We have developed a sector-wide outcomes framework to support the community housing sector to evidence the impact created when people are provided safe, secure and affordable housing on which to build their lives.

Developed by YLab studios, the Impact storytelling project is an initiative of the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) to deliver training and support to young people working on gender equity projects in Victoria.

Think Impact were engaged to develop a two-part evaluation; firstly to measure the impact of training on young people’s communication and storytelling skills and the effect on their ability and confidence to collaborate as a network of change makers.

The second part of the evaluation focused on the impact of the film produced by the young people on it target audiences; including its content and themes and potential to spark state-wide conversation and behaviour change.

Realising potentially lost talent: A Social Return on Investment (SROI) evaluation

We undertook research during 2017 and 2018 to inform the operation of five Elder Abuse Prevention Networks established across Victoria. We conducted action research with the community, health and justice organisations, as well as their communities, forming the networks to understand more about the drivers of elder abuse, how it can be prevented (primary prevention) and the role of place-based networks in prevention.

The City of Melbourne engaged Think Impact to develop a shared measurement evaluation framework to enable greater understanding of the overall impact of the City of Melbourne's investment in Social Innovation Partnerships. The evaluation framework has created a model for shared measurement to capture the change being created for organisations, for people and for communities collectively across a diverse mix of projects.

Thirteen Social Innovation Partnership projects were selected in the first two-year funding round to receive a maximum of $80K funding per year.

Projects span a diverse range of initiatives; however, they share common ground in seeking to provide innovative solutions to tackle big social issues at a local level including entrenched disadvantage, disengagement and social exclusion.

This organisation is a leader in supporting volunteering, community education and social participation across western Victoria. We work closely with them on volunteerism research, program evaluation, indigenous program support, training, community governance and much more.

We worked with the foundation to ascertain the social impact of its programs assisting Melbourne’s homeless, disconnected and at-risk young people to create one of the first SROI evaluations on film.

We are trusted advisors to the Australian Red Cross and worked with them as they socialised and embedded an impact-led strategy. We worked across the organisation to enable a high performing culture that evidences impact, evaluates outcomes performance and mobilises resources to create enduring change in some of the most complex social challenges.

We have developed toolkits to support LearnLocal organisations to develop an “impact-led co-design” approach to developing pathways for community learners and tools to measure their progress.

We completed a Social Return on Investment evaluation examining the social value of providing secure housing for women and children at risk of homelessness. The report was independently assured by Social Value International and demonstrated how housing contributes to tenants' ability to rebuild their lives and overcome their vulnerability and disadvantage.

Think Impact conducted a Social Return on Investment analysis in 2017 of the economic and social impacts of the retirement villages operated by the OCAV. The analysis found that for every $1 invested in OCAV, $7.41 of value is created. This value consists of the benefits of OCAV’s continuum of housing and care for the residents and their family members, and the downstream economic savings to government due the improved quality of life for residents and delayed entry to aged care.

https://ocav.com.au/app/uploads/2018/06/Living-Communities-Age-Well.pdf