The 2021 SIMNA Award Winners and Runners Up were announced on Wednesday 8 December, in an online gathering of Australia’s social impact measurement community.
Held annually by the Social Impact Measurement Network of Australia (SIMNA), the SIMNA Awards celebrate the many pioneering organisations and ground-breaking initiatives that are seeking to achieve the best possible outcomes for our communities and the environment.
Sponsored by the Australian Government Department of Social Services (DSS), the Awards Ceremony brought together a wonderful mix of practitioners, policy makers, academics, researchers, social impact funders and investors to celebrate both the diversity and the central importance of this work.
In the first hour, Panellists Aden Date, Arts, Media and Social Impact Specialist, Angela Vurens van Ens, Director Community Impact and Analysis at Lotterywest and Russ Wood, Co-Founder and Director of the Latitude Network entertained the audience with their views and lively exchanges. They reflected on the emerging argument that impact measurement results in wasted resources, compromised efforts and a rise in poor and even misleading methods of demonstrating impact, amongst other topics.
Senator the Honourable Anne Ruston, Minister for Families and Social Services also delivered a welcome message, referencing the future of impact investing in Australia and acknowledging the achievements of this year’s 17 Finalists as well as the social impact sector as a whole.
Winners and Runners-Up were announced across the following SIMNA Award categories:
Excellence in Social Impact Measurement Award, sponsored by Spark Strategy
- Joint Winner: Hireup for ‘Hireup Social Impact Measurement’
Prior to the introduction of the NDIS, people with disability had little control over their home care and support. Hireup technology enables people with disability to find, hire and manage their own support workers. Hireup is the largest online network of support workers in Australia and is an NDIS registered provider.
- Joint Winner: Uniting NSW.ACT for ‘SHS 360-Degree Outcomes Measurement’
SHS is the primary response of the NSW government to homelessness and supports people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.
- Runner-Up: Deloitte Access Economics for ‘SROI of the National Community Hubs Program’
Community Hubs Australia (CHA) has been operating the National Community Hubs Program (NCHP) since 2013. The NCHP’s objective is to engage newly arrived communities at risk of limited access to social services and economic independence.
Watch the Finalists’ video pitches here: https://youtu.be/1HMSHaukT6s
Innovation in Social Impact Measurement Award, sponsored by Urbis
- Winner: Uniting NSW.ACT for ‘SHS 360-Degree Outcomes Measurement’
SHS is the primary response of the NSW government to homelessness and supports people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.
- Runner-Up: Clear Horizon for ‘Connected Beginnings integrated measurement and reporting solution’
Connected Beginnings commenced in 2016 and provides $12 million funding per year across 24 communities. The program aims to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children through a collective impact approach, which brings people together in a structured way to achieve community-led social change.
Watch the Finalists’ video pitches here: https://youtu.be/0grdEJHVnTY
Outstanding Collaboration in Social Impact Measurement Award, sponsored by SVA Consulting
- Winner: Barang Regional Alliance Ltd. for Ngiyang Wayama Data Network
Ngiyang Wayama is a Darkinyung Aboriginal language word (meaning ‘We All Tell’) which has been generously gifted to the Central Coast Aboriginal Data Network. Ngiyang Wayama talks to the objectives of the data network to empower the Central Coast Aboriginal community to be able to tell their story and define their needs through increased access to, and capability to manage data.
- Runner-Up: Clear Horizon for ‘Connected Beginnings integrated measurement and reporting solution’
Connected Beginnings commenced in 2016 and provides $12 million funding per year across 24 communities. The program aims to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children through a collective impact approach, which brings people together in a structured way to achieve community-led social change.
Watch the Finalists’ video pitches here: https://youtu.be/fUR8eDxibOY
Leading Funder in Social Impact Measurement Award, sponsored by Our Community
- Winner: Equity Trustees for ‘Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project’
The Lighthouse is a community-led initiative improving wellbeing and educational outcomes for young people from conception to career in Greater Shepparton. Lighthouse was established in response to community concern about childhood outcomes and disadvantage. Lighthouse uses collective impact, place-based approaches to innovate.
- Runner-Up: Ecstra Foundation for ‘Ecstra Financial Wellbeing Outcomes Tool’
Ecstra Foundation (Ecstra) is a philanthropic grant making organisation, committed to building the financial wellbeing of all Australians, within a fair financial system. Financial wellbeing (FWB) is being able to talk about money, to make informed decisions about money and to feel financially secure.
Watch the Finalists’ video pitches here: https://youtu.be/6Wiu7uoHytc
As 2021 SIMNA Awards Media Sponsor, Humans of Purpose will produce and release a podcast episode with each category Winner in early 2022, to showcase their work to their audience of 6,000 monthly listeners.
Simon Faivel, SIMNA Chair and Director of SVA Consulting said:
The SIMNA Awards enable the Australian social impact sector to celebrate the very best of current impact measurement thinking and practice.
To our Winners and Runners-Up, congratulations! Listening to you describe the ways in which you are measuring social change, I am struck by the passion, drive, commitment, and thoughtfulness that you bring to your impact measurement practice. I look forward to learning more about your work.
To those that didn’t take home an award this year, do not be disheartened. Your work is still amongst some of the best in the country!
My sincere thanks to our sponsors for making the SIMNA Awards possible, in particular the Australian Government, Department of Social Services (DSS), Our Community, SVA Consulting, Urbis, Spark Strategy, Lendlease and Humans of Purpose.
The 2021 SIMNA Awards Ceremony will be available on SIMNA’s YouTube channel soon!
Notes
Organised annually by the Social Impact Measurement Network of Australia (SIMNA), the SIMNA Awards recognise the leaders in Australian social impact measurement. For the full list of shortlisted 2021 Finalists please visit the SIMNA website: https://simna.com.au/simna-awards-2021-meet-the-finalists/
SIMNA exists to rapidly connect the ideas, people and resources that will drive positive social and environmental impact into the core of organisations and decisions.For more information on the SIMNA Awards, please contact admin@simna.com.au.