Ryan Miemczyk
@ryanmiemczyk.bsky.social
ONS Accredited Researcher | Founder of imd2025.co.uk & theimpactlab.co.uk | Director of Research @ Trust Impact | Chair @ ManchesterYoungLives | Deputy Chair @ YMCAManchester | I help charities measure the important stuff https://linktr.ee/ryanmiemczyk
Funders want robust evidence of impact. But they often won't fund the infrastructure that makes robust evidence possible. Let's talk about that. 🧵
🧵 I built an interactive data dashboard on Love It or List It UK because apparently that's how I spend my time now.
Stuck with unrealistic evaluation asks? DM me. I help charities design evaluations that actually work for their budget and context. #SocialImpact #CharityData #ImpactMeasurement
The best evaluation matches your resources. A well-designed survey beats a badly-executed RCT every time.
Three approaches that work for small-scale programmes: pre/post with validated tools, contribution analysis, or case-based evidence with clear mechanisms.
What funders actually need isn't a control group. They need confidence that change happened AND that your service caused it.
Here's the reality: RCTs cost £50k+ to run properly. Most small charities have evaluation budgets under £5k. The maths doesn't work.
Your funder wants a control group for your 12-person pilot. This is a real conversation I had last week. 🧵
On my way to London to deliver a workshop with an awesome client. I’ve time to kill before my train home though, so if anyone wants to grab a coffee between 2 and 6pm, drop me a message. x
Most Theory of Change diagrams are just fancy to-do lists. There, I said it. 🧵
A dirty secret in the charity sector: most organisations collect loads of data but can't answer the one question funders care about most — "Did it work?" 🧵
More and more charities I work with appear to be questioning whether delivery is still viable at scale 💭 As costs rise, influencing and systems change can feel like a more sustainable route 📉➡️📣 I have written a short piece reflecting on this. Curious if it resonates 🤔
The Shift Away from Delivery: Why More Charities Are Stepping Back to Push for Systems Change | The Impact Lab
More and more charities that once defined themselves by what they delivered are now stepping back from delivery altogether.
theimpactlab.co.uk
This is super cool (the infographic not the deprivation). ⬇️
Julian@julianlstar.bsky.social · 10mo agoThe recent release of the Index of Multiple Deprivation by UK Gov. allowed me to indulge my twin interests of psephology and demographics. The results a visualisation of the deprivation profiles of the 296 English local authorities. More info here www.opendatamanchester.org.uk/revisiting-p...
Awesome day speaking at the Utilita Giving Conference today. Amazing amounts of energy on display to change the energy sector for the better. Let’s beat #FuelPoverty together. #Charity #ThirdSector #SocialImpact
It’s #FuelPovertyAwarenessDay and too many households are still choosing between heat and essentials ❄️💷 Next Thursday (4th Dec) I’ll be speaking at the 'One Call That’s All' Conference about how data and early intervention can make a real difference 📊🤝 More details about what they are up to here:
One Call, That's All — Utilita Giving
utilitagiving.org
Still buzzing from last Tuesday’s #FutureofSocialImpact2025 Summit. I was incredibly lucky to be joined by some phenomenal guests to present on creating #MeasurementFrameworks that get used and #Data essentials for #SocialImpact. See you all again next year!
Happy UK Budget Day. May your predictions be accurate and your surprises be mild 🤞📊💷 #BudgetDay #Budget2025 #UKEconomy #PolicyWatch
a woman in a black jacket is giving a peace sign .
ALT: a woman in a black jacket is giving a peace sign .
media.tenor.com
Annual trip to the #YouthMattersAwards With the #YMCA. Always an honour to attend. #SocialImpact #LiveData
Worth a quick read if you’re into your data or charity leader: Blog: Making Sense of Change - How Small Charities Can Use IMD 2025 to Target and Tell Their Impact: theimpactlab.co.uk/press/blogs/...
Making Sense of Change: How Small Charities Can Use IMD 2025 to Target and Tell Their Impact
A practical guide for small charities to use IMD 2025, compare with 2019, and target impact.
theimpactlab.co.uk
Checked the postcode for Buckingham Palace on my new IMD2025.co.uk site Apparently, the neighbours could use a little “levelling up.” See how your area’s deprivation scores have changed between 2019 and 2025. 👑📉 #IMD2025 #DataForGood #LevellingUp #UKData #OpenData #Mapping
🇦🇺 A 14-year, 25k strong study found that hopeful adults had higher wellbeing, better health, stronger employment & faster recovery after shocks. 🌱 #Hope as measurable, predictive & essential for understanding #SocialImpact. 📈 #Wellbeing #Charity #Evaluation #Reporting #Impact
Hope and the Life Course: Results From a Longitudinal Study of 25,000 Adults
This paper reports the first large-scale longitudinal links between one of the least known dimensions of wellbeing—hope—and long-term outcomes in a range of life arenas. Hope has agentic properties w....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
🚨 Big change for UK charities! SORP 2026 makes impact reporting part of the Trustees’ Report. You’ll need to show who you reached, what changed, and how you know. Get ready with our quick guide 👇 #SORP2026 #Charity #ImpactReporting
How the Charity SORP 2026 will reshape how UK charities report their work | The Impact Lab
For the first time, impact reporting will become a mandatory element of the Trustees’ Annual Report
theimpactlab.co.uk
After a long day of building, it’s live! 🎉 imd2025.co.uk gives you free tools to explore the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 — maps, lookups & insights for #researchers and small #charities tackling inequality. #IMD2025 #SocialImpact #DataForGood
IMD 2025 Tools | The Impact Lab
IMD mapping and lookup tools for 2025 and 2019. Fast access to postcode and LSOA insights.
imd2025.co.uk
🧵 One of my favourite ideas: The Helsinki Bus Station Theory. It’s about creativity, originality, and the courage to stay on the bus — and it has everything to do with creating lasting social impact. #SocialImpact #Creativity 1/10
Question for the Researchers and Data folks: Should companies be allowed to paywall ONS data (and not share the core results) despite access being granted on condition of 'benefiting the public?' 📊
Buzzing to be leading a couple of breakouts at The Future of Social Impact 🙌 ⚡ How to design impact frameworks that actually get used ⚡ Data essentials for social impact 📅 Tues 18 Nov 🎟️ Tickets almost gone (<30 left) 👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-future...
The Future of Social Impact
Explore what it takes to create real impact. Join us for a day of honest talks, hands-on tools and bold ideas for meaningful change.
eventbrite.co.uk
I’m speaking at the @dsc-charity.bsky.social #GrantsUnlocked2025 conference this Thursday 🎤🚀 I’ll be sharing how to measure & report impact in ways people actually care about. Cool tools + practical tips for charities 🙌 👉 dsc.org.uk/event/grants-unlocked-2025
Grants Unlocked 2025 - Online conference on Thursday 18 September 2025 - Directory of Social Change
Securing grants is more competitive than ever, with increasing demand for funding and shifting priorities from grant-makers. To succeed, charities must refine their approaches, tell compelling stories...
dsc.org.uk
I am speaking at the next @dsc-charity.bsky.social online conference on 'Measuring and Reporting Impact'. I'm going to try and make it as practical as possible so people walk away with some actionable insights. Pre-questions also welcome! Details here: www.dsc.org.uk/event/grants...
Grants Unlocked 2025 - Online conference on Thursday 18 September 2025 - Directory of Social Change
Securing grants is more competitive than ever, with increasing demand for funding and shifting priorities from grant-makers. To succeed, charities must refine their approaches, tell compelling stories...
dsc.org.uk