Measuring and Improving Social Impacts: A Guide for Nonprofits, Companies, and Social Enterprises

"Epstein and Yuthas make sense out of the often confusing world of metrics and performance measurement, offering investors, social entrepreneurs, and donors new perspectives on how to approach the challenge of measurement--and how to convert that challenge into an opportunity! They review a variety of approaches to metrics and give readers the skills needed to go from metrics as measurement to metrics as a tool for creating deeper, more sustained value. A must-have for all leaders serious about maximizing the impact of their organization and capital."--Jed Emerson, Chief Impact Strategist, ImpactAssets "This book is a great resource for anyone working to tackle today's complex, global social challenges. Epstein and Yuthas help us ask the right questions, create meaningful measures, and adapt nimbly to test our biggest, boldest ideas and determine if they will deliver the right kind of impact."--Steven J. McCormick, President and Trustee, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation "Too often, donors and investors think of social impact measurement as separate from the 'real work' of doing good. Epstein and Yuthas have developed a clear and practical guide to impact measurement--not just how to do it but how to think about it and integrate it into every aspect of your work. Essential reading for anyone looking to move from good intentions to high impact."--Katherina M. Rosqueta, Founding Executive Director, Center for High Impact Philanthropy, University of Pennsylvania "By posing the right questions and providing useful frameworks, Epstein and Yuthas take us on an absorbing voyage of the challenges and solutions available in the field of social impact measurement. The book is a valuable resource for investors keen to generate social impact in a thoughtful, rigorous, and transparent manner."--Nalini Tarakeshwar, Executive Director, Evidence, Measurement and Evaluation, The Children's Investment Fund Foundation, UK "Whether your annua

Marc J. Epstein is Distinguished Research Professor of Management at Jones Graduate School of Management at Rice University in Houston, Texas. He was recently Visiting Professor and Wyss Visiting Scholar in Social Enterprise at Harvard Business School. Epstein has been a professor at Stanford Business School, Harvard Business School, and INSEAD. He is the author of eighteen books and well over 100 professional papers and is Editor-in-Chief of Advances in Management Accounting. <br>Kristi Yuthas is Associate Professor of Accounting, Swigert Endowed Information Systems Management Chair at the Portland State University School of Business Administration. She has been published in leading academic journals such as the Journal of Information Systems, the International Journal of Accounting Information Systems and the Journal of Business Ethics.