The Ecosystem of Scaling Social Impact: A New Theoretical Framework and Two Case Studies

This article reviews existing literature on scaling social impact and proposes a new theoretical framework to understand the ecosystem of scaling social impact beyond organizational growth. By searching scale-related keywords extensively, we have identified 107 pieces of literature from 1992 to 2018. We analyze the literature and categorize multiple theoretical frameworks of scaling into five groups (supply-demand model, three-strategy model, spiral model, multi-factor model, and pathway model). We find that each model has overlooked one or several enabling factors of scaling. By synthesizing these factors, we propose a new theoretical framework, namely ‘the ecosystem model of scaling social impact’, which combines six key elements – financing, organizations, technology and data, strategies, institutional infrastructure, and government policy. We apply this framework to analyze two cases, the Rockefeller Foundation and B Lab, which initiated and scaled two global movements of Impact Investing and B Corps and map out key elements and players in the formation of the ecosystems of scaling impact.