Grant Impact Leading Indicators Dashboard: Spot Success Early
Waiting for end-of-year outcomes hides problems until it’s too late. Build a leading indicators dashboard that surfaces delivery risks, engagement trends, and finance gaps so you can course-correct and tell stronger stories in Crafty.
TL;DR
- Identify leading indicators across engagement, delivery, finance, and impact; don’t wait for lagging outcomes.
- Use Looker Studio or Power BI to visualise RAG status and automate alerts before issues escalate.
- Feed insights into Crafty so grant reports highlight momentum, not just historic results.
Why use leading indicators for grant monitoring?
Lagging indicators—final outcomes—arrive after the fact. Leading indicators reveal success probability earlier. New Philanthropy Capital’s Data Labs 2024 report showed nonprofits that tracked leading indicators were 31% more likely to hit funder milestones. Funders love early warning data because it enables collaborative problem-solving.
Which leading indicators should UK teams track?
Track four categories: engagement (attendance, sign-ups), delivery (milestone completion), finance (burn rate vs. budget), and impact proxies (pre/post survey change). Use the table to set targets and data sources.
| Indicator | Metric | Threshold | Data source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement | Attendance rate (rolling 4 weeks) | Green: >82%, Amber: 70-82%, Red: <70% | CRM (Salesforce, Beacon) |
| Delivery | Milestones completed vs. plan | Green: 95%, Amber: 85-94%, Red: <85% | Project tracker (Asana, Notion) |
| Finance | Burn rate vs. budget | Green: ±5%, Amber: ±10%, Red: >±10% | Xero, QuickBooks |
| Impact proxy | Survey delta (pre/post) | Green: +15%, Amber: +5-14%, Red: <+5% | SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics |
Link metrics to your evidence bank for reporting and share them via the trust-based reporting toolkit.
How do you design the dashboard layout?
Use Looker Studio or Power BI for rapid builds. Include a headline scorecard, RAG matrix, trend charts, and action list. Ensure screen reader compatibility by labelling charts properly—Google added enhanced chart accessibility in its August 2024 release.
How often should you review the dashboard with funders?
Review fortnightly internally; share highlights monthly with funders via a short Loom video. Document agreed actions and update your readiness scores. When funders adopt open reporting (like Esmée Fairbairn’s 2024 approach), invite them into the dashboard directly.
Download the dashboard template and next steps
Download the Looker Studio template, KPI glossary, and funder briefing deck. Run a pilot on one programme before scaling.
Next actions
- Define leading indicators and thresholds with programme teams.
- Connect data sources and launch the dashboard.
- Add dashboard insights to Crafty’s knowledge base for future bids and reports.
Key takeaways
- Leading indicators give early warnings and evidence for adaptive delivery.
- Dashboards should blend engagement, delivery, finance, and impact proxies.
- Crafty uses dashboard insights to strengthen narratives and funder trust.
Summary and next steps
Leading indicators transform grant management from reactive to proactive. Build the dashboard, share it with funders, and adjust delivery in real time.
- Select metrics that predict success and align with funder priorities.
- Visualise them accessibly and review at least fortnightly.
- Feed insights into Crafty and your reporting toolkit for continuous improvement.