Reporting and analytics are at the heart of every thriving charity.  

From understanding donor behaviour to tracking campaign effectiveness, having the right data at your fingertips can transform how you make decisions and power data-driven fundraising.

But, as many charities know all too well, building meaningful reports isn’t always straightforward ... 

Whether it’s time, tools or confidence that’s lacking, effective reporting can feel just out of reach. Maybe you’re trying to juggle multiple spreadsheets or wrestling with inflexible reporting tools - but instead of empowering your work, your data ends up feeling like a burden. 

This article explores some of the common challenges charities face when it comes to reporting, and offers practical advice on how to build reports that don’t just tick boxes, but lead to better results. 

Why Reporting Matters for Charities 

At its core, reporting is about turning data into stories: stories of success, growth and opportunity. The ability to easily access and interpret data helps charity teams: 

• Understand donor behaviour 
• Track campaign performance 
• Identify trends and areas for improvement 
• Make informed, confident decisions 
• Prioritise successful, data-driven fundraising campaigns 

Without clear reporting, it’s easy to fall into guesswork or rely on anecdotal feedback. Good reporting helps keep strategy aligned with reality, ensuring time and resources are being directed where they’ll have the most impact. 

The Reporting Challenges Charities Face 

Too often, charities tell us they’re relying on outdated or overly complex systems that make it hard to access the insights they actually need. Common charity reporting struggles include: 

• Reports that are time-consuming to build and maintain
• Limited flexibility to customise reports for unique requirements
• Too much flexibility that makes data messy and difficult to manage
• Difficulty or an inability to integrate data from different systems 

What does this tell us? The sweet spot is having both simplicity and flexibility. Without that balance, these challenges can slow down decision-making, cloud your understanding of what’s working, and ultimately, hold back your great work. 

Practical Reporting Tips for Charities 

Making reporting work for your charity doesn’t have to mean overhauling your entire approach. Here’s some practical steps to help you get started, or improve what you already have: 

1. Start with what you need most 

Begin by identifying the questions your team asks most often. For example: 

• How many active donors do we have? 
• What was the ROI of our last campaign? 
• Which fundraising channels are bringing in the most income?  

Focusing on a few key questions helps ensure your reports are actually useful. 

2. Use pre-built reports as a springboard 
 
If your CRM offers ready-made reports and dashboards, use them. They’re designed to surface the most useful insights quickly, and can help you build confidence in using reporting tools before diving into customisation. 

3. Don’t overcomplicate it 
 
There’s a temptation to track everything, so always ask yourself why you're doing it first. Stick to the metrics that support your goals. For example, if your priority is donor retention, focus on engagement and repeat giving rather than one-off campaign totals. 

4. Review regularly and iterate 
 
Reports shouldn’t be static. Make time to revisit them and adapt them as your needs evolve. What was helpful last year may no longer reflect your strategy now. 

5. Bring reporting into team conversations 

Data is most useful when it’s shared. Make reporting a regular part of team meetings or planning sessions, and encourage discussion about what the numbers are telling you. 

 
Interested in knowing how Donorfy can help? Read on. 

Analytics is one of the areas where Donorfy really tries to take the pressure off. A lot of our team have worked in charities themselves, so we get it - reporting needs to be powerful enough to give you real insight, but practical enough not to be a headache. 

Donorfy includes a set of ready-made reports designed around what most charities commonly need - the foundational reports that give you a quick view of how things are going, without needing to build everything from scratch. 

What’s useful here is that these reports are available from day one, which can help reduce setup time and give teams something tangible to work with straight away. 

According to research from the Charity Digital Skills Report, a big challenge for charities is a lack of confidence in using data effectively. In fact, a third (34%) are poor at, or not using, data to inform decision making. Starting with these clear, pre-built insights can help overcome that barrier. 

At the same time, one size rarely fits all. Using Donorfy also allows you to customise dashboards and create your own reports, so you can track the specific metrics that matter to your organisation. For many organisations, having that flexibility makes a big difference. 

Donorfy’s own Becca - who previously worked in a charity herself – wrote this practical article on using data visualisations to make reports even more engaging and insightful. It’s well worth a quick read as a next step: How to Use Data Visualisations to Bring Your Reports to Life. 

In short: effective reporting for charities shouldn’t be a luxury. It’s a necessity. A charity CRM can help make it easier, giving you the tools to turn your metrics into meaning. If you want to dive deep into custom metrics, you can. And if you just need the essentials, they’re ready and waiting. 

The best part though? No more spreadsheet wrangling!

Curious to learn more about what a CRM can do for you?

Book a no-strings chat with someone who understands charities.