Measuring the impact

The Achmea Foundation monitors all the projects to which they have given a donation or loan

The Achmea Foundation aims to be an ‘engaged donor’. With all the knowledge and expertise available in the foundation’s network, we can add value to our project partners through positive critical feedback. We monitor projects by having regular contact with the project organisations. Monitoring and evaluations are also carried out and discussed in the Board. This is important to us because we want projects to be and remain sustainable. Including in the future. We therefore use various methods to monitor and evaluate projects: Social Return on Investment (SROI), Daly Return on Investment, stakeholder analyses and feasibility analyses. This enables us to properly assess the projects for sustainability within the entire context. The following key elements are included in the monitoring and evaluations.

• The expected impact on the target group is shown by an SROI/DROI calculation and the indication of an ‘additional’ impact (innovative character, extent to which scaling up is possible, degree to which Achmea can contribute to the impact, for example, by using expertise).

• The Social Return On Investment (SROI) focuses on the social return. This means that we not only look at the economic return, but rather the impact on the target group. The SROI reflects a financial value of the measured social effects and results.
• The SROI methodology is not suitable for projects aimed at strengthening people's health. Here, where possible, we express the expected impact as a Daly Return On Investment (DROI) in the expected number of life years gained.

• Financial sustainability of the chain (stakeholders): ‘Who are the stakeholders and what are the costs and benefits for them after scaling up?’ These include a stakeholder analysis and the value chain sustainability. In other words, the benefits (financial and non-financial) and drawbacks (financial and non-financial) for the stakeholders in the value chain. Here, the impact that the project has or can have on other people and organisations is also looked at. Finally, all influencers are identified.
• Other aspects of feasibility: the feasibility is estimated based on 13 indicators and expressed as a figure. These include the local presence of the organisation, the interest in the product or service, the experience of the partners, whether the required resources are available, whether there are any legal issues, whether the business case is feasible and so on.