Demonstrating Value is a project of Vancity Community Foundation, and works out of their office in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
A Brief History of Demonstrating Value
A grassroots initiative, Demonstrating Value is designed to assist those working in social enterprise to measure and evaluate the overall impact of their work. The goals of the initiative have always been clear: to improve the overall performance of social enterprises, to attract investment and to influence policy development.
From 2006-2008 Demonstrating Value worked with investors and social enterprises to develop a framework. Through this time Demonstrating Value gained a solid understanding of the realities of running a social enterprise, and the support resources needed by these organizations. This development stage also determined the priorities of social enterprises when developing new systems, and defined the indicators that are essential to monitor when measuring and evaluating value and impact.
Demonstrating Value has quickly gained momentum since its beginnings and now offers a comprehensive collection of tools and resources to benefit social enterprises.
Get to Know the People Behind Demonstrating Value
There’s a great team of people behind the scenes at Demonstrating Value. Bryn Sadownik, Program Manager, Evaluation and Community Impact, has been with Demonstrating Value since its beginnings, contributing greatly to the development of the Demonstrating Value framework. As Bryn is on maternity leave until January 2013, Program Manager Garth Yule has stepped in and taken over her responsibilities. Also on the team is Communications Assistant Sarah Cruickshank, whose duties include coordinating the Demonstrating Value website, newsletter and blog.
Rooted in Community
Over 20 social enterprises and investors actively participated in the development of the Demonstrating Value tools and resources. The following organizations have funded the Initiative: