The Social Impact Pledge asks organisations across Scotland to commit to increasing their social impact by making a public commitment to change their current operations or policies. In 2025-26 we are emphasising the Social Impact Pledges potential as a way to promote and encourage volunteering.

In their Social Impact Pledges, organisations should commit to something they are not doing currently and haven’t done before. They can make up to three commitments as part of their pledge.

It can be as simple as giving time to employees for volunteering, or increasing opportunities for volunteering within your own organisation. Social Impact Pledges can be as creative and as ambitious you like, so long as the focus is on increasing your positive impact on people and communities.

What is ‘social impact’?

Social impact can be difficult to define. It is often understood as the effects on people and communities that happen as a result of an action, activity, project, programme or policy.

A common way to think about social impact is to consider it as the change that happens for/to people as a result of an action or activity.

In this context, social impact is about the positive contribution that public bodies and other public sector organisations can make to the local communities in which they operate.

You can find out more about social impact and how to measure it on our Evidencing Impact page.


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