5 Capacity Drivers for Organizational Growth: Part Five, Native Reporting 

In this blog series, we are exploring five capacity drivers that support the growth of social good organizations. Fifth in this series is native reporting.

Regardless of the industry, reporting is likely a significant part of understanding and showcasing impact. And this is especially true for the social good space. Solid reporting can keep staff on track, provide insights that improve programs, ensure adherence to compliance requirements, assist in fundraising and give a clear view into an organization’s impact.

But the reality is that most nonprofit reporting does not happen in real time, which means nonprofits are often working with outdated and inaccurate data that doesn’t tell the whole story of how an organization and its services are evolving.

Imagine if your reporting could track success at the individual and program levels, improve data quality and accuracy, and visually show progress through an always-on dashboard.

Sounds pretty great, huh? That’s the power of native reporting. It makes it easy to demonstrate results and prove impact, which can lead to more funding and program support.

Here are some of the primary benefits of native reporting:

1. Information is in real time. You don’t have to wait weeks or months to understand how programs may or may not be working. You can view information at any time to gain insights into individuals and programs, which allows you to meet clients’ ever-changing needs more quickly, make budget decisions at any time and spot potential program risks early.
2. Everyone is on the same page. When staff, administrators and volunteers are using the same method of reporting across the board, there is little room for error. You save countless hours otherwise spent tracking down, collating and manually inputting information. Plus, you can show clients information easily so that they also have access to information.
3. Dashboards are customizable. You don’t have to export data to create reports. You can generate custom reports for specific funder requests in minutes.
4. Staff and administrators are empowered decision makers. Taking the burden of manual reporting away from hardworking staff can lead to better job performance and satisfaction. Plus, having information at their fingertips empowers staff to make informed decisions that drive greater impact.

Want to learn about how native reporting works and more ways to support the growth of your social good organization? Check out our 5 Capacity Drivers eBook.

Check out Part One in our 5 Capacity Drivers blog series, Online Intake.