Output
What was delivered
For example: nine laptops distributed in 2025. Countable, verifiable, and the weakest of the three as a claim about difference made.
Impact · Method
Clear records, honest interpretation, and continuous improvement
We collect information appropriate to each program so that participants, donors, partners, funders and the Board can understand what was delivered and what changed — and can tell the difference between the two.
Definitions
Output, outcome, goal
These three get used interchangeably in nonprofit reporting, which is how a plan ends up sounding like an achievement. We keep them apart.
Outcome
What changed
For example: recipients reporting improved ability to complete school assignments. Requires follow-up, and is dated when published.
Goal
What we intend
For example: distributing fifteen laptops next year. A goal is never presented as a result, anywhere on this site.
What we measure
Three layers of record
Participation and delivery
- Registration and attendance
- Age range and participant category where necessary
- Resources distributed
- Sessions, events or outreach activities delivered
- Locations and delivery partners
- Volunteer participation and hours
Participant experience
- Feedback and satisfaction
- Accessibility and safety concerns
- Changes in knowledge, confidence, connection or skill
- Referrals and next steps
- Follow-up results where appropriate
Organizational performance
- Budget against actual spending
- Partner contribution and feedback
- Incidents, complaints and improvements
- Program completion and lessons learned
- Board reporting and annual public reporting
Methods
How the information is collected
- Registration and attendance records
- Distribution logs
- Volunteer records
- Partner reports
- Participant feedback forms
- Pre- and post-program surveys where appropriate
- Follow-up with laptop recipients
- Anonymised or aggregated health-outreach records
- Program review meetings
- Board reports
Protecting personal information
We collect only what is reasonably required for the program and its reporting purpose. Health, safeguarding, financial and child-related information receives additional protection and is never placed in promotional systems.
Commitments
Six data-quality rules we hold ourselves to
- Use one definition for each indicator, across every entity and location.
- State the reporting year beside every figure.
- Record the legal entity and the program location.
- Remove duplicate participants before reporting organization-wide totals.
- Correct material errors publicly when necessary.
- Never publish a testimonial or photograph without documented approval.
Where our measurement is currently weak
We would rather say this plainly than have a funder discover it. We are actively strengthening our systems for:
- Unique participant counts, so the same person is not counted twice
- Organization-wide data reconciliation across the two legal entities
- Volunteer-hour records
- Partner contribution tracking
- Outcome follow-up, particularly beyond six months
- Consent records for stories and photographs
- Separating community-service results from worship-event attendance