A new framework designed to help social purpose organisations and funders to be more effective has been launched by Social Ventures Australia (SVA). The framework, called the SVA Fundamentals for Impact, brings together the latest international research and evidence and 15 years’ practical experience in the Australian social sector. It is designed to help assess and guide the activities and investment decisions of social purpose organisations and funders.
Developed specifically for the social sector, the SVA Fundamentals for Impact are differentiated from other organisational effectiveness tools. The framework recognises that effectiveness in the social sector is determined by more than just internal capability, with client centricity and engagement with the ecosystem also important. In all, there are 15 organisational characteristics that SVA believes – and the evidence shows – are important for effectiveness.
SVA CEO Rob Koczkar said the SVA Fundamentals for Impact provide a common language for social purpose organisations and funders who are trying to understand what makes an organisation impactful.
“In our work across the sector over the last 15 years we have observed that, despite their best attempts, many funding and social purpose organisations struggle to clearly assess and articulate their effectiveness, and it’s hampering their ability to improve their impact.”
“The SVA Fundamentals for Impact offer a practical framework to help leaders answer critical questions about how their organisation is performing, and applying the framework can help them create a clear pathway towards improvement.”
“There are many applications for the SVA Fundamentals for Impact. A new CEO could use them with their leadership team to identify areas for improvement, or a funding organisation could use them to ensure their resources are aligned to their mission.”
“The SVA Fundamentals for Impact also highlight the importance of organisations contributing to shared, system wide goals – whether this be increasing the availability of appropriate housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, or empowering First Australian young people to be leaders and change makers in their own communities.”
“At SVA we want to work with our partners to help them be more client centred, be run more effectively and, critically, be more engaged in driving systems change. The Fundamentals for Impact will help us do that and we hope to see them become both a resource and rallying call for measurable change.”
Visit Social Ventures Australia to download the SVA Fundamentals for Impact.