Measuring and reporting on the impact of your work might seem simple at first - did your programme meet its goals or not? But in practice, these are nuanced and complex processes. Whether you’re assessing a single project or your organisation's broader impact, a strategic and focused approach is key.

In this blog, we will explore the differences between impact measurement and impact reporting, as well as their relevance to fundraising within the sport for good sector. We’ll look at the various types of impact data an organisation may want to measure, identify some tried and tested ways to do so, and reflect on the most effective ways to communicate this data with your audiences. 

Impact Measurement vs Impact Reporting: What’s the Difference?

Impact measurement refers to the ongoing collection and analysis of data to assess the effectiveness of a programme (or multiple programmes). It’s about tracking whether your work is achieving its intended outcomes, enabling you to adjust your approach, delivery, or focus when needed. This enables you to understand what’s working well during a project, and identify any areas of improvement, using pre-established objectives as a guide. Using real-time insights during programme delivery, organisations can implement swift adaptations. Not only does this prevent programme delivery from taking place in the dark, but it maximises the likelihood of achieving your objectives. 

Impact measurement ensures that your objectives remain at the forefront throughout the lifespan of your programme, rather than becoming diluted as time progresses. This is particularly important for work that external organisations with social impact priorities have funded. For instance, a funder like the Gosling Foundation prioritises self-sufficiency and confidence-building amongst disadvantaged and marginalised young people, funding programmes that pledge to achieve this. This niche focus can easily be overshadowed by broader goals like general wellbeing—unless it’s carefully monitored. Measuring impact throughout the programme ensures grant requirements shape delivery from start to finish.

Impact reporting refers to how you communicate the insights gathered through your impact measurement processes. It considers the most effective approach to discussing the impact of your work by transforming data into stories and learnings. To this end, impact measurement can be viewed as an internal process which utilises the most effective means for your organisation. In contrast, impact reporting considers the external communication of your work. In particular, identifying the most accessible, effective, and intelligible means to convey the impact of your work with your beneficiaries, stakeholders, the general public, and current and prospective funders. 

As you can imagine, with such a variety of potential audiences for your impact, there is no universal way to communicate the data you gather. Different impact areas will be relevant for different audiences. For instance, for a grassroots sports club, the local communities directly benefiting from your work are less likely to want numerical data relating to social impact value and return on investment. Instead, they may look for soft, or qualitative, insights relating to thoughts, feelings, and any community changes that have taken place. Conversely, for corporate partners who have social responsibility targets to reach, quantitative data relating to the number of beneficiaries and statistics demonstrating social challenges like poverty and crime are often the priority. Additionally, your audiences will benefit from different communication formats for these insights -and we will go into more detail about this later in the blog. 

In short, measurement is about understanding your impact. Reporting is about sharing your understanding. 

Types of Impact Data

A primary reason why impact measurement and reporting can be an arduous or complicated task is due to the sheer extent of impact data available to gather. For many organisations, knowing where to start with what data to gather can be a hurdle preventing them from starting their measurement and reporting journeys. To simplify this, we’ve broken down the most common types of data: outputs, outcomes, and impact. 

Outputs

Information about the programme you delivered (e.g., who your beneficiaries are, how many people you engaged, where the programme took place and for how long)

Outcomes

The behavioural or attitude changes experienced by the individuals you are working with (e.g., increased weekly activity rates, improved confidence levels, enhanced friendships)

Impact

Tends to be longer term, relating to the systemic changes of your work (e.g., reduced levels of anti-social behaviour, increased physical health, lower levels of school exclusion)

Often, outcome data relates to the short-to-medium-term changes that your work evokes. These changes have a swifter turnaround, meaning they may be easier to report on as they are visible more quickly than long-term cultural shifts. This is not to say they are not as important; they are essential, often actively contributing to the long-term systems change that impact data demonstrates. For example, improvements in mental wellbeing, such as enhanced confidence and self-esteem, are the essential foundations for long-term systems change, such as reduced anti-social behaviour. Importantly, they both require a before-and-after comparison to evidence that the changes have taken place. Without contextualising outcomes and impact in this way, it isn’t clear that changes have occurred - this undermines the true power of your work. 

Output, outcome, and impact data mix numerical and statistical insights with non-numerical, textual findings. The former is known as quantitative data and can be characterised as that which can be captured and measured, answering questions like how many, how much, how often, and to what extent. On the other hand, the latter, qualitative data, is more descriptive and captures people’s experiences, feelings, and perspectives. By putting faces, real lives, and stories behind numerical data, it answers questions like why, how, and what does it mean. As Zenna Hopson of Dallaglio RugbyWorks identified at our Sport Fundraising Summit in early 2025:

‘I don't actually think it matters how many people you work with, it's how many lives you actually change. You can put a football in the hands of 10,000 young people and only change one, you look good because you worked with 10,000. So I think we have to move away a bit from this numbers-based approach to a real impact-based approach.’

While numbers show scale, stories reveal meaning. Qualitative insights bring your data to life by showing real-world transformation behind the statistics. This is the difference between qualitative and quantitative data - both are needed to conjure a holistic image of your impact and demonstrate to your audiences the true extent of your reach.

Gathering Impact Data

Methods

Having discussed the difference between impact measurement and impact reporting, and identified various types of impact-related data, it’s time we consider how an organisation working in the sport for development sector can gather these insights. Impact measurement can be articulated as monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of your work. Having obtained the data, it then needs to be processed, but how can we obtain this data in the first place?

A Standardised Approach

As the table above demonstrates, the process of gathering impact data can be complex and demanding. Many organisations have limited time and resources, which can challenge the efficiency of impact gathering. Making this process as straightforward as possible is essential if an organisation is to implement efficient impact monitoring and evaluation within its culture. 

To achieve this, we encourage a standardised approach - using the same core methods, indicators, and frameworks to measure and communicate findings. This brings many benefits, especially for organisations in the sport for development sector, where impact can be wide-ranging.

Firstly, it enables consistency across programmes. A standardised approach allows you to compare results from different programmes, locations, beneficiary groups, or periods. You can identify trends and patterns in what’s working and areas for improvement. By controlling the impact metrics, the actual findings become the focus. 

A standardised approach often improves data quality and reliability. By reducing variation in how you gather and evaluate data, you ensure that evaluations are based on clear, shared definitions of outcomes.

Next, it supports organisational learning. Using comparable evidence makes it easier to reflect, adapt, and improve your services by placing findings side by side. This can help staff understand how programmes connect to broader goals and impact, including how a programme contributes to the wider sport for development sector. 

Also, a standardised impact measurement and reporting framework builds credibility with funders, partners, and stakeholders. In line with their social responsibility goals and thematic priorities, funders increasingly expect robust, consistent evidence of impact. Standardising your approach makes it easier to present clear, comparable data, helping streamline grant applications and reporting. Funders and partners can use your results to demonstrate their return on investment. This is pivotal to good donor stewardship, increases the likelihood of sustained funding, and demonstrates how you have met the requirements of the grant.

Linked to this, it enhances storytelling efforts by enabling more compelling impact stories backed by relevant, powerful data. This makes it easier to show the scale of impact across communities rather than focusing on isolated success stories, building a comprehensive image of organisational impact. 

Impact Reporting: Some Considerations

Impact reporting is about clearly communicating what your programme achieved, and how you know this. In the sport for development sector, outcomes often include social, emotional, physical, and community-level change. Impact reporting needs to balance qualitative and quantitative data with the context in which this sits. Some key considerations when reporting on impact include:

Purpose and Audience

Identifying who the impact report is for and what they need to know is essential. Tailor the tone, depth, and detail to the audience of your report. While funders want evidence, communities may prefer stories.

Theory of Change (TOC)

This relates to why and how you’ll evoke certain changes for a community of beneficiaries. It provides a context and setting in which your outcomes occur, evidenced by research and data that establishes the need. Your impact reporting should demonstrate the solutions you’ve brought about, responding directly to the problems or challenges that your TOC highlights. Moving through problem-solution-impact highlights the logical flow from your organisation’s core purpose for existence to the ongoing work you do to make change happen. Impact reporting should connect to the objectives within your TOC, offering key performance indicators against which you can monitor and evaluate your success.

Evidence-Based Results

Use a blend of quantitative and qualitative data to substantiate your outcomes and findings. Making claims about your impact without supporting them with numbers and stories can jeopardise your credibility with funders and other stakeholders. It suggests you take a light-touch approach to impact monitoring while also undermining your success. Consider presenting data in charts, tables, or infographics to summarise key statistics, breaking up lengthy text with engaging, digestible visuals. 

Matching Donor Styles

When impact reporting for a funder or partner, it is good practice to consider the style and format they use in their own publications, if applicable, and implement this in your report. This shows that you’ve done your research into the funder and demonstrates a clear alignment with their ethos and culture. This is good practice for relationship stewardship and increases the chance you’ll present the impact data they want to see most.

Honesty and Balance

Sharing what didn’t go as planned and acknowledging any challenges or limitations you encountered helps build organisational credibility. This might include low engagement rates and unforeseen outcomes. By highlighting these elements of your programme, you contribute to wider sector learning, helping inform other organisations working in similar spaces of the experiences you faced. Further, it builds trust with funders - not everything goes to plan, but communicating this transparently and constructively means you can leverage challenges to your advantage.

Enhancing Impact Measurement and Reporting: Practical Tips

• Clarify your Theory of Change and make this a priority 

• Establish a culture of impact monitoring and evaluation - could you work with an consultant to run an independent impact evaluation of your programmes?

• Identify 3/4 ways to gather impact and embed these across programmes - a standardised approach will streamline efficiency and simplify the process. Choose a few and do them well, rather than doing lots poorly.

• Upskill coaches and delivery staff in data gathering to make impact measurement part of delivery, not an add-on.

• Schedule data collection within programme design and stick to it, with baseline, interim, and post-programme touchpoints. Similarly, schedule time to reflect on impact to inform future delivery. 

• Mixed method approaches for impact reporting - blend statistics with stories to build a comprehensive image rather than relying too heavily on one or the other.

• Store data on simple tools like Excel, Google Sheets, Airtable and Notion. 

Conclusion

Impact measurement and impact reporting are more than just tick-box exercises to appease funders. Equally, its value is more far-reaching than just proving your success. It’s a powerful tool for growth, making sure the work your organisation does actually reflect the changes you want to see. Impact measurement and reporting enable your organisation to learn, improve, and be accountable for the changes taking place. In a sector built on passion, purpose, and people, organisations must do this well. When done effectively, impact measurement and reporting not only improve programmes—it can strengthen your case for funding, demonstrating both accountability and ambition to current and potential donors.

Written by Lucy Wilkes