Using Data and Storytelling to Communicate Impact: A Recap From the Philanthropy NEXT Conference

By Martha Searby, ProInspire’s Communications Director

Last week I attended the Philanthropy NEXT conference in Washington, DC. This inaugural event, organized by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, brought together professionals from both sides of the giving equation for meaningful dialogue about the role of data and storytelling in communicating impact. Attendees heard from nonprofit funders, development and communications professionals, and leaders alike as they shared their insights and ideas about how to spark engagement and giving. Patty Stonesifer, President and CEO of Martha’s Table, keynoted the event with an informative and honest discussion about how to ensure that measurement improves performance, and how her organization helps its donors, board members, and other stakeholders understand which data points matter. Attendees also listened in on three panel discussions related to data, storytelling, and communicating impact, and participated in an interactive workshop on how to craft a fundraising appeal with results data. In the spaces between, we had plenty of time to network and share ideas.

Demonstrating impact is a hot topic in the social sector. From grant proposals to annual reports, organizations are focused on showing how they move the needle on their social cause. Making the case for why a donor should trust your organization enough to invest in it requires an understanding of your audience, the kind of data they care about, and how to convey results that resonate with them. For some organizations, including ProInspire, it can be difficult to demonstrate outcomes through quantitative measures. We help social sector organizations move the needle across many causes through developing leaders and strengthening leadership potential. We can report on how many professionals participated in our programs, their feedback after programs, and how they rate their confidence and understanding of new skills. But quantifying how our programs help organizations to better drive results can be challenging because it’s an indirect benefit to quantify. The biggest a-ha moment for me throughout the day was that while data is important, and we must all strive to quantify the results that matter to our stakeholders, numbers aren’t the only characters in the story — and you should carefully craft the role they play.

Some other key takeaways from #PhilNEXT:

• Find the meaning in the numbers. Patty Stonesifer encouraged attendees to “hold the facts close” and work to understand the numbers and how they relate to an organization’s approach and impact. What does the data tell you about what’s working, and what isn’t? Patty shared an anecdote related to her organization’s decision to launch pop-up food markets in elementary schools east of the Anacostia River as a way to increase access to and encourage consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables — a new direction defined by “holding the facts close” about hunger and realizing that it happens as much in homes as it does on the streets.

• Be intentional and selective about the data you report. It’s easy to overshare numbers and overwhelm stakeholders in an attempt to prove your organization’s value to the cause and to the sector. Often, a subtle approach is the best way to demonstrate impact; rather than taking a kitchen-sink approach, figure out who you’re talking to, and what data they care about. As Carl Chadband of ICF International reminded attendees, “Value-driven data is like a walk in closet. You don’t wear every item in your closet – you pick and choose your outfit based on what the day calls for.”

• Storytelling still matters. John Trybus, Deputy Director of Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communication, told the audience that storytelling is cited as #1 business skill needed in the next five years: “Stories are inextricably linked to what it means to be human; they are the currency of life.” And in our sector’s business of improving human lives, certainly there is a role for telling stories. Of course, it’s important to find the right balance between data and storytelling, to be authentic, and to not marginalize the characters in your story.

• Demonstrating impact costs money — and it’s OK to ask for it. Several panelists encouraged organizations to move away from the Annual Report and instead produce an Impact Report, which offers a much more compelling format for sharing your organization’s story and the impact it has on its cause. However, it takes resources — human and financial — to produce these reports. Funders are increasingly seeing marketing costs written into grant proposals, and according to many panelists, they are increasingly granting such requests.