Projects

Nutrition

Yes to Poshan – Baseline Study

Implementing Organization: Vijayavahini Charitable Trust-Supported by TATA Trusts

About the Assessment: The Yes to Poshan program, supported by Procter & Gamble (P&G), aims to improve maternal and child nutrition by promoting dietary diversity, strengthening behaviour change communication (BCC), enhancing the capacities of Anganwadi Workers and Poshan Sakhis, and improving Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices among Pregnant & Lactating Women (PLW) and families.

The program is currently being implemented in 20 villages of Koutala Mandal in Kumuram Bheem Asifabad District, Telangana, targeting pregnant women, lactating mothers, children below five years and adolescent girls.

The baseline assessment was conducted to establish benchmark values for all key program indicators, understand existing nutritional practices, identify implementation barriers and opportunities and provide evidence for refining implementation strategies.

Environment

Greening Faridabad – CPMS Service

Implementing Organization: Society for Education and Environmental Training-SEET

About the Project: The “Greening Faridabad” project supported by V Guard Industries (V Guard Foundation) aimed to address the pressing environmental and socio-economic challenges in Faridabad, Haryana. This project focused on increasing green cover, improving soil health, conserving water, promoting biodiversity and engaging the local community in sustainable practices.

The project involved the plantation of native and drought-resistant species, adoption of water conservation techniques and extensive community involvement to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of the initiative. The project also promoted biodiversity by creating green corridors and pollinator-friendly habitats. By planting flowering ornamentals and native shrubs alongside trees, the initiative contributed to attract bees, butterflies, birds and other beneficial fauna, thereby enhancing ecological connectivity and resilience. We supported SEET in Corporate Alignment, Proposal Development, Implementation Advisory, Timely Project Progress Reporting to Corporate and End Evaluation Report of the program.

Glimpse

Social Return on Investment (SROI)

Social return on investment (SROI) is a method for measuring values that are not traditionally reflected in financial statements but includes social, economic and environmental factors. They can identify how effectively a company uses its capital and other resources to create value for the community. According to The New Economics Foundation, SROI “captures social value by translating outcomes into financial values.” While a traditional cost-benefit analysis is used to compare different investments or projects, SROI is used more to evaluate the general progress of certain developments, showing both the financial and social impact the corporation can have. Social Return on Investment (SROI) is an outcomes-based measurement tool that helps organisations to understand and quantify the social, environmental and economic value they are creating.

Elements needed to measure SROI

While the approach varies depending on the program that is being evaluated, there are four main elements that are needed to measure SROI:

Inputs or resources investments in your activity (such as the costs of running, say, a skill development program)
Outputs or the direct and tangible products from the activity (for example, the number of people trained by the program)
Outcomes or the changes to people resulting from the activity (i.e., new jobs, better income, improved quality of life for the individuals; and reduced support from, the government)
Impact measurement efforts can be logically grouped into four key measurement objectives :

Estimating impact: Conducting due diligence pre – investment,
Planning impact: Deriving metrics and data collection methods to monitor impact,
Monitoring impact: Measuring and analysing impact to ensure mission alignment and performance,
Evaluating impact: Understanding post-investment social impact of an intervention or investment.

Why use SROI?

As CSR and sustainability practices continue to evolve, corporates cannot afford to stop at making investments-they must also demonstrate the positive change their efforts create. Measuring SROI ensures that every rupee invested contributes to lasting, meaningful social transformation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Social Return on Investment (SROI)?

SROI is an outcomes-based approach that seeks to understand and, where feasible, assign monetary values to selected social, environmental, and economic outcomes relative to the investment required to create them.

How is SROI different from a conventional financial return on investment?

Conventional financial ROI focuses on financial gains relative to investment. SROI incorporates selected social, environmental, and economic outcomes that may not appear in financial statements, using financial proxies and explicit assumptions to estimate their value.

What is an SROI ratio?

An SROI ratio expresses estimated social value relative to the investment assessed. For example, a ratio of 3:1 would indicate an estimated ₹3 of social value for every ₹1 invested within the defined assessment scope and assumptions. It does not mean that ₹3 in cash was generated or received.

What data are required for an SROI assessment?

The requirements depend on the intervention. Common inputs include program expenditure, stakeholder information, outputs, outcome indicators, evidence of change, and relevant information for financial proxies and impact adjustments. Data gaps should be documented and considered when interpreting the result.

Can SROI be used for all CSR projects?

It can be useful for many types of interventions, but suitability depends on whether meaningful outcomes can be evidenced and whether defensible monetary proxies can be identified. In some cases, a conventional impact assessment or another evaluation approach may be more appropriate.

How does Sociokind establish monetary values for social outcomes?

We identify suitable financial proxies based on the nature of the outcome, available evidence, relevant market or non-market valuation information, and transparent assumptions. The choice of proxy is documented so that clients can understand how the valuation was developed.

What are deadweight, attribution, displacement, and drop-off?

Deadweight refers to change that would have happened anyway. Attribution considers the contribution of other organizations or factors. Displacement examines whether a benefit occurs at the expense of another outcome or group. Drop-off refers to the reduction of outcomes over time. Their treatment depends on the assessment scope and available evidence.

Does a higher SROI ratio always mean a better CSR project?

No. Ratios can be influenced by assumptions, the outcomes included, valuation choices, time horizons, and data quality. SROI should be interpreted alongside outcome evidence, stakeholder experience, methodological limitations, and the strategic relevance of the intervention.

Can SROI help corporates compare different CSR investments?

It can contribute to investment discussions when the studies use sufficiently comparable boundaries, methods, time horizons, and assumptions. Ratios from different assessments should not be compared mechanically without examining these differences.