Draft an impact report
Turn your data and stories into a clear, compelling report for funders, trustees and supporters.
Steps
1. Describe the task
AI can help you create a strong first draft of an impact report using your own data, stories and materials. Including a structure for your report tends to produce a more organised output. Update the structure provided in the sample prompt to match your reports. Remember to update other parts of the sample prompt, shown in brackets.
Act as a communications professional with experience in the UK charity sector.
Draft an impact report covering the last [year/quarter]. The report should be [X pages / X words] with clear headings and short paragraphs that are easy to scan. Follow this structure:
- Executive summary
- About us - who we are and who we support
- Our work this year - what we did and how many people we reached
- Our impact - what changed as a result, with data and stories
- Voices from our community - quotes and testimonials
- Looking ahead - goals and priorities for the next year
The report is for our funders and needs to be clear, compelling, and written in a warm but professional tone.
We are a charity called [name of charity] based in [location] that supports [who you support]. Highlight the impact we've made using the data, quotes, and stories I'll share with you.
Make sure the language is accessible and avoids jargon. Describe the people we support in a way they'd be comfortable reading about themselves. Watch for language that reinforces stereotypes or assumptions about who they are.
Before drafting the impact report, ask me to upload context and supporting documents.
2. Provide context
Upload documents and information that will help AI understand your work. The more relevant material you share, the better your draft will be.
Don't worry if you don't have everything neatly organised. You can simply copy and paste text directly into the chat box - notes, bullet points, a few key stats. Even rough information is useful. Just share what you've got.
Important context
- Outcomes and changes - what improved for the people you worked with
- What you delivered - sessions, events, services and how many
- Key numbers - people supported, engagement figures
- A few quotes or stories - from beneficiaries, volunteers or partners
Context that adds depth and detail
- Survey and feedback data - satisfaction scores, evaluations
- Volunteer and staff involvement - hours given, roles played
- Financial information - how funds were used, cost per person supported
- Case studies - individual examples that bring your impact to life
- Previous reports or comms guidelines - to help match tone and structure
Before you upload files: check for sensitive data
Review your documents for personal or sensitive information about beneficiaries. Anonymise names and identifying details before uploading. Even though Worthwhile Chat is privacy-first, good data practice starts with you.
If you’re unsure, ask yourself: “If this document were seen by someone outside our organisation, could anyone be identified or harmed?” If yes, anonymise first.
I've uploaded our programme data, some beneficiary quotes, and our last impact report. Please use these as the basis for the draft, and match the tone and structure of the previous report.
3. Review the output
A first draft will be generated, based on the information and context you provided. You may be asked clarifying questions by the AI. For example, what a programme name means, or which figures relate to which activity. This is normal. Your response will be used to improve the draft.
Read through the draft and ask yourself:
- Does this sound like us?
- Have we captured the real difference we've made?
- Is the tone right for the chosen audience?
- Is the language clear and accessible - would someone unfamiliar with our work understand it?
- Are the people we support described in a way they'd be comfortable reading about themselves?
- Does the language reinforce any stereotypes or assumptions?
- Does the report represent everyone we work with?
- Does the report feel authentic and true to our mission - or does anything feel overstated or out of character?
If something doesn't feel right, that's fine - you can refine it in the next step.
4. Follow up prompts
Getting a good draft often takes more than one go. Think of this as a conversation - you can keep refining until it feels right.
Ask for revisions
If the first output isn't quite there, try instructions like:
Tone:
- "The tone is too formal - make it more accessible."
- "Make the opening paragraph more compelling."
- "Rewrite the section on [programme name] in a more personal, story-led way."
Length:
- "Shorten this to 500 words."
- "Write a shorter version of this for our website or social media."
Structure:
- "Lead with a beneficiary story instead"
- "Add a summary section at the top for funders who may only skim the report."
Representation:
- "Can you rewrite the section about [group] so it focuses more on what they've achieved?"
- "The tone feels a bit 'done to' - can you make it sound more like people are active in their own story?"
If you're not happy with the first draft, you can always start again - sometimes a fresh conversation with slightly different instructions gets you closer to what you need.
Add what only you know
AI works with what you give it - it can't know everything about your organisation. Once you have a solid draft, fill in the gaps:
- Specific examples or stories
- Recent developments or news
- Acknowledgements of partners, funders or key people
- Enhance your organisation's personality and voice
There you have it - you have your first draft Impact Report!
5. Tips and best practice
Get a colleague to read it through
Before sharing your report externally, ask a colleague to read it through. Do they recognise the organisation in it? Is anything inaccurate or misleading? Would beneficiaries recognise themselves in the quotes? A fresh pair of eyes catches things you might miss. Never share AI-assisted content externally without a human review.
Always check your facts
Always check statistics, figures, and specific claims against your original sources. Worthwhile Chat is there to support you - not replace your judgement, experience or voice.
Be transparent about AI use
Consider noting that AI tools were used in producing your report. More organisations are being open about this, and it’s in line with our Worthwhile AI values.
Think about your audience
Funders care about impact and value for money. Trustees need strategic insight. The public responds best to personal stories. The same information tells different stories depending on who's reading it - so tell Worthwhile Chat who the report is for and what matters most to them. And tailor accordingly.
Save time next time
Once you’ve created a good report:
- Save your prompt
- Save your preferred structure
- Note what feedback improved the draft
This will make future reports much faster to produce.
