Corporate Social Good In Practice: Case Studies in Evaluation

Our 4 Biggest Takeaways from the Case Studies

→ Intentionality is central to good evaluation practice

Although each company’s practices look different, all three share a clear, intentional approach to evaluation. They start with upfront planning that sharpens their strategy and clarifies where rigor matters most. Each uses a Theory of Change or Impact Measurement framework, but adapts it to the priorities of their stakeholders.

→ Center grantee perspectives to strengthen evaluation

For each company, grantees are more than data points, but active partners in their evaluation process. Providing financial and other deliberate supports to develop grantee capacity for Measurement & Evaluation has proven highly valuable within corporate and private philanthropy.

→ Turn evaluation into a strategy and decision-making tool

The creation of annual learning cadences through which business teams and social impact teams come together to understand relevant data and insights helps create an environment of strategic decision-making and supports interconnectivity with business partners to build the internal value proposition of Measurement & Evaluation activities.

→ Leverage evaluation to navigate your ecosystem

Each company works to understand their place and interaction within the broader landscape of community conditions and system factors working with and against their social impact goals. An effective use of evaluation ties social impact to the company’s mission and to an external framework relevant to the issue or community.

“If evaluation does not lead to action, it does not add value.”

“If obtaining high quality evaluation data is important to you, you need to invest in building the evaluation capacity of your partner organizations.”