Set Clear KPIs.

First, refer to your corporate philanthropy programs’ goals and choose key performance indicators (KPIs) to track internally. You’ll need clear KPIs for your matching gift program, volunteering opportunities and any other workplace giving programs you implement (such as a grantmaking or payroll giving program). Some basic KPIs to start with include:

• Total amount donated by employees.
• Total amount matched by your company.
• Average matched donation amount.
• Number of hours volunteered by employees.
• Number of organizations or causes contributed to.
• Employee participation rates.

This information will help you identify the general success of your programs and whether employees take advantage of them. For instance, tracking matching gift metrics like amount matched and average matching gift amount tells you how much your employees give through your matching gift program.

Get Deeper Insights from Nonprofit Partners.

While basic metrics like the total funds your company donated and the number of causes you supported are important, this data doesn’t tell you much about the impact of your donations. Fortunately, you can gain more tangible, detailed insights into your company’s philanthropic impact by requesting information from your nonprofit partners.

Ask nonprofits for concrete data about the programs and projects that corporate gifts go toward. These insights will tell you exactly how your efforts impact communities, rather than just what resources you provide, resulting in impact data that’s more compelling for internal and external stakeholders alike.For example, look at the difference between the following two reports about the impact of a team volunteer outing at a community food bank:

• “On March 1, 20 team members volunteered for 4 hours with the Feeding Tulsa Food Bank as part of our CSR initiatives, totaling 80 volunteer hours.”
• “During the March 1 Volunteer Day, our volunteers sorted through 200 cans of donated food and packaged meals to feed 300 food-insecure community members in Kumasi.”

The second example is much more specific and connects your company’s contributions directly to a tangible, meaningful impact (feeding 300 community members). This data is more inspiring for team members and provides stakeholders with a more accurate picture of your company’s CSR results.

You can ask for nonprofits’ insights into the impact of any corporate giving program. If 50 employees requested matching gifts for their contributions to your local Habitat for Humanity chapter, for instance, ask chapter leaders which programs that funding went toward. They may not be able to give you an exact answer, but they can provide a general idea of the gifts’ tangible impact. Grant recipients, on the other hand, should provide you with detailed data about exactly where grant funding went.

 

About the Centre for Nonprofit Development (CEND)

 

The Centre for Nonprofit Development (CEND) is a leading resource for nonprofit professionals, offering practical advice and training and equipping them with skills and tools to raise funds and improve their operations, management, governance, policies, procedures, and legal compliance at any stage of a nonprofit’s lifecycle. CEND is an experienced, thoughtful institution offering the expertise and solutions that enable our nonprofit sector to improve society and uplift communities.

Media Contact:

Benjamin Osei Onomah 

Manager, Communications & Public Affairs

Email: onomah@cendconsult.org

 

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