"Lean Data is an approach to impact measurement developed by Acumen. The approach involves two main elements: A shift in mindset away from reporting and compliance and toward creating value for a company and its customers; and the use of methods and technologies for data collection that emphasize efficiency and rapid response while still achieving a sufficient degree of rigor. This document is designed to serve as a field guide to help you conduct Lean Data projects. It is meant to be practical and action oriented."

"This report reviews the state of measurement as of 2014 in two types of organizations that directly support small and growing businesses (SGBs) - impact investors and capacity development providers. Using a mixed-methods approach, ANDE collected data and interviewed over 30 organizations across these two categories, and analyzed key trends in measurement practice."

"This report proposes a new segmentation framework to help financial service providers, enterprises, donors, limited partners (LPs), and field-building organizations understand and navigate the complex landscape of SGB investment in frontier and emerging markets. The segmentation framework we propose uniquely integrates a number of approaches often used independently, but rarely in concert with each other. Our methodology combined perspectives from leading SGB investors on how they segment the market; analysis of enterprise-level quantitative data from multiple SGB investors; and behavioral analysis of entrepreneurs using human-centered design techniques. We focus on enterprises with five to 250 employees and financing needs ranging from $20,000 to $2 million. We include both impact-oriented and traditional, “bread-and-butter” enterprises within the scope of this study. We do not include enterprises that are informal or are unlikely to embark on a path of formalization, due to their limited growth prospects and the major difficulties financial service providers face in serving them."

"The Navigating Impact project was created by the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) to help investors select impact strategies and adopt metrics that indicate performance toward their goals. Created in consultation with industry experts, impact investors, and standards setters, the Navigating Impact project provides an on-ramp to setting and streamlining impact strategies."

"The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) has provided a gender portal as part of their Navigating Impact Project. This portal collects specific strategies around measurement around various gender issues."

"The Outcomes Matrix provides a useful starting point for you to consider the social impact that you are trying to deliver and how you will measure it. This tool includes outcomes and measures for nine outcome areas and 15 beneficiary groups."

"This new guide provides corporations and their suppliers with a deeper understanding of the barriers and challenges preventing women-owned businesses from accessing and fully participating in local and global values chains. It provides the tools and techniques for reducing or eliminating these barriers and for leveraging the vast untapped economic potential represented by women-owned businesses. For many women, entrepreneurship offers a path to economic empowerment and it is incumbent upon corporations to help create conditions that permit this.

This guide is intended to support signatories of the Women's Empowerment Principles, which UN Women and UN Global Compact jointly promulgate, to take action on Principle 5: Implement enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices that empower women. Corporations are well positioned to promote gender equality and empower women in their workplaces, in their communities and through their purchasing policies and practices."

"All corporations seek to differentiate themselves and look for new ways to create value. But, how does an organization change the way it does business? This guide addresses three key questions: 1) What is the business benefit and why should my business consider alternative options in its innovation and investment strategy? 2) What steps can I take to begin the process of designing our corporate innovation and investment strategy so that it creates positive outcomes? 3) Who can I work with to make this happen and what forms of collaboration exist in the market that I can learn from?"

"The Middlebury Institute's Center for Social Impact Learning in partnership with SVT Group report offers a shortcut to practical information about how impact investors are tracking and reporting their social and environmental impact today. The report also includes advice from impact investors to those new to the field, and summarizes the history of impact investing, key terms and concepts in impact measurement, and trends, and provides a practical guide to the most relevant publications."

"This report is primarily written for business and its role in supporting education and the SDGs. It is also meant to support the education community and other organisations with a stake in advancing education and training for sustainable development. The report shares a selection of good practice examples and insights that are intended to help raise awareness, spark new ideas and inspire more opportunities for collaboration."