Benchmarks on Measuring Impact

Across agenda items, community and societal engagement is quickly growing in importance and priority for arts organizations. Our latest Arts Executive Poll asked arts leaders how they are measuring the impact of these activities and the utility of these impact measurements. Highlights from the survey include:

• Three-quarters of arts leaders believe that measuring impact is very or extremely necessary amidst other priorities, and measure impact using at least one approach of metrics.

• Typically, impact measurement is performed to be reported to foundations and granting institutions who provide the fundings, with less emphasis on reporting to external stakeholders.

• Although organizations face myriad challenges when measuring impact (i.e., staff capacity, qualitative v. quantitative data), finding better methods will be key in overall development as well as future involvement in impact investment.