UK tech start-up whatimpact is an innovative platform that matches companies and grant-makers with charities and social enterprises in a strategic, efficient and transparent way. It sets a new precedent in how Company Social Responsibility (CSR) and social value is established, managed, and reported on – all hosted on the whatimpact platform. The platform is a solution for organisations that want to deliver social value and make a difference.
Companies are increasingly committed to engaging with societal issues in a meaningful way andwhatimpact is a tool to help manage the hard work. The platform matches companies according to their goals for social impact, offers easy to use due-diligence templates and streamlines impact reporting. The platform is also a solution for companies who want to implement strategic CSR or have to meet the requirements of the newly enhanced Social Value Act (SVA).
“We are here to help save time and money for both Supporters (companies and grant-makers) and Recipients (social enterprises and charities), ensuring that the most impactful causes and projects are delivered with maximum efficiency. This benefits society as a whole. whatimpact is a fully transparent marketplace where everyone has access to the site profiles and interactions. We not only help organisations match with each other but help them report and communicate their impact to the public and other stakeholders.” Tiia Sammallahti, CEO/Founder whatimpact.com
AI matching for companies donating money, skills, products and services. The platform matches organisations based on shared values, UN sustainability development goals (SDGs) and geographic needs across the country, so that companies can direct donations and skills to the organisations that need them most. The whatimpact innovation caters to the needs of companies looking to strategically engage with charities and social enterprises as part of their wider mission to make a positive difference alongside their usual operations. whatimpact can help enable any size or type of company to deliver social value based on their strategy and goals. Companies involved in the initiative include EY, McLaren, Brewin Dolphin and Engie, alongside a number of SME’s. They are all offering very different forms of support through whatimpact either in order to fulfil UN SDGs, meet the Social Value Act requirements, or simply engage in good practice.
Organisations across the country are benefitting from skilled EY volunteers. EY is the latest company to sign up to whatimpact’s platform, and will offer a series of business clinics to charities and social enterprises grappling with business challenges. Based on research conducted with whatimpact on the most significant pain points facing organisations, EY has developed clinics on managing finances, achieving scale and growth, and building resilience in times of uncertainty. EY will also look to offer one-to-one coaching to help those involved continue to solve their business challenges.
“EY has set an ambitious global target to positively impact one billion lives by 2030 through our Global Corporate Responsibility Programme, EY Ripples. By working with whatimpact, we hope our people across the UK will be able to use their professional skills to help more charities and social enterprises overcome some of the business challenges they face, enabling them to have an even greater impact on the people and communities they work with.” Gavin Jordan, UK Financial Services Chief Operating Officer, EY
Recipient organisations on the platform. The charities and social enterprises on whatimpact match the local and regional needs of companies, cross over with the UN SDGs and/or fit the five focus areas of the Social Value Act. Some of the charities and social enterprises involved include: Race Equality Matters (which is focused on improving equal opportunities and tackling racial inequality), the Hummingbird Project (focused on wellbeing in the workplace), and RIFT (which aims to transition ex-offenders into the construction industry) – all of which meet one of the SVA’s priority areas. Added to this, WorldVision and the Single Homeless Project are just a few of the charity names on whatimpact, aligned with the UN SDGs.
Meeting the requirements of the Social Value Act. The recently enhanced Social Value Act requires companies that work on Government contracts to have a social value delivery plan*, and to report back on their impact in local areas. The legislation has changed the way companies linked to the SVA must report on their past, present and future impact and whatimpact also caters to these needs.
Open data and transparency. whatimpact is an advocate for transparency with public profiles on its platform for all users and with information on donations, partnerships and the impact being made together. Supporters (companies and grant-makers) can post resource offers (money, skills, product and service donations) on their public profile. Recipients (charities and social enterprises) can then apply for the resources they need. Both Supporter and Recipient profiles offer transparent data pulled from the Charity Commission, the OCSR, 360Giving and Companies House. whatimpact membership packages offer companies a targeted matching process with due diligence procedures and globally valid impact reporting tools, which provide evidence and communicate the impact of a company’s contributions.