# Impact Measurement Karma includes built-in impact measurement features that help **program operators** and **grantees** track, verify, and communicate the real-world impact of funded projects. The system is inspired by the **Common Impact Data Standard (**[**CIDS**](https://www.commonapproach.org/common-impact-data-standard)**)**, a widely used framework for structuring impact around **outputs**, **outcomes**, and **indicators**.\ Karma adapts these ideas into a **practical, onchain-native workflow** suitable for web3 programs. ### Core Concepts Before configuring impact measurement, it’s important to understand the core concepts used in Karma. #### Activities **Activities** describe what was *directly produced* by a project using the funding it received. Examples: * Code written * Features shipped * Research completed * Events organized Activities answer the question: > *“What did the grantee actually do?”* *** #### Outcomes **Outcomes** describe the *change or effect* that resulted from those outputs. Examples: * Increased network usage * Improved developer adoption * Economic growth * Environmental or social change Outcomes answer the question: > *“Why did those outputs matter?”* *** #### Indicators In Karma, the **metrics used to measure outputs and outcomes are called Indicators**. Indicators can be: * **Predefined** (automatically tracked by Karma) * **Custom** (manually reported by grantees) Indicators make impact measurable, comparable, and verifiable. *** ### Example: Activities, Outcomes, and Indicators Imagine you fund a project to build an onchain application. **Activity**\ Developer activity in your ecosystem **Activity Indicators** * GitHub commits * Pull requests merged **Outcome**\ Increased economic activity in the network **Outcome Indicators** * Number of transactions * Total Value Locked (TVL) This separation allows you to clearly see: * What work was done (outputs) * What change that work created (outcomes) ### Step-by-Step: Setting Up Impact Measurement #### Step 1: Categorize Funded Projects Programs often fund **many different types of projects**, and impact indicators are rarely one-size-fits-all.\ The first step is to categorize your projects. **How to do this** 1. Go to **Categories** in your admin dashboard
2. Click **Add Category and** add one or more categories (e.g. *Developer Tools*, *Infrastructure*, *Community*, *Research*) 3. Assign one or more categories to each funded project
> Categories determine which outputs, outcomes, and indicators are available later. #### Step 2: Define Activities, Outcomes, and Indicators Once categories are set up, you can define how impact is measured for each category. **How to do this** 1. Go to **Impact Measurement** page from admin dashboard 2. Select a **Category** 3. Add **Activities by clicking on Create Activity/Outcome button**
4. Choose a name and description (this will be displayed on impact dashboard on your community page)
5. Assign i**ndicators** from the dropdown by using the toggle**.**
6. If an indicator is not found, you can Add new custom indicator
7. Save the Activity 8. Repeat the same to add more activities or outcomes **Using Predefined Indicators** If you select a **predefined indicator**, Karma will automatically pull the data. Examples: * GitHub Commits, PRs merged * Onchain Txns **What grantees must do** * Link their GitHub repositories * Link relevant smart contracts Karma handles the data collection once links are provided. **Using Custom Indicators** If no predefined indicator fits your needs, you can create a **custom indicator**. Examples: * Number of workshops conducted * Partnerships formed * Users onboarded offchain **How it works** * Grantees manually input values * Data is submitted as part of project updates or milestone completion This gives you flexibility without losing structure. #### Step 3: View Impact at the Community Level Once impact measurement is configured and grantees begin reporting, you can view aggregated impact data. **How to do this** 1. Go to **Community Page** 2. Open the **Impact** tab Here you can see: * Activity metrics across projects * Outcomes generated by the program * Indicator values over time
*** ### How Grantees Report Impact When grantees: * Post project updates * Complete milestones They are prompted to: 1. Select relevant **Indicators** 2. Enter or confirm indicator values 3. Submit supporting context where required This ensures impact data is: * Collected continuously * Tied to real project activity * Comparable across projects and rounds *** ### Best Practices for Program Operators * **Keep indicators simple**: Fewer, high-signal metrics are better than many vague ones * **Separate outputs and outcomes clearly**: Avoid mixing activity with impact * **Reuse categories across programs/rounds**: This enables longitudinal analysis * **Default to predefined indicators where possible**: They reduce reporting burden and improve data quality ### Summary Karma’s impact measurement system allows you to: * Structure impact using industry-standard concepts * Automatically track onchain and offchain activity * Collect comparable, auditable data from grantees * Generate clear impact narratives for funders and stakeholders Impact measurement is not just reporting — it’s how programs learn, improve, and earn trust. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.gap.karmahq.xyz/how-to-guides/for-grant-managers/impact-measurement.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.