Giving Compass' Take:

· Christina Ameln touches on the different meanings of impact and how organizations can maximize their efforts by defining their own mission and measuring their impact. 

· How do organizations measure their impact? Does every organization measure their efforts in the same way? 

· Here's how you can use technology to measure your impact. 

Why is this so?

Impact means different things to different people. Every different sector – including non-profits, impact investors, foundations and corporations – have differing views on the definition of impact. While these perspectives differ in many ways, a few themes are common:

Impact is subjective.

Impact includes non-financial metrics.

Impact is hard to aggregate.

Impact takes a long time.

“Impact management and measurement is one of the most common pain points we hear from our members”, says Allison Hollowell, Chief Strategy Officer for AVPN. “It is a complex challenge for all sectors to grapple with whether they are investing for impact returns only, for a combination of impact and financial returns, and/or to understand the intersection of sustainable impact and business value”.

AVPN understands that maximising social impact requires continual awareness and work. As part of its ongoing efforts, AVPN, together with members Investing in Women and Mekong Economics, held two workshops on Measuring Impact in Vietnam, in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Read the full article about measuring impact by Christina Ameln at Asian Venture Philanthropy Network.