Impact Metrics Framework
GiveWell-style cost-per-outcome analysis for New Zealand charities. This framework measures how efficiently charities convert resources into programs, how transparently they report, and how their impact compares within their sector.
Charities Analyzed
28,841
Avg Impact Score
30.3
out of 100
Total Volunteer Value
$894.8m
at $32.50/hr NZ median
Avg Program Ratio
1.0%
of expenses to programs
Highest Impact Score
100
out of 100
Sectors Covered
12
Impact Score Distribution
Distribution of Impact Transparency Scores across all analyzed charities. Higher scores indicate more complete operational reporting, not necessarily greater impact.
Sector Impact Comparison
Average Impact Transparency Score by sector, for sectors with 5 or more charities. Higher scores indicate that charities in that sector tend to report more complete operational data.
Impact Transparency Score -- Methodology
Inspired by GiveWell's cost-effectiveness framework, our Impact Transparency Score measures how completely a charity reports the data needed to assess its operational efficiency. It does not measure actual outcomes or impact -- only the availability of the data required to evaluate them.
Reports program-specific expenses (not just total expenses)
Reports the number of paid staff, enabling cost-per-FTE analysis
Reports volunteer count or volunteer hours, enabling economic value imputation
Reports grants and donations paid out, enabling grant multiplier analysis
More than 70% of expenses directed to programs (GiveWell benchmark)
No data quality or governance red flags identified in CharityData rating
Top Impact Charities
Charities ranked by Impact Transparency Score, with key cost-efficiency metrics. A high score indicates strong data reporting, not necessarily greater real-world impact.
Sector Deep Dive
Aggregated impact metrics by sector. Average values are computed only across charities that report the relevant data field. Sector comparisons should account for inherent differences in operating models.
| Sector | Count | Avg Impact Score | Avg Program % | Avg Cost/FTE | Avg Vol Value | Avg Admin % | Avg Grant Mult |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Religion | 6,362 | 34.6 | 0.6% | $146k | $116k | - | 422.6% |
| International Aid | 193 | 30.5 | 0.4% | $245k | $290k | - | 305.5% |
| Health | 5,230 | 30.1 | 1.4% | $172k | $81k | 22.4% | 1632.0% |
| Social Services | 2,215 | 29.9 | 0.7% | $129k | $83k | - | 367.6% |
| Advocacy | 97 | 29.1 | 0.6% | $104k | $93k | - | 139.9% |
| Education | 7,846 | 28.9 | 1.1% | $132k | $98k | - | 2501.7% |
| Arts & Culture | 3,878 | 28.7 | 0.5% | $136k | $64k | - | 233.5% |
| Environment | 811 | 28.5 | 0.6% | $156k | $102k | - | 4630.5% |
| Community Development | 989 | 28.0 | 3.0% | $288k | $50k | - | 619.1% |
| Animal Welfare | 412 | 27.7 | 0.5% | $173k | $49k | - | 357.8% |
| Sports & Recreation | 40 | 27.4 | 0.8% | $102k | $47k | - | 13.6% |
| Other | 768 | 25.5 | 0.5% | $397k | $50k | - | 2730.5% |
Data sourced from Charities Services register and annual returns. Our datasets may not be complete. Automated analysis can produce errors. If you believe any data on this page is incorrect, please contact us at hello@charitydata.co.nz.
For informational purposes only. Not investment advice.
Data as at 1 Oct 2026 · refreshed weekly from the Charities Register data we hold