Social impact categories: a guide

As part of listing your practice or service model on ShareCraft, you need to select a category that captures the main issue or area of work that the practice focuses on. We have a list of categories which we will refine over time as we grow the number of practices listed - this article will keep being updated as our categories evolve!

1. Housing and Homelessness

All issues related to housing security, homelessness prevention, emergency accommodation, transitional housing, affordable housing access, housing quality, and residential stability. Includes rough sleeping, couch surfing, overcrowding, substandard housing conditions, and housing affordability crises.

2. Mental Health and Wellbeing

Mental health conditions, psychological support, crisis intervention, suicide prevention, therapy services, psychiatric care, emotional wellbeing programs, trauma recovery, grief counseling, and mental health literacy. Includes both clinical mental health services and community-based wellbeing initiatives or digital and app-based services.

3. Substance Use and Addiction

Alcohol and drug addiction treatment, harm reduction services, rehabilitation programs, detoxification support, addiction counseling, relapse prevention, family support for addiction issues, and substance abuse prevention programs. Includes both treatment and prevention approaches.

4. Children, Youth and Family Services

Child protection, family support services, parenting programs, youth development, juvenile justice, foster care, adoption services, family violence intervention, child abuse prevention, early childhood development, and family strengthening initiatives.

5. Disability and Accessibility

Services for people with physical, intellectual, sensory, or psychosocial disabilities. Includes independent living support, accessibility advocacy, disability employment, assistive technology, respite care, disability rights, and inclusion programs. Covers both support services and systemic advocacy.

6. Education and Skills Development

Educational support, literacy programs, vocational training, job readiness, career counseling, adult education, digital literacy, life skills training, mentorship programs, and workforce development. Includes both formal and informal learning opportunities.

7. Healthcare and Medical Support

Primary healthcare access, health promotion, disease prevention, chronic illness management, health advocacy, medical case management, health literacy, reproductive health services, and healthcare navigation. Excludes mental health and substance use services covered in other categories.

8. Economic Security and Basic Needs

Poverty alleviation, food security, financial counseling, emergency assistance, income support advocacy, utility assistance, transportation support, clothing and material aid, and basic needs provision. Includes both direct aid and economic empowerment programs.

9. Justice, Legal and Civic Engagement

Criminal justice support, legal aid, prisoner reentry, victim services, community justice, advocacy and rights protection, civic participation, voter education, legal literacy, and systemic reform efforts. Includes both individual legal support and broader justice system engagement.

10. Community Development and Social Cohesion

Community building, social capital development, neighborhood revitalization, cultural programs, volunteer coordination, community organizing, social inclusion initiatives, intergenerational programs, community resilience, and collective action for social change.

Let us know if we are missing something in our list -