Numbers for your Funders: Five Expert Tips for Sharing Your Nonprofit Program's Impact with Supporters
Sharing the impact of programs is crucial for nonprofit organizations when it comes to securing funding from foundations, charities, and other supporters. One valuable way to communicate your program's impact is through numbers and data. In this post, I provide five tips for sharing your program's impact by effectively communicating through its data.
Sharing the impact of programs is crucial for nonprofit organizations when it comes to securing funding from foundations and other supporters.
Give the Hard Numbers. Numbers are powerful for demonstrating the success of your programs. Use quantitative data, such as the number of people served, the percentage with specific needs coming into the program, or participants’ ratings of satisfaction, to provide concrete evidence of your program's impact. For example, instead of saying "We helped many people," a food bank might say "We provided food assistance to 600 families facing food insecurity."
Share Compelling Stories. Numbers alone probably do not capture the full impact of your program. Use stories and anecdotes to humanize your data and provide real-life examples of how it has made a difference. Share testimonials, quotes, or success stories from participants that demonstrate the transformational impact of your work. Stories can create an emotional connection and help funders better understand the relationship between the hard numbers and impact on real people.
Use Effective Visualization. Data visualizations, such as charts, graphs, and infographics, can help bring your data to life and make it more accessible and understandable to your funders. Use visuals to highlight key statistics or trends, and present your data in a clear and visually appealing way. This can make your impact more memorable and compelling even after the presentation is over. Individual visualizations can also be shared via social media to grab followers’ attention and share about your program with other potential supporters.
Contextualize Your Data. When presenting your data, provide context to help your funders understand what they mean. Compare your data to past performance, benchmarks, or other relevant targets. For example, if you increased your program's reach by 25%, highlight how this compares to your previous year's results or the average growth in your sector. Contextualizing your data can help your funders interpret the significance of your program's effectiveness and its progress over time.
Ensure Transparency. Honesty and transparency are critical when sharing your program's impact. If you encounter challenges or limitations in program implementation, acknowledge them and explain how you are addressing them. Additionally, be honest about any limitations or uncertainties in your data and provide explanations to ensure your funders have a clear understanding of the context and reliability of your numbers. Being transparent about both successes and challenges builds trust and strengthens the credibility of your impact data.
Effectively sharing your program's impact with your funders through numbers requires thoughtful and purposeful communication. By quantifying your success, telling compelling stories, using visuals, contextualizing your data, and being transparent, you can make a compelling case for the importance of your program and secure the funding needed to continue making a meaningful difference in your community. If you would like help with sharing your data with funders and supporters, feel free to reach out!