How the Common Impact Data Standard Relates to Other Data Standards

Abstract

The Common Impact Data Standard provides a way to exchange information about impact by Social Purpose Organizations using open Web standards. If it is to be broadly accepted, it must communicate information in formats that are useful to its main audiences.

In practice, that means that the Common Impact Data Standard must be well situated among the standards that are used by funders, donors and other major stakeholders. Well-designed standards incorporate, extend, or complement other standards to increase functionality and minimize effort.

This paper identifies data standards that are relevant to the Common Impact Data Standard and recommends several that the Common Approach should incorporate or complement.

Specifically, this paper recommends that the Common Approach take the following steps:

- Add data quality elements to the Common Impact Data Standard that can address fundamental issues of credibility and accuracy.
- Demonstrate detailed and relevant examples of the Common Impact Data Standard in formats that are used by potential users so that they can understand how it works and how it can benefit them.
- Ask funders and donors to adopt the use of the Common Impact Data Standard as the reporting (exchange) standard from fundees.
- Apply for, and secure, web standard status from schema.org and W3C.
- Identify key codelists and extensions that would encourage broader adoption and aggregation.

Keywords: evaluation, standard metadata, nonprofits, impact measurement