A PIONEERING new online tool is set to transform how charities and community organisations measure their social impact – potentially revolutionising the way they secure funding. 

Launched today (20 October) by the University of Hertfordshire, ‘Our Social Value’ is a first-of-its-kind calculator platform that integrates with the national Index of Multiple Deprivation to deliver a more accurate measure of social impact. By weighting results according to the socio-economic conditions of the areas served, the tool provides a true reflection of where community support makes the greatest difference.  

This means two organisations delivering the same service – such as food redistribution or community training – will no longer appear equal on paper when using Our Social Value. Instead, projects operating in areas of high deprivation will show proportionally greater social value than those in more affluent communities, reflecting the true scale of their contribution. This will empower voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations to strengthen funding bids and clearly showcase the genuine impact of their work. 

James Shepherd, a PhD researcher at Hertfordshire Business School (HBS) at the University of Hertfordshire who was a key member of the development team behind the platform, said:  

“The ‘Our Social Value’ platform is the first of its kind to directly connect social value measurement with deprivation data. It gives a truer reflection of where charitable and voluntary support is making the biggest difference – something existing tools overlook.” 

Developed over the past year, Herts researchers worked closely with charities and social enterprises across Hertfordshire and West Essex to ensure the platform is simple, precise, and user-friendly. As a result, the tool requires minimal additional data collection, incorporates direct input from sector stakeholders, and is free to use within the region. 

Project-lead, Professor Eren Demir, Professor of Decision Sciences at Herts, said: 

“By developing Our Social Value hand-in-hand with the sector – through surveys, focus groups, and pilot testing—we’ve ensured it truly meets the needs of VCFSE organisations. The result is a simple yet powerful tool that enables them to demonstrate their social impact clearly to funders, partners, and the public.” 

The calculator draws on official deprivation data at postcode level, allowing users to explore the socio-economic context of their work from a single neighbourhood: an invaluable resource for them when it comes to applying for funding and strategic planning. 

Kevin Hallahan, Health Inequalities Lead for NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB (Integrated Care Board), who has been testing Our Social Value, said:  
 

“I’ve found this social value tool to be an incredibly useful and powerful resource for our voluntary sector partners to evidence the true economic impact of their work.  

“I had the pleasure of using Our Social Value during its development and applied it to quantify the social value generated through a grants programme. For an investment of £250,000 across more than 30 diverse projects, the tool demonstrated a total social value of £2.5 million; a huge impact. 

“It provides a robust framework that helps VCFSE partners evidence how investment in their work delivers both excellent value for money and meaningful outcomes for residents.  

“It has given us a powerful mechanism to demonstrate the case for sustainable investment in the voluntary sector, which is essential if we are to realise the NHS’s 10-year plan to shift focus from sickness to prevention.”  

Economists at the Hertfordshire Business School also benchmarked Our Social Value. It outperformed all comparable platforms on six different metrics, with most other tools meeting only half these benchmarks.* 

James Shepherd added: 

“Our Social Value represents a major leap forward in how social impact is measured and communicated. It’s context-sensitive, evidence-based, and accessible—allowing organisations to focus on what matters most: improving lives.” 

The University unveiled the new platform today during the Annual Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) Conference, bringing together academics, charities, and public sector leaders.  

To date, developing Our Social Value has been funded through the University of Hertfordshire Integrated Care (UHICS) System partnership – a collaboration between Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care System (ICS), the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector, Hertfordshire County Council and the University of Hertfordshire. 

During the second phase of its development, organisations within Herts and West Essex will have free access to the platform. 

To expand availability of the social value tool nationally, the partnership is now seeking funding partners to support further development to ensure the tool remains freely available to VCFSE organisatio