Donor impact report

A donor impact report tells one donor, or one small group of donors, what their gift made possible. It's shorter and more personal than an annual report: one gift or fund, one page or two, sent a few months after the gift or when the project ends. It's one of the best ways to keep a donor, because it shows them their money did what you said it would.

Use it for:

• a larger gift, or a gift for a specific project (a restricted gift, meaning the donor said what it must be used for)
• a local business or small foundation that doesn't ask for a formal grant report
• a group of donors who gave to the same campaign, such as a new van or a summer program

For a report to all your supporters, see our guide to a simple annual report. For a funder's formal report, see grant reporting.

How to adapt it

• Start with their gift, not your organization. The donor wants to know what happened to their money.
• Use outputs and outcomes. Outputs are what you did (sessions held, meals served). Outcomes are what changed for people (children reading more, families eating through the month). Give both, and be clear which is which. Our guide to measuring impact explains the difference.
• Use real numbers only. If you don't know something yet, say when you will.
• Tell one story, with the person's written permission. Our photo and story consent form helps.
• Include what didn't work. A short, honest line builds more trust than a perfect picture.
• Show the money for a restricted gift: what it was for and how it was spent. If you spent it differently from what the donor asked, you need their agreement first. Our guide to restricted funds explains why.
• Don't ask for money in the report. Thank them. You can invite them to visit, or mention what's next, but save the ask for another day.