Name: Five useful steps to create your own social impact strategy
Uploaded: 2024-05-01T10:04:20.557Z
Duration: 385.28

5 steps to create your social impact strategy V3_1.mp4

5 steps to create your social impact strategy V3_1-1.vtt

English

{{00:00:00}}
Having a social impact
strategy is really important.

{{00:00:03}}
The world is facing a whole range of
challenges from the cost of living

{{00:00:06}}
crisis, to environment, to social justice.

{{00:00:09}}
SMEs play a huge part in
meeting these challenges.

{{00:00:13}}
They employ a huge amount of people.

{{00:00:14}}
They've got supply chains.

{{00:00:16}}
They're an essential part of
the ecosystem of social change,

{{00:00:19}}
whether they realise it or not.

{{00:00:28}}
More than ever, customers and clients
expect the brands and the business they

{{00:00:32}}
buy from to have a social impact strategy.

{{00:00:34}}
It's really important no matter
what size you are, that you consider

{{00:00:37}}
this if it's the bottom line and the
client and customer satisfaction.

{{00:00:41}}
All kinds of organisations are doing
all kinds of things in this space.

{{00:00:45}}
If you're really, really small
local business, you can think

{{00:00:48}}
about social impact in three ways.

{{00:00:51}}
You can look at how
your staff are treated.

{{00:00:53}}
Even if they include yourself, your
wellbeing your rate of pay, you can

{{00:00:58}}
look at your supply chains and making
sure that people that you buy from and

{{00:01:01}}
supply to adhere to an ethical code.

{{00:01:04}}
And three, you can give money back
or volunteer to the causes around

{{00:01:08}}
your shop or your business in a
really, really hyper local way.

{{00:01:13}}
Ultimately, you have to really
think about your purpose.

{{00:01:16}}
and your values as a business.

{{00:01:18}}
Who are you?

{{00:01:19}}
What do you want to be?

{{00:01:20}}
What brings you to work?

{{00:01:21}}
What drives you?

{{00:01:22}}
What's the impact that you and your
business want to leave on the world?

{{00:01:25}}
You need to align your giving
practices to those principles.

{{00:01:28}}
And it's only then where
anything's harmonized and you can

{{00:01:31}}
start to create social impact.

{{00:01:33}}
It's never easy easy, but
you can take it step by step.

{{00:01:38}}
There are five key steps that
you can make to create an

{{00:01:41}}
effective social impact strategy.

{{00:01:44}}
The first one is, do your
work and know what your values

{{00:01:47}}
are and what you stand for.

{{00:01:50}}
What are your values as a company?

{{00:01:52}}
What are the issues that you work on?

{{00:01:54}}
Sorry to breed your ego, but
you can't single handedly

{{00:01:57}}
solve all the world's issues.

{{00:01:58}}
You need to focus on one
thing and do it well.

{{00:02:01}}
Prioritise and pick a cause that
you feel most passionate about and

{{00:02:04}}
where you can have a difference.

{{00:02:06}}
This could be at a really local level,
even changing or supporting a local

{{00:02:09}}
school to have better equipment,
to adding a voice to a huge climate

{{00:02:14}}
movement that exists across the globe.

{{00:02:17}}
Two, don't be afraid to ask for help.

{{00:02:21}}
There are lots of people out there that
are doing all kinds of wonderful things.

{{00:02:24}}
Reach out, post on LinkedIn, tell
people what you're doing, ask for

{{00:02:28}}
help and be open to suggestions.

{{00:02:32}}
Three, build relationships with experts.

{{00:02:36}}
If you're stepping into a new world,
There are people out there that

{{00:02:39}}
know this stuff better than you.

{{00:02:41}}
Don't be afraid to talk to them.

{{00:02:42}}
Find them, talk to them about what
you're doing and how you want to help.

{{00:02:47}}
Four, put your money where your mouth is.

{{00:02:52}}
Don't expect to make an impact
without putting resources behind it.

{{00:02:55}}
Like any other project, it needs
resourcing to do it properly.

{{00:02:59}}
Five, figure out how you're
going to measure your impact.

{{00:03:03}}
There's no point putting money and
resources behind something if you

{{00:03:05}}
don't know if it's having an effect.

{{00:03:07}}
Taking a bit of time at the beginning of
it, thinking about those values, thinking

{{00:03:10}}
about who you're talking to, what the
impact is, and think about how you'll

{{00:03:14}}
know you're getting where you need to.

{{00:03:16}}
What outcomes are important to you?

{{00:03:17}}
How are you going to measure them?

{{00:03:19}}
And how are you going to keep yourself
accountable to what you wanted to achieve?

{{00:03:23}}
Spend some time at the beginning of your
journey can really help you to measure

{{00:03:27}}
your impact and make your money go much
further in creating change around you.

{{00:03:38}}
Businesses should communicate their
social impact strategy to their

{{00:03:41}}
customers, to their stakeholders
and to the general public.

{{00:03:45}}
There are some certain rules
that you should follow though

{{00:03:46}}
as you go through this.

{{00:03:48}}
Be authentic.

{{00:03:49}}
You should be as honest and as authentic
as you can, and don't talk about the

{{00:03:52}}
work unless you've actually done it.

{{00:03:54}}
Don't claim to have all of the answers
and do own up when you've made a mistake.

{{00:03:58}}
People are always interested
in the journey and they want to

{{00:04:00}}
know what you've learned from
the mistakes that you've made.

{{00:04:03}}
Customers respond to businesses and
brands that are genuine in their desire

{{00:04:07}}
to create impact and humble enough to
admit they don't always get it right.

{{00:04:12}}
Uplift the voices of others in the space.

{{00:04:14}}
Are there activists or experts
you can collaborate with?

{{00:04:16}}
Are there partners that you can work
with that can get the message out there?

{{00:04:19}}
And if you're an SME, that's really
important at a very local level.

{{00:04:28}}
It's really important to keep your
social impact strategy relevant.

{{00:04:31}}
and up to date.

{{00:04:32}}
And the key point to this is
making sure that your measurements

{{00:04:35}}
are in place at the beginning.

{{00:04:37}}
Otherwise, how do you know you've
created a different kind of impact?

{{00:04:40}}
Really thinking about what you want to
measure and having a consistent approach

{{00:04:44}}
all the way through the work should tell
you if you start wandering off course.

{{00:04:48}}
Really keep abreast of who's writing
what, what new things are coming out,

{{00:04:51}}
and making sure that you stay informed
about the impact you're trying to achieve.

{{00:04:55}}
There's no point campaigning or lobbying
or working with others in the neighborhood

{{00:04:59}}
if the issue's already been solved.

{{00:05:07}}
We can learn a lot from some
of the bigger businesses.

{{00:05:09}}
One example would be the
Football Association.

{{00:05:12}}
We've been working with them closely
over the past year or two to help them

{{00:05:15}}
think about their social impact strategy
across the borough of Brent in London,

{{00:05:18}}
taking their social impact strategy
wider than just the Wembley area.

{{00:05:23}}
We've looked at how their networks, and
the Community Shield Cup can help create

{{00:05:28}}
impact with the communities across one
of the most deprived areas in London.

{{00:05:31}}
Looking through about what was important
to the FA and looking at the needs in

{{00:05:35}}
Brent, we've created a community led
fund that's going to be launched in

{{00:05:39}}
a few months time, helping to channel
new funds Supporting new communities

{{00:05:43}}
and new networks to create social
impacts in the borough of Brent.

{{00:05:46}}
A Danone.

{{00:05:49}}
We work with them at the
Social Change Agency to help

{{00:05:51}}
them achieve the S in the ESG.

{{00:05:54}}
Partnering up with Food Cycle,
we've supported them to deliver

{{00:05:57}}
over 200, 000 healthy meals in the
community, bringing surplus food

{{00:06:01}}
together with community groups.

{{00:06:03}}
So if you're wondering where to start
and you're an SME, The biggest message

{{00:06:07}}
we've got for you is don't be afraid.

{{00:06:09}}
Just think about the impact you
want to make and one small step

{{00:06:12}}
can make a massive difference.

{{00:06:14}}
Think big, but start small and
don't be scared to get started.

Having a social impact
strategy is really important.

The world is facing a whole range of
challenges from the cost of living

crisis, to environment, to social justice.

SMEs play a huge part in
meeting these challenges.

They're an essential part of
the ecosystem of social change,

More than ever, customers and clients
expect the brands and the business they

buy from to have a social impact strategy.

It's really important no matter
what size you are, that you consider

this if it's the bottom line and the
client and customer satisfaction.

All kinds of organisations are doing
all kinds of things in this space.

If you're really, really small
local business, you can think

You can look at how
your staff are treated.

Even if they include yourself, your
wellbeing your rate of pay, you can

look at your supply chains and making
sure that people that you buy from and

And three, you can give money back
or volunteer to the causes around

your shop or your business in a
really, really hyper local way.

Ultimately, you have to really
think about your purpose.

What's the impact that you and your
business want to leave on the world?

You need to align your giving
practices to those principles.

And it's only then where
anything's harmonized and you can

It's never easy easy, but
you can take it step by step.

There are five key steps that
you can make to create an

The first one is, do your
work and know what your values

Sorry to breed your ego, but
you can't single handedly

You need to focus on one
thing and do it well.

Prioritise and pick a cause that
you feel most passionate about and

This could be at a really local level,
even changing or supporting a local

school to have better equipment,
to adding a voice to a huge climate

There are lots of people out there that
are doing all kinds of wonderful things.

Reach out, post on LinkedIn, tell
people what you're doing, ask for

If you're stepping into a new world,
There are people out there that

Find them, talk to them about what
you're doing and how you want to help.

Four, put your money where your mouth is.

Don't expect to make an impact
without putting resources behind it.

Like any other project, it needs
resourcing to do it properly.

Five, figure out how you're
going to measure your impact.

There's no point putting money and
resources behind something if you

Taking a bit of time at the beginning of
it, thinking about those values, thinking

about who you're talking to, what the
impact is, and think about how you'll

And how are you going to keep yourself
accountable to what you wanted to achieve?

Spend some time at the beginning of your
journey can really help you to measure

your impact and make your money go much
further in creating change around you.

Businesses should communicate their
social impact strategy to their

customers, to their stakeholders
and to the general public.

There are some certain rules
that you should follow though

You should be as honest and as authentic
as you can, and don't talk about the

Don't claim to have all of the answers
and do own up when you've made a mistake.

People are always interested
in the journey and they want to

know what you've learned from
the mistakes that you've made.

Customers respond to businesses and
brands that are genuine in their desire

to create impact and humble enough to
admit they don't always get it right.

Uplift the voices of others in the space.

Are there activists or experts
you can collaborate with?

Are there partners that you can work
with that can get the message out there?

And if you're an SME, that's really
important at a very local level.

It's really important to keep your
social impact strategy relevant.

And the key point to this is
making sure that your measurements

Otherwise, how do you know you've
created a different kind of impact?

Really thinking about what you want to
measure and having a consistent approach

all the way through the work should tell
you if you start wandering off course.

Really keep abreast of who's writing
what, what new things are coming out,

and making sure that you stay informed
about the impact you're trying to achieve.

There's no point campaigning or lobbying
or working with others in the neighborhood

We can learn a lot from some
of the bigger businesses.

One example would be the
Football Association.

We've been working with them closely
over the past year or two to help them

think about their social impact strategy
across the borough of Brent in London,

Best Practice

Is your business in need of a social impact strategy, but you're unsure where to start? Join Esther Foreman, founder of The Social Agency, as she provides a practical five-step framework for SMEs to create an authentic and measurable social impact plan.

With real-world examples from partnerships with major players like the UK's Football Association and Danone, you'll learn how to kick off your strategy and start making a difference in local communities.

Frameworks

Social Impact

thumbnail_Esther Foreman.jpeg

xsmall_Esther Foreman.jpeg

Esther Foreman.jpeg

Esther Foreman

Foreman comments on the importance of creating a social impact strategy

Why create your social impact strategy and where to begin?

Foreman introduces important steps you need to take to create your own social impact strategy.

Five key steps to create your social impact strategy.

See how to make sure everything you planned is communicated the right way. 

How to communicate your social impact strategy

Figure out what are the dos and don't to keep your social impact strategy up to date 

How to make sure your strategy remains relevant

See real-life examples of partnerships between The Social Agency and business around the UK and understand how  can you learn from the bigger players. 