Capturing and sharing your impact

Strong funding applications need strong evidence that your organisation can really deliver what’s needed and make a difference!

Whether you're applying for funding, reporting on a grant, or sharing your achievements with supporters, you will need evidence of your impact.

At the start of a project, think about what you'll want to know at the end and put in place some simple systems to capture and record the information you'll need later.

Having a clear idea of what success looks like from the outset makes it so much easier to capture evidence as you go along. It also means you'll have meaningful data, feedback, and case studies ready when the next funding opportunity comes along.

It sounds simple, but I often see small organisations secure funding and then get swept straight into delivery because demand is so high and there is just so much to do. But, before long, months have passed and valuable feedback, stories and outcome data haven't been recorded, or in a way that's easy to use later.

A few simple habits can help:

✔️ Ask questions before and after an activity or programme so you can see what has changed between the start and the end.

✔️ Keep track of key numbers. How many sessions were run? How many people took part? How many completed the programme? How many achieved a particular objective?

✔️ Save quotes, feedback, photos, and case studies somewhere you can easily find them later. Real stories bring your impact to life.

✔️ Record unexpected outcomes too. These are often some of the most powerful examples of change.

You don't necessarily need complicated systems. You just need to think about what information you'll need to capture from the very start. Doing so can make a huge difference when it's time to demonstrate the value of your work and make a strong case for funding.

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