Social Value International
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| Social Value International | |
|---|---|
| Name | Social Value International |
| Formation | 2007 |
| Type | Non-profit network |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Region served | Global |
| Leader title | Chief Executive |
| Leader name | Peter Holbrook |
Social Value International is a global network and standards body that promotes measurement, management, and maximisation of social impact created by organisations, investors, and public bodies. It develops frameworks, accreditation, and practitioner communities to align social, environmental, and economic outcomes across sectors. The organisation connects policy makers, philanthropists, regulators, funders, and delivery partners to advance accountability and transparency in impact practice.
History
Founded in 2007, the organisation emerged from a convergence of practitioners associated with New Economics Foundation, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and early impact measurement pilots in the United Kingdom. It consolidated learning from initiatives such as the Social Return on Investment movement and collaborations with UNICEF pilots and World Bank advisory work. Over subsequent years it expanded via partnerships with networks including B Lab, Nesta, Skoll Foundation, and European programmes linked to European Commission social innovation agendas. Key milestones included the publication of an early principles framework influenced by debates at Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and input from researchers at London School of Economics, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge.
Mission and Principles
The stated mission is to increase the adoption and rigour of social impact measurement across governments, corporations, foundations, and civil society. Its principles draw on normative statements developed alongside actors such as United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme, and International Labour Organization. The principles emphasise stakeholder engagement informed by practice documented in reports from Global Reporting Initiative, International Finance Corporation, and the Chartered Institute of Fundraising. They are positioned to influence standards referenced by regulators like Financial Conduct Authority and public procurement reforms in jurisdictions influenced by the European Union.
Standards and Methodologies
The organisation maintains a framework of standards and practitioner guidance that synthesises methods from Social Return on Investment, Cost–benefit analysis (CBA), Randomized controlled trial, and outcome mapping used by entities such as USAID and Department for International Development. It offers accreditation pathways that reference technical approaches debated at conferences hosted by Institute for Development Studies, Brookings Institution, and Harvard Kennedy School. Methodological guidance interacts with accounting norms promoted by International Accounting Standards Board and sustainability reporting frameworks like Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board.
Membership and Network
Its membership comprises accredited practitioners, organisational members, and national networks drawn from NGOs, consultancies, academic units, and corporate sustainability teams. Members include professionals with backgrounds at Oxfam, Save the Children, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and KPMG social impact practices, as well as academics from King's College London and Stanford Social Innovation Review contributors. National affiliates operate in regions including Africa, Asia, North America, and Latin America, and collaborate with bodies such as Commonwealth Secretariat and African Development Bank.
Activities and Programs
Programs include practitioner accreditation, training, peer review, and thematic working groups that align with initiatives by G8 and multilateral dialogues at United Nations General Assembly. It runs events, webinars, and summits that feature speakers from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and the Wellcome Trust. Projects have supported social procurement reforms with municipal partners influenced by casework in City of London and pilot outcomes alongside Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Research collaborations have been undertaken with institutes like Open University, Princeton University, and Yale School of Management to strengthen evidence on impact measurement.
Governance and Funding
The network is governed by a board of trustees and voluntary councils drawn from member constituencies, including academics, practitioners, and funders who have served on boards at Nesta Challenges, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and national charities such as British Red Cross. Funding sources combine membership fees, accreditation charges, philanthropic grants from foundations such as Ford Foundation and Oak Foundation, and contracted services to agencies like UNICEF and the World Bank. Financial oversight and audit practices align with charity regulation in the United Kingdom and donor reporting expectations used by major bilateral donors.