A contribution claim is a method used to quantify the social value of community investments, including grants, in-kind donations, and pro bono service.
Imagine a company donates $10,000 worth of skilled or pro bono services to a nonprofit program that helps 100 people gain housing. The program costs $100,000 per year to operate, so the volunteer initiative supported 10% of the program's budget to achieve impact. Using the 10% contribution to calculate impacts enabled by that service, you would take 10% of 100 people housed for 10 people housed as a result of the service.
A contribution claim represents the portion of a nonprofit’s overall social impact that you can claim as a result of your investment.
To calculate a contribution claim:
- Monetize the grant, in-kind goods, or services you performed using the hourly value for the type of volunteer services provided.
- Calculate what percentage this represents of the nonprofit program’s total implementation cost.
- Calculate an equivalent percentage of the program’s overall social value (successful outcomes).
In short, you can link your investment to a portion of the nonprofit’s social impact equal to the portion of the program you supported through your donation of time (i.e., % support = % of impact).
Because True Impact supports contribution claims within the platform, this calculation is automated. Simply report on your outcomes and budget, and the system will calculate the outcomes generated through a donation.