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

The extreme HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa has led to an acute child welfare crisis, leaving many children orphaned or abandoned. Acres of Love is a non-profit organization that attempts to alleviate this problem by using a unique family-based model of child care. However, there is no existing research about Acres of Love’s unique model. Additionally, most of the existing literature focusing on other child welfare models utilize a cost-effectiveness method rather than a Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis. This extends beyond cost-effectiveness to quantify broader social value. Therefore, this study aims to use a SROI analysis to address the following research question: To what extent does Acres of Love’s family-based model of child care create social value for vulnerable children in South Africa? The study uses a mixed-methods approach with both quantitative data (the SROI analysis) and qualitative data (interviews with key staff members in the organization). The results of the SROI demonstrate that Acres of Love creates a social value of $3.90 for every $1 invested. Additionally, the interviews indicated the way that Acres of Love substantially improves children’s wellbeing and long-term outcomes. Thus, these findings have important implications for potential donors, future NGOs, and government policymakers, as they demonstrate the significant social impact of Acres of Love’s unique model of child care.