Creating Social Value for Vulnerable Children in South Africa: A Social Return on Investment Analysis of Acres of Love | RISE Research

This study applies a Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis to Acres of Love, a South African non-profit that cares for orphaned and abandoned children through a family-based model, against the backdrop of the country's HIV/AIDS-driven child welfare crisis. Noting that existing child-welfare research favours cost-effectiveness methods and that no prior study examines Acres of Love's model, the author addresses the question of how much social value the model creates for vulnerable children. Using a mixed-methods design combining quantitative SROI calculation with qualitative staff interviews, the study finds that Acres of Love generates $3.90 of social value for every $1 invested and substantially improves children's wellbeing and long-term outcomes. The findings carry implications for donors, NGOs and policymakers evaluating child-care interventions.