How do you report your fundraising progress and impact using online tools?

1 Choose the right tools

When it comes to fundraising reporting, the first step is to choose the right online tools. Depending on your audience, budget, and preferences, you can pick from various platforms and formats. Email newsletters are an easy way to reach a large donor base; you can use software or templates to design and customize them. Online dashboards are interactive and visual tools that display your key metrics; software like Google Data Studio, Tableau, or Power BI can help you create and embed them. Online stories are great for showcasing impact through narratives, testimonials, photos, videos, and audio; platforms like Medium, WordPress, Canva, or Adobe Spark are ideal for creating and sharing them.

2 Define your objectives and audience

The second step is to define your objectives and audience for your online reports. Consider what you want to achieve with your reports, who you want to reach, and how you want them to feel and act. This will help shape the content, tone, and style of your reports. For instance, internal reports should provide detailed and accurate information on your activities, finances, and performance. Therefore, you may want to use more formal and technical language, and focus on numbers, facts, and analysis. On the other hand, external reports should inspire trust and loyalty, as well as encourage more engagement and donations. Therefore, you may want to use more informal and emotional language, and focus on stories, outcomes, and impact.

3 Collect and organize your data and stories

The third step is to collect and organize your data and stories for your online reports. You should have reliable and relevant data and stories that support your objectives and audience, as well as reflect your mission and values. This can be done by utilizing online tools and systems, such as CRM software, online forms, surveys, or analytics to track and manage your fundraising data. Additionally, online sources and methods like social media, blogs, podcasts, or interviews can help you gather and document impact stories like beneficiary stories, case studies, testimonials, photos, videos, or audio.

4 Analyze and visualize your data and stories

The fourth step is to analyze and visualize your data and stories for your online reports. This involves making sense of the data and stories, and presenting them in an understandable and engaging way. To do this, you can use online tools and techniques such as spreadsheets, formulas, or charts to process and interpret the data. Additionally, you can use online tools and formats like text, images, videos, or audio to display and narrate the stories using headlines, captions, quotes, or transitions.

5 Share and promote your online reports

The fifth step is to share and promote your online reports. Reaching and engaging your audience, and inviting them to take action, can be done by utilizing online channels and platforms, such as email, websites, social media, or blogs. Additionally, online strategies and tactics, such as keywords, hashtags, tags, or calls to action can be used to optimize and enhance the visibility and effectiveness of your online reports. This will encourage your audience to respond or donate.

6 Evaluate and improve your online reports

The sixth step in improving your online reports is to evaluate and measure your progress. You can use online tools and metrics such as email marketing software, dashboard software, or analytics to monitor and assess your open rates, click rates, views, shares, comments, or conversions. Additionally, you can use online feedback and suggestions such as surveys, polls, reviews, or testimonials to collect and analyze your audience's opinions and preferences. With this information at hand, you can then make the necessary adjustments to improve and refine your online reports.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?