The state of social impact reporting in East Africa: a landscape survey
A new landscape survey reveals how East African organizations measure and report social impact — and the gaps holding the system back.
- Report
- All impact sectors
- East Africa
- 2026
Executive summary
Demand for social impact data across East Africa is surging, but the systems to produce it haven’t caught up. This landscape study, co-authored with EAVCA and Strathmore University, offers one of the first cross-sector looks at how organizations actually measure and report impact on the ground, drawing on surveys and interviews with social enterprises, funders, and investors alike.
The findings reveal a system defined not by absence but by imbalance: three structural gaps: Accountability, Adequacy, and Alignment – that no single organization can fix alone. Data flows up to funders, rarely down to communities. Measurement is underfunded. And a patchwork of frameworks makes comparison nearly impossible. The upshot: impact reporting doesn’t have to stay a compliance checkbox. With the right systems, it can become a strategic tool that enables organizations to learn, helps funders allocate capital smarter, and centers the communities in which these organizations serve.
This report was written in collaboration with the East Africa Venture Capital Association (EAVCA), Strathmore University, and Dotline Solutions.
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