2023 Impact Framework and Measurement
As subject experts, measuring and monitoring our annual impact is a critical part of Impact Amplifier’s growth, maturity and evolution. As both an intermediary and implementer within the impact economy, understanding and measuring our impact is complex and exciting as it allows us to explore new territory in a discipline that is constantly changing.
We use the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as the tool for categorising and monitoring our annual impact.
While the SDG’s provide a global set of goals to measure individual actions against, it does not sufficiently address the means of determining whether a contribution toward the goal has been made. This is particularly true when there is not a clear direct causal relationship between actions and the impact measured.
Because of our complex role in the impact ecosystem, Impact Amplifier has developed the following framework for attributing our impact to what we are able to measure. We have created three categories for our work:
- Direct – Significant: in this category, Impact Amplifier can make a direct link between its efforts and an SDG and where progress can be measured. This is generally related to our long-term acceleration work with entrepreneurs across sectors and social issues and our impact enhancement work where we are directly implementing an ecosystem intervention.
- Direct – Marginal: Impact Amplifier is contributing toward the SDGs, but our attribution is less direct and the ability to measure impact is not consistent. This category generally relates to our investment readiness training with social entrepreneurs that are more short term, or impact assessments where we are not participating in programme design or delivery.
- Indirect – Significant: Impact Amplifier creates an enabling environment for other organisations to contribute to the SDGs. This relates to our research and knowledge creation about the social and ecological impact ecosystem.
The highlights of our Direct – Significant measured outcomes and impact from 2021 includes:
- Social Enterprises Supported: 67
- Social enterprise grant/debt funding raised: R14,160,449
- Jobs created: New 373 and 842 sustained
- Education: primary and secondary access for 3,320 rural children; Online safety training for 24,000 primary and secondary school children; Agronomy and market access training for 845 small farmers
- Plastic waste recycled: 780,430 kgs
- Carbon emission reduced: 15,856 kgs
- Litres of clean water provided to low-income families: 765,978
Sustainable Development Goal Contributions
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are defined in a list of 169 SDG Targets. Progress towards these Targets is agreed to be tracked by 232 unique Indicators. Here is the full list of definitions.
Impact Amplifier annually makes contributions toward fulfilling the SDGs. The table reflects our 2021 contributions and what percentage of our overall impact was attributed to each goal. Often a single accomplishment like educating low income, rural girls will
contribute toward multiple SDGs – Quality Education, Gender Equity and Reduced Inequalities. Thus, the percentages reflected below are more than 100% in total.
| Sustainable Development Goals | Percentage Of Impact Attributed To Each SDG | |
| 1 | No Poverty | 5% |
| 2 | Zero Hunger | 5% |
| 3 | Good Health and Well-being | 16% |
| 4 | Quality Education | 32% |
| 5 | Gender Equality | 68% |
| 6 | Clean Water and Sanitation | 11% |
| 7 | Affordable and Clean Energy | 5% |
| 8 | Decent Work and Economic Growth | 84% |
| 9 | Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure | 0% |
| 10 | Reduced Inequalities | 95% |
| 11 | Sustainable Cities and Communities | 5% |
| 12 | Responsible Consumption and Production | 0% |
| 13 | Climate Action | 26% |
| 14 | Life Below Water | 0% |
| 15 | Life on Land | 5% |
| 16 | Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions | 0% |
| 17 | Partnerships for Goals | 100% |