ImpactX developed an impact measurement framework for Education NGOs to enable Donors to quantify and compare the impact of each NGO. In other words, to quantify the efficiency of a monetary dollar donation. By comparing the NGO's overall summative rating (the sum of the performance ratings of specific metrics) with the dollars spent by the NGO to achieve that rating, we can measure the impact of a donor's dollar. Our team mined each NGO organization for universal metrics highlighted by the United Nations SDG reports and by the recognized national and global education reporting organizations. There was also a need to look into each NGO's specific, potentially unique, measurements to develop a holistic understanding of the factors that must be considered in impact analysis.

This research yielded favorable metrics that align with education NGOs. There were 3 taxonomic difficulties highlighted in discerning a measurable impact for educational NGOs. First of all, the wide variety of methods, stakeholders, and goals incorporated by NGOs to address quality education renders it difficult to construct a universal framework for their diverse and specialized approaches. Therefore NGOs primarily differ around educational discipline, means and primary beneficiary. Educational discipline entails Academic vs. Trade/Skill vs. Emotional vs. Environmental Education. Means breaks down to Policy work vs. School/Program work, In-Person vs. Online Schooling and Location. The primary beneficiary entails Child vs. Adult Learner. 

Secondly, our team also recognizes that rules which enable easier decision-making necessarily exclude some factors or metrics that influence impact. This issue is especially pertinent as quality education significantly depends on other factors including access to electricity and clean water, financial literacy, job access, and rural economic health, among others. Data is costly and pursuing each of these factors will prove complex and unfeasible for investors and most NGOs.

Thridly, simple dollar-to-impact conversion possible in other fields most often cannot apply to education which is not feasible or realistic for NGOS to report. While $ X = Y trees saved, educational metrics are people-based and thus abstract and subjective.

The research narrowed the focus to educational discipline being academics, the means being in-person schooling and the primary beneficiary being a child. The approach narrowed down ten top-rated quantified metrics which are as follows: student academic performance, average score improvement, grade/ certificate pass rate, student literacy and writing ability, caregivers and educators employed, number students provided financial support, number of students enrolled, monthly learning hours provided, number of students given non-academic support, number of minority or underprivileged students enrolled. There is also an addition of two unrated metrics which include a pie chart with the capital allocation ((capital improvements, salaries, student provisions, fundraising, etc.) and Public Business Plan and Financial Data (Y/N).

The impact measurement framework gives access to search and report tools favorable for donors and NGOs. There is an option of quality education as an option for an organization’s area of focus which then takes one to the assessment tools. The framework is user-friendly allowing one to narrow their focus, base, program format and location, etc. The result shows how effective the metrics for education NGOs are with their ratings. This framework has proved to be the most efficient and effective impact measurement tool for education NGOs.