About us
Social Value US is the United States’ associate network of Social Value International – a network of 4,000+ members and professionals across 26 national and regional networks in more than 65 countries and growing – working to change the way society accounts for value to create a world with greater wellbeing for all.
Mission
Social Value US works to:
- Maximize the positive effects and minimize the negative effects of organized human action—in all sectors—on society.
- Improve the ways organizations collect, analyze, and interpret data for the purpose of developing a complete understanding of their social impacts.
- Ensure that intended and unintended social impacts reflect the values of the widest range of stakeholders, including those who typically do not have a strong voice in society.
Vision
A better network of those who measure, assess, and use impact data.
Approach
We are pluralists. We see the value in many solutions, each finding their appropriate application. We are interested in solutions in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors which have both unique characteristics and characteristics in common. We also believe the sector as a whole needs to understand what is consistent across all solutions, become aware of where different approaches are the most appropriate, and arrive at shared conventions around how impact should best be understood and reported.
We believe that we as a profession should move collectively and collaboratively in several areas: toward honesty about impact and what it takes to learn and create positive change, toward sharing data where doing so is the only way to truly solve problems, toward sharing costs associated with understanding impact, and others.
We work with our members and network partners across 65 countries to embed core principles for social value measurement and analysis, to refine and share practice, and to build a powerful movement of like-minded people.
What we do
Our core activities are to:
- promote the advancement of the state of the art of social impact measurement and management;
- encourage the measurement and management of the social impact of programs, policies, and organizations;
- develop common definitions of social, environmental, and economic value;
- promote common definitions and understanding of how to assess social, environmental, and economic value;
- develop, capture and share knowledge and ideas on how to increase the role that social and environmental values play in decision-making at local, national, and international levels; and
- speak with a collective voice for the professions of impact management and analysis.
Our members
Members work with us to put the organization’s guiding principles into practice, and represent a broad range of perspectives. They include but are not limited to:
- Accountants
- Investors
- Non-profit professionals
- Environmental professionals
- Economists
- Evaluators
- Sociologists
- Policymakers
Board of Directors
Michael Harnar
Assistant professor of Interdisciplinary PhD in Evaluation, Western Michigan University
Shubha Kumar, PhD
CO-CHAIR OF TRAINING COMMITTEE
Associate provost for online education at University of Southern California; founder of Global SROI; senior consultant at SVT Group
Allison Ricket, EdD
BODY OF KNOWLEDGE COORDINATOR; FINANCE COMMITTEE & TRAINING COMMITTEE MEMBER
Visiting professor and executive in residence, impact measurement, and social return on investment at Ohio University
John Byrnes
CHAIRPERSON OF FINANCE COMMITTEE
Founder and principal of CSACO
Sienna Jackson
CO-CHAIRPERSON OF COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
Founder of Zoran Creative Strategy
Lisa Glasgo
VP, head of impact, Turner Impact Capital
Travis Kellerman
CO-CHAIR OF COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
Senior climate policy advisor, Office of the New Mexico Governor; strategic advisor and head of innovation, Somos Solar; co-founder & VP of strategy, Cedis.Financial
George Makiya, PhD
Executive vice president, data and analytics, Texas State Technical College
David Pritchard
PRESIDENT; CO-CHAIRPERSON OF STRATEGY COMMITTEE
Partner, SVT Group, associate director, NPC
Sara Olsen
VICE PRESIDENT; CO-CHAIRPERSON OF TRAINING COMMITTEE
Board member and Methodology Committee co-chairperson of SVI
Founder and CEO of SVT Group
JOINT MEMBER NETWORK
As a Joint Member Network with Social Value International, SV US members are automatically members of SVI and have access to all the benefits of membership with SVI. You’re part of a global community of 4,000+ professionals across 26 networks spanning more than 65 countries, strengthening our collective impact on social value measurement and policy.