Social Finance Fund
Social Finance Fund resources for SPOs
If your social purpose organization (SPO) has received investment through the Government of Canada’s Social Finance Fund (SFF), the following resources will help you meet the SFF data collection requirements.
What do SPOs need to know?
Social purpose organizations—enterprises, charities, nonprofits, and businesses with a social mission—that receive investment through the Government of Canada’s Social Finance Fund (SFF) are required to report specific information about their organization and impact using Common Approach’s Common Impact Data Standard.
- Organization profile: Basic information about your organization (e.g. name, contact info, sector, population served, etc.).
- Social-Equity Lens Investment assessment (SELI): A self-assessment tool that asks about how your organization contributes to social and gender equity.
- Demographic data on your management team and board: High-level demographic information for board members and senior leaders.
- Your impact framework: A structured way to describe the changes your organization is working toward (outcomes) and how you measure them (indicators), and how these connect to broader goals such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Indicator report: The space to enter your actual results for the indicators you are tracking.
For SPOs that do not currently have a dedicated impact data system and want a simple and free way to track and share the data required by the SFF with their investor or funder, Common Approach created the SPO reporting template. The template will help SPOs get started with structured impact reporting as part of their participation in the SFF. Learn more about the template here.
For SPOs that do have a dedicated impact data system and want to use it to share the data required by the SFF with their investor or funder, book a meeting with the SFF team at Common Approach to introduce us to your system!
The first things you need to know
SPOs who receive funding from a social finance intermediary (SFI) as part of the Social Finance Fund need to be sure they understand what information they will need to report to their SFI to meet SFF requirements.
Read “An introductory guide to Social Finance Fund data reporting for social purpose organizations (SPO)” for an overview of the data collection requirements of the SFF, and what you need to do to ensure you are able to meet them.
Complete the short “Wayfinder questionnaire” to gain a clear picture of your impact measurement & management stage, alongside tailored recommendations for cohort programs, coaching, and tools to help you prepare for SFF data reporting.
📝 Complete the questionnaire →
Use the “Common Impact Data Standard implementation checklist and reporting timeline for SPOs in the SFF” to help you effectively prepare for SFF 2025 year-end reporting. It provides clear timelines and a consolidated list of the essential resources, tools, and supports available to you—so you know exactly what to do, when to do it, and where to find what you need.
Read “Impact measurement and management (IMM) support for the Social Finance Fund,” which outlines the free IMM support and resources available to SPOs and SFIs participating in the SFF, including tools, guidance, and hands-on support to help meet SFF reporting requirements and enhance IMM practices.
Finding the right data reporting tool for emerging SPOs
SPOs will be required to use the Common Impact Data Standard. All you need to do to “use” the Data Standard is to use a tool that is aligned. The resources below will help emerging organizations— those starting from little to no existing data infrastructure—identify aligned tools that meet both SFF requirements and practical operational needs.
Before exploring software options, Social Finance Fund investees should consider using the SPO reporting template, a ready-to-use spreadsheet aligned with the Data Standard. Combined with the Impact Data Converter, this is the fastest and easiest way to prepare and share your data for SFF reporting.
Consider using the SFF reporting template to collect and structure data in a way that already aligns with the Common Impact Data Standard. Paired with the Impact Data Converter, you can easily transform your completed spreadsheet into an impact data capsule for your SFI or wholesaler.
🗂 Learn more & access the template →
Review “Software aligned with the Common Impact Data Standard” for details on software already aligned or in the process of aligning with the Data Standard. These details include features and approximate cost.
For software demonstrations from aligned developers, watch the “Meet the Aligned Software” video series.
Read the article “Choosing the right measurement software” for key takeaways on choosing software as an SPO and what Common Approach is doing to help, based on learnings from the Pathfinder Pilot.
Watch “Common Impact Data Standard demo – import and export” for examples of importing and exporting data with the Common Impact Data Standard using aligned software or data utility.
Aligning data reporting tools for established orgs
If you are already using software or another data utility, these resources will help you align your existing tool(s) with the Common Impact Data Standard with minimal adjustments, so you can continue using what you have while meeting SFF requirements.
Read “How to ensure your software meets Social Finance Fund requirements,” a guide to working with your software provider or administrator to ensure the tool you are using meets SFF requirements.
Watch “Common Impact Data Standard demo – import and export” for examples of importing and exporting data with the Common Impact Data Standard using aligned software or data utility.
Additional background materials and resources
- FAQ – Data collection and reporting for the Government of Canada’s Social Finance Fund: this document is a general-purpose overview of the types of data that you may be asked to collect and report as part of the Government of Canada’s Social Finance Fund.
- Common Impact Data Standard (v.21) Basic Tier Definitions: A mini-glossary of the terms used in the Data Standard, to help funders and investees better understand what data an aligned software can store and report at the Basic Tier.
- What Common Approach adds to the IMM ecosystem: Learn more about what Common Approach is and is not, related to the impact measurement and management (IMM) ecosystem.
- Introduction to the Common Impact Data Standard: A non-technical overview of the Data Standard, its benefits, and what you need to know to “use” it as a social purpose organization.
- Coursera course—Impact measurement and management for the SDGs: Developed with UNDP SDG Impact and CASE at Duke University, this free course covers how to improve your organization’s practice of impact measurement and management and align your ESG or impact activities and reporting with emerging global standards.