Simplifying grant reporting: How to lighten the burden on grantees and still get vital information

Grantmakers need to keep on top of their grants to ensure that progress is being made and resources are being used as planned. This makes grant reporting an essential aspect of the grant management process.

Traditional philanthropy can often insist on grant reporting involving long, rigid reports containing every minute detail. However, this approach can weigh down grantees by increasing their administrative workload, driving a misalignment of priorities and fostering inequity.

But, there is good news—there is a way to both make it easier for grantees and still obtain the necessary information to drive impact.

Simplified grant reporting is key in trust-based philanthropy. It acknowledges the inherent power imbalance in the funder-grantee relationship and aims to shift the dynamic by emphasising trust, respect and partnership.

This approach to grant reporting allows nonprofits to focus on more impactful work, boosting program effectiveness. It saves grantees from unnecessary paperwork, strengthens their relationship with funders and encourages learning.

Looking to make grant reporting smoother for your grantees and still harvest key insights? Here are effective ways foundations and governments can simplify their grant reporting requirements and still get vital information.

1. Reduce rigid reporting requirements

You can reduce the grantee’s burden of grant reporting by streamlining reporting requirements.

Consider reducing the number of reports that your grantees have to submit. This is crucial in the case of grantees who receive multi-year support. It’s also important to invite simple reports in the form of brief updates. Collect the information you need in short bursts, and avoid extraneous details.

Since grantees track certain metrics for their internal goals and funders, your reporting questions should align with those existing metrics.

2. Use existing up-to-date information

To get vital information about your grantees’ projects, you can leverage already existing data instead of requiring your grantees to prepare unique reports from scratch. Accessing available information reduces your grantees’ administrative burden by eliminating repetitive reporting.

Existing data sources that can give vital information about your grantees’ progress and impact include:

• Grant reports made for other funders, containing similar information
• Annual reports which itemise the grantees’ achievements, financials and key metrics
• Audited financial statements showing how funds are managed
• Board reports and meeting minutes that contain performance details
• Grantees’ public communications providing milestones and other updates

3. Permit diversity in reporting

Replacing formal written reports with simpler alternatives can effectively simplify grant reporting for your grantees. Many grantees are limited on staff strength; in the absence of dedicated grant reporting teams, accepting reports in ways that align with their capacity and practices demonstrates your trust in their ability to measure impact and communicate effectively.

Allow your grantees to submit reports in digital and multimedia formats. Short videos or recorded testimonials from nonprofit staff or program beneficiaries can provide insight. Photo essays and infographics can effectively illustrate progress and communicate key data points.

Interactive reporting such as conversations—like that employed by The Whitman Institute—and scheduled check-in calls allow your grantees to share their progress seamlessly. You can visit sites where programs are in action for firsthand observation.

4. Prioritise impact over excessive paperwork

Instead of obsessing over compliance and paperwork, focus on meaningful outcomes of the grantees’ projects. In addition to quantitative metrics, invite real-world impact stories. Offer grantees the opportunity to narrate their successes and challenges.

Emphasise learning by facilitating self-assessment and open-ended reflections. This can help your grantees refine their processes and prepare better for their future programs.

5. Leverage technology

Technology can drive simple grant reporting. With structured online forms, you can gather vital and relevant information from your grantees. Consider providing auto-fill options, checkboxes and drop-down menus to reduce manual entry.

Powerful grant management software such as Good Grants can help you seamlessly monitor the progress of your grantees. From your dashboard, you can track grant spending, identify trends, schedule grant reporting requests and assess the impact of your grants wherever and whenever you please.

Making such a platform available to your grantees will foster reports from the field, giving you real-time updates and eliminating the need for separate reports.

Simplifying grant reporting and staying informed about your grants don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Implement these tips above to reduce the burden on your grantees and still get the information you need.