Dear friend

Welcome to your April social impact news snapshot. This month we're talking about principles, international events and reminding you to get the date in your diaries for our annual conference!

• EVPA launch The Practical Guide for Measuring Impact which aims to help social investors and social purpose organisations across Europe to more effectively manage and measure their impact.​
• The Schwab Foundation for Social Innovation launch the Policy Guide for Scaling Social Innovation in collaboration with the Initiative for Responsible Investment, SK Group and InSight at Pacific Ventures.
• Big Socitey Capital, Bridges Ventures, Omidyar Network and Panahpur launch the Bridges Social Impact Bond Fund, the first of its kind, it will provide investment and support to social sector organisations in the UK.

"How can organisations think about the practice of social impact analysis?"

There is often keen debate around methodologies and tools for measuring social impact. The SIAA Working Group on Principles today published two papers attempting to tackle this question using a principles based approach. The group originally grew out of discussions at SIAA's launch, with a view to conduct a mapping analysis of existing sets of principles relating to social impact analysis. The purpose of the exercise was to identify the gaps and to point to any significant, existing consensus around particular social impact principles. The Principles of Social Impact Analysis Mapping Exercise Report is a summary of the exercise and its findings. 

Accompanying this work is an additional SIAA thought paper - 'How can organisations think about the practice of social impact analysis?' by SIAA Chairman Jeremy Nicholls. This paper proposes a basic framework for comparing how different sets of principles relate. The aim of this framework is to provide organisations and analysts with a way of looking at how they can approach the practice of social impact analysis in an appropriate and useful way.

You can find out more at the Principles of Social Impact Analysis webpage. Questions, comments and suggestions are welcomed via hello@siaassociation.org.

• SIAA Manager Ruth blogs about our recent Start Social Impact event and becoming a social impact analyst.
• We have a busy summer ahead collaborating on a number of initial country Impact Group events. The first events are in Estonia on the 28th May in partnership with the Estonian Social Enterprise Network, and in Hungary on the 13th June with the DemNet Foundation. You can find out more information about our impact groups on our website.
• Not a member yet? Take a look at our new membership pack to find out more about SIAA and how you can contribute to its growing international network of social impact analysts.
• Want to write for us? We are always on the look out for thought provoking posts about social impact for our blog. If you've got an idea for a post then please get in touch.