IMPACT MATTERS: strengthening community organizations through social evaluation

-Rationale-

In an increasingly interconnected world, social enterprises, cooperatives, and NGOs play a crucial role in driving sustainable development. However, many organizations struggle to assess, measure, and improve their social impact, limiting their ability to secure funding, refine their strategies, and demonstrate meaningful change.

IMPACT MATTERS is an Erasmus+ Small-Scale Partnership project designed to empower social enterprises, cooperatives, and NGOs by equipping them with effective social impact evaluation methodologies. The project brings together a European consortium of trainers, impact evaluation experts, research institutions, and community organizations to co-develop and implement an innovative, adaptable impact evaluation model.

Through structured training programs, workshops, and pilot testing, the project will build capacity, enhance transparency, and foster long-term sustainability in community-based organizations across Europe.

--Project objectives--

1. Co-develop a practical impact evaluation model:
we collaborate to design a user-friendly, adaptable framework tailored to the needs of small to medium-sized social enterprises, NGOs, and cooperatives.

2. Empower organizations with impact evaluation skills: we engage in training, mentorship, and capacity-building workshops, equipping organizations with effective methodologies and tools for impact assessment.
3. Create a space for collaborative learning & resource sharing: we build an online platform where community organizations exchange resources, best practices, and learning opportunities.
4. Test, refine, and validate the evaluation model: we experiment together through pilot projects within partner organizations, ensuring that evaluation tools are effective, adaptable, and impactful.
5. Champion inclusion and accessibility: we ensure that all tools and methodologies are inclusive, accessible, and adaptable, empowering underserved organizations to measure and enhance their impact.

-- Expected Results --
->Improved capacity of social enterprises, NGOs, and cooperatives to evaluate and enhance their social impact.
->Increased adoption of structured impact evaluation methodologies.
->Stronger collaboration and knowledge-sharing among organizations.
->Greater accessibility to impact measurement tools, especially for underserved communities.
->Wider dissemination of best practices, fostering long-term sustainability in community development.

-- Expected Outputs --
- A practical impact evaluation toolkit tailored for small to medium-sized organizations.
- Training materials and workshops to build evaluation skills.
- An online platform for resource sharing and peer learning.
- Pilot reports validating the evaluation model in real-world settings.
- A dissemination package including publications and events to expand project impact.
- A community engagement toolkit to foster collaboration among organizations.

-- What we’re looking for--
- Curious minds to co-create an innovative impact evaluation model
- Forward-thinking organizations ready to test and refine evaluation tools in real settings
- Experts (or aspiring ones!) passionate about impact assessment and community development