How can you effectively present grant evaluation data to non-experts?

2 Choose the right format

Depending on your audience, you may have different options for presenting your data, such as a written report, a slide deck, a poster, a video, or a webinar. Choose the format that best suits your message, your data, and your audience's preferences. For example, if you have a lot of quantitative data, you may want to use charts and graphs to visualize them. If you have qualitative data, you may want to use quotes and stories to illustrate them. If you have a mixed audience, you may want to use a combination of formats to appeal to different learning styles.

3 Simplify your data

When presenting grant evaluation data to non-experts, it is important to avoid overwhelming them with too much information or technical jargon. To simplify your data, focus on the key findings and implications, and use plain language to define any acronyms or terms. Comparisons, analogies, and examples can make your data more relatable and concrete. You can also use colors, icons, or labels to highlight the most important points or trends in your data. Tables, charts, or graphs can be used to summarize your data and show the relationships or patterns among them. Finally, captions, titles, or notes can explain what your data mean and how they relate to your objectives or questions.

4 Tell a story

If you want to make your grant evaluation data more engaging and meaningful to non-experts, consider telling a story with your data. Through storytelling, you can connect your data to your audience's emotions, values, and interests, and show them why your data matter. To tell a story with your data, start with a hook that captures your audience's attention and curiosity. Then provide some background information about your project, goals, methods, and challenges. Show how your data answer your question, solve your problem, or support your goals. Highlight the most significant or surprising finding or implication of your data in the climax. Finally, end with a summary or conclusion based on your data and use a call to action or reflection to invite your audience to take the next steps or share their feedback.

5 Get feedback

Finally, before you present your grant evaluation data to non-experts, it is a good idea to get feedback from someone who is similar to your audience or who has experience in presenting data. Ask them to review your presentation and give you suggestions on how to improve it. You can also ask them to test your presentation and see if they understand your data, if they find them interesting, and if they have any questions or comments. Use their feedback to refine your presentation and make it more effective and appealing to your audience.