a book about the power of analysis to reconnect money to social value

A good analyst, for our purposes, is one who analyses social and environmental good, as well as one who does so well or skilfully, and is in this sense good at doing it. But there is a third meaning too, as like a good Samaritan or a good witch, a good analyst can be a force for good, with a moral power and a social impact all their own. To grow impact and, as a society, to invest in it, we need to know where and how it is taking place. By discovering and providing this knowledge, the good analyst is able to drive energy and resources into the channels where it can do most good.

The Good Analyst presents our methodology for impact analysis, alongside a set of guidelines for measuring and reporting impact. But more than this, the book draws on our broader experience of impact research to lay out an overview of where the practice is today, of how we got here, and a penetrating theory of analysis itself. At a time when the world is rethinking its values quite seriously, The Good Analyst argues for how a different kind of knowledge can play a pivotal role in reshaping for the better the relationship between money, impact, and the society in which we live.

The Good Analyst
Impact Measurement and Analysis in the Social-Purpose Universe
Investing for Good, 2012
ISBN 978 0 9571603 0 9
by Adrian Hornsby

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The Good Analyst is available also in paperback (£7.99 + free delivery).  To order a copy click here: 

Investing for Good are active knowledge experts in the impact sector. Our methodology has had three years of practical application, and has been used to analyse over 100 impact investments, ranging from the very large to the very small, and representing well in excess of $1bn of socially-motivated capital. In addition to supporting our advisory services, it has underpinned our impact consultancy work. To discuss the application of impact measurement and analysis to your organisation, please write to Adrian Hornsby (ahornsby@investingforgood.co.uk).

The Good Analyst is of immediate potential interest to:

• social-purpose organisations, such as charities and social enterprises
• capitalisers and investors in the social sector, such as funders, commissioners, and foundations, funds and impact investors
• government-side policy makers, advisers and regulators
• experts including consultants, academics and impact analysts

The Good Analyst speaks also to the wider practice of wealth management. While traditionally managers and advisers have been limited to considerations of risk and return, the development of impact analysis provides a means to integrate information about impact into how money is run, and thus represents the addition of a new dimension to one of the world’s largest industries.

The Good Analyst includes:

• a lightning history of approaches to impact, including an overview of current practice, and a penetrating theory of analysis
• a unique methodology for analysing impact
• a set of guidelines for measuring and reporting impact

The Good Analyst incorporates the Investing for Good Guidelines for How to Measure and Report Social Impact and is accompanied by the Dictionary of Indicators

If you would like to register your interest in Investing for Good publications, or to contact us about The Good Analyst, please write to publications@investingforgood.co.uk