Wolf&Grayson EditorialBusiness leaders are increasingly recognizing that sustainable success requires more than just profit margins. Organizations must balance purpose with performance, creating meaningful social impact while maintaining financial viability. Padmi Dissanayake brings five years of non-profit sector experience to this conversation, having witnessed firsthand how purpose-driven strategies can transform entire communities while building resilient business models.
Understanding Community Impact Through Direct Experience
Working across various community service programs has given Padmi unique insights into social impact strategies. Her experience spans humanitarian and settlement programs, disability employment services, early childhood development, multicultural foster care programs, and home care packages. “Having worked in the non-profit sector for the past five years now, I’ve started to really get a deeper understanding of community services and the range of services that’s offered within this sector from a social impact perspective,” she explains. This broad exposure revealed both opportunities and challenges within the sector. Much of the funding comes from government sources, creating vulnerability when political priorities shift. However, this constraint has also sparked innovative approaches to sustainability and outcome impact measurement.
Building Social Enterprise Models
At SSI, driving social impact means empowering individuals and communities to thrive through innovative and inclusive solutions. A key strategy in achieving this has been the development of social enterprise models that open up sustainable pathways to economic independence for people facing significant employment barriers—such as refugees, asylum seekers, and people with disabilities.
SSI has implemented a range of social enterprise programs specifically designed to harness the potential of individuals from humanitarian backgrounds.
As Padmi highlights, “For those who came through our humanitarian programs and were unable to secure traditional employment, we focused on identifying their strengths and supporting them to build their own businesses.” This personalized, strength-based approach not only addresses the structural barriers to employment but also fosters entrepreneurial skills and self-reliance within marginalized communities.
By shifting from a service-delivery model to one that builds long-term capability and independence, SSI’s social enterprise initiatives are creating measurable and lasting social impact- helping individuals transform their lives and contribute meaningfully to their new communities.
Three Essential Strategies for Purpose-Driven Organizations
When executing social impact initiatives, Padmi outlines three foundational strategies that are essential for organizations committed to driving meaningful, lasting change.
- Define and Embed a Clear Purpose
The starting point is a clearly articulated purpose statement that is deeply embedded across the organization. “That purpose statement is absolutely critical,” Padmi emphasizes. “Without clearly defining your core purpose and guiding mantra, the entire conversation around your mission can lose direction and coherence.” A clearly defined purpose acts as a unifying compass, ensuring every team member—from leadership to frontline staff—understands and can effectively communicate the organization’s social mission. - Align Leadership at All Levels
Leadership alignment—from the boardroom to day-to-day operations—is vital for driving accountability and coherence in social impact efforts. The organization’s purpose must be consistently championed at all levels, supported by robust governance mechanisms that track progress and reinforce the organization’s commitment to impact. - Cultivate Strategic Partnerships
Forming strong, strategic partnerships with community organizations, government bodies, and academic institutions enhances both credibility and effectiveness. These collaborations enable access to critical research insights and evidence-based approaches to impact measurement. “How do you collaborate with community, government, academia—and make sure that what you do genuinely enhances the credibility of the sector or industry you’re in?” Padmi asks, highlighting the importance of cross-sector engagement in building trust and driving systemic change.
Measuring What Truly Matters
Driving meaningful social impact requires a shift from traditional output-focused metrics to measuring real, lasting outcomes. Central to this approach is the practice of co-designing solutions alongside individuals with lived experience—those who understand the challenges firsthand. “Whenever we develop programs, initiatives, or our broader strategy, we actively involve people with lived experience to ensure our responses are grounded in reality and need,” Padmi explains.
Robust, evidence-based measurement is vital not only for assessing impact but also for building credibility and securing long-term support. Collaborations with research institutions and universities offer the analytical tools and data-driven methodologies needed to evaluate effectiveness, refine approaches, and ensure programs evolve with the communities they serve.
Looking ahead, the integration of purpose and financial sustainability will become even more critical. “Purpose, profit, and impact are not in conflict—they are closely interconnected,” Padmi notes. Organizations must diversify their revenue streams to avoid over-reliance on any single funding source, especially government contracts that may shift with political priorities.
“The key is building a financially resilient model that aligns with your mission,” she adds. “If your organization depends heavily on one income stream—particularly one tied to external variables like government funding, you risk undermining the very purpose you’re trying to achieve.”
For more insights on purpose-driven business strategies, connect with Padmi Dissanayake on LinkedIn.
