Ruth is the executive director of a youth centre. Her Spring Appeal report was due on November 24.
She wrote it on November 23, after the children had gone home. It was fourteen pages. It had every number she could find.
At the board meeting, the chair turned to page one and asked a single question: "Did we do what we said we would do?" The answer was somewhere on page nine.
What breaks
Most reports are written from memory at the deadline. They list what the team did, not what the team promised. Nobody checks whether the report arrived on time. And the board reads the first page, so the first page decides everything.
One page, five parts
- What we promised. The goal and what the money would do, as you told donors.
- What we raised. The total, the number of donors, and how many were new.
- What we did with it. Planned against actual, in plain numbers. If a number is different, say why.
- What surprised us. One thing. It shows the board you are paying attention.
- What comes next. Two or three actions, each with a name and a date.
Everything else goes into an appendix, for the people who want it.
Set the date on day one
When you launch a campaign, choose the report date and tell your donors. Now the report is a promise, and a promise gets done. Keep a simple count: how many campaigns did we report on time? A board likes a number like "4 of 4".
Write as you go
Keep a running note during the campaign. Two lines a week: what happened and what you decided. When the deadline arrives, most of the report is already written.
Try this week
Take your last report. Cut it to one page using the five parts. Show it to one board member and ask what they would still want to know.
How Cotara helps
Cotara tracks every campaign against its report date and shows how many you sent on time. When a report is due, it drafts one from your results. You review it, edit it and send it.
Common questions
How long should a board report be?
One page for the main report, with an appendix for details. If the board cannot find the answer to "did we do what we said?" in thirty seconds, shorten it.
Should donors get the same report?
Give donors a shorter, warmer version of the same facts: what you promised, what you raised and what you did with it. Send it by the date you promised.
What if we missed our goal?
Say so on page one. Explain what you learned and what you will change. Boards trust honest reports more than perfect ones.
Ruth is a composite example. Names and details are illustrative.
