Social impact ratio.

Social Return on Investment (SROI) calculator measures social value created per pound invested. 100,000 investment helping 200 beneficiaries with 2,000 lifetime value each = 400,000 social value. SROI = 4:1. Standard impact investing metric translating outcomes into financial terms for cost-benefit analysis.

Example: 100,000 invested in employment programme. 200 beneficiaries gain employment. Lifetime earnings boost 2,000 per person × 1.5 SROI multiplier (capturing wider benefits like health, family) = 600,000 social value. SROI = 6:1. For every 1 invested, 6 of social value created. Strong impact metric.

SROI methodology: (1) Map stakeholders affected. (2) Identify outcomes (positive and negative). (3) Value outcomes in financial terms (proxy values). (4) Establish counterfactual (what would have happened anyway). (5) Calculate SROI ratio. Used by impact investors, charities, social enterprises, government programmes. Strong SROI: 3:1+. Excellent: 5:1+. Below 1:1: programme destroying value. Always cite assumptions transparently - SROI calculations subjective without clear methodology.

Run it with sensible defaults

Using investment amount of 100,000, beneficiaries count of 200, lifetime value per beneficiary of 2,000, sroi multiplier of 1.5, the calculation works out to 6.00:1. Nudge the inputs toward your own situation and the output recalculates instantly. The defaults are meant as a starting point, not a recommendation.

The levers in this calculation

The inputs — Investment Amount, Beneficiaries Count, Lifetime Value per Beneficiary, and SROI Multiplier — do not pull with equal force. Not every input has equal weight. Flip one at a time toward extreme values to feel which ones move the needle most for your situation.

How the math works

SROI = total social value (beneficiaries × value × multiplier) / investment. The working is transparent — you can verify every step yourself in the formula section below. No black box, no opaque "proprietary model".

Using this well

Treat the output as one point on a wider map. Run it three times — a pessimistic case, a central case, and a stretch case — and plan against the pessimistic one. That habit alone separates people who stick with an investment plan from those who bail at the first wobble.

What this doesn't capture

Steady-rate math ignores real-world volatility. Actual returns are lumpy; sequence-of-returns risk matters most in drawdown; fees and taxes drag on compound growth; and behaviour changes in drawdowns can reduce outcomes below the projection. Treat the number as one scenario, not a forecast.