Report writing is an essential part of the fundraising process. It is not only a requirement by the donor but also a great tool to prepare for future applications and to create a great relationship with past donors. Nevertheless, many NGOs do not use its power to the fullest and miss many great chances. In this article, we want to point out 5 mistakes that many NGOs make in the reporting process, so you know what to watch out for and can avoid them.
You have to submit the report typically after the project has ended. Many NGOs make the mistake of only starting to work on the report when the project is already ended. This can lead to serious problems because writing a good report should not be only an afterthought but an essential part of the project cycle. Sometimes you realize while writing the report that you need data, that you cannot get now when the project is already finished. Sometimes you realize that the timeframe you set for yourself is too tight and you cannot produce a good report with the deadline looming. Starting too late is the number one mistake NGOs make that results in poor reports.
Many small NGOs underestimate the time and resources it takes to write a good report. It is just another task the project manager has at the end of the project and gets buried with other things. Do not make this mistake though. Writing the report should be an integral part of the project cycle and you should give the people who do it enough time and resources to do a good job. If they need to collect specific data or need pictures, make sure someone can supply this. And don’t just think of it as an afterthought.
Donors request you to report on the success of your project by the deadline agreed upon. But even if you are not requested to report on milestones along the way, it is a good idea to do so and something many NGOs do not do. This way, your chances of getting a grant extension are much higher and you leave a good impression that will help you in the future. Write a short report around half way through and anticipate any project areas where you might need more funding – at the end of the project the donor will probably not have any further resources, but at the halfway point your chances will be higher.
While this sounds like a thing that should not be of any concern, many NGOs make the mistake of not reading the guidelines for the reporting properly. Donors want very specific information and are very clear about it, so you should be very careful to follow the guidelines and instructions. Only provide pictures if they are wanted, give the requested amount of detail in your budgetary overview and fill out all the blanks in the form. If you do all this, you already avoided one of the most common pitfalls for NGOs in report writing.
Of course, it is very tempting to overstate the success of a project in the report. Maybe you even think this would further your chances of getting funding again in the future. But be careful with this. Donors will visit the project site and get insight anyways – so if you dress up something, you will probably get caught. Be honest in your report writing and instead of trying to cover up pitfalls explain them and make clear why you were not able to meet target numbers. Giving out grants is also a learning experience for donors, and if you are not honest, none of you can take advantage of the experiences you made.
Eva is based in Germany and has worked for nearly a decade with NGOs on the grassroots level in Nepal in the field of capacity development and promotion of sustainable agricultural practices. Before that, she worked in South America and Europe with different organizations. She holds a Ph.D. in geography and her field of research was sustainability and inclusion in development projects.
