Q&A: How should I communicate the impact of our projects to funders and donors?
How should I communicate the impact of our projects to funders and donors?
Project managers might primarily focus on timelines and deliverables, but effective communication is a critical part of the job. It's not just about reporting; it's about ensuring our project efforts resonate with the very people who make our work possible: our funders and donors.
Effective communication is key to building strong relationships and securing continued support. Here are a few practical strategies for funder and donor communication:
Plan for Communication: Create a communication plan that outlines the what, how, and when of communicating impact to your funders and donors. What type of information do they need? How and when will you provide that information? Via reports, social media, appeals, or newsletters? If you aren’t sure how to draft this plan, ask for support from your organization’s communications and fundraising folks.
Adjust for Your Audience: Funders often require detailed reports and data analysis, while donors may be more interested in personal stories and emotional appeals. Reflect these differing needs in your communication plan. Be sure to align your internal project reporting with the formats required by your funder.
Focus on Outcomes, Not Just Outputs: While deliverables (outputs) are important, funders and donors are most interested in the changes your project creates (outcomes). It’s not enough to say that your project created a program to provide meals; we also want to emphasize the impact of the program: “Created a meal program capable of delivering 500 meals each month, reducing food insecurity for vulnerable families in our community.”
Build Assessment into the Project Plan: Rather than ending your project with the delivery of a finished program or service, integrate impact evaluation into your project plan. Add an assessment phase to the end of the project or incorporate the release and assessment of a beta program or service into your project plan. Both options allow you to gather data on impacts during the project.
These strategies can help you effectively communicate the impact of your projects and build strong, lasting relationships with your funders and donors!
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