Why Worry About Your Impact? Rationale, Challenges and Support for Indian Social Enterprises’ Impact Measurement

Abstract

For social enterprises, the impact assessment practice can serve as an important differentiator from its commercial competitors, particularly while attracting impact-focused capital. The development and implementation of impact assessment tools for social enterprises have piqued the interest of academicians as much as it has challenged the practitioners. Followed by a discussion of how social impact is conceptualized in theory, this chapter studies the actual tools used by social enterprises in practice. Recognizing that the interdependence between social enterprises and their funders is deeper as compared with other stakeholders, the chapter details the various tools developed by and for impact investors. It also reviews the challenges and the support available for impact assessment for social enterprises in India.