[cma-l] Government to fund social return standard

[Al Garthwaite]

As I understand the government's initiative it is aimed at their setting up
a standard, after consultation, which we then follow, which then makes it
easier for us to prove social value. This would make it easier for us to
attract funding. I would therefore welcome it. 

We do a lot of tracking and analysis anyway in order to satisfy funders but
also to ensure that what we are doing really is worthwhile. Having a
structure and context for this would be helpful rather than the reverse.

We have found that going through Investors in People has been worthwhile and
produced long-term good results, even though it's time-consuming. We're very
interested in the Investing In Volunteers standard - has anyone else used
this? Have you found it useful?

Best wishes

Al 

Alison Garthwaite
Director
Vera Media & LeedselevenFM
30-38 Dock Street
Leeds LS10 1JF
+44(0)113 242 8646

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-----Original Message-----
From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk
[mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of Julian Mellor
Sent: 06 May 2008 13:34
To: CMA-L
Subject: Re: [cma-l] Government to fund social return standard

In some ways this is great news, but there is a 
very big 'BUT', and it ties in with last weeks 
research re
democratising engagement.

Here at 10Radio (broadcasting in rural Somerset 
on the edge of Exmoor) we are tiny and 100% 
volunteer driven (albeit with 100 or so 
volunteers).  Most of our combined effort goes 
into making and presenting programmes while 
almost all of the back-office and technical stuff 
is done on a 'only if we really really have to' 
basis.  Nevertheless, we do broadcast some very 
good programmes  debating local issues and 
promoting local events.  Anecdotally this seems 
to add value all around as increasing numbers of 
people engage in and understand issues etc.  But 
we don't measure the extent of this, and to be 
honest I wouldn't really know how to measure it 
without engaging in a lot of market research, 
data collection and analysis (all the stuff we'd 
be hard pushed to do).

So while the idea or suggestion of more 
government support for social enterprise in 
return for social value is great, I fear that it 
will only be available to those organisations 
with the capacity to statistically prove their 
worth - and that will rule out organisations such 
as ours which get by on a shoestring, 
irrespective of the (unproven) worth that we 
deliver to our rural listeners.

Any suggestions as to how we (or 'the system') 
get out of this trap are, as always, welcome!

Julian


At 12:07 +0100 6/5/08, CMA-L wrote:
>>From Third Sector Online:
>
>The Government is to spend about £350,000 on developing a standard for
>measuring social return on investment, third sector minister Phil Hope
>will announce today.
>
>The project will help charities and social enterprises prove their
>social value to potential public service or private investors, said
>Hope, speaking to Third Sector before his announcement at today's Good
>Deals conference on social investment.
>
>The three-year funding will be used on events and research intended to
>develop "greater consensus and standardisation" in the measurement of
>social impact. The OTS will also work to promote an understanding of
>social reporting in other Government departments, and among grant
>funders and social investors, Hope said.
>
>The research will be of particular interest to supporters of a
>proposed social stock exchange, which relies on social businesses
>being able to accurately assess their value in terms of both financial
>and social return.
>
>Individual investors or venture philanthropists will also be able to
>put a precise value on what their investment has achieved as a result
>of the scheme.
>
>http://tinyurl.com/6nmgsh
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