UK: Website brings funders and funded together

The Social Appraisal Toolkit has been developed by social audit consultants, business support workers and researchers working in partnership with Northumbria University in Newcastle, England. This web-based tool aims to improve analysis of the potential social, economic and environmental impacts of an organisation from the start of a project or a new business plan. The toolkit invites the user to carry out an on-line self assessment of governance, social impacts and financial viability. It also helps the user to identify how key social impact data will be captured and reported. It can benefit grant funders and social lenders by improving the quality and completeness of information from applicant organisations about their potential social impact and financial sustainability. It can also help individual organisations to present their social, economic and environment benefits in a more systematic way. The process can help to identify those additional benefits which differentiate a good project worthy of investment support. It can also be used as a business planning tool. www.socialappraisal.org