Impact-Based Philanthropy: Reporting Project Impact to Help Raise Dollars

And yet with the pool of descriptions and muddied interpretations of impact-based philanthropy, one all-encompassing definition exists: Philanthropic impact is a long-term, significant, discernible difference in the condition of people, society or environment as a result of charitable work.

If this seems like a robust, complex definition, it’s because it is. Improving lives is complicated work and needs to be approached, measured and supported as such. But it is only by defining impact that nonprofits can figure out how to achieve it, and donors and foundations can figure out which organizations are best suited for their support.