It’s rarely easy to raise money, and the global pandemic isn’t helping. The nonprofit sector has always relied on relationships to fundraise. Events and in-person meetings are a thing of the past. What do you do when traditional fundraising channels are no longer possible? Fortunately, many nonprofit organizations have not taken advantage of their board members' full reach, due largely to lack of clear data about the organization's impact. 

“The inequity in this district as compared to the other districts surrounding us has always been so tangible and clear,” explains Jenna Wachtel Pronovost, Executive Director of the ​Ravenswood Education Foundation. “Then COVID happened and the schools closed. The inequities have intensified in this environment, and we knew we would have to act quickly to support our students and the greater community.”

“The SBYD [sports-based youth development] conversation has thoroughly evolved in the three years that I have been attending this event,” reflects UpMetrics Director of Client Services, Stephen Minix.

What kinds of metrics can you track to ensure that you are helping foster the change you hope to see in the world?

Here's how foundations can help nonprofit leadership be even more effective.

While it’s clear that Special Olympics Northern California & Nevada (SONC) is having a positive impact on the athletes they serve, it’s also obvious that they’re not interested in resting on their laurels. Already, they’re using data in order to better inform their decision making and more effectively tell their story of impact. But, as is the case for many nonprofit organizations, those steps involve navigating multiple systems and adding to workloads across the chapter.

Having data isn’t an end in itself—numbers don’t do anything for you unless you know how to use them to your advantage.

In our increasingly data-driven world, access to data is no longer a “nice to have.” It is essential for any organization across every sector. As such, data is transforming how the philanthropic sector understands and drives impact. But analyzing impact doesn’t have to be complex. Here are four steps to take to leverage data to start analyzing impact. 

Hint: Numbers matter.

“The MVP organization was started by Jay Glazer and Nate Boyer back in 2015,” explains Executive Director, Jacob Toups. “Jay Glazer has been in the sports industry for 25-plus years, so he’s been interviewing and tracking athletes for most of his career. Nate Boyer was a Green Beret, and was on the Seattle Seahawks—he landed in Los Angeles after his time in the NFL.