I’ve been interviewing CEOs of local charities recently and asking them: what are your biggest challenges to making progress, and what difference would it make if you solved them?

The biggest challenges were funding, profile, and voice. And the difference if solved would be funding, profile, and voice. All three interact and help or hinder each other. Funding can enable a charity to raise its profile, attract more opportunities, deliver more (or better) services, and help more people. Equally, raising their profile can increase trust and visibility so that they are invited to enter tenders, or receive donations, or partner with others, or be known for referrals. And both funding and profile can enable more opportunities for their voice, and the voices of those they serve, to be heard.

One particular tool that can be leveraged is clear and simple evaluation. Where the impact can be seen by how many people were helped, for how long, and in which ways. This may open up more funding so that the activity can continue to be delivered, or new activities can be added. Evaluation can include statistics and stories. And putting these together can create a stronger pitch. Statistics can tell us what and when and how much. Stories can tell us why and how.

Have you tried putting these two things together? Have you asked your donors what encourages them to give? Is it your statistics or is it your stories? Knowing the answer to this, could open more doors for you to connect with your existing donor base and to expand to new donors.