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Impact Reporting Simplified: How To Save Time and Secure More Funding - casebook

by Trevor Norkey

Reporting Impact to Stakeholders

Impact reporting is essential for a nonprofit's operations, guaranteeing it can track and communicate its successes to stakeholders. However, the best metrics, strategies, and report templates often vary by your goals and organization type.

Nonprofits should first understand their stakeholders' expectations, including why they're contributing. From here, they must adopt multiple data collection methods to track key metrics as they go. In doing so, they can craft comprehensive impact reports that map out every detail stakeholders need to know.

Impact reporting is essential for a nonprofit's operations, guaranteeing it can track and communicate its successes to stakeholders. However, the best metrics, strategies, and report templates often vary by your goals and organization type. Nonprofits should first understand their stakeholders' expectations, including why they're contributing. From here, they must adopt multiple data collection methods to track key metrics as they go. In doing so, they can craft comprehensive impact reports that map out every detail stakeholders need to know. Impact reporting is essential for a nonprofit's operations, guaranteeing it can track and communicate its successes to stakeholders. However, the best metrics, strategies, and report templates often vary by your goals and organization type. Nonprofits should first understand their stakeholders' expectations, including why they're contributing. From here, they must adopt multiple data collection methods to track key metrics as they go. In doing so, they can craft comprehensive impact reports that map out every detail stakeholders need to know. Impact reporting is essential for a nonprofit's operations, guaranteeing it can track and communicate its successes to stakeholders. However, the best metrics, strategies, and report templates often vary by your goals and organization type. Nonprofits should first understand their stakeholders' expectations, including why they're contributing. From here, they must adopt multiple data collection methods to track key metrics as they go. In doing so, they can craft comprehensive impact reports that map out every detail stakeholders need to know. Impact reporting is essential for a nonprofit's operations, guaranteeing it can track and communicate its successes to stakeholders. However, the best metrics, strategies, and report templates often vary by your goals and organization type. Nonprofits should first understand their stakeholders' expectations, including why they're contributing. From here, they must adopt multiple data collection methods to track key metrics as they go. In doing so, they can craft comprehensive impact reports that map out every detail stakeholders need to know. Impact reporting is essential for a nonprofit's operations, guaranteeing it can track and communicate its successes to stakeholders. However, the best metrics, strategies, and report templates often vary by your goals and organization type. Nonprofits should first understand their stakeholders' expectations, including why they're contributing. From here, they must adopt multiple data collection methods to track key metrics as they go. In doing so, they can craft comprehensive impact reports that map out every detail stakeholders need to know. Impact reporting is essential for a nonprofit's operations, guaranteeing it can track and communicate its successes to stakeholders. However, the best metrics, strategies, and report templates often vary by your goals and organization type. Nonprofits should first understand their stakeholders' expectations, including why they're contributing. From here, they must adopt multiple data collection methods to track key metrics as they go. In doing so, they can craft comprehensive impact reports that map out every detail stakeholders need to know. Impact reporting is essential for a nonprofit's operations, guaranteeing it can track and communicate its successes to stakeholders. However, the best metrics, strategies, and report templates often vary by your goals and organization type. Nonprofits should first understand their stakeholders' expectations, including why they're contributing. From here, they must adopt multiple data collection methods to track key metrics as they go. In doing so, they can craft comprehensive impact reports that map out every detail stakeholders need to know. Impact reporting is essential for a nonprofit's operations, guaranteeing it can track and communicate its successes to stakeholders. However, the best metrics, strategies, and report templates often vary by your goals and organization type. Nonprofits should first understand their stakeholders' expectations, including why they're contributing. From here, they must adopt multiple data collection methods to track key metrics as they go. In doing so, they can craft comprehensive impact reports that map out every detail stakeholders need to know. Impact reporting is essential for a nonprofit's operations, guaranteeing it can track and communicate its successes to stakeholders. However, the best metrics, strategies, and report templates often vary by your goals and organization type. Nonprofits should first understand their stakeholders' expectations, including why they're contributing. From here, they must adopt multiple data collection methods to track key metrics as they go. In doing so, they can craft comprehensive impact reports that map out every detail stakeholders need to know. Impact reporting is essential for a nonprofit's operations, guaranteeing it can track and communicate its successes to stakeholders. However, the best metrics, strategies, and report templates often vary by your goals and organization type. Nonprofits should first understand their stakeholders' expectations, including why they're contributing. From here, they must adopt multiple data collection methods to track key metrics as they go. In doing so, they can craft comprehensive impact reports that map out every detail stakeholders need to know.

What Impact Reporting Is and Why It’s Crucial for Nonprofits

Impact reporting is the process of compiling data to track and communicate a nonprofit organization's success. While for-profit companies can simply measure their revenue, nonprofits must manage various metrics to gauge their impacts. For example, a soup kitchen could track the number of people or meals served each day.

Reporting impact is important for identifying whether or not your organization reaches its goals. Additionally, a nonprofit impact report communicates key information to donors, stakeholders, employees, and community members. Funders for projects will want to guarantee their money will actually benefit their communities. 

Impact reporting is the process of compiling data to track and communicate a nonprofit organization's success. While for-profit companies can simply measure their revenue, nonprofits must manage various metrics to gauge their impacts. For example, a soup kitchen could track the number of people or meals served each day. Reporting impact is important for identifying whether or not your organization reaches its goals. Additionally, a nonprofit impact report communicates key information to donors, stakeholders, employees, and community members. Funders for projects will want to guarantee their money will actually benefit their communities. Impact reporting is the process of compiling data to track and communicate a nonprofit organization's success. While for-profit companies can simply measure their revenue, nonprofits must manage various metrics to gauge their impacts. For example, a soup kitchen could track the number of people or meals served each day. Reporting impact is important for identifying whether or not your organization reaches its goals. Additionally, a nonprofit impact report communicates key information to donors, stakeholders, employees, and community members. Funders for projects will want to guarantee their money will actually benefit their communities. Impact reporting is the process of compiling data to track and communicate a nonprofit organization's success. While for-profit companies can simply measure their revenue, nonprofits must manage various metrics to gauge their impacts. For example, a soup kitchen could track the number of people or meals served each day. Reporting impact is important for identifying whether or not your organization reaches its goals. Additionally, a nonprofit impact report communicates key information to donors, stakeholders, employees, and community members. Funders for projects will want to guarantee their money will actually benefit their communities. Impact reporting is the process of compiling data to track and communicate a nonprofit organization's success. While for-profit companies can simply measure their revenue, nonprofits must manage various metrics to gauge their impacts. For example, a soup kitchen could track the number of people or meals served each day. Reporting impact is important for identifying whether or not your organization reaches its goals. Additionally, a nonprofit impact report communicates key information to donors, stakeholders, employees, and community members. Funders for projects will want to guarantee their money will actually benefit their communities. Impact reporting is the process of compiling data to track and communicate a nonprofit organization's success. While for-profit companies can simply measure their revenue, nonprofits must manage various metrics to gauge their impacts. For example, a soup kitchen could track the number of people or meals served each day. Reporting impact is important for identifying whether or not your organization reaches its goals. Additionally, a nonprofit impact report communicates key information to donors, stakeholders, employees, and community members. Funders for projects will want to guarantee their money will actually benefit their communities. Impact reporting is the process of compiling data to track and communicate a nonprofit organization's success. While for-profit companies can simply measure their revenue, nonprofits must manage various metrics to gauge their impacts. For example, a soup kitchen could track the number of people or meals served each day. Reporting impact is important for identifying whether or not your organization reaches its goals. Additionally, a nonprofit impact report communicates key information to donors, stakeholders, employees, and community members. Funders for projects will want to guarantee their money will actually benefit their communities. Impact reporting is the process of compiling data to track and communicate a nonprofit organization's success. While for-profit companies can simply measure their revenue, nonprofits must manage various metrics to gauge their impacts. For example, a soup kitchen could track the number of people or meals served each day. Reporting impact is important for identifying whether or not your organization reaches its goals. Additionally, a nonprofit impact report communicates key information to donors, stakeholders, employees, and community members. Funders for projects will want to guarantee their money will actually benefit their communities. Impact reporting is the process of compiling data to track and communicate a nonprofit organization's success. While for-profit companies can simply measure their revenue, nonprofits must manage various metrics to gauge their impacts. For example, a soup kitchen could track the number of people or meals served each day. Reporting impact is important for identifying whether or not your organization reaches its goals. Additionally, a nonprofit impact report communicates key information to donors, stakeholders, employees, and community members. Funders for projects will want to guarantee their money will actually benefit their communities. Impact reporting is the process of compiling data to track and communicate a nonprofit organization's success. While for-profit companies can simply measure their revenue, nonprofits must manage various metrics to gauge their impacts. For example, a soup kitchen could track the number of people or meals served each day. Reporting impact is important for identifying whether or not your organization reaches its goals. Additionally, a nonprofit impact report communicates key information to donors, stakeholders, employees, and community members. Funders for projects will want to guarantee their money will actually benefit their communities. Impact reporting is the process of compiling data to track and communicate a nonprofit organization's success. While for-profit companies can simply measure their revenue, nonprofits must manage various metrics to gauge their impacts. For example, a soup kitchen could track the number of people or meals served each day. Reporting impact is important for identifying whether or not your organization reaches its goals. Additionally, a nonprofit impact report communicates key information to donors, stakeholders, employees, and community members. Funders for projects will want to guarantee their money will actually benefit their communities.

Benefits of Effective Impact Reporting

Reliable impact reporting can benefit your nonprofit in many ways. These benefits include:

  • Trust and credibility: A nonprofit that only serves two individuals could technically claim that it helps "multiple people in the community," but stakeholders may find this approach misleading. Promoting your impact on society with specific, tangible metrics will give your organization better credibility. 
  • Sustainability: Tracking your impacts and other metrics can help you devise better long-term plans for your organization's success. You may identify areas for improvement or variables that unnecessarily drain your budget. For example, a soup kitchen can reduce food waste by measuring the average number of meals served each day of the week.
  • Growth opportunities: Your social impact report will also highlight what your organization is doing well. This can help you refocus your organizational goals toward the initiatives that help the most people. 
  • Stakeholder communication: Reporting your impact journey shows donors, partners, and staff where their contributions are going. A positive impact can encourage funders to maintain or increase their donation amounts. Your report may influence more donors and community members to get involved, too. 

Beneficiary communication: Impact reports can also benefit the people your organization serves. An individual considering your organization can look at your past successes, including other community members you've helped. This may encourage them to become beneficiaries and give them more confidence in your organization. turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams.

Reliable impact reporting can benefit your nonprofit in many ways. These benefits include: Trust and credibility: A nonprofit that only serves two individuals could technically claim that it helps "multiple people in the community," but stakeholders may find this approach misleading. Promoting your impact on society with specific, tangible metrics will give your organization better credibility. Sustainability: Tracking your impacts and other metrics can help you devise better long-term plans for your organization's success. You may identify areas for improvement or variables that unnecessarily drain your budget. For example, a soup kitchen can reduce food waste by measuring the average number of meals served each day of the week. Growth opportunities: Your social impact report will also highlight what your organization is doing well. This can help you refocus your organizational goals toward the initiatives that help the most people. Stakeholder communication: Reporting your impact journey shows donors, partners, and staff where their contributions are going. A positive impact can encourage funders to maintain or increase their donation amounts. Your report may influence more donors and community members to get involved, too. Beneficiary communication: Impact reports can also benefit the people your organization serves. An individual considering your organization can look at your past successes, including other community members you've helped. This may encourage them to become beneficiaries and give them more confidence in your organization. turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams. Reliable impact reporting can benefit your nonprofit in many ways. These benefits include: Trust and credibility: A nonprofit that only serves two individuals could technically claim that it helps "multiple people in the community," but stakeholders may find this approach misleading. Promoting your impact on society with specific, tangible metrics will give your organization better credibility. Sustainability: Tracking your impacts and other metrics can help you devise better long-term plans for your organization's success. You may identify areas for improvement or variables that unnecessarily drain your budget. For example, a soup kitchen can reduce food waste by measuring the average number of meals served each day of the week. Growth opportunities: Your social impact report will also highlight what your organization is doing well. This can help you refocus your organizational goals toward the initiatives that help the most people. Stakeholder communication: Reporting your impact journey shows donors, partners, and staff where their contributions are going. A positive impact can encourage funders to maintain or increase their donation amounts. Your report may influence more donors and community members to get involved, too. Beneficiary communication: Impact reports can also benefit the people your organization serves. An individual considering your organization can look at your past successes, including other community members you've helped. This may encourage them to become beneficiaries and give them more confidence in your organization. turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams. Reliable impact reporting can benefit your nonprofit in many ways. These benefits include: Trust and credibility: A nonprofit that only serves two individuals could technically claim that it helps "multiple people in the community," but stakeholders may find this approach misleading. Promoting your impact on society with specific, tangible metrics will give your organization better credibility. Sustainability: Tracking your impacts and other metrics can help you devise better long-term plans for your organization's success. You may identify areas for improvement or variables that unnecessarily drain your budget. For example, a soup kitchen can reduce food waste by measuring the average number of meals served each day of the week. Growth opportunities: Your social impact report will also highlight what your organization is doing well. This can help you refocus your organizational goals toward the initiatives that help the most people. Stakeholder communication: Reporting your impact journey shows donors, partners, and staff where their contributions are going. A positive impact can encourage funders to maintain or increase their donation amounts. Your report may influence more donors and community members to get involved, too. Beneficiary communication: Impact reports can also benefit the people your organization serves. An individual considering your organization can look at your past successes, including other community members you've helped. This may encourage them to become beneficiaries and give them more confidence in your organization. turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams. Reliable impact reporting can benefit your nonprofit in many ways. These benefits include: Trust and credibility: A nonprofit that only serves two individuals could technically claim that it helps "multiple people in the community," but stakeholders may find this approach misleading. Promoting your impact on society with specific, tangible metrics will give your organization better credibility. Sustainability: Tracking your impacts and other metrics can help you devise better long-term plans for your organization's success. You may identify areas for improvement or variables that unnecessarily drain your budget. For example, a soup kitchen can reduce food waste by measuring the average number of meals served each day of the week. Growth opportunities: Your social impact report will also highlight what your organization is doing well. This can help you refocus your organizational goals toward the initiatives that help the most people. Stakeholder communication: Reporting your impact journey shows donors, partners, and staff where their contributions are going. A positive impact can encourage funders to maintain or increase their donation amounts. Your report may influence more donors and community members to get involved, too. Beneficiary communication: Impact reports can also benefit the people your organization serves. An individual considering your organization can look at your past successes, including other community members you've helped. This may encourage them to become beneficiaries and give them more confidence in your organization. turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams. Reliable impact reporting can benefit your nonprofit in many ways. These benefits include: Trust and credibility: A nonprofit that only serves two individuals could technically claim that it helps "multiple people in the community," but stakeholders may find this approach misleading. Promoting your impact on society with specific, tangible metrics will give your organization better credibility. Sustainability: Tracking your impacts and other metrics can help you devise better long-term plans for your organization's success. You may identify areas for improvement or variables that unnecessarily drain your budget. For example, a soup kitchen can reduce food waste by measuring the average number of meals served each day of the week. Growth opportunities: Your social impact report will also highlight what your organization is doing well. This can help you refocus your organizational goals toward the initiatives that help the most people. Stakeholder communication: Reporting your impact journey shows donors, partners, and staff where their contributions are going. A positive impact can encourage funders to maintain or increase their donation amounts. Your report may influence more donors and community members to get involved, too. Beneficiary communication: Impact reports can also benefit the people your organization serves. An individual considering your organization can look at your past successes, including other community members you've helped. This may encourage them to become beneficiaries and give them more confidence in your organization. turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams. Reliable impact reporting can benefit your nonprofit in many ways. These benefits include: Trust and credibility: A nonprofit that only serves two individuals could technically claim that it helps "multiple people in the community," but stakeholders may find this approach misleading. Promoting your impact on society with specific, tangible metrics will give your organization better credibility. Sustainability: Tracking your impacts and other metrics can help you devise better long-term plans for your organization's success. You may identify areas for improvement or variables that unnecessarily drain your budget. For example, a soup kitchen can reduce food waste by measuring the average number of meals served each day of the week. Growth opportunities: Your social impact report will also highlight what your organization is doing well. This can help you refocus your organizational goals toward the initiatives that help the most people. Stakeholder communication: Reporting your impact journey shows donors, partners, and staff where their contributions are going. A positive impact can encourage funders to maintain or increase their donation amounts. Your report may influence more donors and community members to get involved, too. Beneficiary communication: Impact reports can also benefit the people your organization serves. An individual considering your organization can look at your past successes, including other community members you've helped. This may encourage them to become beneficiaries and give them more confidence in your organization. turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams. Reliable impact reporting can benefit your nonprofit in many ways. These benefits include: Trust and credibility: A nonprofit that only serves two individuals could technically claim that it helps "multiple people in the community," but stakeholders may find this approach misleading. Promoting your impact on society with specific, tangible metrics will give your organization better credibility. Sustainability: Tracking your impacts and other metrics can help you devise better long-term plans for your organization's success. You may identify areas for improvement or variables that unnecessarily drain your budget. For example, a soup kitchen can reduce food waste by measuring the average number of meals served each day of the week. Growth opportunities: Your social impact report will also highlight what your organization is doing well. This can help you refocus your organizational goals toward the initiatives that help the most people. Stakeholder communication: Reporting your impact journey shows donors, partners, and staff where their contributions are going. A positive impact can encourage funders to maintain or increase their donation amounts. Your report may influence more donors and community members to get involved, too. Beneficiary communication: Impact reports can also benefit the people your organization serves. An individual considering your organization can look at your past successes, including other community members you've helped. This may encourage them to become beneficiaries and give them more confidence in your organization. turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams. Reliable impact reporting can benefit your nonprofit in many ways. These benefits include: Trust and credibility: A nonprofit that only serves two individuals could technically claim that it helps "multiple people in the community," but stakeholders may find this approach misleading. Promoting your impact on society with specific, tangible metrics will give your organization better credibility. Sustainability: Tracking your impacts and other metrics can help you devise better long-term plans for your organization's success. You may identify areas for improvement or variables that unnecessarily drain your budget. For example, a soup kitchen can reduce food waste by measuring the average number of meals served each day of the week. Growth opportunities: Your social impact report will also highlight what your organization is doing well. This can help you refocus your organizational goals toward the initiatives that help the most people. Stakeholder communication: Reporting your impact journey shows donors, partners, and staff where their contributions are going. A positive impact can encourage funders to maintain or increase their donation amounts. Your report may influence more donors and community members to get involved, too. Beneficiary communication: Impact reports can also benefit the people your organization serves. An individual considering your organization can look at your past successes, including other community members you've helped. This may encourage them to become beneficiaries and give them more confidence in your organization. turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams. Reliable impact reporting can benefit your nonprofit in many ways. These benefits include: Trust and credibility: A nonprofit that only serves two individuals could technically claim that it helps "multiple people in the community," but stakeholders may find this approach misleading. Promoting your impact on society with specific, tangible metrics will give your organization better credibility. Sustainability: Tracking your impacts and other metrics can help you devise better long-term plans for your organization's success. You may identify areas for improvement or variables that unnecessarily drain your budget. For example, a soup kitchen can reduce food waste by measuring the average number of meals served each day of the week. Growth opportunities: Your social impact report will also highlight what your organization is doing well. This can help you refocus your organizational goals toward the initiatives that help the most people. Stakeholder communication: Reporting your impact journey shows donors, partners, and staff where their contributions are going. A positive impact can encourage funders to maintain or increase their donation amounts. Your report may influence more donors and community members to get involved, too. Beneficiary communication: Impact reports can also benefit the people your organization serves. An individual considering your organization can look at your past successes, including other community members you've helped. This may encourage them to become beneficiaries and give them more confidence in your organization. turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams. Reliable impact reporting can benefit your nonprofit in many ways. These benefits include: Trust and credibility: A nonprofit that only serves two individuals could technically claim that it helps "multiple people in the community," but stakeholders may find this approach misleading. Promoting your impact on society with specific, tangible metrics will give your organization better credibility. Sustainability: Tracking your impacts and other metrics can help you devise better long-term plans for your organization's success. You may identify areas for improvement or variables that unnecessarily drain your budget. For example, a soup kitchen can reduce food waste by measuring the average number of meals served each day of the week. Growth opportunities: Your social impact report will also highlight what your organization is doing well. This can help you refocus your organizational goals toward the initiatives that help the most people. Stakeholder communication: Reporting your impact journey shows donors, partners, and staff where their contributions are going. A positive impact can encourage funders to maintain or increase their donation amounts. Your report may influence more donors and community members to get involved, too. Beneficiary communication: Impact reports can also benefit the people your organization serves. An individual considering your organization can look at your past successes, including other community members you've helped. This may encourage them to become beneficiaries and give them more confidence in your organization. turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams.

How to Organize Data for Impact Reporting

Your organization's data can leave you with a lot of metrics — though only some of these will actually benefit your impact report. Your best metrics and collection methods will depend on your specific goals and report. 

Key Metrics

Various metrics, such as finances and the number of people affected by your organization, can provide your organization with a crucial impact framework. These key performance indicators (KPIs) should focus on your organization's primary goals and the outcome of your money spent. 

Though you should track all of your nonprofit's activities, certain metrics will serve your impact reports better than others. For instance, if you're running a social media campaign to boost awareness of your cause, you should already be tracking your online engagement rates. 

Metrics that reflect your channel's growth — such as your number of followers and views — will reflect your page's impact better than comments, likes, and other metrics. 

The most common metrics for impact reporting include:

  • Hours of service provided
  • Number of meals, goods, or other deliverables
  • Donation amounts
  • Community engagement
  • Online engagement
  • Waste reduction
  • Environmental data
  • Recruitment rates

Data Collection Methods

You may need to go a bit out of your way to track your KPIs, depending on your organizational goals. More metrics and impact report examples will give you a more comprehensive view of your organization's efforts and sustainability. For instance, while a nonprofit institute could track its number of students, education quality metrics guarantee these students receive the academic experience they need. 

The best assessments for social impact reporting combine surveys, forms, software, and other strategies, often sticking to one specific focus. Common data collection methods include:

  • Materiality assessments: This process analyzes your organization's most critical metrics, prioritizing certain details over others based on your impact goals. Though every assessment is different, most focus on specific benchmarks and stakeholder expectations. 
  • Stakeholder assessments: These methods use surveys and questionnaires to gauge stakeholders' expectations on reporting. These let you directly address stakeholders' needs and track their satisfaction while building trust.
  • Economic empowerment: These assessments use beneficiaries' income, recruitment rates, and other financial metrics to gauge your program's economic impacts. 
  • Health and wellness: This method measures beneficiaries' access to healthcare, the level of healthcare being provided, and their individual well-being.
  • Equality assessments: Equality assessments examine organizations' commitment to equality, including in recruitment and day-to-day practices. They analyze diversity across different roles and income levels to guarantee equal opportunities and eliminate pay gaps. 
  • Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): These assessments gauge how well your organization aligns with the United Nations' 17 goals for sustainability. They measure your impact on hunger, economic growth, clean energy, equality, and more. 
Your organization's data can leave you with a lot of metrics — though only some of these will actually benefit your impact report. Your best metrics and collection methods will depend on your specific goals and report. Key Metrics Various metrics, such as finances and the number of people affected by your organization, can provide your organization with a crucial impact framework. These key performance indicators (KPIs) should focus on your organization's primary goals and the outcome of your money spent. Though you should track all of your nonprofit's activities, certain metrics will serve your impact reports better than others. For instance, if you're running a social media campaign to boost awareness of your cause, you should already be tracking your online engagement rates. Metrics that reflect your channel's growth — such as your number of followers and views — will reflect your page's impact better than comments, likes, and other metrics. The most common metrics for impact reporting include: Hours of service provided Number of meals, goods, or other deliverables Donation amounts Community engagement Online engagement Waste reduction Environmental data Recruitment rates Data Collection Methods You may need to go a bit out of your way to track your KPIs, depending on your organizational goals. More metrics and impact report examples will give you a more comprehensive view of your organization's efforts and sustainability. For instance, while a nonprofit institute could track its number of students, education quality metrics guarantee these students receive the academic experience they need. The best assessments for social impact reporting combine surveys, forms, software, and other strategies, often sticking to one specific focus. Common data collection methods include: Materiality assessments: This process analyzes your organization's most critical metrics, prioritizing certain details over others based on your impact goals. Though every assessment is different, most focus on specific benchmarks and stakeholder expectations. Stakeholder assessments: These methods use surveys and questionnaires to gauge stakeholders' expectations on reporting. These let you directly address stakeholders' needs and track their satisfaction while building trust. Economic empowerment: These assessments use beneficiaries' income, recruitment rates, and other financial metrics to gauge your program's economic impacts. Health and wellness: This method measures beneficiaries' access to healthcare, the level of healthcare being provided, and their individual well-being. Equality assessments: Equality assessments examine organizations' commitment to equality, including in recruitment and day-to-day practices. They analyze diversity across different roles and income levels to guarantee equal opportunities and eliminate pay gaps. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): These assessments gauge how well your organization aligns with the United Nations' 17 goals for sustainability. They measure your impact on hunger, economic growth, clean energy, equality, and more. Your organization's data can leave you with a lot of metrics — though only some of these will actually benefit your impact report. Your best metrics and collection methods will depend on your specific goals and report. Key Metrics Various metrics, such as finances and the number of people affected by your organization, can provide your organization with a crucial impact framework. These key performance indicators (KPIs) should focus on your organization's primary goals and the outcome of your money spent. Though you should track all of your nonprofit's activities, certain metrics will serve your impact reports better than others. For instance, if you're running a social media campaign to boost awareness of your cause, you should already be tracking your online engagement rates. Metrics that reflect your channel's growth — such as your number of followers and views — will reflect your page's impact better than comments, likes, and other metrics. The most common metrics for impact reporting include: Hours of service provided Number of meals, goods, or other deliverables Donation amounts Community engagement Online engagement Waste reduction Environmental data Recruitment rates Data Collection Methods You may need to go a bit out of your way to track your KPIs, depending on your organizational goals. More metrics and impact report examples will give you a more comprehensive view of your organization's efforts and sustainability. For instance, while a nonprofit institute could track its number of students, education quality metrics guarantee these students receive the academic experience they need. The best assessments for social impact reporting combine surveys, forms, software, and other strategies, often sticking to one specific focus. Common data collection methods include: Materiality assessments: This process analyzes your organization's most critical metrics, prioritizing certain details over others based on your impact goals. Though every assessment is different, most focus on specific benchmarks and stakeholder expectations. Stakeholder assessments: These methods use surveys and questionnaires to gauge stakeholders' expectations on reporting. These let you directly address stakeholders' needs and track their satisfaction while building trust. Economic empowerment: These assessments use beneficiaries' income, recruitment rates, and other financial metrics to gauge your program's economic impacts. Health and wellness: This method measures beneficiaries' access to healthcare, the level of healthcare being provided, and their individual well-being. Equality assessments: Equality assessments examine organizations' commitment to equality, including in recruitment and day-to-day practices. They analyze diversity across different roles and income levels to guarantee equal opportunities and eliminate pay gaps. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): These assessments gauge how well your organization aligns with the United Nations' 17 goals for sustainability. They measure your impact on hunger, economic growth, clean energy, equality, and more. Your organization's data can leave you with a lot of metrics — though only some of these will actually benefit your impact report. Your best metrics and collection methods will depend on your specific goals and report. Key Metrics Various metrics, such as finances and the number of people affected by your organization, can provide your organization with a crucial impact framework. These key performance indicators (KPIs) should focus on your organization's primary goals and the outcome of your money spent. Though you should track all of your nonprofit's activities, certain metrics will serve your impact reports better than others. For instance, if you're running a social media campaign to boost awareness of your cause, you should already be tracking your online engagement rates. Metrics that reflect your channel's growth — such as your number of followers and views — will reflect your page's impact better than comments, likes, and other metrics. The most common metrics for impact reporting include: Hours of service provided Number of meals, goods, or other deliverables Donation amounts Community engagement Online engagement Waste reduction Environmental data Recruitment rates Data Collection Methods You may need to go a bit out of your way to track your KPIs, depending on your organizational goals. More metrics and impact report examples will give you a more comprehensive view of your organization's efforts and sustainability. For instance, while a nonprofit institute could track its number of students, education quality metrics guarantee these students receive the academic experience they need. The best assessments for social impact reporting combine surveys, forms, software, and other strategies, often sticking to one specific focus. Common data collection methods include: Materiality assessments: This process analyzes your organization's most critical metrics, prioritizing certain details over others based on your impact goals. Though every assessment is different, most focus on specific benchmarks and stakeholder expectations. Stakeholder assessments: These methods use surveys and questionnaires to gauge stakeholders' expectations on reporting. These let you directly address stakeholders' needs and track their satisfaction while building trust. Economic empowerment: These assessments use beneficiaries' income, recruitment rates, and other financial metrics to gauge your program's economic impacts. Health and wellness: This method measures beneficiaries' access to healthcare, the level of healthcare being provided, and their individual well-being. Equality assessments: Equality assessments examine organizations' commitment to equality, including in recruitment and day-to-day practices. They analyze diversity across different roles and income levels to guarantee equal opportunities and eliminate pay gaps. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): These assessments gauge how well your organization aligns with the United Nations' 17 goals for sustainability. They measure your impact on hunger, economic growth, clean energy, equality, and more. Your organization's data can leave you with a lot of metrics — though only some of these will actually benefit your impact report. Your best metrics and collection methods will depend on your specific goals and report. Key Metrics Various metrics, such as finances and the number of people affected by your organization, can provide your organization with a crucial impact framework. These key performance indicators (KPIs) should focus on your organization's primary goals and the outcome of your money spent. Though you should track all of your nonprofit's activities, certain metrics will serve your impact reports better than others. For instance, if you're running a social media campaign to boost awareness of your cause, you should already be tracking your online engagement rates. Metrics that reflect your channel's growth — such as your number of followers and views — will reflect your page's impact better than comments, likes, and other metrics. The most common metrics for impact reporting include: Hours of service provided Number of meals, goods, or other deliverables Donation amounts Community engagement Online engagement Waste reduction Environmental data Recruitment rates Data Collection Methods You may need to go a bit out of your way to track your KPIs, depending on your organizational goals. More metrics and impact report examples will give you a more comprehensive view of your organization's efforts and sustainability. For instance, while a nonprofit institute could track its number of students, education quality metrics guarantee these students receive the academic experience they need. The best assessments for social impact reporting combine surveys, forms, software, and other strategies, often sticking to one specific focus. Common data collection methods include: Materiality assessments: This process analyzes your organization's most critical metrics, prioritizing certain details over others based on your impact goals. Though every assessment is different, most focus on specific benchmarks and stakeholder expectations. Stakeholder assessments: These methods use surveys and questionnaires to gauge stakeholders' expectations on reporting. These let you directly address stakeholders' needs and track their satisfaction while building trust. Economic empowerment: These assessments use beneficiaries' income, recruitment rates, and other financial metrics to gauge your program's economic impacts. Health and wellness: This method measures beneficiaries' access to healthcare, the level of healthcare being provided, and their individual well-being. Equality assessments: Equality assessments examine organizations' commitment to equality, including in recruitment and day-to-day practices. They analyze diversity across different roles and income levels to guarantee equal opportunities and eliminate pay gaps. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): These assessments gauge how well your organization aligns with the United Nations' 17 goals for sustainability. They measure your impact on hunger, economic growth, clean energy, equality, and more. Your organization's data can leave you with a lot of metrics — though only some of these will actually benefit your impact report. Your best metrics and collection methods will depend on your specific goals and report. Key Metrics Various metrics, such as finances and the number of people affected by your organization, can provide your organization with a crucial impact framework. These key performance indicators (KPIs) should focus on your organization's primary goals and the outcome of your money spent. Though you should track all of your nonprofit's activities, certain metrics will serve your impact reports better than others. For instance, if you're running a social media campaign to boost awareness of your cause, you should already be tracking your online engagement rates. Metrics that reflect your channel's growth — such as your number of followers and views — will reflect your page's impact better than comments, likes, and other metrics. The most common metrics for impact reporting include: Hours of service provided Number of meals, goods, or other deliverables Donation amounts Community engagement Online engagement Waste reduction Environmental data Recruitment rates Data Collection Methods You may need to go a bit out of your way to track your KPIs, depending on your organizational goals. More metrics and impact report examples will give you a more comprehensive view of your organization's efforts and sustainability. For instance, while a nonprofit institute could track its number of students, education quality metrics guarantee these students receive the academic experience they need. The best assessments for social impact reporting combine surveys, forms, software, and other strategies, often sticking to one specific focus. Common data collection methods include: Materiality assessments: This process analyzes your organization's most critical metrics, prioritizing certain details over others based on your impact goals. Though every assessment is different, most focus on specific benchmarks and stakeholder expectations. Stakeholder assessments: These methods use surveys and questionnaires to gauge stakeholders' expectations on reporting. These let you directly address stakeholders' needs and track their satisfaction while building trust. Economic empowerment: These assessments use beneficiaries' income, recruitment rates, and other financial metrics to gauge your program's economic impacts. Health and wellness: This method measures beneficiaries' access to healthcare, the level of healthcare being provided, and their individual well-being. Equality assessments: Equality assessments examine organizations' commitment to equality, including in recruitment and day-to-day practices. They analyze diversity across different roles and income levels to guarantee equal opportunities and eliminate pay gaps. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): These assessments gauge how well your organization aligns with the United Nations' 17 goals for sustainability. They measure your impact on hunger, economic growth, clean energy, equality, and more. Your organization's data can leave you with a lot of metrics — though only some of these will actually benefit your impact report. Your best metrics and collection methods will depend on your specific goals and report. Key Metrics Various metrics, such as finances and the number of people affected by your organization, can provide your organization with a crucial impact framework. These key performance indicators (KPIs) should focus on your organization's primary goals and the outcome of your money spent. Though you should track all of your nonprofit's activities, certain metrics will serve your impact reports better than others. For instance, if you're running a social media campaign to boost awareness of your cause, you should already be tracking your online engagement rates. Metrics that reflect your channel's growth — such as your number of followers and views — will reflect your page's impact better than comments, likes, and other metrics. The most common metrics for impact reporting include: Hours of service provided Number of meals, goods, or other deliverables Donation amounts Community engagement Online engagement Waste reduction Environmental data Recruitment rates Data Collection Methods You may need to go a bit out of your way to track your KPIs, depending on your organizational goals. More metrics and impact report examples will give you a more comprehensive view of your organization's efforts and sustainability. For instance, while a nonprofit institute could track its number of students, education quality metrics guarantee these students receive the academic experience they need. The best assessments for social impact reporting combine surveys, forms, software, and other strategies, often sticking to one specific focus. Common data collection methods include: Materiality assessments: This process analyzes your organization's most critical metrics, prioritizing certain details over others based on your impact goals. Though every assessment is different, most focus on specific benchmarks and stakeholder expectations. Stakeholder assessments: These methods use surveys and questionnaires to gauge stakeholders' expectations on reporting. These let you directly address stakeholders' needs and track their satisfaction while building trust. Economic empowerment: These assessments use beneficiaries' income, recruitment rates, and other financial metrics to gauge your program's economic impacts. Health and wellness: This method measures beneficiaries' access to healthcare, the level of healthcare being provided, and their individual well-being. Equality assessments: Equality assessments examine organizations' commitment to equality, including in recruitment and day-to-day practices. They analyze diversity across different roles and income levels to guarantee equal opportunities and eliminate pay gaps. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): These assessments gauge how well your organization aligns with the United Nations' 17 goals for sustainability. They measure your impact on hunger, economic growth, clean energy, equality, and more. Your organization's data can leave you with a lot of metrics — though only some of these will actually benefit your impact report. Your best metrics and collection methods will depend on your specific goals and report. Key Metrics Various metrics, such as finances and the number of people affected by your organization, can provide your organization with a crucial impact framework. These key performance indicators (KPIs) should focus on your organization's primary goals and the outcome of your money spent. Though you should track all of your nonprofit's activities, certain metrics will serve your impact reports better than others. For instance, if you're running a social media campaign to boost awareness of your cause, you should already be tracking your online engagement rates. Metrics that reflect your channel's growth — such as your number of followers and views — will reflect your page's impact better than comments, likes, and other metrics. The most common metrics for impact reporting include: Hours of service provided Number of meals, goods, or other deliverables Donation amounts Community engagement Online engagement Waste reduction Environmental data Recruitment rates Data Collection Methods You may need to go a bit out of your way to track your KPIs, depending on your organizational goals. More metrics and impact report examples will give you a more comprehensive view of your organization's efforts and sustainability. For instance, while a nonprofit institute could track its number of students, education quality metrics guarantee these students receive the academic experience they need. The best assessments for social impact reporting combine surveys, forms, software, and other strategies, often sticking to one specific focus. Common data collection methods include: Materiality assessments: This process analyzes your organization's most critical metrics, prioritizing certain details over others based on your impact goals. Though every assessment is different, most focus on specific benchmarks and stakeholder expectations. Stakeholder assessments: These methods use surveys and questionnaires to gauge stakeholders' expectations on reporting. These let you directly address stakeholders' needs and track their satisfaction while building trust. Economic empowerment: These assessments use beneficiaries' income, recruitment rates, and other financial metrics to gauge your program's economic impacts. Health and wellness: This method measures beneficiaries' access to healthcare, the level of healthcare being provided, and their individual well-being. Equality assessments: Equality assessments examine organizations' commitment to equality, including in recruitment and day-to-day practices. They analyze diversity across different roles and income levels to guarantee equal opportunities and eliminate pay gaps. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): These assessments gauge how well your organization aligns with the United Nations' 17 goals for sustainability. They measure your impact on hunger, economic growth, clean energy, equality, and more. Your organization's data can leave you with a lot of metrics — though only some of these will actually benefit your impact report. Your best metrics and collection methods will depend on your specific goals and report. Key Metrics Various metrics, such as finances and the number of people affected by your organization, can provide your organization with a crucial impact framework. These key performance indicators (KPIs) should focus on your organization's primary goals and the outcome of your money spent. Though you should track all of your nonprofit's activities, certain metrics will serve your impact reports better than others. For instance, if you're running a social media campaign to boost awareness of your cause, you should already be tracking your online engagement rates. Metrics that reflect your channel's growth — such as your number of followers and views — will reflect your page's impact better than comments, likes, and other metrics. The most common metrics for impact reporting include: Hours of service provided Number of meals, goods, or other deliverables Donation amounts Community engagement Online engagement Waste reduction Environmental data Recruitment rates Data Collection Methods You may need to go a bit out of your way to track your KPIs, depending on your organizational goals. More metrics and impact report examples will give you a more comprehensive view of your organization's efforts and sustainability. For instance, while a nonprofit institute could track its number of students, education quality metrics guarantee these students receive the academic experience they need. The best assessments for social impact reporting combine surveys, forms, software, and other strategies, often sticking to one specific focus. Common data collection methods include: Materiality assessments: This process analyzes your organization's most critical metrics, prioritizing certain details over others based on your impact goals. Though every assessment is different, most focus on specific benchmarks and stakeholder expectations. Stakeholder assessments: These methods use surveys and questionnaires to gauge stakeholders' expectations on reporting. These let you directly address stakeholders' needs and track their satisfaction while building trust. Economic empowerment: These assessments use beneficiaries' income, recruitment rates, and other financial metrics to gauge your program's economic impacts. Health and wellness: This method measures beneficiaries' access to healthcare, the level of healthcare being provided, and their individual well-being. Equality assessments: Equality assessments examine organizations' commitment to equality, including in recruitment and day-to-day practices. They analyze diversity across different roles and income levels to guarantee equal opportunities and eliminate pay gaps. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): These assessments gauge how well your organization aligns with the United Nations' 17 goals for sustainability. They measure your impact on hunger, economic growth, clean energy, equality, and more. Your organization's data can leave you with a lot of metrics — though only some of these will actually benefit your impact report. Your best metrics and collection methods will depend on your specific goals and report. Key Metrics Various metrics, such as finances and the number of people affected by your organization, can provide your organization with a crucial impact framework. These key performance indicators (KPIs) should focus on your organization's primary goals and the outcome of your money spent. Though you should track all of your nonprofit's activities, certain metrics will serve your impact reports better than others. For instance, if you're running a social media campaign to boost awareness of your cause, you should already be tracking your online engagement rates. Metrics that reflect your channel's growth — such as your number of followers and views — will reflect your page's impact better than comments, likes, and other metrics. The most common metrics for impact reporting include: Hours of service provided Number of meals, goods, or other deliverables Donation amounts Community engagement Online engagement Waste reduction Environmental data Recruitment rates Data Collection Methods You may need to go a bit out of your way to track your KPIs, depending on your organizational goals. More metrics and impact report examples will give you a more comprehensive view of your organization's efforts and sustainability. For instance, while a nonprofit institute could track its number of students, education quality metrics guarantee these students receive the academic experience they need. The best assessments for social impact reporting combine surveys, forms, software, and other strategies, often sticking to one specific focus. Common data collection methods include: Materiality assessments: This process analyzes your organization's most critical metrics, prioritizing certain details over others based on your impact goals. Though every assessment is different, most focus on specific benchmarks and stakeholder expectations. Stakeholder assessments: These methods use surveys and questionnaires to gauge stakeholders' expectations on reporting. These let you directly address stakeholders' needs and track their satisfaction while building trust. Economic empowerment: These assessments use beneficiaries' income, recruitment rates, and other financial metrics to gauge your program's economic impacts. Health and wellness: This method measures beneficiaries' access to healthcare, the level of healthcare being provided, and their individual well-being. Equality assessments: Equality assessments examine organizations' commitment to equality, including in recruitment and day-to-day practices. They analyze diversity across different roles and income levels to guarantee equal opportunities and eliminate pay gaps. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): These assessments gauge how well your organization aligns with the United Nations' 17 goals for sustainability. They measure your impact on hunger, economic growth, clean energy, equality, and more. Your organization's data can leave you with a lot of metrics — though only some of these will actually benefit your impact report. Your best metrics and collection methods will depend on your specific goals and report. Key Metrics Various metrics, such as finances and the number of people affected by your organization, can provide your organization with a crucial impact framework. These key performance indicators (KPIs) should focus on your organization's primary goals and the outcome of your money spent. Though you should track all of your nonprofit's activities, certain metrics will serve your impact reports better than others. For instance, if you're running a social media campaign to boost awareness of your cause, you should already be tracking your online engagement rates. Metrics that reflect your channel's growth — such as your number of followers and views — will reflect your page's impact better than comments, likes, and other metrics. The most common metrics for impact reporting include: Hours of service provided Number of meals, goods, or other deliverables Donation amounts Community engagement Online engagement Waste reduction Environmental data Recruitment rates Data Collection Methods You may need to go a bit out of your way to track your KPIs, depending on your organizational goals. More metrics and impact report examples will give you a more comprehensive view of your organization's efforts and sustainability. For instance, while a nonprofit institute could track its number of students, education quality metrics guarantee these students receive the academic experience they need. The best assessments for social impact reporting combine surveys, forms, software, and other strategies, often sticking to one specific focus. Common data collection methods include: Materiality assessments: This process analyzes your organization's most critical metrics, prioritizing certain details over others based on your impact goals. Though every assessment is different, most focus on specific benchmarks and stakeholder expectations. Stakeholder assessments: These methods use surveys and questionnaires to gauge stakeholders' expectations on reporting. These let you directly address stakeholders' needs and track their satisfaction while building trust. Economic empowerment: These assessments use beneficiaries' income, recruitment rates, and other financial metrics to gauge your program's economic impacts. Health and wellness: This method measures beneficiaries' access to healthcare, the level of healthcare being provided, and their individual well-being. Equality assessments: Equality assessments examine organizations' commitment to equality, including in recruitment and day-to-day practices. They analyze diversity across different roles and income levels to guarantee equal opportunities and eliminate pay gaps. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): These assessments gauge how well your organization aligns with the United Nations' 17 goals for sustainability. They measure your impact on hunger, economic growth, clean energy, equality, and more.

How to Create Compelling Impact Reports

Though every impact report template differs, many combine text and visuals to draw readers' attention to their most important metrics. The best reports look simple and inviting to read, making it easy for stakeholders to learn more and get involved. 

Structure Your Report

First, develop a layout for your report based on your primary message. Though most impact reports cover multiple details, such as finances, materiality, and beneficiary information, your report may hone in on a specific focus. Structuring the entire report around one topic will retain readers' focus and give you more room to expand on details. 

For instance, if you're reporting how your organization has helped beneficiaries economically, you could open by explaining the financial problems you aimed to fix. The body of your report should then cover the metrics related to this issue, such as income growth and the number of jobs created. Then, consider adding a testimonial or a counterfactual before re-summarizing the positive impacts. 

Consider the following sections for your nonprofit impact report:

  • Problem and solution: Clearly lay out the issue your nonprofit aims to address and how your impact goals will solve them. This section often includes your nonprofit impact statement
  • Background: Offer a brief history of your issue or your organization's past successes. These can emphasize why the problem needs to be solved and why your nonprofit should be the one to do it. 
  • Success and achievements: Explain what work has already been done to reach your organizational goals. Consider spotlighting specific successes or employees who have gone above and beyond. 
  • Future progress: Elaborate on how your solutions will impact your community long-term, even after solving the immediate issues. Is your solution genuinely sustainable, or is it only a temporary fix to a systemic issue?
  • Testimonials and stories: These sections use quotes, interviews, and stakeholder-specific numbers to highlight how groups and individuals have been impacted. 
  • Counterfactuals: These metrics speculate what a situation would look like if not for your organization's initiative. For example, where would a homeless shelter's beneficiaries potentially stay if the nonprofit didn't exist?

Visualize Data

Consider which metrics you can visualize via charts or graphs. Though it's often easier to simply state information with numbers, visual tools let stakeholders practically see where their contributions are going. 

The best charts and graphs for impact reporting include:

  • Pie charts: These circular graphs organize metrics and statistics based on proportions, letting stakeholders see which initiatives have the largest impacts or require the most funds. These are especially useful for identifying which initiatives are most crucial to your organization. 
  • Bar and column graphs: These charts also organize data by size, making it easy to compare and contrast your most important metrics. Histograms, bullet graphs, and other bar charts are better for handling multiple data sets as they can highlight the gaps between each variable. 
  • Scatter plots: These graphs contain disconnected data points. Scatter plots are beneficial when handling a diverse variety of information, such as how your organization has helped each individual beneficiary. Rather than averaging or combining data, these graphs highlight each outlier to understand the diversity of your impacts. 

Craft a Narrative

While data is crucial, numbers rarely reflect the genuine human experience. Instead of relying entirely on your KPIs, use your metrics, testimonials, and real-life scenarios to demonstrate why your initiative is actually important. Don't just report how many goods or services you've provided, but also how these impacted people in your community. 

Consider reaching out to beneficiaries, employees, and other stakeholders to find real-life examples you can share. Compelling stories and testimonials will back up your social impact report and show contributors how much they're actually helping. 

Though every impact report template differs, many combine text and visuals to draw readers' attention to their most important metrics. The best reports look simple and inviting to read, making it easy for stakeholders to learn more and get involved. Structure Your Report First, develop a layout for your report based on your primary message. Though most impact reports cover multiple details, such as finances, materiality, and beneficiary information, your report may hone in on a specific focus. Structuring the entire report around one topic will retain readers' focus and give you more room to expand on details. For instance, if you're reporting how your organization has helped beneficiaries economically, you could open by explaining the financial problems you aimed to fix. The body of your report should then cover the metrics related to this issue, such as income growth and the number of jobs created. Then, consider adding a testimonial or a counterfactual before re-summarizing the positive impacts. Consider the following sections for your nonprofit impact report: Problem and solution: Clearly lay out the issue your nonprofit aims to address and how your impact goals will solve them. This section often includes your nonprofit impact statement. Background: Offer a brief history of your issue or your organization's past successes. These can emphasize why the problem needs to be solved and why your nonprofit should be the one to do it. Success and achievements: Explain what work has already been done to reach your organizational goals. Consider spotlighting specific successes or employees who have gone above and beyond. Future progress: Elaborate on how your solutions will impact your community long-term, even after solving the immediate issues. Is your solution genuinely sustainable, or is it only a temporary fix to a systemic issue? Testimonials and stories: These sections use quotes, interviews, and stakeholder-specific numbers to highlight how groups and individuals have been impacted. Counterfactuals: These metrics speculate what a situation would look like if not for your organization's initiative. For example, where would a homeless shelter's beneficiaries potentially stay if the nonprofit didn't exist? Visualize Data Consider which metrics you can visualize via charts or graphs. Though it's often easier to simply state information with numbers, visual tools let stakeholders practically see where their contributions are going. The best charts and graphs for impact reporting include: Pie charts: These circular graphs organize metrics and statistics based on proportions, letting stakeholders see which initiatives have the largest impacts or require the most funds. These are especially useful for identifying which initiatives are most crucial to your organization. Bar and column graphs: These charts also organize data by size, making it easy to compare and contrast your most important metrics. Histograms, bullet graphs, and other bar charts are better for handling multiple data sets as they can highlight the gaps between each variable. Scatter plots: These graphs contain disconnected data points. Scatter plots are beneficial when handling a diverse variety of information, such as how your organization has helped each individual beneficiary. Rather than averaging or combining data, these graphs highlight each outlier to understand the diversity of your impacts. Craft a Narrative While data is crucial, numbers rarely reflect the genuine human experience. Instead of relying entirely on your KPIs, use your metrics, testimonials, and real-life scenarios to demonstrate why your initiative is actually important. Don't just report how many goods or services you've provided, but also how these impacted people in your community. Consider reaching out to beneficiaries, employees, and other stakeholders to find real-life examples you can share. Compelling stories and testimonials will back up your social impact report and show contributors how much they're actually helping. Though every impact report template differs, many combine text and visuals to draw readers' attention to their most important metrics. The best reports look simple and inviting to read, making it easy for stakeholders to learn more and get involved. Structure Your Report First, develop a layout for your report based on your primary message. Though most impact reports cover multiple details, such as finances, materiality, and beneficiary information, your report may hone in on a specific focus. Structuring the entire report around one topic will retain readers' focus and give you more room to expand on details. For instance, if you're reporting how your organization has helped beneficiaries economically, you could open by explaining the financial problems you aimed to fix. The body of your report should then cover the metrics related to this issue, such as income growth and the number of jobs created. Then, consider adding a testimonial or a counterfactual before re-summarizing the positive impacts. Consider the following sections for your nonprofit impact report: Problem and solution: Clearly lay out the issue your nonprofit aims to address and how your impact goals will solve them. This section often includes your nonprofit impact statement. Background: Offer a brief history of your issue or your organization's past successes. These can emphasize why the problem needs to be solved and why your nonprofit should be the one to do it. Success and achievements: Explain what work has already been done to reach your organizational goals. Consider spotlighting specific successes or employees who have gone above and beyond. Future progress: Elaborate on how your solutions will impact your community long-term, even after solving the immediate issues. Is your solution genuinely sustainable, or is it only a temporary fix to a systemic issue? Testimonials and stories: These sections use quotes, interviews, and stakeholder-specific numbers to highlight how groups and individuals have been impacted. Counterfactuals: These metrics speculate what a situation would look like if not for your organization's initiative. For example, where would a homeless shelter's beneficiaries potentially stay if the nonprofit didn't exist? Visualize Data Consider which metrics you can visualize via charts or graphs. Though it's often easier to simply state information with numbers, visual tools let stakeholders practically see where their contributions are going. The best charts and graphs for impact reporting include: Pie charts: These circular graphs organize metrics and statistics based on proportions, letting stakeholders see which initiatives have the largest impacts or require the most funds. These are especially useful for identifying which initiatives are most crucial to your organization. Bar and column graphs: These charts also organize data by size, making it easy to compare and contrast your most important metrics. Histograms, bullet graphs, and other bar charts are better for handling multiple data sets as they can highlight the gaps between each variable. Scatter plots: These graphs contain disconnected data points. Scatter plots are beneficial when handling a diverse variety of information, such as how your organization has helped each individual beneficiary. Rather than averaging or combining data, these graphs highlight each outlier to understand the diversity of your impacts. Craft a Narrative While data is crucial, numbers rarely reflect the genuine human experience. Instead of relying entirely on your KPIs, use your metrics, testimonials, and real-life scenarios to demonstrate why your initiative is actually important. Don't just report how many goods or services you've provided, but also how these impacted people in your community. Consider reaching out to beneficiaries, employees, and other stakeholders to find real-life examples you can share. Compelling stories and testimonials will back up your social impact report and show contributors how much they're actually helping. Though every impact report template differs, many combine text and visuals to draw readers' attention to their most important metrics. The best reports look simple and inviting to read, making it easy for stakeholders to learn more and get involved. Structure Your Report First, develop a layout for your report based on your primary message. Though most impact reports cover multiple details, such as finances, materiality, and beneficiary information, your report may hone in on a specific focus. Structuring the entire report around one topic will retain readers' focus and give you more room to expand on details. For instance, if you're reporting how your organization has helped beneficiaries economically, you could open by explaining the financial problems you aimed to fix. The body of your report should then cover the metrics related to this issue, such as income growth and the number of jobs created. Then, consider adding a testimonial or a counterfactual before re-summarizing the positive impacts. Consider the following sections for your nonprofit impact report: Problem and solution: Clearly lay out the issue your nonprofit aims to address and how your impact goals will solve them. This section often includes your nonprofit impact statement. Background: Offer a brief history of your issue or your organization's past successes. These can emphasize why the problem needs to be solved and why your nonprofit should be the one to do it. Success and achievements: Explain what work has already been done to reach your organizational goals. Consider spotlighting specific successes or employees who have gone above and beyond. Future progress: Elaborate on how your solutions will impact your community long-term, even after solving the immediate issues. Is your solution genuinely sustainable, or is it only a temporary fix to a systemic issue? Testimonials and stories: These sections use quotes, interviews, and stakeholder-specific numbers to highlight how groups and individuals have been impacted. Counterfactuals: These metrics speculate what a situation would look like if not for your organization's initiative. For example, where would a homeless shelter's beneficiaries potentially stay if the nonprofit didn't exist? Visualize Data Consider which metrics you can visualize via charts or graphs. Though it's often easier to simply state information with numbers, visual tools let stakeholders practically see where their contributions are going. The best charts and graphs for impact reporting include: Pie charts: These circular graphs organize metrics and statistics based on proportions, letting stakeholders see which initiatives have the largest impacts or require the most funds. These are especially useful for identifying which initiatives are most crucial to your organization. Bar and column graphs: These charts also organize data by size, making it easy to compare and contrast your most important metrics. Histograms, bullet graphs, and other bar charts are better for handling multiple data sets as they can highlight the gaps between each variable. Scatter plots: These graphs contain disconnected data points. Scatter plots are beneficial when handling a diverse variety of information, such as how your organization has helped each individual beneficiary. Rather than averaging or combining data, these graphs highlight each outlier to understand the diversity of your impacts. Craft a Narrative While data is crucial, numbers rarely reflect the genuine human experience. Instead of relying entirely on your KPIs, use your metrics, testimonials, and real-life scenarios to demonstrate why your initiative is actually important. Don't just report how many goods or services you've provided, but also how these impacted people in your community. Consider reaching out to beneficiaries, employees, and other stakeholders to find real-life examples you can share. Compelling stories and testimonials will back up your social impact report and show contributors how much they're actually helping. Though every impact report template differs, many combine text and visuals to draw readers' attention to their most important metrics. The best reports look simple and inviting to read, making it easy for stakeholders to learn more and get involved. Structure Your Report First, develop a layout for your report based on your primary message. Though most impact reports cover multiple details, such as finances, materiality, and beneficiary information, your report may hone in on a specific focus. Structuring the entire report around one topic will retain readers' focus and give you more room to expand on details. For instance, if you're reporting how your organization has helped beneficiaries economically, you could open by explaining the financial problems you aimed to fix. The body of your report should then cover the metrics related to this issue, such as income growth and the number of jobs created. Then, consider adding a testimonial or a counterfactual before re-summarizing the positive impacts. Consider the following sections for your nonprofit impact report: Problem and solution: Clearly lay out the issue your nonprofit aims to address and how your impact goals will solve them. This section often includes your nonprofit impact statement. Background: Offer a brief history of your issue or your organization's past successes. These can emphasize why the problem needs to be solved and why your nonprofit should be the one to do it. Success and achievements: Explain what work has already been done to reach your organizational goals. Consider spotlighting specific successes or employees who have gone above and beyond. Future progress: Elaborate on how your solutions will impact your community long-term, even after solving the immediate issues. Is your solution genuinely sustainable, or is it only a temporary fix to a systemic issue? Testimonials and stories: These sections use quotes, interviews, and stakeholder-specific numbers to highlight how groups and individuals have been impacted. Counterfactuals: These metrics speculate what a situation would look like if not for your organization's initiative. For example, where would a homeless shelter's beneficiaries potentially stay if the nonprofit didn't exist? Visualize Data Consider which metrics you can visualize via charts or graphs. Though it's often easier to simply state information with numbers, visual tools let stakeholders practically see where their contributions are going. The best charts and graphs for impact reporting include: Pie charts: These circular graphs organize metrics and statistics based on proportions, letting stakeholders see which initiatives have the largest impacts or require the most funds. These are especially useful for identifying which initiatives are most crucial to your organization. Bar and column graphs: These charts also organize data by size, making it easy to compare and contrast your most important metrics. Histograms, bullet graphs, and other bar charts are better for handling multiple data sets as they can highlight the gaps between each variable. Scatter plots: These graphs contain disconnected data points. Scatter plots are beneficial when handling a diverse variety of information, such as how your organization has helped each individual beneficiary. Rather than averaging or combining data, these graphs highlight each outlier to understand the diversity of your impacts. Craft a Narrative While data is crucial, numbers rarely reflect the genuine human experience. Instead of relying entirely on your KPIs, use your metrics, testimonials, and real-life scenarios to demonstrate why your initiative is actually important. Don't just report how many goods or services you've provided, but also how these impacted people in your community. Consider reaching out to beneficiaries, employees, and other stakeholders to find real-life examples you can share. Compelling stories and testimonials will back up your social impact report and show contributors how much they're actually helping. Though every impact report template differs, many combine text and visuals to draw readers' attention to their most important metrics. The best reports look simple and inviting to read, making it easy for stakeholders to learn more and get involved. Structure Your Report First, develop a layout for your report based on your primary message. Though most impact reports cover multiple details, such as finances, materiality, and beneficiary information, your report may hone in on a specific focus. Structuring the entire report around one topic will retain readers' focus and give you more room to expand on details. For instance, if you're reporting how your organization has helped beneficiaries economically, you could open by explaining the financial problems you aimed to fix. The body of your report should then cover the metrics related to this issue, such as income growth and the number of jobs created. Then, consider adding a testimonial or a counterfactual before re-summarizing the positive impacts. Consider the following sections for your nonprofit impact report: Problem and solution: Clearly lay out the issue your nonprofit aims to address and how your impact goals will solve them. This section often includes your nonprofit impact statement. Background: Offer a brief history of your issue or your organization's past successes. These can emphasize why the problem needs to be solved and why your nonprofit should be the one to do it. Success and achievements: Explain what work has already been done to reach your organizational goals. Consider spotlighting specific successes or employees who have gone above and beyond. Future progress: Elaborate on how your solutions will impact your community long-term, even after solving the immediate issues. Is your solution genuinely sustainable, or is it only a temporary fix to a systemic issue? Testimonials and stories: These sections use quotes, interviews, and stakeholder-specific numbers to highlight how groups and individuals have been impacted. Counterfactuals: These metrics speculate what a situation would look like if not for your organization's initiative. For example, where would a homeless shelter's beneficiaries potentially stay if the nonprofit didn't exist? Visualize Data Consider which metrics you can visualize via charts or graphs. Though it's often easier to simply state information with numbers, visual tools let stakeholders practically see where their contributions are going. The best charts and graphs for impact reporting include: Pie charts: These circular graphs organize metrics and statistics based on proportions, letting stakeholders see which initiatives have the largest impacts or require the most funds. These are especially useful for identifying which initiatives are most crucial to your organization. Bar and column graphs: These charts also organize data by size, making it easy to compare and contrast your most important metrics. Histograms, bullet graphs, and other bar charts are better for handling multiple data sets as they can highlight the gaps between each variable. Scatter plots: These graphs contain disconnected data points. Scatter plots are beneficial when handling a diverse variety of information, such as how your organization has helped each individual beneficiary. Rather than averaging or combining data, these graphs highlight each outlier to understand the diversity of your impacts. Craft a Narrative While data is crucial, numbers rarely reflect the genuine human experience. Instead of relying entirely on your KPIs, use your metrics, testimonials, and real-life scenarios to demonstrate why your initiative is actually important. Don't just report how many goods or services you've provided, but also how these impacted people in your community. Consider reaching out to beneficiaries, employees, and other stakeholders to find real-life examples you can share. Compelling stories and testimonials will back up your social impact report and show contributors how much they're actually helping. Though every impact report template differs, many combine text and visuals to draw readers' attention to their most important metrics. The best reports look simple and inviting to read, making it easy for stakeholders to learn more and get involved. Structure Your Report First, develop a layout for your report based on your primary message. Though most impact reports cover multiple details, such as finances, materiality, and beneficiary information, your report may hone in on a specific focus. Structuring the entire report around one topic will retain readers' focus and give you more room to expand on details. For instance, if you're reporting how your organization has helped beneficiaries economically, you could open by explaining the financial problems you aimed to fix. The body of your report should then cover the metrics related to this issue, such as income growth and the number of jobs created. Then, consider adding a testimonial or a counterfactual before re-summarizing the positive impacts. Consider the following sections for your nonprofit impact report: Problem and solution: Clearly lay out the issue your nonprofit aims to address and how your impact goals will solve them. This section often includes your nonprofit impact statement. Background: Offer a brief history of your issue or your organization's past successes. These can emphasize why the problem needs to be solved and why your nonprofit should be the one to do it. Success and achievements: Explain what work has already been done to reach your organizational goals. Consider spotlighting specific successes or employees who have gone above and beyond. Future progress: Elaborate on how your solutions will impact your community long-term, even after solving the immediate issues. Is your solution genuinely sustainable, or is it only a temporary fix to a systemic issue? Testimonials and stories: These sections use quotes, interviews, and stakeholder-specific numbers to highlight how groups and individuals have been impacted. Counterfactuals: These metrics speculate what a situation would look like if not for your organization's initiative. For example, where would a homeless shelter's beneficiaries potentially stay if the nonprofit didn't exist? Visualize Data Consider which metrics you can visualize via charts or graphs. Though it's often easier to simply state information with numbers, visual tools let stakeholders practically see where their contributions are going. The best charts and graphs for impact reporting include: Pie charts: These circular graphs organize metrics and statistics based on proportions, letting stakeholders see which initiatives have the largest impacts or require the most funds. These are especially useful for identifying which initiatives are most crucial to your organization. Bar and column graphs: These charts also organize data by size, making it easy to compare and contrast your most important metrics. Histograms, bullet graphs, and other bar charts are better for handling multiple data sets as they can highlight the gaps between each variable. Scatter plots: These graphs contain disconnected data points. Scatter plots are beneficial when handling a diverse variety of information, such as how your organization has helped each individual beneficiary. Rather than averaging or combining data, these graphs highlight each outlier to understand the diversity of your impacts. Craft a Narrative While data is crucial, numbers rarely reflect the genuine human experience. Instead of relying entirely on your KPIs, use your metrics, testimonials, and real-life scenarios to demonstrate why your initiative is actually important. Don't just report how many goods or services you've provided, but also how these impacted people in your community. Consider reaching out to beneficiaries, employees, and other stakeholders to find real-life examples you can share. Compelling stories and testimonials will back up your social impact report and show contributors how much they're actually helping. Though every impact report template differs, many combine text and visuals to draw readers' attention to their most important metrics. The best reports look simple and inviting to read, making it easy for stakeholders to learn more and get involved. Structure Your Report First, develop a layout for your report based on your primary message. Though most impact reports cover multiple details, such as finances, materiality, and beneficiary information, your report may hone in on a specific focus. Structuring the entire report around one topic will retain readers' focus and give you more room to expand on details. For instance, if you're reporting how your organization has helped beneficiaries economically, you could open by explaining the financial problems you aimed to fix. The body of your report should then cover the metrics related to this issue, such as income growth and the number of jobs created. Then, consider adding a testimonial or a counterfactual before re-summarizing the positive impacts. Consider the following sections for your nonprofit impact report: Problem and solution: Clearly lay out the issue your nonprofit aims to address and how your impact goals will solve them. This section often includes your nonprofit impact statement. Background: Offer a brief history of your issue or your organization's past successes. These can emphasize why the problem needs to be solved and why your nonprofit should be the one to do it. Success and achievements: Explain what work has already been done to reach your organizational goals. Consider spotlighting specific successes or employees who have gone above and beyond. Future progress: Elaborate on how your solutions will impact your community long-term, even after solving the immediate issues. Is your solution genuinely sustainable, or is it only a temporary fix to a systemic issue? Testimonials and stories: These sections use quotes, interviews, and stakeholder-specific numbers to highlight how groups and individuals have been impacted. Counterfactuals: These metrics speculate what a situation would look like if not for your organization's initiative. For example, where would a homeless shelter's beneficiaries potentially stay if the nonprofit didn't exist? Visualize Data Consider which metrics you can visualize via charts or graphs. Though it's often easier to simply state information with numbers, visual tools let stakeholders practically see where their contributions are going. The best charts and graphs for impact reporting include: Pie charts: These circular graphs organize metrics and statistics based on proportions, letting stakeholders see which initiatives have the largest impacts or require the most funds. These are especially useful for identifying which initiatives are most crucial to your organization. Bar and column graphs: These charts also organize data by size, making it easy to compare and contrast your most important metrics. Histograms, bullet graphs, and other bar charts are better for handling multiple data sets as they can highlight the gaps between each variable. Scatter plots: These graphs contain disconnected data points. Scatter plots are beneficial when handling a diverse variety of information, such as how your organization has helped each individual beneficiary. Rather than averaging or combining data, these graphs highlight each outlier to understand the diversity of your impacts. Craft a Narrative While data is crucial, numbers rarely reflect the genuine human experience. Instead of relying entirely on your KPIs, use your metrics, testimonials, and real-life scenarios to demonstrate why your initiative is actually important. Don't just report how many goods or services you've provided, but also how these impacted people in your community. Consider reaching out to beneficiaries, employees, and other stakeholders to find real-life examples you can share. Compelling stories and testimonials will back up your social impact report and show contributors how much they're actually helping. Though every impact report template differs, many combine text and visuals to draw readers' attention to their most important metrics. The best reports look simple and inviting to read, making it easy for stakeholders to learn more and get involved. Structure Your Report First, develop a layout for your report based on your primary message. Though most impact reports cover multiple details, such as finances, materiality, and beneficiary information, your report may hone in on a specific focus. Structuring the entire report around one topic will retain readers' focus and give you more room to expand on details. For instance, if you're reporting how your organization has helped beneficiaries economically, you could open by explaining the financial problems you aimed to fix. The body of your report should then cover the metrics related to this issue, such as income growth and the number of jobs created. Then, consider adding a testimonial or a counterfactual before re-summarizing the positive impacts. Consider the following sections for your nonprofit impact report: Problem and solution: Clearly lay out the issue your nonprofit aims to address and how your impact goals will solve them. This section often includes your nonprofit impact statement. Background: Offer a brief history of your issue or your organization's past successes. These can emphasize why the problem needs to be solved and why your nonprofit should be the one to do it. Success and achievements: Explain what work has already been done to reach your organizational goals. Consider spotlighting specific successes or employees who have gone above and beyond. Future progress: Elaborate on how your solutions will impact your community long-term, even after solving the immediate issues. Is your solution genuinely sustainable, or is it only a temporary fix to a systemic issue? Testimonials and stories: These sections use quotes, interviews, and stakeholder-specific numbers to highlight how groups and individuals have been impacted. Counterfactuals: These metrics speculate what a situation would look like if not for your organization's initiative. For example, where would a homeless shelter's beneficiaries potentially stay if the nonprofit didn't exist? Visualize Data Consider which metrics you can visualize via charts or graphs. Though it's often easier to simply state information with numbers, visual tools let stakeholders practically see where their contributions are going. The best charts and graphs for impact reporting include: Pie charts: These circular graphs organize metrics and statistics based on proportions, letting stakeholders see which initiatives have the largest impacts or require the most funds. These are especially useful for identifying which initiatives are most crucial to your organization. Bar and column graphs: These charts also organize data by size, making it easy to compare and contrast your most important metrics. Histograms, bullet graphs, and other bar charts are better for handling multiple data sets as they can highlight the gaps between each variable. Scatter plots: These graphs contain disconnected data points. Scatter plots are beneficial when handling a diverse variety of information, such as how your organization has helped each individual beneficiary. Rather than averaging or combining data, these graphs highlight each outlier to understand the diversity of your impacts. Craft a Narrative While data is crucial, numbers rarely reflect the genuine human experience. Instead of relying entirely on your KPIs, use your metrics, testimonials, and real-life scenarios to demonstrate why your initiative is actually important. Don't just report how many goods or services you've provided, but also how these impacted people in your community. Consider reaching out to beneficiaries, employees, and other stakeholders to find real-life examples you can share. Compelling stories and testimonials will back up your social impact report and show contributors how much they're actually helping. Though every impact report template differs, many combine text and visuals to draw readers' attention to their most important metrics. The best reports look simple and inviting to read, making it easy for stakeholders to learn more and get involved. Structure Your Report First, develop a layout for your report based on your primary message. Though most impact reports cover multiple details, such as finances, materiality, and beneficiary information, your report may hone in on a specific focus. Structuring the entire report around one topic will retain readers' focus and give you more room to expand on details. For instance, if you're reporting how your organization has helped beneficiaries economically, you could open by explaining the financial problems you aimed to fix. The body of your report should then cover the metrics related to this issue, such as income growth and the number of jobs created. Then, consider adding a testimonial or a counterfactual before re-summarizing the positive impacts. Consider the following sections for your nonprofit impact report: Problem and solution: Clearly lay out the issue your nonprofit aims to address and how your impact goals will solve them. This section often includes your nonprofit impact statement. Background: Offer a brief history of your issue or your organization's past successes. These can emphasize why the problem needs to be solved and why your nonprofit should be the one to do it. Success and achievements: Explain what work has already been done to reach your organizational goals. Consider spotlighting specific successes or employees who have gone above and beyond. Future progress: Elaborate on how your solutions will impact your community long-term, even after solving the immediate issues. Is your solution genuinely sustainable, or is it only a temporary fix to a systemic issue? Testimonials and stories: These sections use quotes, interviews, and stakeholder-specific numbers to highlight how groups and individuals have been impacted. Counterfactuals: These metrics speculate what a situation would look like if not for your organization's initiative. For example, where would a homeless shelter's beneficiaries potentially stay if the nonprofit didn't exist? Visualize Data Consider which metrics you can visualize via charts or graphs. Though it's often easier to simply state information with numbers, visual tools let stakeholders practically see where their contributions are going. The best charts and graphs for impact reporting include: Pie charts: These circular graphs organize metrics and statistics based on proportions, letting stakeholders see which initiatives have the largest impacts or require the most funds. These are especially useful for identifying which initiatives are most crucial to your organization. Bar and column graphs: These charts also organize data by size, making it easy to compare and contrast your most important metrics. Histograms, bullet graphs, and other bar charts are better for handling multiple data sets as they can highlight the gaps between each variable. Scatter plots: These graphs contain disconnected data points. Scatter plots are beneficial when handling a diverse variety of information, such as how your organization has helped each individual beneficiary. Rather than averaging or combining data, these graphs highlight each outlier to understand the diversity of your impacts. Craft a Narrative While data is crucial, numbers rarely reflect the genuine human experience. Instead of relying entirely on your KPIs, use your metrics, testimonials, and real-life scenarios to demonstrate why your initiative is actually important. Don't just report how many goods or services you've provided, but also how these impacted people in your community. Consider reaching out to beneficiaries, employees, and other stakeholders to find real-life examples you can share. Compelling stories and testimonials will back up your social impact report and show contributors how much they're actually helping. Though every impact report template differs, many combine text and visuals to draw readers' attention to their most important metrics. The best reports look simple and inviting to read, making it easy for stakeholders to learn more and get involved. Structure Your Report First, develop a layout for your report based on your primary message. Though most impact reports cover multiple details, such as finances, materiality, and beneficiary information, your report may hone in on a specific focus. Structuring the entire report around one topic will retain readers' focus and give you more room to expand on details. For instance, if you're reporting how your organization has helped beneficiaries economically, you could open by explaining the financial problems you aimed to fix. The body of your report should then cover the metrics related to this issue, such as income growth and the number of jobs created. Then, consider adding a testimonial or a counterfactual before re-summarizing the positive impacts. Consider the following sections for your nonprofit impact report: Problem and solution: Clearly lay out the issue your nonprofit aims to address and how your impact goals will solve them. This section often includes your nonprofit impact statement. Background: Offer a brief history of your issue or your organization's past successes. These can emphasize why the problem needs to be solved and why your nonprofit should be the one to do it. Success and achievements: Explain what work has already been done to reach your organizational goals. Consider spotlighting specific successes or employees who have gone above and beyond. Future progress: Elaborate on how your solutions will impact your community long-term, even after solving the immediate issues. Is your solution genuinely sustainable, or is it only a temporary fix to a systemic issue? Testimonials and stories: These sections use quotes, interviews, and stakeholder-specific numbers to highlight how groups and individuals have been impacted. Counterfactuals: These metrics speculate what a situation would look like if not for your organization's initiative. For example, where would a homeless shelter's beneficiaries potentially stay if the nonprofit didn't exist? Visualize Data Consider which metrics you can visualize via charts or graphs. Though it's often easier to simply state information with numbers, visual tools let stakeholders practically see where their contributions are going. The best charts and graphs for impact reporting include: Pie charts: These circular graphs organize metrics and statistics based on proportions, letting stakeholders see which initiatives have the largest impacts or require the most funds. These are especially useful for identifying which initiatives are most crucial to your organization. Bar and column graphs: These charts also organize data by size, making it easy to compare and contrast your most important metrics. Histograms, bullet graphs, and other bar charts are better for handling multiple data sets as they can highlight the gaps between each variable. Scatter plots: These graphs contain disconnected data points. Scatter plots are beneficial when handling a diverse variety of information, such as how your organization has helped each individual beneficiary. Rather than averaging or combining data, these graphs highlight each outlier to understand the diversity of your impacts. Craft a Narrative While data is crucial, numbers rarely reflect the genuine human experience. Instead of relying entirely on your KPIs, use your metrics, testimonials, and real-life scenarios to demonstrate why your initiative is actually important. Don't just report how many goods or services you've provided, but also how these impacted people in your community. Consider reaching out to beneficiaries, employees, and other stakeholders to find real-life examples you can share. Compelling stories and testimonials will back up your social impact report and show contributors how much they're actually helping.

Tools and Technologies for Streamlining Reporting

You can't wait until the week of your stakeholder's meeting to prepare your impact report. Instead, you must track your KPIs and key metrics throughout your impact journey. Tools and strategies for reporting impact include:

  • Tracking software: Digital programs, such as case management software, automatically track, store, and report your most important business metrics. You can typically use this information directly in your impact reports. Plus, annual reports and other long-term metrics can track your organization's successes over time. 
  • Surveys and questionnaires: Ask your beneficiaries, donors, and other stakeholders questions to improve your perspectives as you go. Many nonprofits include these questions within their other documents, such as on donation forms, to get as many answers as possible. These can help you identify how stakeholders heard about your organization, which demographics you currently appeal to, why they're donating, and other key variables.
  • Graphic design software: Platforms such as Canva and Adobe Express let you clearly lay out information in easy-to-learn, attention-grabbing templates. 
You can't wait until the week of your stakeholder's meeting to prepare your impact report. Instead, you must track your KPIs and key metrics throughout your impact journey. Tools and strategies for reporting impact include: Tracking software: Digital programs, such as case management software, automatically track, store, and report your most important business metrics. You can typically use this information directly in your impact reports. Plus, annual reports and other long-term metrics can track your organization's successes over time. Surveys and questionnaires: Ask your beneficiaries, donors, and other stakeholders questions to improve your perspectives as you go. Many nonprofits include these questions within their other documents, such as on donation forms, to get as many answers as possible. These can help you identify how stakeholders heard about your organization, which demographics you currently appeal to, why they're donating, and other key variables. Graphic design software: Platforms such as Canva and Adobe Express let you clearly lay out information in easy-to-learn, attention-grabbing templates. You can't wait until the week of your stakeholder's meeting to prepare your impact report. Instead, you must track your KPIs and key metrics throughout your impact journey. Tools and strategies for reporting impact include: Tracking software: Digital programs, such as case management software, automatically track, store, and report your most important business metrics. You can typically use this information directly in your impact reports. Plus, annual reports and other long-term metrics can track your organization's successes over time. Surveys and questionnaires: Ask your beneficiaries, donors, and other stakeholders questions to improve your perspectives as you go. Many nonprofits include these questions within their other documents, such as on donation forms, to get as many answers as possible. These can help you identify how stakeholders heard about your organization, which demographics you currently appeal to, why they're donating, and other key variables. Graphic design software: Platforms such as Canva and Adobe Express let you clearly lay out information in easy-to-learn, attention-grabbing templates. You can't wait until the week of your stakeholder's meeting to prepare your impact report. Instead, you must track your KPIs and key metrics throughout your impact journey. Tools and strategies for reporting impact include: Tracking software: Digital programs, such as case management software, automatically track, store, and report your most important business metrics. You can typically use this information directly in your impact reports. Plus, annual reports and other long-term metrics can track your organization's successes over time. Surveys and questionnaires: Ask your beneficiaries, donors, and other stakeholders questions to improve your perspectives as you go. Many nonprofits include these questions within their other documents, such as on donation forms, to get as many answers as possible. These can help you identify how stakeholders heard about your organization, which demographics you currently appeal to, why they're donating, and other key variables. Graphic design software: Platforms such as Canva and Adobe Express let you clearly lay out information in easy-to-learn, attention-grabbing templates. You can't wait until the week of your stakeholder's meeting to prepare your impact report. Instead, you must track your KPIs and key metrics throughout your impact journey. Tools and strategies for reporting impact include: Tracking software: Digital programs, such as case management software, automatically track, store, and report your most important business metrics. You can typically use this information directly in your impact reports. Plus, annual reports and other long-term metrics can track your organization's successes over time. Surveys and questionnaires: Ask your beneficiaries, donors, and other stakeholders questions to improve your perspectives as you go. Many nonprofits include these questions within their other documents, such as on donation forms, to get as many answers as possible. These can help you identify how stakeholders heard about your organization, which demographics you currently appeal to, why they're donating, and other key variables. Graphic design software: Platforms such as Canva and Adobe Express let you clearly lay out information in easy-to-learn, attention-grabbing templates. You can't wait until the week of your stakeholder's meeting to prepare your impact report. Instead, you must track your KPIs and key metrics throughout your impact journey. Tools and strategies for reporting impact include: Tracking software: Digital programs, such as case management software, automatically track, store, and report your most important business metrics. You can typically use this information directly in your impact reports. Plus, annual reports and other long-term metrics can track your organization's successes over time. Surveys and questionnaires: Ask your beneficiaries, donors, and other stakeholders questions to improve your perspectives as you go. Many nonprofits include these questions within their other documents, such as on donation forms, to get as many answers as possible. These can help you identify how stakeholders heard about your organization, which demographics you currently appeal to, why they're donating, and other key variables. Graphic design software: Platforms such as Canva and Adobe Express let you clearly lay out information in easy-to-learn, attention-grabbing templates. You can't wait until the week of your stakeholder's meeting to prepare your impact report. Instead, you must track your KPIs and key metrics throughout your impact journey. Tools and strategies for reporting impact include: Tracking software: Digital programs, such as case management software, automatically track, store, and report your most important business metrics. You can typically use this information directly in your impact reports. Plus, annual reports and other long-term metrics can track your organization's successes over time. Surveys and questionnaires: Ask your beneficiaries, donors, and other stakeholders questions to improve your perspectives as you go. Many nonprofits include these questions within their other documents, such as on donation forms, to get as many answers as possible. These can help you identify how stakeholders heard about your organization, which demographics you currently appeal to, why they're donating, and other key variables. Graphic design software: Platforms such as Canva and Adobe Express let you clearly lay out information in easy-to-learn, attention-grabbing templates. You can't wait until the week of your stakeholder's meeting to prepare your impact report. Instead, you must track your KPIs and key metrics throughout your impact journey. Tools and strategies for reporting impact include: Tracking software: Digital programs, such as case management software, automatically track, store, and report your most important business metrics. You can typically use this information directly in your impact reports. Plus, annual reports and other long-term metrics can track your organization's successes over time. Surveys and questionnaires: Ask your beneficiaries, donors, and other stakeholders questions to improve your perspectives as you go. Many nonprofits include these questions within their other documents, such as on donation forms, to get as many answers as possible. These can help you identify how stakeholders heard about your organization, which demographics you currently appeal to, why they're donating, and other key variables. Graphic design software: Platforms such as Canva and Adobe Express let you clearly lay out information in easy-to-learn, attention-grabbing templates. You can't wait until the week of your stakeholder's meeting to prepare your impact report. Instead, you must track your KPIs and key metrics throughout your impact journey. Tools and strategies for reporting impact include: Tracking software: Digital programs, such as case management software, automatically track, store, and report your most important business metrics. You can typically use this information directly in your impact reports. Plus, annual reports and other long-term metrics can track your organization's successes over time. Surveys and questionnaires: Ask your beneficiaries, donors, and other stakeholders questions to improve your perspectives as you go. Many nonprofits include these questions within their other documents, such as on donation forms, to get as many answers as possible. These can help you identify how stakeholders heard about your organization, which demographics you currently appeal to, why they're donating, and other key variables. Graphic design software: Platforms such as Canva and Adobe Express let you clearly lay out information in easy-to-learn, attention-grabbing templates. You can't wait until the week of your stakeholder's meeting to prepare your impact report. Instead, you must track your KPIs and key metrics throughout your impact journey. Tools and strategies for reporting impact include: Tracking software: Digital programs, such as case management software, automatically track, store, and report your most important business metrics. You can typically use this information directly in your impact reports. Plus, annual reports and other long-term metrics can track your organization's successes over time. Surveys and questionnaires: Ask your beneficiaries, donors, and other stakeholders questions to improve your perspectives as you go. Many nonprofits include these questions within their other documents, such as on donation forms, to get as many answers as possible. These can help you identify how stakeholders heard about your organization, which demographics you currently appeal to, why they're donating, and other key variables. Graphic design software: Platforms such as Canva and Adobe Express let you clearly lay out information in easy-to-learn, attention-grabbing templates. You can't wait until the week of your stakeholder's meeting to prepare your impact report. Instead, you must track your KPIs and key metrics throughout your impact journey. Tools and strategies for reporting impact include: Tracking software: Digital programs, such as case management software, automatically track, store, and report your most important business metrics. You can typically use this information directly in your impact reports. Plus, annual reports and other long-term metrics can track your organization's successes over time. Surveys and questionnaires: Ask your beneficiaries, donors, and other stakeholders questions to improve your perspectives as you go. Many nonprofits include these questions within their other documents, such as on donation forms, to get as many answers as possible. These can help you identify how stakeholders heard about your organization, which demographics you currently appeal to, why they're donating, and other key variables. Graphic design software: Platforms such as Canva and Adobe Express let you clearly lay out information in easy-to-learn, attention-grabbing templates.

Best Practices for Demonstrating Outcomes

Impact reporting focuses more on tangible outcomes rather than output and input. Donors don't want to know how much money you spent on an initiative. They'd rather learn where that money actually went and how impactful each dollar was.  

Link Data to Mission

Keep your report's information on-topic, and explain how each metric contributes to your impact goals. Though you shouldn't overexplain visual data, you must at least elaborate on what particular dips and rises mean for your organization. 

For example, a boost in online engagement could be the result of a new initiative. Meanwhile, a dip in beneficiaries in 2020 could be the result of the pandemic and not actually reflect your organization's annual growth. Notating these variables will make your data easier to digest and use later. 

Show Long-Term Impact

Highlight how certain initiatives will benefit your nonprofit and your community in the long term. Many economic and social issues are part of more significant systemic problems, such as income inequality, discrimination, and the housing crisis. Many modern solutions only serve as band-aids to these larger issues. Others target the problems at their sources. 

Whatever your goal, you must guarantee to stakeholders that your initiative will genuinely address the issue and be sustainable enough to last. Even if you only have a few months' worth of metrics, you can still use the data to estimate what your impacts could look like a year or more down the road. 

Tailor Reports to Funders

The best impact reports communicate to donors everything they want to know about your project, including where their money will go. Use surveys and ask donors about their priorities and why they're personally donating. Then, work with your fund managers to highlight how their contributions meet their expectations. 

The right approach and data will tell a compelling story that encourages funders to maintain or increase their donations. 

Impact reporting focuses more on tangible outcomes rather than output and input. Donors don't want to know how much money you spent on an initiative. They'd rather learn where that money actually went and how impactful each dollar was. Link Data to Mission Keep your report's information on-topic, and explain how each metric contributes to your impact goals. Though you shouldn't overexplain visual data, you must at least elaborate on what particular dips and rises mean for your organization. For example, a boost in online engagement could be the result of a new initiative. Meanwhile, a dip in beneficiaries in 2020 could be the result of the pandemic and not actually reflect your organization's annual growth. Notating these variables will make your data easier to digest and use later. Show Long-Term Impact Highlight how certain initiatives will benefit your nonprofit and your community in the long term. Many economic and social issues are part of more significant systemic problems, such as income inequality, discrimination, and the housing crisis. Many modern solutions only serve as band-aids to these larger issues. Others target the problems at their sources. Whatever your goal, you must guarantee to stakeholders that your initiative will genuinely address the issue and be sustainable enough to last. Even if you only have a few months' worth of metrics, you can still use the data to estimate what your impacts could look like a year or more down the road. Tailor Reports to Funders The best impact reports communicate to donors everything they want to know about your project, including where their money will go. Use surveys and ask donors about their priorities and why they're personally donating. Then, work with your fund managers to highlight how their contributions meet their expectations. The right approach and data will tell a compelling story that encourages funders to maintain or increase their donations. Impact reporting focuses more on tangible outcomes rather than output and input. Donors don't want to know how much money you spent on an initiative. They'd rather learn where that money actually went and how impactful each dollar was. Link Data to Mission Keep your report's information on-topic, and explain how each metric contributes to your impact goals. Though you shouldn't overexplain visual data, you must at least elaborate on what particular dips and rises mean for your organization. For example, a boost in online engagement could be the result of a new initiative. Meanwhile, a dip in beneficiaries in 2020 could be the result of the pandemic and not actually reflect your organization's annual growth. Notating these variables will make your data easier to digest and use later. Show Long-Term Impact Highlight how certain initiatives will benefit your nonprofit and your community in the long term. Many economic and social issues are part of more significant systemic problems, such as income inequality, discrimination, and the housing crisis. Many modern solutions only serve as band-aids to these larger issues. Others target the problems at their sources. Whatever your goal, you must guarantee to stakeholders that your initiative will genuinely address the issue and be sustainable enough to last. Even if you only have a few months' worth of metrics, you can still use the data to estimate what your impacts could look like a year or more down the road. Tailor Reports to Funders The best impact reports communicate to donors everything they want to know about your project, including where their money will go. Use surveys and ask donors about their priorities and why they're personally donating. Then, work with your fund managers to highlight how their contributions meet their expectations. The right approach and data will tell a compelling story that encourages funders to maintain or increase their donations. Impact reporting focuses more on tangible outcomes rather than output and input. Donors don't want to know how much money you spent on an initiative. They'd rather learn where that money actually went and how impactful each dollar was. Link Data to Mission Keep your report's information on-topic, and explain how each metric contributes to your impact goals. Though you shouldn't overexplain visual data, you must at least elaborate on what particular dips and rises mean for your organization. For example, a boost in online engagement could be the result of a new initiative. Meanwhile, a dip in beneficiaries in 2020 could be the result of the pandemic and not actually reflect your organization's annual growth. Notating these variables will make your data easier to digest and use later. Show Long-Term Impact Highlight how certain initiatives will benefit your nonprofit and your community in the long term. Many economic and social issues are part of more significant systemic problems, such as income inequality, discrimination, and the housing crisis. Many modern solutions only serve as band-aids to these larger issues. Others target the problems at their sources. Whatever your goal, you must guarantee to stakeholders that your initiative will genuinely address the issue and be sustainable enough to last. Even if you only have a few months' worth of metrics, you can still use the data to estimate what your impacts could look like a year or more down the road. Tailor Reports to Funders The best impact reports communicate to donors everything they want to know about your project, including where their money will go. Use surveys and ask donors about their priorities and why they're personally donating. Then, work with your fund managers to highlight how their contributions meet their expectations. The right approach and data will tell a compelling story that encourages funders to maintain or increase their donations. Impact reporting focuses more on tangible outcomes rather than output and input. Donors don't want to know how much money you spent on an initiative. They'd rather learn where that money actually went and how impactful each dollar was. Link Data to Mission Keep your report's information on-topic, and explain how each metric contributes to your impact goals. Though you shouldn't overexplain visual data, you must at least elaborate on what particular dips and rises mean for your organization. For example, a boost in online engagement could be the result of a new initiative. Meanwhile, a dip in beneficiaries in 2020 could be the result of the pandemic and not actually reflect your organization's annual growth. Notating these variables will make your data easier to digest and use later. Show Long-Term Impact Highlight how certain initiatives will benefit your nonprofit and your community in the long term. Many economic and social issues are part of more significant systemic problems, such as income inequality, discrimination, and the housing crisis. Many modern solutions only serve as band-aids to these larger issues. Others target the problems at their sources. Whatever your goal, you must guarantee to stakeholders that your initiative will genuinely address the issue and be sustainable enough to last. Even if you only have a few months' worth of metrics, you can still use the data to estimate what your impacts could look like a year or more down the road. Tailor Reports to Funders The best impact reports communicate to donors everything they want to know about your project, including where their money will go. Use surveys and ask donors about their priorities and why they're personally donating. Then, work with your fund managers to highlight how their contributions meet their expectations. The right approach and data will tell a compelling story that encourages funders to maintain or increase their donations. Impact reporting focuses more on tangible outcomes rather than output and input. Donors don't want to know how much money you spent on an initiative. They'd rather learn where that money actually went and how impactful each dollar was. Link Data to Mission Keep your report's information on-topic, and explain how each metric contributes to your impact goals. Though you shouldn't overexplain visual data, you must at least elaborate on what particular dips and rises mean for your organization. For example, a boost in online engagement could be the result of a new initiative. Meanwhile, a dip in beneficiaries in 2020 could be the result of the pandemic and not actually reflect your organization's annual growth. Notating these variables will make your data easier to digest and use later. Show Long-Term Impact Highlight how certain initiatives will benefit your nonprofit and your community in the long term. Many economic and social issues are part of more significant systemic problems, such as income inequality, discrimination, and the housing crisis. Many modern solutions only serve as band-aids to these larger issues. Others target the problems at their sources. Whatever your goal, you must guarantee to stakeholders that your initiative will genuinely address the issue and be sustainable enough to last. Even if you only have a few months' worth of metrics, you can still use the data to estimate what your impacts could look like a year or more down the road. Tailor Reports to Funders The best impact reports communicate to donors everything they want to know about your project, including where their money will go. Use surveys and ask donors about their priorities and why they're personally donating. Then, work with your fund managers to highlight how their contributions meet their expectations. The right approach and data will tell a compelling story that encourages funders to maintain or increase their donations. Impact reporting focuses more on tangible outcomes rather than output and input. Donors don't want to know how much money you spent on an initiative. They'd rather learn where that money actually went and how impactful each dollar was. Link Data to Mission Keep your report's information on-topic, and explain how each metric contributes to your impact goals. Though you shouldn't overexplain visual data, you must at least elaborate on what particular dips and rises mean for your organization. For example, a boost in online engagement could be the result of a new initiative. Meanwhile, a dip in beneficiaries in 2020 could be the result of the pandemic and not actually reflect your organization's annual growth. Notating these variables will make your data easier to digest and use later. Show Long-Term Impact Highlight how certain initiatives will benefit your nonprofit and your community in the long term. Many economic and social issues are part of more significant systemic problems, such as income inequality, discrimination, and the housing crisis. Many modern solutions only serve as band-aids to these larger issues. Others target the problems at their sources. Whatever your goal, you must guarantee to stakeholders that your initiative will genuinely address the issue and be sustainable enough to last. Even if you only have a few months' worth of metrics, you can still use the data to estimate what your impacts could look like a year or more down the road. Tailor Reports to Funders The best impact reports communicate to donors everything they want to know about your project, including where their money will go. Use surveys and ask donors about their priorities and why they're personally donating. Then, work with your fund managers to highlight how their contributions meet their expectations. The right approach and data will tell a compelling story that encourages funders to maintain or increase their donations. Impact reporting focuses more on tangible outcomes rather than output and input. Donors don't want to know how much money you spent on an initiative. They'd rather learn where that money actually went and how impactful each dollar was. Link Data to Mission Keep your report's information on-topic, and explain how each metric contributes to your impact goals. Though you shouldn't overexplain visual data, you must at least elaborate on what particular dips and rises mean for your organization. For example, a boost in online engagement could be the result of a new initiative. Meanwhile, a dip in beneficiaries in 2020 could be the result of the pandemic and not actually reflect your organization's annual growth. Notating these variables will make your data easier to digest and use later. Show Long-Term Impact Highlight how certain initiatives will benefit your nonprofit and your community in the long term. Many economic and social issues are part of more significant systemic problems, such as income inequality, discrimination, and the housing crisis. Many modern solutions only serve as band-aids to these larger issues. Others target the problems at their sources. Whatever your goal, you must guarantee to stakeholders that your initiative will genuinely address the issue and be sustainable enough to last. Even if you only have a few months' worth of metrics, you can still use the data to estimate what your impacts could look like a year or more down the road. Tailor Reports to Funders The best impact reports communicate to donors everything they want to know about your project, including where their money will go. Use surveys and ask donors about their priorities and why they're personally donating. Then, work with your fund managers to highlight how their contributions meet their expectations. The right approach and data will tell a compelling story that encourages funders to maintain or increase their donations. Impact reporting focuses more on tangible outcomes rather than output and input. Donors don't want to know how much money you spent on an initiative. They'd rather learn where that money actually went and how impactful each dollar was. Link Data to Mission Keep your report's information on-topic, and explain how each metric contributes to your impact goals. Though you shouldn't overexplain visual data, you must at least elaborate on what particular dips and rises mean for your organization. For example, a boost in online engagement could be the result of a new initiative. Meanwhile, a dip in beneficiaries in 2020 could be the result of the pandemic and not actually reflect your organization's annual growth. Notating these variables will make your data easier to digest and use later. Show Long-Term Impact Highlight how certain initiatives will benefit your nonprofit and your community in the long term. Many economic and social issues are part of more significant systemic problems, such as income inequality, discrimination, and the housing crisis. Many modern solutions only serve as band-aids to these larger issues. Others target the problems at their sources. Whatever your goal, you must guarantee to stakeholders that your initiative will genuinely address the issue and be sustainable enough to last. Even if you only have a few months' worth of metrics, you can still use the data to estimate what your impacts could look like a year or more down the road. Tailor Reports to Funders The best impact reports communicate to donors everything they want to know about your project, including where their money will go. Use surveys and ask donors about their priorities and why they're personally donating. Then, work with your fund managers to highlight how their contributions meet their expectations. The right approach and data will tell a compelling story that encourages funders to maintain or increase their donations. Impact reporting focuses more on tangible outcomes rather than output and input. Donors don't want to know how much money you spent on an initiative. They'd rather learn where that money actually went and how impactful each dollar was. Link Data to Mission Keep your report's information on-topic, and explain how each metric contributes to your impact goals. Though you shouldn't overexplain visual data, you must at least elaborate on what particular dips and rises mean for your organization. For example, a boost in online engagement could be the result of a new initiative. Meanwhile, a dip in beneficiaries in 2020 could be the result of the pandemic and not actually reflect your organization's annual growth. Notating these variables will make your data easier to digest and use later. Show Long-Term Impact Highlight how certain initiatives will benefit your nonprofit and your community in the long term. Many economic and social issues are part of more significant systemic problems, such as income inequality, discrimination, and the housing crisis. Many modern solutions only serve as band-aids to these larger issues. Others target the problems at their sources. Whatever your goal, you must guarantee to stakeholders that your initiative will genuinely address the issue and be sustainable enough to last. Even if you only have a few months' worth of metrics, you can still use the data to estimate what your impacts could look like a year or more down the road. Tailor Reports to Funders The best impact reports communicate to donors everything they want to know about your project, including where their money will go. Use surveys and ask donors about their priorities and why they're personally donating. Then, work with your fund managers to highlight how their contributions meet their expectations. The right approach and data will tell a compelling story that encourages funders to maintain or increase their donations. Impact reporting focuses more on tangible outcomes rather than output and input. Donors don't want to know how much money you spent on an initiative. They'd rather learn where that money actually went and how impactful each dollar was. Link Data to Mission Keep your report's information on-topic, and explain how each metric contributes to your impact goals. Though you shouldn't overexplain visual data, you must at least elaborate on what particular dips and rises mean for your organization. For example, a boost in online engagement could be the result of a new initiative. Meanwhile, a dip in beneficiaries in 2020 could be the result of the pandemic and not actually reflect your organization's annual growth. Notating these variables will make your data easier to digest and use later. Show Long-Term Impact Highlight how certain initiatives will benefit your nonprofit and your community in the long term. Many economic and social issues are part of more significant systemic problems, such as income inequality, discrimination, and the housing crisis. Many modern solutions only serve as band-aids to these larger issues. Others target the problems at their sources. Whatever your goal, you must guarantee to stakeholders that your initiative will genuinely address the issue and be sustainable enough to last. Even if you only have a few months' worth of metrics, you can still use the data to estimate what your impacts could look like a year or more down the road. Tailor Reports to Funders The best impact reports communicate to donors everything they want to know about your project, including where their money will go. Use surveys and ask donors about their priorities and why they're personally donating. Then, work with your fund managers to highlight how their contributions meet their expectations. The right approach and data will tell a compelling story that encourages funders to maintain or increase their donations.

Discover the Transformative Power Casebook Can Provide to Your Organization

Trevor Norkey