Impact Reporting

The guide explains the logic behind the oikos Chapter Impact Reporting and serves as a navigating tool for chapters to be able to review and present their initiatives through the new lens.

Currently collecting Chapter Impact Reports for the first half of the 2026 (Jan-Jun).

Deadline: passed Still accepting responses!

SUBMIT!

Why does Chapter Impact Reporting matter?

Imagine how much greater our collective impact could be if chapters around the world moved in the same direction.

Chapter Impact Reporting helps oikos International understand what chapters are doing, identify emerging trends, and tell the story of the impact created across the network.

It also helps chapters themselves. The framework supports strategic thinking, initiative design, and community building, making it easier to learn from one another and align efforts across oikos.

"Imagine how greater of the impact we could create, if we all moved towards the same direction." — Patricija, Co-President of oikos International

What will oikos do with the data?

Your reports help us understand the collective impact of the network.

We use the information to:

• Identify trends, themes, and leverage points across chapters.

• Track outputs and outcomes at the network level.

• Learn what kinds of initiatives create the greatest impact.

• Share inspiring examples and good practices.

Selected initiatives may also be featured in:

• The oikos International website.

• Social media channels.

• Case collections.

• Annual reports and publications.

What does Chapter Impact Report consist of?

Basics

• Name of the Initiative (share both internal & external initiatives)

• Short Description (2-3 sentences)

• Picture(s)!

Intent & Design

• What was the main intent of the initiative?

• What topic(s) does it relate to?

• What did you want to reach or involve?

• Who did you collaborate with?

Outcomes & Impact

• Approximately how many people participated / were reached?

• What was the most significant change you observed?

• What feedback did you receive from participants/partners?

• What ripple effects did you notice? (e.g. follow-up actions, collaborations, policy changes, course redesigns, etc.?)

• If you could describe your initiative's impact in one sentence, what would it be?

• oikos Thematic Pillars (see explanation below)

• Cross-Level Impact (see explanation below)

Connecting with oikos Global Community

• How has oikos International supported or enabled your chapter’s impact this year?

• What has changed in your chapter because of being part of oikos International?

• In one sentence — how would you describe the impact oikos International creates for your chapter?

Impact Isn't Always Where You First Look

Internal vs. External Initiatives

Not every initiative changes the world overnight. Some strengthen the chapter itself, while others influence the wider community. Both matter.

Internal Initiatives

Internal initiatives strengthen the chapter and its members.

Think about:

• Team development – How did the initiative strengthen collaboration, coordination, or member engagement?

• Motivation – Why did the chapter decide to undertake this activity?

• Learning and improvement – What worked well? What could be improved next time?

• Skills and processes – What new capacities, systems, or ways of working emerged?

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External Initiatives

External initiatives influence people and systems beyond the chapter.

Consider:

• Community building – Did the initiative strengthen relationships with partners or stakeholders?

• Feedback and testimonials – How did participants experience the initiative? Did it change their thinking?

• Influence – Did oikos contribute to conversations, decisions, or agendas in the university, city, or community?

• Resource building – Were new partnerships, funding opportunities, or support systems created?

• Vision and future-building – What long-term changes does your chapter hope to contribute to?

Tangible and Intangible Outputs

Some results are easy to count. Others are harder to measure, but just as important.

Tangible Outputs

Concrete results that can usually be measured.

Examples:

• People reached – Participants, attendees, or audience members.

• New connections – Relationships with individuals, organisations, or institutions.

• Hot contacts – Connections with strong partnership potential.

• Future partnerships – Agreements or collaborations for future work.

• Representation – Opportunities where oikos had a seat at the table.

• Funding secured – Financial support or resources obtained.

• Hard skills developed – Facilitation, project management, research, financial modelling, and similar competencies.

• Mentoring and support systems – Relationships with alumni, faculty, professionals, or peer chapters.

• Business and organisational engagement – Companies and organisations actively involved in the initiative.

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Intangible Outputs

Changes that are harder to quantify, but often create lasting impact.

Examples:

• Chapter identity – A stronger sense of who the chapter is and what it stands for.

• Capacity building – Increased ability to take on larger or more ambitious projects.

• Soft skills – Communication, collaboration, empathy, and conflict navigation.

• Leadership development – Members taking initiative and growing as changemakers.

• Transformative learning – New ways of thinking, questioning, and understanding systems.

• New knowledge created – Insights and ideas that emerged through the initiative.

• Students leading change in business and economics – People acting differently because of experiences made possible by your chapter.

oikos Impact Framework

After various attempts of finding ideal oikos Impact Framework, we have currently landed on this one. The framework can help guide the reflection of your chapter work, and help oikos find collective narrative of the work that we do.

Overarching Question

Everything that we do aims to answer one question...

How can students lead change in business and economics?

oikos Thematic Pillars

Thematic pillars capture the main areas of change that our initiatives aim to advance. They help us understand what issues and opportunities our collective efforts are addressing.

Business & Economics

Reimagining economic systems and business models to serve people, planet, and long-term well-being rather than extraction and profit alone.

oikos stands for:

• Regenerative and responsible economic systems

• Challenging extractive business models

• Business as a force for societal and ecological well-being

• Systems thinking and long-term value creation

• Critical thinking around dominant economic and business paradigms

• Human-centered and planet-centered approaches to prosperity

Education

Transforming higher education to cultivate responsible leaders, systems thinkers, and active changemakers.

oikos stands for:

• Education beyond exams and credentials

• Learning rooted in purpose, curiosity, and real-world impact

• Integrating regenerative knowledge and practices into curricula

• Student co-creation and participatory learning

• Developing agency, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary thinking

• Universities as drivers of systemic transformation

Youth Leadership

Empowering young people with the agency, courage, and community needed to drive systemic change.

oikos stands for:

• Leadership rooted in responsibility and collaboration

• High agency and initiative-taking

• Youth as active shapers of the future

• Building strong and values-driven communities

• Developing practical changemaking skills

• Collective impact over individual achievement

Regeneration

From sustainability to regeneration. Moving beyond minimizing harm toward actively restoring the relationships between people, planet, and systems.

oikos stands for:

• Regenerative futures and economies

• Living in harmony with nature, community, and self

• Systems change rather than surface-level fixes

• Imagining and redesigning the future

• Long-term thinking and interconnectedness

• Creating systems that restore, renew, and evolve positively

Cross-Level Impact

Cross-level impact recognizes that change rarely happens in just one place. A single initiative can create effects across multiple levels, from individuals to institutions and wider systems. Looking at impact across levels helps us understand the broader ripple effects of our work and identify where meaningful change is taking place.

Individual

Changes in people's (chapter members or participants) knowledge, skills, mindsets, confidence, or leadership capacity.

Example: Participants gained facilitation skills and felt more confident leading sustainability initiatives.

Chapter & Community

Strengthening relationships, collaboration, belonging, and collective learning within the chapter and its community.

Example: The project brought together members from different faculties and increased chapter engagement.

Organizational

Strengthening the chapter itself through improved structures, governance, processes, strategy, or team capacity. This level focuses on building a resilient and effective organization.

Example: The chapter introduced a new onboarding process that improved member retention.

Educational & Institutional

Influencing teaching approaches, curricula, university policies, or relationships with academic institutions.

Example: Faculty members incorporated systems thinking into an existing course.

City & Place

Creating positive change within the local community, city, or region through partnerships and civic engagement.

Example: Students collaborated with local organizations to support a community garden.

Business & Industry

Influencing the way businesses create value by engaging with companies, professionals, entrepreneurs, OR by developing new ventures that embody alternative business models.

Example: Chapter members launched a student-led consultancy promoting circular business practices.

Network

Building connections and collaboration across chapters or with international organizations and movements.

Example: The initiative was co-created with several oikos chapters or with oikos International.

Systems

Addressing root causes and contributing to broader changes in how education, business, or society operate. System-level impact often emerges when changes at different levels reinforce one another and lead to new ways of organizing, collaborating, or defining success.

Example: A series of initiatives and collaborations established sustainability and regenerative thinking as a regular part of conversations across the university and local ecosystem.

Get Ready to Submit!

• Prepare your data: Have participant numbers, photos, quotes, and any relevant information ready. Gathering them afterwards is much harder.

• Let the initiative lead complete the report: The person closest to the project understands its purpose, challenges, and outcomes best.

• Submit one initiative per form: Each initiative has its own goals and impact. Reporting them separately makes learning and evaluation much easier.

• Include both numbers and stories: Quantitative data tells us how much. Qualitative insights tell us why it mattered.

• Dedicate approximately 15mins per initiative: Don't aim for perfection, impact reporting is a learning tool, not an exam. Focus on capturing what happened and what you learned.

Currently collecting Chapter Impact Reports for the first half of the 2026 (Jan-Jun).

Deadline: passed

Still accepting responses!

Ready? SUBMIT!