You need to impress donors and board members with evaluation results. How can you ensure maximum impact?

The board eats, drinks, and thrives when the organization's mission thrives. When you are missional, your outcomes, communications, vision, and efficiency are in sync with the shareholders and the leadership!

You need to relay a story with what the data is telling you. Humanizing the numbers makes a longer lasting impact. We must remember that Data=Stories and it is those stories we need to tell using the data we have.

Use gráficos e imagens. Narre desafios e resultados. Mostre conquistas e impactos. Compare com benchmarks. Explique planos futuros. Antecipe e responda perguntas. Utilize Q&A ao vivo. Mostre o retorno do investimento.

To effectively engage donors and board members, it's crucial to align your evaluation reports with their specific interests and priorities. Start by identifying the key metrics that matter most to them—whether it's the number of beneficiaries reached, the quality and impact of outcomes, or the efficiency of program delivery. Highlight these metrics prominently in your reports. Use clear and straightforward language, avoiding technical jargon that might obscure the message. Incorporate visual aids, such as charts and graphs, to present data in an accessible and engaging manner. These visuals can help convey complex information quickly and clearly, making it easier for your audience to grasp the significance of your findings.

Considera que el tipo de informe debe estar dirigido al público especifico, se tiene que desarrollar gráficos que sean lo mas simplificados en su posibilidad, no se debe sobresaturar de información que no sea relevante y el esquema de desarrollo debe estar realizada sobre una línea de tiempo lógica.

During my work as a consultant with a NYC-based scholarship foundation, which serves as a principal link to The University of the West Indies, a game-changer at our gala events was student testimonials. While we provide data on named scholarships, the real impact is felt when students share their stories. Thanks to donors and sponsors, the Foundation brings students from the Caribbean to attend and speak before an audience of up to 400 attendees. Featuring both a current recipient and an alum, they share how receiving funds changed their lives and their families. For many, this is their first trip to the US, allowing them to thank their donors personally and foster lasting bonds. Incorporating this element brings the org's work to life.

This can be a difficult one particularly when working with children, but building relationships with schools and parents makes it easy to ask them for the impact stories. Not only for the annual impact report, or funders reports, these stories along with the data serve as a reminder to the entire organisation why they get out of bed each day and why their contribution is so important. Embedding this in your organisational culture for me is key to retaining and motivating staff, along with a good pay structure.

Be clear. Always go back to basics. Tell them about the problem your organization is addressing, the actions you have taken, and the concrete changes they have produced. Additionally, if you have a theory of change, visually show them how you are progressing towards achieving your goals. If you have testimonials from stakeholders, partners, beneficiaries, share them! Go beyond numbers, present real stories.

When donors and board members hear the impacts from the beneficiaries themselves, whether videos, live presentation, or testimonials, they "feel" the impact of their donations and decisions. Hearing/seeing a positive change in a person's life is so impactful.

To enhance the impact of your reports and engage your donors and board members, complement your data with compelling stories that illustrate the real-world effects of your work. While data is essential for demonstrating the scope and effectiveness of your programs, it can sometimes lack the emotional resonance needed to truly connect with your audience.

I completely agree with the importance of demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement in organizational practices. It's crucial to show donors and board members that your organization is not only measuring outcomes but actively using that information to refine and enhance your programs. This transparency builds trust and credibility, as stakeholders can see that their contributions are driving meaningful change and development.

New initiatives are new opportunities for both people and programs. Show how new initiatives will continue to help people progress, rather than suggesting that the old program was ineffective.

Transparency plays a crucial role in building trust with stakeholders. Being open and honest in program evaluations, especially about both successes and challenges, demonstrates a commitment to integrity and responsible stewardship of resources. When you candidly address areas needing improvement, it shows that your organization is dedicated to continuous growth and is not afraid to confront and learn from its shortcomings.

Hiding faults is a sure way to build distrust. When issues arise, utilize the talents of your board to help devise solutions rather than trying to hide the problems. Board members are there to help the organization succeed.

In my experience, involving the board from the planning phase of program evaluation is crucial. By including the board in this process, we can ensure their engagement and support throughout the evaluation journey. By involving the board, we can foster a sense of ownership. This will ultimately lead to more informed decision-making and the ability to make necessary adjustments to improve program effectiveness. However, their involvement must be strategically planned as there are many demands on their time.

I was privileged to work very closely with our corporate partners in my role as CEO of Caring Cooks, and together we often set the KPI's for the specific programme they would be funding unless it was core work. We would then use this and the projected outcomes to present to the entire organisation at a Town Hall, to gain traction and engagement for volunteering, donating to the cause through Payroll Giving and to give them a good feeling about the organisation they work for.

Involvement indeed fosters investment. Engaging donors and board members directly in the evaluation process is a powerful way to deepen their connection to your organization. By offering opportunities for them to provide feedback on evaluation plans, participate in data collection, or help analyze findings, you make them active participants in your organization's journey.

It's crucial to connect evaluation results to the future of your programs. When presenting these results, emphasize how current successes are building a foundation for future initiatives and how challenges are being addressed to secure long-term impact. This forward-looking perspective is key to reassuring donors and board members that their support is not just a contribution to present efforts but an investment in the ongoing growth and dynamism of your organization.

It's important to include the long-vision-- where do you see this organization in the future? What is the potential and what are the roadblocks? What is the big dream? What needs to be done to achieve the dream?

Present the data as a story. Link actual facts with the vision you started with. Before , during, after, and future. Add the examples of what was before and what has been done till date. Present a reason, solution and plan for things that are not improving. Make space for onsite feedback from donors and board members in the meeting, and take those as milestones for next report.

Align everything with vision, mission, values, and strategic plan. What are the best organizations? The ones that meet their mission.