For data to be useful, findings need context, clarity, and a clear connection to the people who will use them.
The Storytelling with Data Guide helps nonprofit and social impact organizations communicate evaluation findings in ways that are clear, meaningful, accessible, and actionable. It offers practical guidance for combining numbers, stories, and community voice to support learning, decision-making, accountability, and action.
Part One introduces BSRI’s five elements of data storytelling:
- Start with the people who will use the story.
- Ground the data in context.
- Be clear about the purpose.
- Make the story clear, focused, and accessible.
- Emphasize the “so what?”
Together, these elements help organizations move beyond simply presenting findings. The guide encourages teams to think about who needs the information, what they need to understand, what context is missing, and what decision, reflection, or action the story should support. It also emphasizes the importance of plain language, purposeful visuals, community voice, and clear explanation of why the findings matter.
Part One also includes the BSRI Data Storytelling Checklist, a practical tool organizations can use to review reports, slide decks, dashboards, case studies, blog posts, and other communication products before sharing them. The checklist prompts teams to assess audience, purpose, context, key findings, visuals, community voice, the “so what,” and next steps.
Part Two moves from principles to practice by helping organizations choose the right communication format for their audience and purpose. It provides guidance on four common data storytelling products: one-pagers, donor updates and decks, impact reports, and dashboards. Each format serves a different function, from providing a quick snapshot to supporting fundraising, documenting a full year of impact, or monitoring performance in near real time.
This resource is particularly useful for:
- Organizations translating evaluation findings into reports or public-facing materials.
- Teams developing one-pagers, donor updates, dashboards, or impact reports.
- Evaluators who want findings to be easier to understand and use.
- Communications staff working with program and evaluation data.
- Leaders looking to connect evidence to learning, strategy, and decision-making.
At BSRI, we see data storytelling as a bridge between evaluation, learning, and action. When findings are communicated clearly and with intention, they can help organizations understand what is working, identify where change is needed, strengthen relationships, and make better decisions about what comes next.
