How to Simplify Your Metrics in 60 Minutes
You’ve experienced it. Too many metrics. Too many spreadsheets. Too many reports that take hours to produce. And minutes to skim.
And what do you get for it? Stress. And a team that feels overwhelmed, frustrated, and unsure which numbers actually matter or why they’re being collected in the first place.
The good news: simplifying your data doesn’t require a new system, a consultant, or a months-long strategic process.
You can make meaningful progress in about 60 minutes. Here’s how.
Step 1: Inventory Everything You’re Measuring
Start by listing all the data you currently collect. Or better yet, just pull up your trusty excel sheet or existing report from last quarter/year. Don’t analyze yet. Just get it onto the page.
Include all your metrics, including:
Program metrics
Intake and exit surveys
Funders’ required outcomes
Dashboard indicators
“We’ve always collected this” data
One-off surveys or reports
If it feels like too much… that’s the point. Clarity comes after visibility.
Tip: Do this with your team if you can. You’ll likely discover data being collected that leadership rarely sees.
Step 2: Ask Three Hard Questions
I used to be a high school teacher. Back before everything was turned in online, I loved using colored pens to grade student papers.
Not to be mean of course. Actually, some research suggests using colors other than red may be good for students. But I digress.
Now comes the most important part. Take out that red, purple, orange, green, or whatever-color-you-like pen. And for each metric, ask:
Who actually uses this?
What decision does it inform?
What would break if we stopped collecting it?
If you can’t answer at least one of these questions meaningfully, that metric is a strong candidate for removal or pausing.
Take a lesson from one of my favorite movies, A River Runs Through It, on good writing. Again - Half as long. Same principle applies to evaluation!
Step 3: Identify the Most Essential
Most organizations only need a small set of high-quality measures to understand their impact. Aim to identify:
3–5 core outcome metrics that reflect your mission
2–3 story sources (testimonials, focus groups, client stories, interviews)
Ask yourself: “If we only tracked these things well, would we still understand whether we’re making a difference?”
Chances are, the answer is yes. Everything else can be removed or otherwise deprioritized.
Step 4: Communicate the Change
Most nonprofit teams know when data has crossed the line from helpful to heavy. They feel it in the extra time spent entering information, in reports that no one ever references, and in the quiet frustration of collecting data that doesn’t seem to go anywhere.
So acknowledge that. Take a few minutes in a team meeting to explain that you’re simplifying your data about respect for your staff’s time, for the people you serve, and for the purpose behind the work. Let people know that the goal is less busywork and more clarity. They’ll reward you for it.
This is also a moment to invite honesty. If staff are collecting data that feels disconnected from their day-to-day work, this is your chance to hear that.
Do this, and your staff will appreciate you. And come to trust your leadership more.
If this post resonates and you want more practical tools for strengthening your data and evaluation practice, you can explore free resources and courses at commongooddata.com/courses.
