Amidst global challenges such as climate change, inequality, and resource depletion, social enterprises (SEs) play a critical role in creating social and environmental impact. Impact measurement and valuation (IMV) enables SEs to align strategies, internalize externalities, and enhance accountability towards people and the planet. However, SEs face significant challenges in aligning metrics with their intended impact, navigating resource constraints, and moving beyond output-level measurement. This study examines how SEs operationalize and communicate their impact contributions, analyzing 444 SEs from a prominent German database. Our findings reveal that while SEs commonly communicate impact intentions, measurement is not practiced as widely, and predominantly output-focused, while outcome-level metrics are less developed in terms of standardization and employment. We identify themes in SEs’ indicators, present their alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and highlight the need for more robust and standardized outcome-level measurement. We contribute to sensemaking and resource dependence theory by demonstrating how SEs navigate complex IMV processes, balancing stakeholder demands with internal missions, and employing measurement and communication strategies. Our findings provide actionable insights for SE practitioners, funders, and policymakers to enhance measurement transparency, standardization, and alignment with SEs’ missions. We outline opportunities to advance meaningful impact measurement practices in the SE sector.
