The Common Approach is a new type of impact measurement standard. It is a flexible standard that allows each organization to measure impact in a way that makes sense for it.

The lack of a standard measure impedes organizations from effectively telling their story, communicating with a wide variety of stakeholders and operating in a high impact manner.

The Common Approach to Impact Measurement is a community of nonprofits, social purpose organizations, grant makers, investors and academics building a better way to measure social impact. Come join us!

Under the IRP, the Common Approach is working to develop a flexible standard of social impact measurement through five distinct but inter-related elements:

1. Community ownership and governance of the standard.
2. A data standard making possible aggregation of indicators from individual to collective.
3. Adoption of a minimum standard of five essential social impact measurement practices (Common Foundations).
4. The adoption by grant makers and impact investors of a common set of organizational information to reduce the reporting burden of grantees and investees.
5. The use of the SDGs as a framework for mapping indicators for a flexible standard.