ProgramsNYU Wagner Capstone: Social Impact, Innovation & Investment (Fall 25'-Spring 26')ProjectsQuantifying the Value of Services and Care: Advancing Advocacy Thro...

Project Title: Quantifying the Value of Services and Care: Advancing Advocacy Through Social Return on Investment (SROI) at Sound Generations

Sound Generations

Details
Project Title Quantifying the Value of Services and Care: Advancing Advocacy Through Social Return on Investment (SROI) at Sound Generations
Project Topics Community Organization and Social Action Data Management Innovation Political Organization, Policy Change, and Advocacy Public Administration Reporting, Financial Planning & Analysis Research, Analysis, Evaluation
Skills & Expertise Academic & Research Writing Communications Cost Benefit Analysis Cross-Cultural Data Collection Data Entry Data Visualization Financial Analysis & Modeling PowerPoint Presentation Design Presentations Project Management Qualitative Qualitative Research Quantitative Research Statistics
Project Synopsis: Challenge/Opportunity
 Sound Generations delivers critical services across King County, WA to help older adults maintain their independence, health, dignity and help them age their way. Through programs addressing food security, transportation, health and wellness, and assistance services, Sound Generations plays a vital role in the human services landscape—yet budget constraints at the city, county, and state levels often lead to cuts that disproportionately impact these essential supports.
Legislators and funders consistently ask for more than anecdotes—they want quantifiable evidence of return on investment. Despite Sound Generations’ strong internal data, there is a gap in translating service impact into cost savings and broader societal benefit. This presents an opportunity to link service delivery with fiscal and health outcomes to support stronger advocacy and sustainable investment. 
Project Synopsis: Activities/Actions Required
 Students will work closely with Sound Generations’ Community Engagement team to:

  • Audit existing data assets across service areas and identify high-impact use cases.

  • Research comparative cost-benefit data, including national models and published SROI studies (e.g., Meals on Wheels, caregiver support, senior centers).

  • Estimate cost savings and public sector offsets (e.g., avoided ER visits, delayed institutionalization, reduced housing instability) from Sound Generations programming.

  • Identify messaging and advocacy strategies to integrate findings into public funding requests and coalition-building materials.

  • Create an adaptable framework for impact storytelling and legislative engagement using quantifiable, compelling data.

 
Project Synopsis: Expected Results
 The project will be successful if the student team delivers:

  • Clear SROI estimates for 2–3 flagship programs.

  • An advocacy toolkit that combines narrative and quantitative insights to support human services funding efforts, specifically services and funding/policies affecting older adults.

  • Recommendations for how Sound Generations can strengthen its data collection and analysis systems to deepen its advocacy and funding capacity.

  • A roadmap for ongoing measurement and storytelling aligned with Washington’s budget and legislative cycles.

 

Project Timeline

Touchpoints & Assignments Date Type

Program Kickoff

 Sep 12 2026 Event

Teams

Team Name  Project Name  Team Members 
No Teams Available