{"id":9204,"date":"2022-05-28T09:25:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-28T13:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.generation.org\/?post_type=news&p=9204"},"modified":"2025-11-25T12:10:41","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T17:10:41","slug":"measuring-what-matters-generations-approach-to-impact-assessment","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.generation.org\/news\/measuring-what-matters-generations-approach-to-impact-assessment\/","title":{"rendered":"Measuring What Matters: Generation’s Approach to Impact Assessment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n \n
\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n
\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\n
\n\t\n\t\n\n\n Related to this topic<\/span>\t

<\/h2>\n\n\n

Generation at 10 years: 137,000 lives, $1.9 billion in wages, 17 countries<\/strong><\/br>\r\nMark a decade of transformation\u2014Generation empowers lives, drives global wages growth, and expands opportunity across 17 countries worldwide.<\/p>\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\tRead it now \n \n \n \n <\/svg><\/a>\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n\t\n\t\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n \n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

People across the globe work to tackle significant, complex problems, and they all share the same goal: to create genuine, lasting change. For funders, that means knowing their investment transforms lives while delivering value for money and making the best use of limited resources. You need proof that your dollars create a measurable impact, not just pad statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We understand this challenge. As a global nonprofit supporting people to achieve economic mobility through employment, we’ve built our entire approach around measuring what truly matters. Not just how many people we serve, but how their lives change – and keep changing – years after they graduate from our programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the Numbers Game: Generation’s Three-Pillar Philosophy<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Many nonprofits focus on increasing the number of people they reach and track this closely, and funders want to see big numbers. But greater reach alone doesn’t equate to impact. Fewer nonprofits track the longer-term impact of their work<\/a>. It’s harder to do, and it’s not always where funders ask the most questions, making it difficult to prioritize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generation measures impact across three dimensions simultaneously, with the ambition to move forward on all three dimensions simultaneously:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breadth<\/strong> captures our annual and cumulative volume of graduates worldwide. We’ve supported 139,000+ graduates across 17 countries<\/a> since 2015, indirectly supporting over 432,000 family members through increased household income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depth<\/strong> tracks employment and income outcomes within three to six months of program completion. This isn’t just about getting people jobs, it’s about getting them good<\/em> jobs that pay living wages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Durability<\/strong> measures sustained employment, income, and well-being outcomes over time. We follow our alumni for up to five years after graduation to demonstrate change that lasts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each impact dimension matters. Push too hard on breadth without depth, and employment rates plummet. Focus only on immediate outcomes without tracking durability, and you miss whether change actually lasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Metrics That Matter<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Generation doesn’t just count graduates; we track transformation. Here’s what our data reveals that helps us continue to refine and improve our programs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who We Serve<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

What are the characteristics of the learners we serve at Generation? 52% are female, 28% have dependents, 72% don’t have a university degree, and 90% were unemployed when they joined our programs<\/a>, with over half unemployed for six months or longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are talented individuals who are seeking an opportunity to transform their lives and those of their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employment Outcomes That Last<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

76% of graduates are employed within six months of program completion, rising to 83% at six months<\/a>. These are not quick wins \u2013 they represent reliable livelihoods and a sustainable path to a living wage: two to five years after graduation, 76% of our alumni remain employed, 70% are in high-quality jobs (defined by wage, job stability, purpose and belonging), 71% can meet their daily needs, and 56% <\/a>are earning a living wage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s not just job placement, that’s the foundation for economic mobility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our graduates have earned $1.9 billion in cumulative wages<\/a> since 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generation yields an 8:1 ROI, generating $8 in wages over 5 years for every $1 invested in our programs. When you invest in Generation, you’re not funding training. You’re funding transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employer Validation<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

87% of employers would hire Generation graduates again<\/a>. And, 79% of employed graduates hired in the last 12 months were hired by repeat employers<\/a> who’ve worked with Generation before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employers see the value that our talented graduates bring to their teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Independent Validation: Third-Party Impact Assessment<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Generation doesn’t just measure our own success; we seek independent third-party evaluations that help us assess our impact so we can continue to improve. We’ve partnered with independent research institutions and academics to conduct rigorous evaluations across multiple countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mathematica Studies<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n