4.2 Know, grow and show the difference you make
With limited money in the voluntary sector it is vitally important to take time to consider whether you are making the biggest difference you can with the resources you have.
The difference that a voluntary sector organisation makes to people, communities or the environment is called its impact. An impact could be anything from reduced isolation of older people in Wolverhampton to a greater number of puffins in the UK, for example. Achieving its impact is the ultimate purpose of the voluntary organisation; it is why it exists. Impact is the profit of the voluntary sector.
To achieve its impact a voluntary organisation produces products and services. It might produce services such as a parenting class for new parents or products such as an audio book for people with sight loss, for example. These products and services are called outputs. They aren’t produced for the sake of providing services, but as a way of achieving the organisation’s impact.
This distinction between what a voluntary organisation produces (outputs) and what it achieves (impact) is important. Being clear on this distinction means that you are better able to think about why you are doing the things you do and to consider or even measure whether they are working and if they could be done better.
Activity 4
Read the statements below and decide whether each statement relates to the output or the impact of a youth centre in Barnsley:
- a games session on Saturdays for 12–16 year olds
- reduced local vandalism committed by young people
- 75% of young people have new friendships
- a table-football table
- five one-to-one sessions with a youth worker
- increased confidence.
Discussion
The following relate to the outputs (products and services) of the youth club:
- a games session on Saturdays for 12–16 year olds
- a table-football table
- five one-to-one sessions with a youth worker.
The following relate to the impact (difference made) of the youth club:
- reduced local vandalism committed by young people
- 75% of young people have new friendships
- increased confidence.
There are lots of reasons to keep a focus on your impact, as well as your outputs. Not least among these is that a voluntary organisation’s funders or donors will be interested in it and will often require evidence of the difference you are making with their money.
Focusing on the impact your project or organisation makes will help you to:
- make decisions: choose the work that is most likely to make the difference that you want and work out how to measure it
- improve: make changes to your work based on knowledge of what is working well or not so well and what makes the biggest difference
- be accountable: provide information to your funders or donors of the difference that you plan to make and are making with their money
- engage people: remind staff, volunteers and funders why they do it and inspire others to take part or support you too.
In order to really focus on the impact of your project or organisation you will need to first plan what difference you want to make and how to measure it. The next step is to measure the impact and analyse the results. Finally, you work out what learning you can draw and communicate the results to others. These steps will now be explained in more detail.
Why be a trustee?