This article provides some guidance on how to approach the beneficiary section of the report builder if you don't collect demographic information directly.
The beneficiary section of your Social Impact report captures the key demographics your program serves and the percentage of your beneficiaries who fall into each demographic category. The list of categories is based on a standardized taxonomy from Candid's (formerly the Foundation Center) Philanthropic Classification System.
If your program or organization doesn't track demographics of your beneficiaries, there are a few options to help you complete this section:
- You can estimate the demographics of your beneficiaries by reviewing your community's overall demographics via Census QuickFacts. This is a great option if your program serves a broad community or if your program's beneficiaries represent a reasonable sample of the broader community.
- Alternatively, you can leverage your existing participant tracking methods to add in some basic demographic questions. The data collection doesn't have to be a comprehensive census. You can collect demographic information from a representative sample of participants, i.e., based on membership, registration, or participation in a final event. These questions are often on the last page of an online registration for an event or program, to keep the collection process as lightweight for participants as possible. Below are some example questions you can use to collect different demographic information from your participants.
What age group applies to you?
- Senior (65+)
- Adult (19 - 64)
- Adolescent (13 - 18)
- Child (12 and under)
How do you describe your gender?
- Male
- Female
- Non-binary
- Another gender:
- Prefer not to say
- White
- African-American / Black
- Hispanic / Latino
- Asian or Pacific Islander
- Native American or Alaskan Native
- Middle Eastern / Arab American
- Some other race:
- Prefer not to say
- I have one or more physical, mental, or medical conditions that limit a major life activity
- I do not have a disability
- Prefer not to say
- Yes
- No
- Employed full-time
- Employed part-time
- Not currently employed
- Prefer not to say
What language(s) is/are spoken regularly at home? Select all that apply.
- English
- Spanish
- Cape Verdean
- Haitian Creole
- Arabic
- Vietnamese
- Mandarin
- Other
- Prefer not to say
Last year, what was your total household income from all sources, before taxes?
- Below $15,000
- $15,000 to less than $25,000
- $25,000 to less than $50,000
- $50,000 to less than $75,000
- $75,000 to less than $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- Prefer not to say
How many people live in your household? Please include yourself, your spouse or partner (if any), any children or dependents.