September 16, 2025
The Impact Issue #79: Why Data-backed Evidence is Non-negotiable.
Learn what it takes to collect ongoing evidence for funding success.
Hi there!
Welcome back to The Impact.
We all know how important impact data is in grant writing, but that doesn’t stop the last-minute scramble and search for evidence.
This week’s issue is all about how to be proactive with evidence collection to set your organization up for success. We also have the latest insights, networking opportunities, grants, and more to share.
So settle in and get ready to scroll.
Pitfalls and Pointers
⚠️ Pitfall: Not Substantiating Your Claims (Even ‘Obvious’ Ones)
In some cases, you might assume that it’s obvious that something is a pervasive issue in your community, so there’s no need to back it up with data.
However, unsubstantiated claims are almost always a big red flag for funders. And without initial data, you’ll have nothing to measure your impact against.
💡 Pointer: Back Up Your Observations With Data
While your observations can play an important role in identifying a need, you’ll also need to lean on evidence to support your claims.
Here are some good places to start:
- Studies, reports, and articles: Typically, higher education institutions, government agencies, and scientific journals will present findings you can use in your proposals. You can often get access to information repositories like JSTOR through your local library free of charge.
- Local statistics: Check out your city or county's data for local trends and issues impacting your community. You can use the U.S. Census Bureau data or review city council agendas, legislative priorities, and other local documents to help understand official priorities and how your work fits into them or how it addresses a gap.
- Preliminary findings or projections: You can also share any preliminary findings your own organization may have or projections of what you hope to accomplish. Just make sure that they’re realistic and grounded in actual data.
🤓 Learn more about how to change the game with evidence-based grant proposals!
The Latest Numbers
CCS Fundraising recently updated its regional landscape reports for 2024, providing a deep dive into philanthropic trends for the central United States.
The 2024 reports include:
- Region-specific philanthropic data broken down into individual reports across Greater Chicago, Greater St. Louis, Twin Cities, North Texas, Greater Cleveland, Milwaukee, and the Metro Detroit areas
- Individual, foundation, and corporate giving trends
- Best practices and data-driven insights that can inform your strategy
Whether you’re looking to win more grants or increase individual giving, these reports can help you see the bigger picture of philanthropy in your area. Use them to help you adjust your plans based on the current state and guide your long-term strategy.
👊 Keep pace with the changing philanthropic landscape with the latest CCS Fundraising Reports!
Expert Perspectives
🏆 Allison Prieur on Making Evidence-Gathering Part of Your Daily Routine
Allison Prieur, founder of DARE Impact Consulting, understands the power of evidence in elevating grant proposals.
So many people dread evidence collection, but Allison shared with us her secret to make it more manageable: an always-on data collection approach utilizing both need and approach-based data.
Here’s her expert advice:
- Use a mix of data to demonstrate your need. Of course, this can include broader community data; however, it can also include your waitlist numbers, the number of referrals you made because you lacked capacity, and so on. This will clearly demonstrate a demand for services that are directly related to your nonprofit.
- Don’t overlook qualitative data. Qualitative data can be just as impactful when you’re telling a story, so don’t forget to leverage testimonials, participant feedback, etc. This will help you show why your approach (solution) is the one that works; you have testimonials to back it up.
- Document, document, document. Create running lists of the testimonials you’ve collected, statistics you’ve used in previous applications, and gaps you or your team have experienced in the community. Separate them into different documents and share them with your team. Encourage all to collaborate on these shared documents to help you pull data and insights more easily in the future.
🤩 Watch the webinar for more tips on how to supercharge your evidence!
🎁 A Gift for You 🎁
Most grants require reporting, and having a standard template in place can help you track your progress and stay informed on your overall impact.
We put together this Grant Progress Report Template to get you started. As a bonus, this can be a great place to pull evidence-based data from to inform future grant applications.
Opportunities Spotlight
⭐ James B. and Lois R. Archer Charitable Foundation Large Grant
Who It’s For: Nonprofits focused on enriching and empowering local communities to create lasting, positive change
Next Deadline: October 31, 2025
Grant Amount: More than $10,000
The Details:
The James B. and Lois R. Archer Charitable Foundation is focused on empowering communities. They invest in nonprofits in the following areas: arts & culture; civic & public affairs; education; health; and human services. While the foundation supports programs across the United States, it aims to allocate one-third of its available resources to organizations serving West Texas communities.
🐶 Cold Noses Foundation Grant
Who It’s For: Nonprofits focused on the humane treatment of animals across the world
Next Deadline: October 31, 2025 (Africa, Asia); July 31, 2026 (North America)
Grant Amount: $2,000-$5,000
The Details:
The Cold Noses Foundation helps support the humane treatment of domestic pets, wildlife, and farm animals. They are focused on non-lethal alternatives to euthanasia, education, and veterinary care, especially for homeless and neglected animals. The foundation focuses on different geographic sectors on a quarterly basis to enhance its global impact.
🔍 Check out even more grant opportunities today!
Networking Nook
💻 Webinar: You Won the Grant, Now What: A Pro-Level Playbook for Managing Awards
Thursday, September 18 | 1:00 PM CDT
Winning the grant isn’t the finish line. It’s the starting point. Post-award execution is where high-performing teams set themselves apart and unlock their next round of funding.
In this 90-minute, strategy-forward session, you'll learn how leading nonprofits and consultants manage the post-award phase like pros. From kickoff to closeout, we’ll unpack the systems, roles, and tools that streamline grant implementation, strengthen funder trust, and set you up for future wins.
Save Your Spot!
📅 Conference: The Nonprofit Technology Conference
March 10-13, 2026 | Detroit, MI
Start planning for the 2026 Nonprofit Technology Conference! This annual event pulls together individuals who want to use technology to help make the world a better place. At this conference, you’ll learn best practices, network with peers, and experience how technology can be used as a force for good. Registration isn’t open yet, but be sure to save the date!
To check out more recent and upcoming live events, go here.
In Case You Missed It
📑 Article: Best Practices & Strategies for Securing Invite-Only Funding
Invite-only funding may seem intimidating. It’s kind of like an exclusive club, but once you know how to break through the barriers, you’ll be well on your way to being on the list! Read on for actionable advice on how to build relationships and demystify the invite-only process.
🎙️ Podcast: Street Cred, Trust Capital, and Impact-Focused Fundraising (with Michael Thatcher)
Join nonprofit leader and executive coach Joan Garry and Michael Thatcher, CEO of Charity Navigator, on the “Nonprofits are Messy” podcast. In this episode, they explore how nonprofits can better use data to build trust with donors and win more funding.
Collecting Evidence Doesn’t Have to Be Scary
By investing in continual data collection, you’ll be setting your organization up for success and saving yourself from a last-minute scramble.
Instrumentl can help:
- Leverate Instrumentl Apply’s AI technology to pull together your best grant proposals, including pulling evidence-based data from previous applications.
- Utilize our document repository to store your important information in one place. That way, you won’t have to dig into files to find the latest and greatest.
- Collaborate with your peers on our easy-to-use interface, clearly defining deliverables and checking in on progress to keep your evidence collecting on track.
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