Research that
drives social
impact.

We help charities, funders, and government agencies understand what works — and why — through rigorous research, measurement, and strategic insight.

Why Circlus
Built differently,
by design.

We are not a general research firm that drifts into impact work. Social impact is what we do — and we've structured our entire practice around it.

Research-led, always

No pre-packaged frameworks. Every engagement is designed around your specific question, context, and constraints — methods chosen for fit, not familiarity.

Grounded in lived experience

We centre the voices of beneficiaries, communities, and practitioners — especially those hardest to reach. Lived experience is evidence, not a footnote.

Insight into action

Our work doesn't stop at analysis. We translate findings into strategies, roadmaps, and decisions — staying until the insight actually lands and moves people forward.

Our services
Where we
can help.

From measuring the outcomes of a community programme to shaping an organisation's theory of change, we bring rigour and empathy to every engagement.

01

Social Impact Measurement

We design and implement impact measurement frameworks that are credible, proportionate, and useful — not just audit-ready. From outcome indicators to SROI analyses, we help you know your impact and tell its story.

Outcome frameworks SROI Theory of change Indicators
02

Social Research

Rigorous, policy-relevant research that surfaces the evidence behind social issues. We combine qualitative depth with quantitative breadth to generate insights that hold up to scrutiny — and drive better decisions.

Needs assessment Programme evaluation Community surveys Ethnography
03

Strategy & Analysis

We help organisations translate evidence into clear strategic direction. Whether you're designing a new programme or repositioning your model, we provide the analytical backbone for confident decisions at every level.

Strategic planning Landscape analysis Programme design Donor intelligence
04

Capability Building

Practical, facilitated learning for teams that want to build internal capability in impact measurement, research literacy, and evidence use. We use design thinking to co-create learning experiences designed for your people — not a generic curriculum.

Impact literacy MEL capacity building Design thinking Data for decisions Facilitation
05

Grant Management

We support organisations and funders across the full grant lifecycle — from application strategy and proposal development to compliance tracking, reporting, and portfolio stewardship. Whether you're a grantee navigating funder requirements or a funder managing a portfolio of awards, we bring structure, rigour, and clarity to every stage of the process.

Grant prospecting Proposal development Compliance & reporting Portfolio management Funder relations Grant calendaring
06

Communications, Partnerships & Engagement

Translating complex social evidence into clear narratives and strategic partnerships. We help you share insights, convene multi-stakeholder coalitions, and design engagement processes that turn research and data into widespread consensus and action — across communities, funders, government, and the public.

Impact storytelling Coalition building Stakeholder alignment Public dialogue Community engagement Strategic narrative
Data Management & Audit
Good decisions
rest on
good data.

We help social sector organisations design robust data systems, audit existing data practices, and build the infrastructure needed to collect, store, and use data responsibly and effectively.

From reviewing data collection workflows to assessing data quality and compliance, we ensure your data is fit for purpose — whether for internal learning, external reporting, or impact verification.

Data System Design

We design end-to-end data collection and storage systems tailored to the scale and complexity of your programmes — from simple survey pipelines to multi-site M&E databases.

Data Audits & Quality Assessment

We conduct independent audits of your existing data — examining completeness, consistency, accuracy, and fitness for use — and provide a clear remediation roadmap.

Data Governance & Compliance

We help you establish data governance policies, consent frameworks, and PDPA-aligned practices that protect your beneficiaries and meet funder and regulatory expectations.

Data Visualisation & Dashboards

We transform raw data into clear, actionable dashboards and visual reports — designed for both internal decision-making and external stakeholder communication.

How we work
A process built
for complexity.

Social programmes don't fit neat boxes. Our approach is designed for the messy, multi-stakeholder realities of the impact sector.

1

Understand the question

We invest in scoping — understanding your context, stakeholders, and the decisions your research needs to inform. Better questions produce better evidence.

2

Design the inquiry

Methods are chosen for fit, not familiarity. We mix approaches when the evidence calls for it — qualitative, quantitative, participatory, or all three.

3

Engage the people that matter

Communities, practitioners, and beneficiaries are partners in the research — not just subjects of it. We are well-experienced in engaging vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations.

4

Translate into action

Findings become recommendations, recommendations become decisions. We map insight to action and support sense-making across stakeholders until the work lands.

"We don't apply pre-packaged frameworks. Every method is chosen for the context — and every insight is designed to move someone toward a better decision."
Circlus · Research Philosophy
Methods selected by purpose, context, and constraints
Beneficiary and community voices treated as essential evidence
Recommendations mapped directly to findings
Stakeholder alignment built into every engagement
Who we serve
Across the
impact ecosystem.

We work across the three pillars of the social sector — each with distinct needs, constraints, and goals that shape how we engage.

Charities & NPOs

Measuring and articulating the impact of community programmes. Building the evidence base for continued and increased funding.

Funders & Grantmakers

Donor prospecting, grantee evaluation, and portfolio-level learning to ensure capital reaches where it creates most impact.

Government Agencies

Policy-relevant research, programme evaluation, and strategic analysis for evidence-based policymaking and system-level decisions.

Insights
From the field.
Impact Measurement

Beyond Counting Beneficiaries: Why Social Impact Measurement Frameworks Matter More Than Ever

Organisations have long measured success by what is easiest to count — but as funders and communities demand real accountability, the shift from outputs to outcomes is no longer optional.

Programme Design

From Insight to Impact: Why Evidence-Driven Programme Design Matters in the Social Sector

Many programmes are still designed on assumptions rather than evidence. Bridging that gap requires a structured approach to research, strategy, and programme design.

Data Management

Why Data Management Is the Missing Foundation for High-Impact Charities

Charities collect more data than ever — yet most of it sits in spreadsheets, unused. Effective data management is a strategic capability, not an administrative one.

Start a conversation
Have a project in mind?

Whether you're measuring impact, designing a programme, or building your team's research capability — we'd like to hear about it.