Building towards better impact metrics

Streamlining metrics tracking to save time and improve accuracy

Small Sums equips individuals experiencing homelessness with the work-related items they need to start new jobs — boots, uniforms, transit passes, and more — bridging a critical gap on the path to employment. But preparing grant reports and board updates meant hours of manual data entry and error-prone calculations. Their case management system held the raw data — but making sense of it was a staff-heavy lift.

Reporting lacked consistency, year-over-year comparisons were difficult, and time spent wrestling manual documents meant time lost from mission-critical work.

Through a short, budget-light, high-impact engagement, we co-created a structured spreadsheet tool that automated key metrics calculations, included built-in protections, and backfilled current-year data. The design emphasized usability for both internal staff and external stakeholders, with clearly formatted totals, protected formulas, and embedded user guidance.

Working closely with the executive director, we refined the tool’s layout to meet board-facing presentation needs — including visual hierarchy, color adjustments, and flags to catch data mismatches. We also prototyped a parallel dashboard for tracking progress on strategic goals, giving staff one place to see what’s working and where to focus.

The result: cleaner reporting, less manual work, and a framework that’s ready to scale. This practical solution gave the team a reliable, repeatable process — and laid the groundwork for deeper system integration down the line.

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If you'd like to give to Small Sums you can do so through the following link:

https://www.smallsums.org/donate

Small Sums is a tax exempt 501(c)3 non-profit organization that equips individuals experiencing homelessness with the work-related items they need to start new jobs. If you'd like to learn more about Small Sums, please visit their website: https://www.smallsums.org/