The Difference: How to understand, measure and maximize social impact

by Matt Stevenson-Dodd

Overview

It has never been more important to identify, amplify and communicate the positive impact organizations are making in the world. Yet bosses, shareholders, colleagues, boards, funders, new employees and stakeholders are all too often left without a good answer to a seemingly simple question: ‘Has the significant investment we have made into “making a difference” actually made any difference whatsoever?’

Whether you’re a business, charity, local authority, or government department leader, discover what it really takes for an organization to make an impact in the world, and most importantly how you can truly understand the difference you are making.

Matt Stevenson-Dodd is founder and chief executive of Trust Impact (www.trustimpact.com). With a 30+ year career as Chief Executive of some of the UK’s most socially impactful and innovative organizations, Matt is trusted by the CEOs, boards, chairs and senior leaders of hundreds of organizations around the world to help find pragmatic solutions to understanding, measuring and maximizing their social impact.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781788609548
Publisher:	Practical Inspiration Publishing
Publication date:	06/23/2026
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.56(d)

About the Author

Matt Stevenson-Dodd is founder and chief executive of Trust Impact (www.trustimpact.com), a consultancy helping organizations build trust through innovative impact measurement and reporting.

With a 30+ year career as Chief Executive of some of the UK’s most socially impactful and innovative organizations, Matt is trusted by the CEOs, boards, chairs and senior leaders of hundreds of organizations around the world to help find pragmatic solutions to understanding, measuring and maximizing their social impact. He works across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, helping organizations answer one simple question: ‘Do we actually make any difference to the world we are operating in?’

With clients including The Crown Estate, Shell International, RSPCA, Duke of Edinburgh International, Cambridge City Council, and Refugee Council, Trust Impact has challenged traditional and complicated impact measurement with a much simpler and more strategic offer.

In 2020 Matt was made a Member of the Venerable Order of Saint John and was recently awarded ‘Highly Commended’ in the global Association of MBA’s ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award. All of this is underpinned by a strong academic record which includes an MBA with Distinction and a scholarship to Harvard.

Matt has been a guest on numerous social impact and leadership podcasts around the world, written articles for national newspapers including The Guardian as well as relevant sector press.

Table of Contents

Foreword - Professor Kieron Boyle, Marshall Institute, LSE

Introduction

Part 1 - Getting The Basics Right

Chapter 1 - Do versus Difference?

Chapter 2 - Failure v Success

Chapter 3 - The Three Eras of Impact Measurement

Chapter 4 - Social Impact, Social Value and Social Return On Investment?

Chapter 5 - Why Doesn't It Work?

Part 2 - Understand

Chapter 6 - Keeping Things Simple

Chapter 7 - Aligning on Your Core Purpose

Chapter 8 - Need, Vision and Purpose: The Impact Fundamentals

Chapter 9 - Theory of Change

Part 3 - Measure

Chapter 10 - Measure What Matters (Not Everything)

Chapter 11 - Changing the Way We Measure

Chapter 12 - More Than Questionnaires!

Chapter 13 - Measuring the Hard to Measure

Part 4 - Maximize

Chapter 14 - Why Maximize?

Chapter 15 - The Power of Live Data and Data Storytelling

Chapter 16 - Trust and Transparency

Part 5: Individual Difference by Sector

Chapter 17 - Corporations and Business

Chapter 18 - Public Sector & Government

Chapter 19 - Charities and Social Enterprise

Chapter 20 - Social Impact Investing

Chapter 21 - Health

Chapter 22 - Funders

Chapter 23 - Sport

What’s next? - The Future of Making a Difference