How do you show progress to donors and investors?

1 Why progress reports matter

Progress reports are not just a formality or a courtesy. They are a powerful tool to build trust, credibility, and loyalty with your donors and investors. By showing them how you are using their funds, what impact you are making, and what challenges you are facing, you are demonstrating transparency, accountability, and professionalism. You are also giving them an opportunity to provide feedback, advice, and connections that can help you overcome obstacles and reach your milestones.

2 What to include in a progress report

A progress report should be concise, clear, and compelling. It should include a summary of your achievements since the last report, such as revenue growth, user acquisition, product development, or social impact. Visuals like numbers, graphs, or charts can help to illustrate your progress and highlight your key metrics. Additionally, it should describe any current challenges you are facing, such as market competition, customer retention, technical issues, or operational costs. Explain how you are tackling these issues and what support you need from your donors and investors. You should also include a projection of your future goals such as product launch, market expansion, fundraising round, or impact measurement. Outline your action plan, timeline, and expected outcomes. Finally, make a call to action such as asking for referrals, introductions, testimonials, or feedback to make it easy for your donors and investors to get involved and help you succeed.

3 How to format a progress report

Formatting a progress report should be easy and straightforward. For instance, you can save time by using a template or tool that allows you to create and share progress reports online, such as Google Docs, Slidebean, or Visible. Additionally, it's important to use a catchy subject line and a friendly greeting that address your donors and investors by name. For the content of the report, use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and white space to organize your information and highlight the main points. Visuals can help showcase your product, team, or impact; make sure they are relevant, high-quality, and well-captioned. And finally, use a clear and confident tone that reflects your brand voice and values. Be honest, optimistic, and enthusiastic about your progress and potential.

4 How to deliver a progress report

Delivering a progress report in a timely, consistent, and respectful manner is essential. To ensure that your donors and investors receive the reports they expect, choose a frequency that matches their expectations and your own capacity. Monthly, quarterly, or biannually may be suitable depending on your stage and situation. Additionally, select a channel that suits your audience and message, such as email, social media, blog, newsletter, or webinar. Analytics tools like Mailchimp or Hubspot can help you determine the best day and hour to send your progress report while avoiding holidays, weekends, and busy periods. Finally, choose a feedback mechanism that encourages donors and investors to respond and interact with you; surveys, polls, comments or calls to action are all effective options. Be sure to thank them for their feedback and follow up on their suggestions and requests.

5 How to improve your progress report

To improve your progress report, you should measure your performance and impact with tools like Google Analytics or KPI dashboards. Compare your results with goals and benchmarks. Additionally, collect and review feedback from donors and investors with SurveyMonkey or Typeform. Identify their pain points, needs, and preferences. Implement and test changes with A/B testing or split testing, changing one variable at a time. Document and monitor your changes and results with Google Sheets or Excel. Repeat and refine the process until you reach your desired outcomes.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?