The IA Impact Tracker is a digital platform to help news organizations, funders, and other stakeholders understand the impact of journalism by defining, measuring, and tracking real world change.
By joining this community, you have access to free resources, including the Google-based Impact Tracker platform, best practices, lessons learned, office hours, webinars, and more.
The Impact Tracker tool is free for news organizations to customize to their needs. Download the free platform below and explore our other offerings.
Impact Architects also offers consulting support whereby we partner with newsrooms to help define impact for the organization in collaboration with staff, develop a customized impact framework, set up and refine the Google-based impact tracking system, and train staff on its usage. Impact Architects also works with foundations and their grantees to develop custom impact frameworks, design Impact Trackers for grant reporting and documenting their outcomes, and provide capacity building support. Get in touch with us if these services are of interest to you.
Download the IA Impact Tracker
There are three components to the IA Impact Tracker: An impact entry form, where users catalog instances of impact (for example, a change on an institutional level such as policy change), the database where these entries are housed, and a dashboard to visualize the data entered. The IA Impact Tracker is Google based and requires a Google account to set up. Follow the links below to set up your platform in either English, Spanish, or French.
-
How-to: Set up an IA Impact Tracker platform
Follow a step-by-step guide to set up your free IA Impact Tracker.
-
Configuración del sistema: IA Impact Tracker
Siga una guía paso a paso para configurar su IA Impact Tracker gratuito.
-
Configurer le système: IA Impact Tracker
Suivez un guide étape par étape pour configurer votre IA Impact Tracker gratuit.
Additional resources
-
![]()
How-to: Build a culture of impact in your organization
Read Impact Architects’ best practices on building a culture of impact in your organization.
-
![]()
Tips for using the Looker Studio for your impact tracker
The Google Looker Studio can be a valuable tool, helping turn complex data into actionable insights.
-
![]()
Making impact tracking workflows work for you
Distributed or centralized: What’s the best impact tracking workflow for your team?
-
![]()
Lessons in Impact in Investigative Journalism
Tools and tips on impact tracking from the 2023 Global Investigative Journalism Conference
-
![]()
The IA Media Impact Model
Impact Architects’ media impact model is a starting point for developing custom impact models that reflect the complexity of social change
-
![]()
Impact Tracker Product Suggestion Form
We'd love to hear your feedback on the tool, what you're interested in learning from us, and how we can stay connected.
-
![]()
Best practices in structuring qualitative data
Some recommendations on how to structure web forms and databases
The Impact Tracker in action
-
![]()
Bay City News: How an impact tracker proved our value
Bay City News has used its custom Impact Tracker for years. Here’s what they’ve learned.
-
![]()
Impact Storytelling at Honolulu Civil Beat
Honolulu Civil Beat has logged more than 1,000 examples of impact since 2018. Here’s how they approached it. -
![]()
How The Bureau of Investigative Journalism got on track
TBIJ’s impact model was working. But until recently, its impact tracking wasn’t keeping up.
Upcoming events
-
Office Hours
TUESDAYS
Schedule a time with us for a free 30-minute session to learn more about this customizable, Google-based platform.