60 Decibels

How are investors using customer insights to inform their investment decisions? Saeed Ibrahim shares an inside look from The Private Infrastructure Development Group, demonstrating how end-user feedback was used to validate their Phase 1 solar irrigation project in Senegal before scaling to Phase 2. This is impact measurement driving real investment decisions. Catch the full story here: https://lnkd.in/evJrrehs Want to explore how impact data can reduce risk and strengthen your diligence process in 2025? Get in touch: https://lnkd.in/e-PUSvE8 #impactinvesting #impactmeasurement #impactdata

In 2023, we set out to make impact data more accessible to underrepresented off-grid energy companies. Through the Inclusive Energy Opportunity, we supported 33 companies with fully funded impact and customer insights from 60 Decibels. The goal was to help early-stage locally-owned and/or, women-led companies maximize their impact, scale their work, and attract investment. And it worked. We reached out to the organizations who took part, to find out how they have been using their 60dB insights. Swipe or head to https://lnkd.in/eUsXG-ji to find out more These results reaffirm what we set out to achieve: providing companies with customer-centric, benchmarked data can create ripple effects for their growth, impact, and the communities they serve by unlocking doors, starting conversations, and informing decisions. In 2025 we're building on this success by going beyond energy – to support even more locally-owned and women-led startups, with an initiative we're calling the Inclusive Opportunity. If you’re interested in funding this opportunity, partnering with us, or know someone we should connect with, please get in touch!

💡 Las microfinanzas continúan generando primer acceso al sistema financiero en América Latina. El Índice Global de Microfinanzas 2024 de 60 Decibels reúne las experiencias de 36,000 clientes en 45 países, destacando el impacto de estas instituciones en las comunidades más vulnerables. América Latina tiene un papel clave este año, con el 28% de los participantes del informe. Algunos insights interesantes: > Protección del cliente: América Latina lidera en esta dimensión de impacto, por encima de otras regiones participantes. Los términos claros y justos son claves en un sector que avanza rápido a traves de la digitalización de los servicios. > Inclusión financiera: El 52% de los clientes accedió a servicios financieros por primera vez gracias a estas instituciones. Este informe no es solo un conjunto de datos. Es una oportunidad para entender cómo las microfinanzas están cerrando brechas y generando oportunidades duraderas, pero también una oportunidad de como continuar mejorando en el sector. Explora más aquí: https://lnkd.in/e53uDCM6 #ImpactoLatam #Microfinanzas #InclusiónFinanciera

How would we measure the impact of investments differently if we considered children as stakeholders? The child lens investing framework, developed by UNICEF and partners, is helping investors identify and improve outcomes for children. During early testing, Calvert Impact found something surprising: > Affordable housing managers were already assessing the positive impact housing stability has on children. > Energy access investments that prioritize women also often benefit children in meaningful ways. But there’s still a long way to go. We’re partnering with UNICEF USA to integrate child-related outcomes into our surveys—making it easier for asset managers to collect data and understand how their investments affect children. By scaling this effort, we hope to bring the child lens to a wider audience, faster. This isn’t just about data—it’s about creating a future where investments work for the next generation. Curious about what’s next for child lens investing? Find out more below 👇

Farmer wellbeing isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential for thriving supply chains. 60 Decibels, with Small Foundation, surveyed 3,000+ farmers across Uganda, Rwanda, and DRC using the Farmer Thriving Index—a first-of-its-kind tool to measure farmer wellbeing. Key takeaways: > Actionable insights: 60% of cooperatives made tangible changes based on the Index. > Customization needed: Stakeholders requested localized benchmarks and tailored modules. > Broader impact: Beyond coffee, the Index could transform industries like cocoa and fashion. With insights guiding cooperatives, funders, and industry leaders, the Farmer Thriving Index shows promise for improving livelihoods and aligning supply chains with wellbeing goals. 👉 Learn more in our latest blog: https://lnkd.in/g6YEA-sJ

2024 has been a jam-packed year for new 60 Decibels reports. From farmer voice and coffee supply chains, to consumer protection and resilience, there's no shortage of new insights to dig into on our hub. Here's five of our most downloaded reports of 2024: 🇮🇳 Measuring Social Impact: Lessons from India (https://lnkd.in/erh5bUjP) – based on interviews with more than 24,000 respondents, identifying key challenges and opportunities to improve social impact performance. ☕ 2024 Coffee Farmer Thriving Index (https://lnkd.in/esH69hKx) – we spoke to over 3,000 coffee farmers in Uganda and Rwanda to answer a simple question: are farmers in coffee supply chains thriving, or barely surviving? ☀️ Consumer Protection Report 2024 (https://lnkd.in/eyMMrYZa) – we examined data on our Consumer Protection Score collected from talking to 12k+ customers of 40+ companies offering solar energy solutions. 🌿 Digital Agriculture Services in Kenya: The Farmer Perspective (https://lnkd.in/e-M4FeRF) – over 1,400 Kenyan farmers shared their experience with digital agriculture with us, check out what we learned! 🧑🌾 Climate Resilience: The Farmer Perspective (https://lnkd.in/emU7yuZg) – explore insights based on 4,915 farmers sharing their first-hand experience with climate shocks. Explore all of our reports here: https://lnkd.in/eWHAYHpq

Are digital farming services reaching Kenyan farmers? And if so – what impact are these digital tools having on farmers’ lives? In low- and middle-income countries, nearly 1,400 digital agriculture solutions are used by around 50 million farmers, which equates to 10% of smallholder farming households. Despite this growth, current metrics focus on supply-side data, like app downloads, which don’t fully capture the impact on farmers. To address the lack of demand-side data, we partnered with Busara Center for Behavioral Economics to develop a farmer-centric methodology – starting with speaking directly to more than 1,400 smallholder farmers in Kenya. Key findings included: - 56% of Kenyan farmers reported using a digital tool or service at least once during the 2023-24 masika season. - Information and Advisory services were the most commonly used type of digital solution by the farmers we spoke to. - Only 1 in 5 farmers use digital services to access farm inputs, such as crop and livestock inputs, or farm equipment such as tools and machinery. - 68% of the farmers we spoke to sold their produce, but only 8% used digital solutions to do so. - Farmers found digital information and input services easier to use and more convenient than traditional alternatives. Satisfaction with information timeliness varied across the season. This landmark study provides critical insights into how farmers are engaging with digital agriculture solutions in Kenya. The data highlights significant opportunities to expand digital services' reach, particularly among subsistence farmers. Explore the full report below, or the accompanying interactive dashboard in the comments 📊

📹 ¿Te perdiste nuestro webinar sobre inclusión financiera en Latinoamérica? ¡No te preocupes! Ahora puedes ver la grabación completa. 🌎 Exploramos los hallazgos del Índice de Microfinanzas 2024, un estudio basado en las experiencias de más de 36,000 clientes en 45 países, que evalúa el desempeño social de 126 instituciones financieras. En el webinar: > Compartimos los principales insights para la región. > Escuchamos a Veronica Gavilanes Véjar (BancoSol) y Edgardo Perez (Fundación Génesis Empresarial), quienes compartieron cómo están aprovechando estos datos para transformar el sector. > Daniel Field (60 Decibels) moderó una conversación llena de aprendizajes e inspiración. 🔗 Mira la grabación aquí: https://lnkd.in/eEM7bHm5 #InclusiónFinanciera #Microfinanzas #LatAm

Are financial service providers contributing to clients’ preparedness for climate shocks? How do group vs individual microfinance loans compare in terms of their impact on clients' wellbeing? Do clients who know how to report unfair treatment and clearly understand their loan terms experience better financial results? If you've missed it, our latest Microfinance Index contains detailed new data and insights on 13 key themes from gender to climate resilience. Explore the findings for yourself here: https://lnkd.in/gCq6bkfz

Soil health is critical for smallholder farmers. Did you know 63% of Kenya’s arable land is affected by soil acidity, which can negatively impact food production? We listened to 2,000+ Kenyan farmers, and only a third were familiar with the concept of soil acidity. With support from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) and International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), we set out to capture farmers’ awareness, perceptions, access, and adoption of practices related to soil acidity and liming, to help inform national efforts to address soil acidity. Key Takeaways: > Just 16% of farmers report receiving any training or information on soil health > Only 7% of farmers tested their soil in the past year > 53% know about lime, but just 11% have used it this year Explore the full report here: https://lnkd.in/e4W9tArn