How to Tell your Story of Impact with Data

Being able to report on the outcomes of your organization’s social impact programs is imperative. However, many organizations today have difficulty not only measuring their impact, but communicating that impact effectively back to their stakeholders and funders.

Data that can effectively communicate the impact of your programs and investments is arguably your most powerful tool for motivating donors to support your organization’s cause. And by tying that data to qualitative stories, you can paint an even more complete and compelling story.

This comprehensive guide covers:

• Key steps to becoming a more data-driven organization.
• Why numbers alone don’t tell a complete story.
• How to collect qualitative data, including stories from the field.
• How to effectively tie metrics to your stories to paint a more complete and compelling story of your impact.

"We use quantitative data a lot in presentations, but ultimately, what does it mean? We need to go beyond the numbers. I think when you couple qualitative stories with your quantitative metrics you begin to see the whole picture. We want to be able to tell our story in a more complete way.”

—David Solo, CEO of Special Olympics Northern California