Impact Measurement in Complex Organisations

Measuring impact is never straightforward, especially in large, complex organisations. With multiple service areas, diverse stakeholders, and layers of data, it’s easy for measurement to become a compliance exercise rather than a tool for learning and strategy. Numbers alone can’t capture the nuance of real change, and many leaders find themselves asking: how do we tell the full story of our impact?

Watch the full conversation: Explore real examples of how leaders navigate the challenges of measuring impact.

This was the challenge facing The Benevolent Society, Australia’s oldest charity. With more than 200 years of history and services spanning disability, ageing, child and family support, and systems change, they already had strong data collection practices. But leaders knew something was missing. Numbers alone weren’t telling the whole story of their impact.

That’s where the Social Impact Hub team—Debbie, Christina, and Maya—came in. With executive and board support, The Benevolent Society partnered with them to co-design an impact measurement framework that could bridge the gap.

The result? A framework that goes far beyond reporting. It captures change at the individual, community, and systems level, aligns directly with organisational strategy, and strengthens advocacy.

Most importantly, it has embedded impact measurement as an ongoing practice of learning and reflection, ensuring The Benevolent Society can both deliver and demonstrate the difference it makes.