Demystifying Jargon in the Impact Sector: Why Clear Language Strengthens Our Collective Work
In the impact sector, language is one of the most powerful tools we have. It shapes how we collaborate, how we communicate solutions, and how we invite others into conversations about change. Yet increasingly, the language of impact has become dense, technical, and often alienating, especially for people who are new to the sector or coming from outside it.
During SOCAP this year, this became impossible to ignore. Over lunch one day, a few of us who work in impact communications and entrepreneurship whispered the same quiet confession. We had all sat through panels where terms like additionality, outcomes-based financing, or blended capital were used so casually that asking a question felt almost out of place. Even though we work in the sector, there were moments when we did not fully understand what was being discussed.
If seasoned practitioners are feeling this way, what does that mean for newcomers, students, or community partners who want to participate in shaping impact solutions?
This blog is co-authored by Nina Staer Nathan from Sunflower Communications and Karen Carter from the Miller Center for Global Impact, two organizations that work closely with impact-driven teams around the world. From different vantage points, we have both seen how jargon can unintentionally create barriers and how clarity can open doors for deeper collaboration, trust, and impact.
Why Jargon Shows Up, and Why It Matters
Nina (Sunflower Communications)
In spaces like SOCAP, jargon often emerges because the sector is complex. Investing models, evaluation frameworks, and systems change theories are intricate and evolving. But complexity does not need to equal exclusion.
When language becomes overly technical, the conversation narrows. It becomes difficult for people to engage, ask questions, and bring forward diverse perspectives.
As a communications strategist, I see this often with all types of purpose-driven organizations. Teams want to express depth and expertise, but in doing so, sometimes create distance between themselves and the audiences they want to reach. The unintended result is that fewer people understand the work, which limits awareness, partnership opportunities, and community engagement. Impact storytelling is only effective when it is accessible.
Karen (Miller Center)
At Miller Center, we work across a wide ecosystem that includes funders, investors, partners, university faculty and students, and entrepreneurs. Many of the people shaping funding models or evaluation frameworks, for instance, use highly specialized language to describe their work. While the intention is precision, the effect can sometimes be exclusion.
Technical terminology in proposals, due diligence processes, or reporting structures can make it harder for mission-driven organizations to engage confidently or even understand what is being asked of them.
From a communications standpoint, simplifying and humanizing language does not reduce rigor. It strengthens it. Clearer communication leads to stronger alignment between funders and practitioners, more transparent expectations, and more honest conversations about risk, opportunity, and impact. When ecosystem players make space for accessible communication, they help create conditions where organizations can participate fully, ask questions without hesitation, and build trusted relationships.
The Hidden Costs of Jargon
Jargon is not inherently bad. Terms exist for a reason. The problem arises when language becomes so specialized that it excludes rather than connects.
Some of the risks include:
Misunderstanding between funders, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits
Reduced transparency in decision-making
Lost opportunities for collaboration
New entrants to the sector feeling discouraged or overwhelmed
Communities feeling that impact conversations are not meant for them
Impact work depends on relationships. Clear, human language strengthens these relationships and builds trust.
Mini Glossary: Five Common Jargon Terms, Explained Simply
These terms came up repeatedly at SOCAP. Many of them are essential, but without explanation, they can be confusing.
1. Additionality
The measurable change that happens because your solution exists. In other words, what is the added impact that would not have happened otherwise?
2. Attribution vs. Contribution
Attribution is claiming your organization directly caused the impact. Contribution recognizes that multiple actors played a role, and you are one part of the outcome.
3. Outcomes-Based Financing
A funding model where money is released only when specific results are achieved. Think of it as pay for results, not activities.
4. Impact-Weighted Accounts
Financial statements that incorporate social and environmental outcomes so organizations can understand the true value and cost of their actions.
5. Blended Finance
A way of combining different types of capital, such as grants, low-interest loans, or private investment, to reduce risk and attract more funding for impact projects.
These concepts are useful. The challenge is ensuring they do not become barriers that keep people out of the conversation.
How Organizations Can De-Jargonize Their Communications
Nina (Sunflower Communications)
Clear communication invites people in. Here are a few ways entrepreneurs can reduce jargon while still communicating expertise:
Write for humans first and funders second
Explain complex ideas with grounded examples and stories
Test language with someone outside the sector
Replace acronyms with full phrases on first reference
Prioritize clarity over sounding technical
Center the “why” before diving into the “how”
This does not simplify the work. It strengthens it. When audiences understand your mission, they connect more deeply and engage more fully.
Karen (Miller Center)
For ecosystem partners and funders, clarity is just as essential. The impact sector depends on collaboration, yet technical language can unintentionally create distance between those designing support programs or funding models and those implementing solutions on the ground.
At Miller Center, we see how complex terminology in calls for proposals, pitch sessions, or reporting frameworks can make it harder for entrepreneurs to engage confidently. When expectations are unclear or overly technical, it reinforces existing power dynamics and limits the voices of the very innovators and communities the work is meant to support.
Accessible communication does not compromise rigor. It enhances it. Ecosystem actors can move toward clarity by:
Defining key terms with partners rather than assuming shared understanding
Simplifying language in funding calls, due diligence processes, and reporting templates
Clearly explaining expectations, risks, and decision-making criteria
Explicitly encouraging questions and discussion without judgment
Grounding technical concepts in examples that relate to lived experience
When communication is clear, open, and accessible, we help create a more equitable and trusted impact ecosystem.
Co-Reflections from Sunflower and Miller Center
Nina: At SOCAP, those small moments of confusion reminded me that the impact sector is at its best when everyone feels invited into the conversation. Clear, inclusive language is one of the simplest ways we can broaden participation and strengthen collaboration.
Karen: Working with funders and partners has shown me that clarity is a powerful equalizer. When people understand the frameworks, opportunities, and expectations, they can engage with confidence and shape solutions that reflect their realities.
“Impact work becomes stronger when our language is clear, our communication is inclusive, and our conversations are accessible to all.”
Looking Forward: A More Accessible Impact Ecosystem
We believe the future of the impact sector depends on our collective ability to communicate clearly. Impact is inherently human. The language we use should be too.
As the sector grows, evolves, and welcomes new actors, we hope this blog inspires organizations to reflect on how they communicate and how they might open the door a little wider. Clear language invites participation. It invites curiosity. It invites collaboration. And ultimately, it strengthens the work we are all here to do.
Stay Connected
We would love to continue this conversation and support your organization in communicating your mission with clarity and depth. Connect with us:
Nina Staer Nathan
Founder and CEO, Sunflower Communications
Karen Carter
Director of Marketing, Miller Center for Global Impact
