropy UK’s recommended guides and other publications on impact and performance measurement.

• Charities Evaluation Service (CES) advises charities on how to assess their effectiveness and provides consultancy in monitoring, evaluation and quality systems for charities and funders.   
• The Matrix Knowledge Group provides consulting, software, evaluation and research services to charities and funders. 
• The New Economics Foundation, a London-based think-tank, has created a range of measurement tools including an online Proving and Improving Toolkit that social enterprises can use to design their own processes to measure, demonstrate and improve their quality and impact.  
• The SROI Network promotes the use and development of the Social Return on Investment methodology in the UK. SROI is an approach to understanding and managing the social, economic and environmental impacts of a project, an organisation or a policy.