How to measure ROI when it’s not tied to sales

Just over a year ago, I switched from the corporate to the nonprofit sector, specifically philanthropy.

The Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health) has no products to sell, nor do we accept donations (if you’re interested in where our money comes from, read this).

Because our social media goals are not connected to money flowing into our organization, we have a different kind of ROI.

So why do social media?

A bit of background on us: While there are different kinds of foundations, all have one thing in common. We have select priority areas where we want to make a difference. The mission of CT Health is to improve the health status of people in Connecticut, with a focus on:

We do this through a variety of methods: Strategic grant-making, research and policy briefs, and communications.

Social media allows us to increase our work in each of our priority areas by strengthening relationships with our partners, heightening visibility for our work, and giving us a mechanism for feedback.

What we measure

Despite not needing income from social media, I too need to prove my value to my organization!