The Inspiring Impact programme, which is managed by NPC, has announced that it will receive £600,000 from the Big Lottery Fund to expand the reach of its “free tools and resources”.

The £600,000 grant will be spread out over three years and will go towards expanding the reach of the programme’s existing two, free impact measurement tools: ‘Measuring Up’, a self-assessment tool and the ‘Impact Hub’, which is an online directory.

According to a statement by the programme, the size of the grant is a “vote of confidence” in Inspiring Impact and will help bring together organisations, particularly smaller charities, in good impact practice development.

The Inspiring Impact programme is made up of a coalition of numerous organisation including the Association of Charitable Foundations, the Building Trust and NCVO Charities Evaluation Services, among others.  

Tris Lumley, director of development at NPC, said: “All of the Inspiring Impact partners are delighted with this vote of confidence from the Big Lottery Fund. Our long-term ambition is see a real shift in the sector, towards more collaboration than ever before.

“We’ve always known it’ll take a long-term programme to build a real impact movement, and that no one can achieve it alone, so this funding will help us take the next big step forward”.

Pete Bailey, head of knowledge at the Big Lottery Fund, said:

“Understanding impact is of growing importance across the civil society sector, allowing organisations to learn, refine and improve what they do.

"We’re pleased to be supporting the development of this important and collaborative project, helping charities, funders and social enterprises better measure the difference they have made to their beneficiaries and wider society”.

Since launching in June 2013, the Inspiring Impact website has been visited more than 40,000 times. There have also been over 1,700 sign ups to the ‘Measuring Up’ tool.