Press release dated: 9 March 2011, London

Three organisations have come together to establish the Social Impact Analysts (SIA) Association, a new international membership body designed to support the practice and profession of analysing not-for-profits, it was announced today.

The founding  partners of the SIA Association are New Philanthropy Capital (NPC), a UK-based charity think tank and consultancy, the Bertelsmann Foundation, a private foundation based in Germany, and the Adessium Foundation, a private foundation located in the Netherlands. The Association is expected to expand quickly as new members join.

The first of its kind, the SIA Association, will bring together individuals from around the world who are seeking to understand what makes not-for-profits effective. These professionals — who might be based in foundations, businesses, universities or in not-for-profits themselves — need greater opportunity for ongoing dialogue on social impact analysis and to exchange approaches and methodologies. While there is no single best way to carry out such analysis, a network will help to improve understanding and standards and, ultimately, could boost the way not-for-profit organisations work.

Dr Brigitte Mohn from the Executive Board or the Bertelsmann Foundation says:

“We are delighted to be launching the SIA Association. We look forward to seeing its members work towards a better understanding of the charity and non-profit sector, and in this way, contributing to building a healthy and vibrant sector in Europe and beyond.”

As well as facilitating the exchange of methodologies and best practice of social impact analysis, the Association aims to support individual professionals involved in this diverse practice and to nurture and promote the profession of social impact analysis, contributing towards the development of this as a career.

Sue Wixley from New Philanthropy Capital comments:

“We’re pleased to be helping to get the Association off the ground but it is the members themselves who will be shaping the Association, deciding on its focus and main activities. Whether you’re an evaluation officer at a charity, a grant-making officer at a foundation or an academic interested in how charities work, we’d like you to get involved in this new network.”

The decision to set up the SIA Association follows several years of extensive consultation, including a ‘Valuing impact’ conference in the summer of 2009 and market research in 2007, where participants and respondents showed their enthusiasm for the idea of a new professional body.

Recruitment is now underway for a Coordinator, who will be based in NPC’s London office and will be responsible for managing the process of setting up a new organisation and promoting it to members. The Association will open its doors to new members in the late summer and the first annual conference of the SIA Association is planned for late 2011.

The global charity sector is large and influential. In the Netherlands and Germany, for example, 14% and 6% of the workforce are employees of or volunteers for non-profits [1]. In the UK, there are 171,000 charities with income of c£33.2bn, managing assets of c£104bn and employing over 600,000 [2].

For further information please contact Claire Coulier on claire.coulier@siaassociation.org or +44 (0)207 620 4888.

Notes to editors:

About the founding organisations:

• Adessium
  Adessium Foundation is a private foundation that provides financial support to charitable organizations in the Netherlands and worldwide. The Foundation aspires to a balanced society, one that is characterized by integrity, justice, and a balance between people and nature.

• Bertelsmann Foundation
  The Bertelsmann Foundation is both a think tank and an agent for social change. Our primary goal is to make a meaningful and enduring contribution to society. We focus our activities on projects that can decisively influence society’s long-term viability in Germany,Europe and through the world.

• New Philanthropy Capital (NPC)
  NPC is a consultancy and think tank dedicated to helping funders and charities to achieve a greater impact. It provides independent research, tools and advice for charities and funders in the UK and internationally. For further information, see www.philanthropycapital.org

[1] Lester M. et al (2004) Global Civil Society: Dimensions of the Nonprofit Sector, Volume Two. Available to download at www.ccss.jhu.edu/

[2] Clark, J. et al (2010) The UK Civil Society Almanac. More statistics are available for download at www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/almanac.