It is important for organisations to be able to demonstrate that they are making a difference, so that donors and funders know that their money is being well spent. 

This doesn’t always mean you need complicated and expensive systems to collect data. It can be as simple as recording feedback from the people you support. 

If you’re new to the voluntary and community sector, it might be helpful to learn some key terms:  

Outputs

Outputs are what you deliver. An easy way to think of it is what you can count directly in the activities that you do. For example: 

• The number of hot meals served. 
• The number of children who attended a youth club session. 
• The number of outdoor exercise sessions held. 

Outcomes

Outcomes are things that change as a direct result of your work. Outcomes often have a term of comparison, such as “more”, “increased”, “less” or “reduced” in them. For example: 

• More people use the community garden. 
• People will report being more knowledgeable about how to manage their money.
• People who attend our service will report increased confidence in using the internet to find reliable information about their health condition.

Impact

Impact is the wider change that shows a long-term difference. They are harder to measure as many different things contribute to long-term differences in an area. An example of impact could be a reduction in homelessness in an area. 

Further information

Find out more on these websites:

• Plinth
• Social Value Lab
• CAF