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Nonprofit managers must make use of statistics to fundraise or make a case to supporters or skeptics. The numbers can be helpful, but they can start to take on a life of their own if users aren’t careful.
In her book “Writing to Make a Difference,” Dalya F. Massachi urges nonprofit financial managers to reflect their true numbers. That is, show how the numbers make a difference.
That can be done in the following ways:
* Focus on your organization’s colorful details. Think of the interesting numbers that you can point to that show the day-to-day hard work you do and also demonstrate the widespread effect you have.
* Evaluate the quality of the difference you are making, not just the quantity. Think of the benchmarks you can use to tell how your organization is benefitting the community. Common indicators include a growing interest in or rate of use of your services, stated or observed behavior changes over time or interest in recommending the product or service to others.
* Take control of your use of raw numbers. The emphasis you put on some numbers or the way you categorize or present them can translate into vastly different reader understandings.
* Express numerical date in context. If you provide context and a sense of perspective, your readers are likely to understand what your numbers represent. They are also more likely to want to know more of what you say, rather than zone out.
