About Social Outcomes
Government, the social sector, and business are all beginning to think differently about how to create and fund social and environmental impact, but knowing which innovations to use, and when, can be confusing. Social Outcomes is a team of experienced practitioners who assist with identifying, designing, implementing, and measuring new social innovations. We don't promote any one specific model. Instead, we focus on the impact that organisations are trying to create and the complex social problems they are trying to solve. From here, we apply the innovations that will best fit (and fund) that context and capability.
What We Do
Why
Social Outcomes was established in July 2014 in response to rapid changes in the impact investing market in Australia and our region, as well as a global move to focusing on outcomes and social innovation.
Things are changing. Government funding is decreasing and the social sector is looking for ways to respond. CSR budgets in the business sector are shrinking yet the desire of companies to create meaningful shared value impact through their work is growing. We are seeing a shift towards creative partnerships that combine the core capabilities of the private and not-for-profit sectors, to build stronger, more resilient, and equitable communities.
Impact investment capital pools are building and social innovation models are being created. At the same time, government, the social sector, and business are looking to understand how to use these new approaches, and make them work in practice. Questions such as “Should we think about a Social Impact Bond or a Payment by Outcome contract for this?“, “Should we establish a social enterprise?“, “How will we measure the outcomes?” , “How can we fund our initiative?” and “Who should we be partnering with to create shared value?” are constantly being asked.
Social Outcomes helps answer these key strategic questions and partners with organisations to test and design solutions that will work.
What we do
Social Outcomes is a for-purpose business that specialises in the design and implementation of social impact models. We particularly focus on new social and financial innovations such as impact investing, social impact bonds and payment by outcomes contracting, shared value, social enterprise, and social procurement. Each client engagement is a carefully tailored process that may include:
- Feasibility studies that test the business case of a new approach, and determine which tools will best create and fund impact in the given situation
- In-depth analyses on the costs and benefits of social and/or environmental programs
- Providing capacity building around using social and financial innovation tools
- Identifying and brokering relationships with the right partners
- Designing the innovation
- Supporting required internal culture changes
- Providing specialist expertise to design the funding innovation
- Developing impact measurement frameworks
- Assisting with the program implementation
Tools we use
Our team are all experienced practitioners who have worked for many years successfully delivering ground-breaking social innovations, using a range of social and financial innovation tools. Our ‘social impact toolbox’ includes:
- multi-sector, strength-based partnering
- social innovation
- shared value
- impact investing
- payment by outcome and social impact bonds
- social enterprise
- social procurement
- collective impact
Our Team
We are a team of experienced practitioners with expertise in: social innovation, impact investing, and cross sector partnerships.
Sandy Blackburn-Wright
Managing Director
Sandy is a social innovator, thought leader and change maker with 25 years experience working cross sectorally in Australia and internationally. Read more
Vanessa Lesnie
Principal Consultant
Vanessa is a social change practitioner and strategist with 20 years experience in the community, government and corporate sectors. Read more
Jane McDonald
Senior Consultant
Jane is a chartered accountant with over 25 years’ senior audit, consulting and commercial experience in Australia, the UK and France. Read more
Shaun Wright
COO
Shaun has 14 years experience as a Business Analyst and Operations Manager and is responsible for keeping all the wheels turning behind the scenes. Read more
Next Steps
If you are ready to pioneer this work in your organisation but aren’t sure where to start, we have three sessions to help you get the ball rolling.
Feasibility Studies
Many organisations are keen to explore new models but don’t know where to begin. A feasibility study does a deep dive into the scope, size, and costs of the social/environmental issue you are working on, as well as the capability and business model of your organisation. From here, we determine which tools and models are most suitable to create greater impact and more sustainable funding. These models are then fleshed out, with potential partners identified, and detailed funding models proposed. The feasibility report proposes several relevant models for your organisation, prioritises which can be readily implemented, and the reach and impact that could be expected. This is a process that takes place over a period of one to three months, depending on the complexity and size of the issue. A feasibility study is a precursor for any comprehensive social innovation design work.
Training Session
If this work is new for your organisation, then a capacity building training session for your leadership and/or implementing team, is the place to start. We offer one or two day training sessions which will take groups through each of the relevant innovation tools at your disposal, explain key concepts, and showcase how each works in practice with a series of local and international case studies.
In the two day workshop, we include a simulation exercise that will help groups with applying these tools to a real-life example from your own organisation.
Board Engagement
If the leadership team in your organisation is keen to explore options but needs to secure buy-in from the board before proceeding, then a board session is the right next step. We offer a one or two hour session with boards to help them understand the opportunities and risks of these innovations and answer any questions or concerns they may have.
We can also assist with pre and post board meeting planning to get the most out of the opportunity.
Impact Measurement & Evaluation
Measuring and evaluating social/environmental outcomes is critical for achieving impact. We assist corporates, governments, and not-for-profit organisations, design impact measurement systems and platforms, as well as evaluate and report on their impact. This work includes sustainability reporting; creating systems for capturing impact; capability training in what, how, and when to measure impact; and ensuring that your team derives strong value from using these systems.
Brokerage
We foster collaborative, strength-based partnerships in each of our programs. We have broad networks and partnerships across the business, investment, government, and not-for-profit sectors. We work to connect our clients with the right people, and the right programs. This includes building up a pipeline of impact investments by connecting investors with for-purpose enterprises.