To measure the immeasurable – or communicate the measurable?

Purpose The lack of clarity regarding the benefits generated by social enterprises is widely assumed to constrain their potential. Consequently, social impact measurement has emerged as a central concern within the field of social entrepreneurship. Despite the proliferation of models and frameworks, adoption remains limited, largely due to their complexity. The purpose of this paper is to examine persistent challenges associated with social impact measurement and to propose a new approach that enables small social enterprises to strengthen their management practices to secure funding, enhance social impact and ensure long term sustainability. Design/methodology/approach The empirical foundation comprises two data collections conducted six years apart, encompassing 114 social enterprises across five countries. Findings The results show that only a minority of respondents systematically measure the value of their activities, and that progress over time has been negligible, despite the widely acknowledged importance of impact assessment. Practical implications The approach requires an understanding of the value creation process and a systematic collection of outcome-related data. Business support organisations can play a pivotal role in advising social enterprises on effectively communicating social value. Originality/value The paper introduces a learning-oriented framework that emphasises the communication of social value and is designed to be applicable even for resource-constrained social enterprises.