Understanding impact: this is how to make cultural value visible
Measuring impact in the cultural sector goes beyond simply ticking off subsidy requirements. It gives you insight into what your work means to visitors, participants, and society. By measuring your impact systematically, you can better see what works, why it works, and where you can make adjustments. In this article, you can read about how to measure impact, which methods you can use, and why it helps you as a creator or cultural organization.
Why measure impact?
Impact measurement offers you the opportunity to confirm that you are on the right track, to identify bottlenecks, and to convincingly communicate your social significance. You can use the results to build support, inform your network, and engage or justify to financiers. By making your impact visible, you not only show what you do, but more importantly, why it matters. It gives direction to your choices and makes the added value of your work or organization concrete and shareable.
📖 Reading tip: Storytellers, not salespeople by Ken Veerman is an accessible and inspiring book for cultural professionals who want to formulate their mission more clearly and communicate meaningfully with their audience.
Two steps to making and measuring impact
Impact does not happen by itself. It starts with telling the story of your organization or practice: what drives you, what makes you unique, what do you want to achieve? That requires reflection, self-knowledge, and the courage to clearly formulate your mission. Once you have a clear story, the second step follows: measurement. This means looking at the results of your activities, collecting and analyzing data, and making plans to increase your impact in the future. In this way, you work cyclically and consciously to create a practice that is both meaningful and visible.
Self-awareness as the basis for impact
As a cultural organization or creator, you are mission-driven. You work based on values, beliefs, and a desire to make a difference. That makes your practice fundamentally different from that of a traditional company. Your mission is your compass, and it is essential to know that mission well and be able to articulate it. By sharing your story authentically, you build trust, recognition, and connection with your audience and partners. That is the basis on which you can increase your impact, not by selling, but by sharing what you stand for.
Why this approach works
Certain strategies help you to strengthen your mission-driven practice and gain a better understanding of your impact. Together, they form a personal and workable approach to measuring and increasing your impact:
- Writing a thoughtful and authentic story makes it clear why your work matters.
- Daring to ask for help and building networks connects you with others and opens up new opportunities.
- Creating a sense of exclusivity strengthens the bond with your audience.
- Preserving valuable elements while remaining open to change makes you resilient.
- Determining an appropriate pricing strategy helps to position your value.
- Actively learning from feedback and audience interaction ensures growth and relevance.
💡 Tip: Start small. Choose one project or activity to start with and see what impact you can already measure. Use what you learn to further develop your approach.
This is why you measure impact
Although measuring impact starts with setting goals, it's not just about numbers. It's also a form of storytelling: a way to make your mission, choices, and effects visible. A good story includes context, obstacles, and learning experiences. That's what makes it credible. By listening, learning, and sharing, you connect your story with evidence of impact. This creates impact in relation: between your mission and the people you touch with it.
Learn to measure impact!
Want to get started yourself? In this intensive "pressure cooker" training, you will discover how to make your desired impact measurable and visible. Not as an after-the-fact accountability exercise, but as a clear narrative that shows what you stand for:
