Fundraising Library · Worksheet + AI prompt
20 Minute Impact Report Template
Use what you can verify to prepare an individual donor update. Gather the facts, describe what happened, and decide what you still need to confirm.
Use initials and information your organization permits you to share with an AI assistant. The worksheet does not send your entries to the Report Maker. Review what you copy before pasting it.
Gather the facts
Start with the donor’s giving history and the question this report needs to answer.
Use the organization’s name and its approved mission language.
Use initials. Note who will receive the report and the conversation or question it should support.
Give the start and end dates. Say whether this is a fiscal year, calendar year, or another period.
List verified dates, amounts, funds and restrictions. Separate received gifts from unpaid pledges. Include a source for the figures.
Show the impact
A completed activity, a measured result, and a future goal are different things. Keep that distinction visible.
Describe the work completed during this reporting period. Name the program or fund where relevant.
Record verified results and the source for each. Separate a measured outcome from an activity or a future goal.
Add only material you have permission to use. Include attribution and source, or leave this blank.
Prepare the draft
Name the gaps before drafting, then set the next step for the conversation.
List missing results, figures, permissions or context. Decide who will confirm each item.
Record the next reporting date or question, and the approved signer’s name, title and contact information.
Check before sharing
For a broader conversation about the donor’s priorities, use Giving Compass.
Copy the report prompt
Complete the worksheet, then copy the prompt with your notes into your AI assistant. You can also use the prompt on its own and answer its questions there.
Your report template
Use this structure when drafting by hand or reviewing an AI draft. Bracketed text marks information to supply.
Cover page
Your ORG NAME Philanthropy Overview
example: Your Friends of the Arts Philanthropy Overview
Prepared For: Donor Names
Month Year
CONFIDENTIAL
Your logo here
Thank You
Salutation,
[Org Name] and the [board, exec Dir, etc] are grateful for your generous philanthropy.
Your giving makes a difference in the lives of [who we serve]. [Succinct] tangible benefit to society.
You are bringing a [service, benefit] to [constituents] so they can [achieve whatever goal], and our entire [community/world] will benefit as a result. Your philanthropy advances [whatever] that makes life better. Your partnership allows us to provide programs that [specific benefit for the communities you serve].
Thank you.
I hope this report brings you a sense of pride in the incredible work we are accomplishing together. I’ve included:
A list of your primary gift designations.
An overview of [Name] Family philanthropy at [Org].
Highlights of your philanthropic and volunteer impact at [Org].
Reflections for creating effective philanthropy together.
I look forward to reviewing this information with you [in person/Zoom/on date]
Thank you for the opportunity to share in advance of our visit.
Sincerely,
Name
Title
Contact Info
[Name] Family [Org] Giving Designation
Unrestricted Funds
A
B
C
Program Funds
A
B
C
Named Funds
A
B
C
Facilities, etc etc
A
B
C
[name] Family Giving Overview
Total gifts and pledges to [Org]: $xxxxx
Over [??] years of giving
Multi-year pledges or outright gifts? Both
Endowment vs current use: Both
Legacy Society: [YES OR UNKNOWN]
Your Philanthropic Impact
UNRESTRICTED GIFTS allow [ORG] to nimbly advance existing priorities, address sudden emergencies, and seize rare opportunities as they arise. You have supported multiple unrestricted funds across [ORG]-thank you.
We are grateful for the trust you place in us to allocate your unrestricted gifts strategically. This type of support is worth its weight in gold. Thank you.
Your gifts to the [SPECIFIC FUND] advance [specific mission goal] through [points from mission]. [Expand on impact for constituents, society] [Cite specific example here....storytelling vibe]
HIGHLIGHT THEIR BIGGEST GIFT HERE
Established in [YEAR], provides [BENEFIT] for [constituents]
Financial info: The balance on the endowment as of [Month, DATE] was $XX, XXX
Total expenditures at that time were $X, XXX, XXX
Your gifts to the [SPECIFIC FUND] advance [specific mission goal] through [points from mission]. [Expand on impact for constituents, society] [Cite specific example here....storytelling vibe]
Reflections for Creating Effective Philanthropy Together
Philanthropy is joyous-and it is also complex. Decisions about which causes and nonprofits to support, how much money to invest in each organization you care about, and what constitutes a successful partnership will come up throughout your philanthropic journey.
As you consider opportunities to make a difference through your philanthropy, it can be helpful to reflect on your expectations, tolerance for risk, and where each initiative fits in your philanthropic portfolio. This will enable you to identify a commitment level—both financial and otherwise—that is commensurate with the opportunity or challenge you would like to address through your giving.
As you encounter new giving opportunities, it can be helpful to reflect on a few key questions.
Why do you give? Understanding why you give will help define how you want to give, to whom, and how engaged you’d like to be.
How do you want to engage with the organizations you support? This may vary from one cause to the next or from one gift to the next.
Are there non-financial resources you can use in service of your philanthropy? Your time, expertise, and unique personal networks can be extremely valuable in the right circumstances.
What constitutes a meaningful giving experience for you? Be clear with yourself and others about what makes you feel good about your decision to give.
Knowing what you want to accomplish with your philanthropy is key to decision making as you work with [ORG] and other nonprofit organizations. It’s a joy to work with people like you who have put so much thought into building your legacy at [ORG].
Thank you again.
Thank you for entrusting [ORG] as you build your legacy of making a positive difference in the world. We are grateful for your partnership over the past [X] years and look forward to what we will accomplish together in the future!
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About the Builder
CEO and Lead Fundraiser and Campaign Counsel
Anne Murphy is CEO of Empowered Fundraiser Consulting, with 35 years leading advancement strategy across higher education and the social impact sector, fundraising for over $10 billion in successful campaigns.
As Lead Fundraiser and Campaign Counsel, Anne guides organizations from feasibility study through campaign celebration, preparing and conducting donor conversations alongside leadership or independently.
Anne is a fundraising educator and professional keynote speaker whose talks cover campaigns, ethics in fundraising, and Responsible AI for Fundraising, Advocacy, and Democracy. She is co-author of the Framework for Responsible AI in Fundraising and co-host of The Daily AI Show.
She lives in Corvallis, Oregon with her family and three doggos.