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The humanitarian sector is grappling with an uncertain future. Not only is there less money to go around, the sector is becoming more crowded and competitive and funders are looking for greater innovation with new models and ways of thin...
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The theory of change concept was originally developed to model and evaluate complex change initiatives, so it is closely related to systems change.The Aspen Roundtable on Community Change – which pioneered theory of change in the 1990s...
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This presentation follows on our previous work from measuring the impact and return on investment of social, community, enterprise development programs. This presentation provides evidence of our work, our methodology and the impact...
Trends in stakeholder reporting and stakeholder outcomes
Consultation tends to be a one-way flow of information where a company solicits input from stakeholder groups. Stakeholder dialogue is a more robust conversation. It gives companies an opportunity to provide context for their operational...
Going beyond measuring numbers
Social and impact investors have an obligation to share their impact results. But, most investors focus only on the reach aspect - that is the number of people impacted. Yet, qualitative data provide so much more depth, nuance and insigh...
Reporting on stakeholder engagement
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Social Investment and Development Strategies Gone Wrong
In the following section we’d like to share some of our lessons learnt whilst providing strategic advisory and impact management and measurement services to our clients. We trust this article will provide you with greater insights into...
2020 CSI Trends, Forecasts and Impacts – Presentation
The new year always brings new hope, and trend forecasters are quick to join the cause to predict positive future scenarios. However, our research indicated that the social investment and development sector remains in turmoil....
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he following research findings focus on the future of corporate social investment (CSI) and include social change, governance and accountability, innovation and standardisation of CSI. This research was undertaken with a view to consider...
Insights for the social investment and development sectors: 2024 – 2025
Global polycrisis requires transformative philanthropyHardly a day goes by that we don’t read or hear about an existing or new crisis, catastrophe or calamity, critical challenges or being at a crossroads. All these c-words also have...
How to conduct stakeholder engagement
Strategies and techniques for improving relationships in the value chainCompanies globally are exposed to risk simply by engaging with other businesses, communities and governments. Companies are responsible for the products and services...
Social sector needs to up its game to keep receiving financial support (2018 CSI trends media release)
12 April 2018 Today’s philanthropists, grantmakers, social and impact investors want more control over their giving and they want evidence of the scale and sustainability of the impact they make. They demand greater transparency and ac...
Social capital – its value and how to measure it
The newly revisited concept of social capital is now prominent in several fields of social science. For Next Generation Consultants, the concept became important with the introduction of the integrated reporting framework that requires c...
Rethinking the funding of NGOs
The Next Generation Research Report 2020, Disruption with Impact dived deep into how the development sector, and how the funding of NGOs, is changing. Some of the most significant pressures that organisations face is the demand to become...
Where is the good news? I need it today!
Working in the field of community development with both funders and their implementing partners I am constantly looking for innovative and creative ways to solve social issues. Because of the amount of research and benchmarking that I co...
Managing risk: Community and social investment and development
Spending money is easy. Spending limited resources effectively and efficiently is extraordinarily difficult. Doing so in ways that please everyone is impossible as long as demand for money exceeds supply. Grantmakers are subject to a r...
Understanding the concept and value of social innovation
The term social innovation has been used in a number of ways. Some of the earliest references, dating back to the 1960s, use it to refer to experimental research in the social sciences and humanities. Since then, the term has been used i...
Building consensus through a new social compact
In South Africa there has been much talk about the need for a new social compact. Distrust of government and political parties is on the rise and the NGO-sector has lost credibility with scandals rocking organisations like Treatment Acti...