Social Progress Imperative is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit which uses data to measure what it calls social progress. ¹ The group argues that nations should focus more on left-of-center social progress metrics rather than economic growth as measured by metrics such as GDP. ²

In 2017, the group received a donation from the left-of-center Ford Foundation. ³

Activities

Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter and MIT professor Scott Stern founded Social Progress Imperative in 2012. The group released its first Social Progress Index in 2013. ²

Social Progress Index

Social Progress Imperative produces the annual Social Progress Index, which measures many factors to judge a nation’s “social progress.” ¹

The index’s authors define social progress as “the capacity of a society to meet the basic human needs of its citizens, establish the building blocks that allow citizens and communities to enhance and sustain the quality of their lives, and create the conditions for all individuals to reach their full potential.” ¹

The index consists of 12 components and 53 distinct indicators. The components include nutrition and basic medical care, water and sanitation, shelter, personal safety, access to basic knowledge, access to information and communications, health and wellness, environmental quality, personal rights, personal freedom and choice, tolerance and inclusion, access to advanced education. ¹

The index’s advocates urge countries to use the index as a measurement for a society’s health instead of economic output metrics such as GDP, claiming that economic growth paints an incomplete picture. ¹

Adoption of the Social Progress Index

Paraguay adopted the Social Progress Index as a part of its national development plan. The Brazilian state of Para and city of Rio de Janeiro, the Colombian city of Bogota, and Somerville, Massachusetts, also adopted the index to measure development success. The European Commission adopted regional indexes. Coca-Cola and Natura adopted the index to inform their social investment strategies and build collaborative relationships with public and private partners. ²

Just Transition Score

Social Progress Imperative created the Just Transition Score measuring how countries respond to climate change. The group defines a just transition as “advancing equitable progress while reducing damage to the environment.” ⁴

The index measures carbon dioxide emissions and material footprint, where a lower score is better, and divides that measure by the Social Progress Index and biodiversity and habitat, where a higher score is better. ⁴

U.S. State Indices

Social Progress Imperative created a Social Progress Index for U.S. states. It keeps the data behind a paywall for most users while allowing those from government entities to access the data for free. ⁵

Leadership

Social Progress Imperative’s chief executive officer is Michael Green. Green formerly worked in the United Kingdom government’s Department for International Development, which manages the nation’s foreign aid. ⁶

Luke Greeves is the chief operating officer. Previously, he worked in the American Red Cross. ⁶

David Cruickshank is the chairman of the board of directors. He is a former board chair at Deloitte. ⁷

Finances

According to Social Progress Imperative’s 2022 tax return, the group reported $2,694,308 in revenue, $2,206,850 in expenses, and $585,884 in assets. ⁸

In 2017, the left-of-center Ford Foundation gave a $500,000 grant to the group. ³

1. Kline, Maureen. “Money Doesn’t Buy Happiness. Social Progress Will .” INC, July 12, 2016. https://www.inc.com/maureen-kline/targeting-social-progress-and-not-just-gdp.html.
2. Porter, Michael. “Why Social Progress Matters.” World Economic Forum, April 10, 2015. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/04/why-social-progress-matters/.
3. “127699 – Social Progress Imperative Inc..” Ford Foundation. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/social-progress-imperative-inc-127699/.
4. “2023 Just Transition Score.” Social Progress Imperative. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://www.socialprogress.org/2023-just-transition-score/.
5. “US Social Progress Map.” Social Progress Imperative. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://www.socialprogress.org/us/.
6. “Team.” Social Progress Imperative. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://www.socialprogress.org/about-us/who-we-are/.
7. “Board of Directors.” Social Progress Imperative. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://www.socialprogress.org/about-us/who-we-are/board-directors/.
8. “Social Progress Imperative Inc, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/364701434/202321739349300422/full.