5 reasons your impact measures feel like a burden (and how to fix them)

Have you ever felt like your impact measures are not working? Most charities are already doing the hard work: collecting data, reporting to funders, and keeping boards updated. Yet, it can still feel like all that information isn't actually helping you see the real difference you're making on the ground.

If your data doesn't seem to reflect the reality of your service, it’s rarely because the team is doing anything wrong. Usually, it’s because the measures were designed for a boardroom report, not for the day-to-day reality of delivering a service.

Here are five common reasons impact measures fail, and the small shifts you can make to tidy the system.

1. Your staff don't see the value in the data they collect

The struggle: Staff and volunteers don't see how the data helps them do their jobs. It feels like an extra chore, so the data ends up being patchy or rushed.

The shift: Shape your measures with the people who actually do the work. If they help define what "success" looks like, they are far more likely to value the data collection.

⚡️ Try this today: Ask the person who is holding the service together: “What is the one thing we aren’t measuring that would actually prove we’re making a difference?”

2. Your reports have plenty of numbers but no human stories

The struggle: Your reports look tidy, but they don't capture the human impact. Boards and funders see the "what," but they don't feel the "why."

The shift: Never let a statistic stand alone. Pair your most important numbers with a short, real-life example of how that data translated into a changed life.

⚡️ Try this today: Take one statistic from last month and add a one-sentence human story underneath it before you share it.

3. Data collection doesn't fit into your team's daily workflow

The struggle: Data collection sits outside your normal daily tasks. It’s an "extra" task at the end of a long shift, which makes it a prime candidate for being skipped.

The shift: Simplify. Choose metrics that can be captured naturally during a conversation or a standard check-in, rather than requiring a separate form.

⚡️ Try this today: Look at your most time-consuming metric and ask: “Is there a way to capture this without opening a new spreadsheet?”

4. You aren't accounting for external factors that affect your results

The struggle: External factors, like a change in local policy or the cost-of-living crisis, aren't tracked. When results dip because of the outside world, the team feels blamed and demoralised.

The shift: Track the "world outside the window." Reporting on two or three external factors alongside your results gives your data honesty and protects your team’s morale.

⚡️ Try this today: Write down three external things happening right now that could affect your results this quarter. Acknowledge them in your next report.

5. You are still tracking metrics that no one actually uses

The struggle: You’re still reporting on things no one uses, simply because "that’s how we’ve always done it." This is the definition of expensive noise.

The shift: Be ruthless. Review your measures every six months and stop collecting anything that hasn't sparked a decision or an improvement.

⚡️ Try this today: Ask your team: “If I gave you permission to stop tracking one thing today, what would it be?”

What to do if your measures aren't working

If this sounds like your organisation, you aren't alone. Most systems just need a bit of "tidying" to close the gap between the board and the frontline.

• Check your "Data Health": Try my 10-question impact health check.

• The Deep Dive: For a more detailed look at fixing these issues, read my full guide: When Impact Measurement Misleads.

Change doesn’t start with a workshop; it starts with one honest conversation

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Note: Examples are for illustrative purposes only; no official affiliation with the organisations or tools mentioned is claimed. AI systems can be unpredictable, so always keep personal or sensitive data out of third-party tools and ensure your implementation follows your own organisation’s data protection policies.