Banking on social value: joint venture expands impact reporting possibilities

Name: SmartyGrants
Price range: $

Posted on 01 Sep 2025

By Matthew Schulz, journalist, SmartyGrants

A joint effort involving SmartyGrants and the Australian Social Value Bank (ASVB) is providing a new avenue for grantmakers wishing to measure and communicate social impact.

The project involves using the SmartyGrants Outcomes Engine to collect data that aligns with the ASVB’s existing “bank of social values”, a comprehensive list of outcomes based on existing Australian datasets.

Since 2022, the Outcomes Engine has helped funders streamline grant processes, measure social impact, and make data-driven decisions.

The ASVB is recognised globally for its rigorous bank of wellbeing values and its social values calculator, which enable organisations to quantify, communicate and compare their social impact in dollar terms.

The ASVB project allows grantmakers using the SmartyGrants Outcomes Engine to zero in on 80-plus outcomes in the following areas:

health
education
employment
social and community
crime
drugs and alcohol
housing
sport.

SmartyGrants chief impact officer Jen Riley said the project could be a “game-changer” for grantmakers.

"Not only does it offer a great standard list of outcomes based on evidence, it has the added benefit that users can understand their social return on investment,” she said.

“We're excited to offer our users a really useful extension to help them more comprehensively measure and report on social impact."

The project involves manually configuring the SmartyGrants Outcomes Engine to collect survey data that aligns with the ASVB’s list of outcomes, which can then be fed into the ASVB calculator to determine the net social value created by a program. Further piloting of the dual systems will create the foundation for live integration in the future if demand warrants it.

ASVB director Min Seto said the two tools were a natural fit.

"The Australian Social Value Bank is thrilled to collaborate with SmartyGrants to promote social value measurement and reporting more broadly across the grants sector. Together, we can empower grantmakers to direct their funding to where it can have the greatest impact."