Writing For Nonprofit Reports

Early in my career as a CFO, I opened a 60-slide board deck to present in our quarterly meeting. By slide 4, the Chair stopped me and asked, “Cameron, what do you want from us?” That question stung and it changed how I run boards forever. 💡 Board meetings aren’t report-outs. They’re decision forums. It’s not about reciting metrics or proving effort. It’s about getting clarity on what moves next. 🎯 Here’s the 3-step formula I now follow to make that happen: 1) Start with the ask. Before you open your deck, be clear on what you need from the board. A decision? A green light? A perspective? If you can’t summarize your ask in one sentence, you’re not ready to present. 2) Simplify the narrative. Most CFOs think the board wants everything. They don’t. They want the why and the so what. Cut the noise, connect the dots, and frame every slide around what truly matters to the business. 3) Tie every metric to a story. Don’t stop at “what happened.” Explain “why it matters” and “what we’ll do next.” Every metric should lead somewhere, otherwise, it’s trivia. Once I reframed meetings around action, everything changed. Our discussions became faster, decisions clearer, and execution sharper. ⚡ That shift also supercharged trust. The board began seeing finance not as a function but as a strategic partner that keeps the business moving forward. If you’re a CFO still measuring success by how much you present → flip it. Measure it by how clearly the board moves after you’re done. P.S. I advise CFOs and VPs of Finance on building decision clarity, tighter narratives, and leadership rhythms that move the business forward. Reach out if you want to strengthen how your team shows up in the boardroom.

New Report on ISO/IEC Artificial Intelligence (AI) FDIS new standard 42005 on #AI #Impact #Assessment designed to help organizations turn the standard into action, together with AI & Partners, Sean Musch, Michael Charles Borrelli, Charles Kerrigan, Nadir Ali What’s Inside the Report: 📍A walkthrough of ISO 42005’s structure, principles, and real-world impact 📍Practical steps for conducting and documenting #AI Impact Assessments (AIIAs) 📍Integrated frameworks for aligning with ISO 42001 and the EU #AI Act 📍A harms & benefits taxonomy to evaluate #AI system risks and rewards 📍Roadmap to ISO 42005 audit-readiness with ISO/IEC 42006 alignment

If every board meeting at your nonprofit organization leaves you feeling wrung out and wondering, “Why does this have to be so hard? You’re not alone. I spent my first six months as a new ED creating custom PowerPoints for each meeting. Staying up late to perfect slides that board members would glance at for thirty seconds. Here's what transformed our board meetings from heroic scrambles to strategic sessions: 𝟭. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗗 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 Same structure every meeting: • Mission moment (a story that shows impact) • Key metrics dashboard (same 3-5 goals each time, like the photo) • Progress on strategic priorities • Challenges needing board input • Wins to celebrate The time lever? You're filling in a thought-out template, not reinventing the wheel. 𝟮. 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 Instead of treating board meetings like show-and-tell: • Finance committee owns the financial dashboard • Program committee presents one strategic spotlight each quarter • Board members rotate leading a 5-minute reflection question • Every agenda item has a clear purpose: 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 → 𝗔𝗰𝘁 → 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲.When everyone knows whether they’re hearing an update, moving something forward, or making a decision, the conversation stays focused and productive. When everyone is clear about whether they’re hearing an update, moving something forward, or making a decision, the conversation stays focused and productive. And now you're building engagement. 𝟯. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗥𝗵𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗺 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 • Week -3: Committee chairs confirm and their pieces • Week -2: Compile materials using your template • Week -1: Send agenda and materials (yes, a full week early!) • Meeting day: Focus on decisions, not updates The predictability creates space for what matters: strategic thinking and real governance. 𝟰. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 Use the same dashboard every meeting. When board members see the same metrics improving (or struggling) over time, they understand the story. They can spot trends. They ask better questions. No more starting from scratch to explain context every single time. ----- Here's what happened when we made this shift: • Board meetings became energizing instead of exhausting, for everyone • Members showed up more prepared because they had the information and materials in advance • We made actual decisions instead of just sharing updates • My stress levels went waaaaay down Most importantly? The board stopped being an audience and became true partners in governance. That's what happens when you stop managing meetings and start building rhythms. When you make the process 𝗱𝗼𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, it becomes 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. And board service becomes 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. #DoableDurableDesirable #NonprofitLeadership #BoardGovernance

We recently did "lookbacks" to see how well 2 recent GiveWell grants met our initial expectations. 1 went better than expected, 1 went worse. More on what we learned ⤵️ 1️⃣ Since 2020, we've given ~$120m to New Incentives for cash incentives to get kids vaccinated in Nigeria. These grants are *more* cost-effective than we initially thought. We estimated they’d save ~17k lives. Looking back, we think they saved ~27k. Why? Costs dropped from ~$40 per child to ~$20 as the program grew from ~70k to ~1.5m kids - likely due to economies of scale, naira devaluation, and other cost savings. 2️⃣ In 2021, we made a $7.5m grant to Helen Keller International for vitamin A supplements in Nigeria. This grant looks *less* cost-effective than we expected. We thought it would save ~2k lives. Now we think it saved ~450. Why? We now think vitamin A deficiency in Nigeria is lower than we previously thought - and that a lot more kids receive VAS outside of campaigns than we realized. ➡️ Some other lessons: - Initial estimates can be way off - we need more humility about cost-effectiveness numbers - We should talk to local stakeholders more - we've probably missed useful info by not talking enough to govt officials and local experts - Location-specific data (like state-level burden estimates) can be really noisy - we need to triangulate with multiple sources - Quick program exits can strain relationships - saw this with VAS expansions in Nigeria ➡️ We picked these 2 grants for initial lookbacks because: - enough time had passed to see real outcomes - the findings could inform upcoming grant decisions - the grants were large/important to our portfolio Going forward, we plan to conduct lookbacks more regularly across our grant portfolio and publish what we find. 📄 More here: https://lnkd.in/gGhF3y6v

Your evaluation was rigorous. Your report killed it. You designed the methodology carefully. You interrogated the findings until you were confident they were right. Then you wrote a 80-page document. It buried the most important finding on page 34, and.. submitted it to a stakeholder who read the executive summary on a flight and never opened it again. The evaluation was good. The report undid it. And this isn't a personal failing. It's a sector-wide one. The development sector produces thousands of evaluation reports every year. Most of them change nothing. The writing is why. Not the data. Not the methodology. Not the sampling strategy or the theory of change. The writing. 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘁𝘄𝗼, 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘇𝗲𝗿𝗼. They're dense where they should be direct. Cautious where they should be bold. Written to demonstrate expertise rather than to communicate it. And the people who needed to act on the findings... the minister skimming between meetings, the programme manager already stretched thin, the donor trying to decide whether to renew, they encountered a wall of jargon, a forest of tables, and a recommendation section so hedged and generalised it could apply to any programme anywhere. So they didn't act. Or they acted on instinct instead of evidence. Because the report didn't give them a choice. Here's how to do better... 1. Write for a real audience, not an abstract one ↳ Not “stakeholders” ↳ The specific person who will use this ↳ The minister with 5 minutes ↳ The programme manager under pressure ↳ The donor deciding on funding If you don’t know who you’re writing for, you’ll default to writing for yourself. 2. Start with the decision, not the methodology ↳ What needs to change because of this report? Write to that. 3. Lead with the answer ↳ Don’t make people work for the insight Page 1 should tell them what matters 4. Design for use, not submission ↳ A report is not the final product A decision is ---- Want insights like this directly in your inbox? Sign up for my mailing list. It's FREE! 👉 https://lnkd.in/ec8mqV2M

The Ultimate Board Meeting Pack Checklist I've sat through countless board meetings in my career working with fast growing companies... and if there's one thing I've learned, your board deck serves a critical purpose - empowering your board to understand your company's financial health, performance, and direction. So what makes a great board pack? Let me break it down for you 👇 ➡️ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Your exec summary needs to pack a punch with just one page. I always include: -A snapshot of company performance with key wins -Any concerns that need immediate attention -Strategic updates in bullet-point format -High-level financial highlights No fluff, just what matters most. Board members should get the full picture in under 30 seconds. ➡️ FINANCIAL OVERVIEW This is where the numbers tell their story: -P&L Summary showing actuals vs budget/forecast (MTD, QTD, YTD) -Cash position with current balance, burn rate, runway -Balance sheet highlights focusing on key shifts in assets/liabilities When I present these, I always color-code variances so problems jump off the page. ➡️ VARIANCE ANALYSIS Don't just show the numbers, explain them: Focus on top 3-5 significant deviations from budget -Get to the root causes behind variances -Include action items to address issues -Use visuals like bar charts to highlight the biggest gaps My favorite approach? Waterfall charts that show the journey from forecast to actual. ➡️ OPERATIONAL METRICS Numbers beyond the financials matter just as much: -Customer metrics (growth, churn, retention, NRR/GRR) -Sales pipeline and conversion stats -Product/feature engagement for tech companies I like to show 6-month trends for these metrics so the board can spot patterns, not just points. ➡️ STRATEGIC INITIATIVES & ROADMAP The board wants to know where you're going: -Status updates on key projects or product launches -Hiring progress versus the plan -Strategic priorities for next quarter Use simple red/yellow/green indicators to show status at a glance. ➡️ RISKS & CHALLENGES Every company has risk. It's how you communicate & plan for that risks that makes all teh difference in the world -Outline key risks across financial, operational, legal areas -Share your mitigation plans for each -Be transparent - boards value this more than sugar-coating ➡️ ASK FROM THE BOARD Be crystal clear about what you need: -Funding requirements -Strategic advice needs -Hiring referrals -Feedback on potential pivots ➡️ APPENDIX Keep the meeting focused, but have backup: -Detailed financials (P&L, BS, CF) -Org chart with key hires highlighted -Detailed KPIs for those who want to dig deeper === That's my complete board pack checklist - but everyone does it differently. What's your approach to board packs? What sections do you find most valuable? Join the discussion in the comments below 👇

The recent regulatory guidelines, viz RBI Master Directions of Nov 2023 and SEBI Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience Framework (CSCRF) of Aug 2024 lay added importance to cyber resilience, business continuity and disaster recovery, incident response and recovery from cyber incidents. Boards are being increasingly attentive and seeking deeper insights on the organizations' preparedness to respond to and recover from cyber incidents. Being part of the Boards of regulated entities, I saw this quarter's IT Strategy and Technology Committee meetings, as well as the Board meetings delve deep and enquiring with the security and technology leadership and sometimes, directly from the MD/CEO, on : 1. Cyber incidents reported, their impact and root-cause assessments. Note : for the organizations, these were mostly hits or false positives. 2. Resilience scores, with Q-o-Q and Y-o-Y comparatives 3. Business Continuity Drills and results 4. Disaster Recovery exercises and results 5. Health check report on the primary as well as the recovery sites, including cloud DR assessments 6. Cyber / technology risk assessments 7. Compliance and reporting (technology) 8. Ongoing governance and improvement around the Cyber Crisis Management Plan (or similar plan, by whatever nomenclature it's defined) 9. Adequacy of technology & security resourcing and training 10. Data protection, with special emphasis on vendor / third party access to critical data & resources and controls around the same The above were some of the top discussion points, but not the only ones. As Boards are made more and more involved and responsible over governance of the organizations' cyber security, resilience, technology governance and risk assurance, Board members will engage more regularly on discussions about cyber risks, inquire of the management their capacity-capability-readiness to respond to and recover effectively from cyber incidents. And above all, the Board would like to ensure compliance to all the relevant regulatory provisions, including on technology and #cybersecurity. To all Technology and Security leaders - the message is very clear, the regulators and the Boards would like to see much more than mere tick mark exercise, specially if you're a regulated entity. - read through each clause in the directions & circulars from regulators - assess thoroughly your current status, including process, operations, technology architecture, procedures, documentation et all - perform risk assessment - technology and operations, over each part of your business - conduct data flow analysis, ascertain your data protection strategy - analyze your third party / vendor connections at all business touchpoints Once you analyze your current state, compare with the requirements given by regulatory directions. Then, step-by-step, put in the measures, updates, upgrades. These are critical steps and require expert acumen - take help from external experts, as required. #technologygovernance

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐎𝐈 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟓 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 👨🏼💻 Why I Keep Showing Up When Others See No Value Have you ever been asked, Why waste time on communities when there's no immediate return? After 5 years of community building, I've discovered the secret most people miss... "जैसे दीपक से दीपक जलता है, वैसे ही एक समुदाय दूसरे को प्रकाशित करता है।" 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐎𝐈 💰 • Immediate benefits are rare – and that's exactly the point • The most valuable connections often appear years after planting the seeds • Those seeking instant gratification miss the profound transformation happening beneath the surface • Community impact compounds like interest – small, consistent investments create exponential returns 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐲 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 👀 The story of 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐤𝐚 provides a powerful parallel to community building. Initially driven by conquest and immediate power, he transformed after witnessing the devastation of war. His greatest legacy came not from quick victories but from the patient cultivation of a compassionate society – a journey that required years of consistent effort without immediate validation. "धैर्य रखने वाला व्यक्ति अंततः महान बनता है, जैसे पानी की बूंद पत्थर में छेद कर देती है।" 𝟓 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 🎯 • 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 – Create content from your experiences to multiply your impact • 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 – Choose quality engagements over quantity • 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞 – Identify 5-7 key relationships to nurture deeply • 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬 – Track lives impacted, not just immediate business gains • 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 – Design frameworks that scale your community impact 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐱 😎 The most effective community leaders aren't those constantly in the spotlight. They're the ones creating spaces for others to shine – often without recognition. This path isn't for everyone. There are easier routes to professional advancement. But true community architects understand what others miss 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬 🤔 • You develop rare leadership skills impossible to learn elsewhere • You build an authentic network that supports you through any crisis • You gain perspective that makes you invaluable in any organization • You create impact that outlasts any career achievement Are you building communities for quick wins, or are you cultivating a legacy that will flourish long after you've moved on?

I’ve been coaching a climate tech founder this quarter who reminded me why storytelling matters more than ever in this space. When he first came to me, he had a solid product, sharp science, and a deck full of charts… but absolutely no story about what his company was actually doing for people. So we started with the human side. We talked about the plant managers he’s hired across the country — people who’d spent years in unstable jobs, now earning salaries that allow them to buy homes, support families, and build roots in their communities. We talked about the farmers who rely on his team’s soil technology to grow crops that can survive the heat waves, drought patterns, and unpredictable seasons that have become the new normal. Farmers who used to lose half their yield every summer… now reporting the healthiest, most resilient harvests they’ve ever seen. We talked about the small towns getting cleaner, safer water because his company implemented better treatment protocols, upgraded their filtration systems, or partnered with local agencies to mitigate contamination that had gone ignored for decades. None of this was in his pitch. Not one slide. Not one sentence. But this is the impact. This is the story. This is what climate tech is actually about. When we rebuilt his narrative from the ground up, centering the people who now have better jobs, better soil, better water, and a better future...everything shifted: — His investor conversations opened up — His partnerships expanded — His confidence multiplied — His mission finally felt like the purpose he knew it was Climate tech isn’t just carbon and kilowatt-hours. It’s parents working stable jobs. It’s farmers feeding their communities. It’s families drinking water that won’t make them sick. The data matters, but the people make the story unforgettable. If you’re a founder building toward a big 2026 and you want your narrative to reflect the actual impact you’re making, this is your moment. I’m opening a few more storytelling strategy sessions for climate and impact founders who want: — fundraising storytelling that resonates — investor-ready narratives — human-centered case studies — mission clarity — messaging that moves people to act Your technology is powerful. Your story should be too. 📩 DM me or book directly through my link (in comments) if you’re ready to elevate your narrative before the new year.

Preparing for my first board meeting as Gusto's Head of Marketing was painful. I felt lost, scared and self-conscious. I wish I had a playbook for navigating the board. So I put one together. Here's my 3C framework—everything CMOs need to nail the board meeting: The biggest mistakes I made when I first started presenting to the board: - Going too high level or too tactical - Not connecting marketing actions to company impact - Not being able to go deep on the numbers - Not showing innovation and vision In a nutshell your goal is to position marketing as a strategic growth lever. This is hard. Most board members come from finance, product or sales. Meaning few actually understand marketing. The 3C framework—Communication, Content and Context—bridges the gap: COMMUNICATION 1. Speak English, not Marketing. Maintain simple, clear language. No jargon. Marketing is complex. You have to simplify to get through. Limit yourself to ~5 slides. 2. Be consistent & repetitive across meetings Restate your goals every time. Use the same slide format and dashboards. Constantly changing how you talk about marketing is a sign you don't have a handle on things. 3. Elicit their help Board members want to help. You don't need to have all the answers. Think in advance: where do you want their input? What can they help you with? CONTENT 1. Define clear objectives upfront I recommend 3 evergreen ones for CMOs: - Pipeline | To hit current revenue targets - Awareness | To hit next year's revenue targets - Conversion | To drive overall efficiency and faster growth 2. Set metrics/initiatives for each objective - Pipeline | [$XX] in marketing-sourced ARR with self-serve and outbound. - Awareness | Engaged TAM = 25% with content academy. - Conversion | Lower CAC to 12 mo by increasing website conversion 3. Have a highlights and lowlights slide This helps you get credit for your wins and get ahead of problems. Being honest about what's not working gives the board a chance to help. It also shows you're a straight shooter, which builds trust. 4. Know your numbers These are smart people who care about the numbers. Know your program levers. Be prepared to go 3-4 layers deeper. Why is conversion down by 25%? Why can't you grow inbound faster? CONTEXT 1. Meet board members quarterly This helps you get on the same page ahead of the meeting. Share your strategy and educate if needed. But most importantly, ask for feedback! e.g. what do you want to see in the board meeting? What can I do better? 2. Ask your CEO for input The CEO often has a better understanding of the board and what's important to them right now. Align on where you should focus in this meeting. _ The best part of nailing this playbook? It earns you the right to invest in longer term initiatives that are hard to measure. Ahem, brand. By showing that you know how to connect your work to revenue, the board will trust you to take bigger bets with a longer revenue payback.