Executive Dashboard

Co-authored by

Dien BasseyRHEMA Nigeria

Joshua AdamsRHEMA Nigeria

Overview

The Executive Dashboard provides a comprehensive high-level view of partnership performance. Designed for leadership and decision-makers, it consolidates key performance indicators, trends, activity summaries, and critical metrics into a single, easy-to-understand view.

What Data Is Shown

This report includes six key sections:

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Visualization: Large KPI Cards

Displays the most critical organizational metrics:

• Total Partners - Overall partner count
• Total Donations (MTD) - Month-to-date giving
• Total Donations (YTD) - Year-to-date giving
• Active Partner % - Percentage of engaged partners
• New Partners (MTD) - New additions this month
• Avg Donation - Mean gift amount
• Growth Rate - Partner growth percentage
• Call Activity - Total calls made

Use Case: At-a-glance organizational health check.

Trend Charts

Visualization: Line Charts (Multiple Small Charts)

Shows key metrics over time:

• Partner Growth Trend (12 months)
• Donation Trend (12 months)
• Engagement Trend (12 months)

Use Case: Quick visual trend identification without detailed analysis.

Activity Summary

Visualization: Bar Charts and Metrics

Recent activity highlights:

• Calls This Week - Communication volume
• Donations This Week - Recent giving
• New Partners This Week - Acquisitions
• Follow-Ups Completed - Activity execution

Use Case: Current week performance snapshot.

Top Metrics Table

Visualization: Data Table

Highlights across categories:

• Top 5 Campuses - By partners or donations
• Top 5 Donors - Highest contributors
• Top 5 Events - Best partner sources
• Top 5 Users - Most active staff

Use Case: Recognize excellence and identify focus areas.

Performance Gauges

Visualization: Gauge Charts

Progress toward organizational goals:

• Partner Goal Progress (annual)
• Donation Goal Progress (annual)
• Active Rate Target (target: 80%)
• Engagement Score (composite)

Use Case: Track progress against strategic objectives.

Alerts and Notifications

Visualization: Alert Cards

Important items requiring attention:

• Overdue Follow-Ups - Count and severity
• Inactive Major Donors - High-value partners at risk
• Data Quality Issues - Missing info count
• Upcoming Deadlines - Important dates

Use Case: Proactive issue management and prioritization.

How to Use Filters

Date Range Selection

Most metrics adjust based on range:

• Today - Current day snapshot
• This Week - Weekly summary
• This Month - Month-to-date (default for many KPIs)
• This Quarter - Quarterly review
• This Year - Year-to-date (default for trends)
• Custom Range - Specific period

Campus Filter

Focus on specific locations:

• Individual campus performance
• Multiple campus view
• All campuses combined (default)

Comparison Period

Enable period-over-period comparison:

• vs Previous Month
• vs Previous Quarter
• vs Previous Year
• vs Same Period Last Year

Understanding the Dashboard

Reading KPI Cards

Each KPI card shows:

Large Number: Current metric value

Trend Indicator:

• ↑ Green: Positive change
• ↓ Red: Negative change
• → Gray: No change

Percentage Change: vs comparison period

Context Label: Time period or benchmark

Example Card:

Total Partners
    818
  ↑ 12.5%
vs Last Month

Interpretation:

• Current: 818 partners
• Growth: +12.5% from last month (728 partners)
• Direction: Positive (growing)

Healthy Benchmarks:

• Total Partners: Positive growth
• Donations MTD: On track for monthly goal (compare to average needed)
• Active %: 75-85%
• New Partners: Positive, sustainable rate
• Growth Rate: 10-20% annually

Reading Trend Charts

X-Axis: Time (typically 12 months)

Y-Axis: Metric value

Line: Connects monthly values

Patterns:

Upward Trend (↗):

• Positive growth
• Continue current strategies
• Example: Partner count increasing

Downward Trend (↘):

• Declining performance
• Investigate causes
• Implement corrective actions
• Example: Donation trend dropping

Flat Trend (→):

• Stagnant performance
• May need innovation
• Example: Engagement plateau

Seasonal Pattern (∿):

• Regular ups and downs
• Plan for known cycles
• Example: Year-end donation spike

Spike or Drop:

• One-time event or anomaly
• Investigate cause
• Example: Major gift or lost donor

Reading Activity Summary

This Week Snapshot:

Shows current week performance to date

Calls This Week:

• Count: 245 calls
• Target: 250 calls/week
• Progress: 98% of target
• Status: On track

Donations This Week:

• Amount: ₦850,000
• Avg Weekly: ₦780,000
• Status: Above average (+9%)

New Partners:

• Count: 18 partners
• Target: 20/week
• Progress: 90% of target
• Status: Slightly below, push needed

Follow-Ups Completed:

• Count: 42 completed
• Pending: 8 remaining
• Completion Rate: 84%
• Status: Good execution

Reading Top Metrics Table

Top 5 Campuses:

Use For:

• Recognize top performers
• Identify resource priorities
• Share best practices

Top 5 Donors:

• Shows highest contributors
• Ensures stewardship focus
• Highlights major gift potential

Top 5 Events:

• Identifies effective acquisition channels
• Guides event planning
• Budget allocation insights

Top 5 Users:

• Recognizes staff excellence
• Identifies coaching opportunities
• Shares best practices

Reading Performance Gauges

Gauge Components:

• Needle: Current performance
• Sections: Color-coded zones
  • Red (0-40%): Behind
  • Yellow (40-80%): On track
  • Green (80-100%+): Ahead/Achieved
• Percentage: Progress indicator
• Target: Goal amount

Example - Partner Goal Gauge:

• Target: 1,000 partners by year-end
• Current: 818 partners
• Progress: 82%
• Color Zone: Green (on track)
• Months Remaining: 2
• Assessment: Good position, maintain momentum

Example - Donation Goal Gauge:

• Target: ₦20M by year-end
• Current: ₦15.4M
• Progress: 77%
• Color Zone: Yellow (on track but needs focus)
• Months Remaining: 2
• Needed: ₦4.6M (₦2.3M/month)

Reading Alerts

Alert Priority:

• High (Red): Immediate attention required
• Medium (Yellow): Address this week
• Low (Blue): Monitor and plan

Example Alerts:

High Priority:

• "12 overdue follow-ups for major donors"
• Action: Assign and complete today

Medium Priority:

• "3 major donors inactive >90 days"
• Action: Schedule re-engagement calls this week

Low Priority:

• "45 partners missing email addresses"
• Action: Add to next data cleanup campaign

Common Use Cases

Monthly Executive Review

1. Open Executive Dashboard
2. Review all KPI cards
3. Note any red (declining) trends
4. Check activity summary vs targets
5. Review alerts for action items
6. Export to PDF for distribution

Meeting Agenda:

1. KPI Review (5 min) - Current performance
2. Trend Analysis (5 min) - Direction and patterns
3. Activity Summary (3 min) - This week/month execution
4. Top Performers (3 min) - Recognition
5. Alerts (4 min) - Issues requiring decisions
6. Action Items (5 min) - Assignments and follow-up

Board Presentation Preparation

1. Set date range to "This Quarter"
2. Enable "vs Previous Quarter" comparison
3. Review all sections for highlights
4. Note top performers and challenges
5. Export to PDF

Presentation Outline:

• Executive Summary: Key KPIs
• Growth Trends: Partner and donation charts
• Performance Highlights: Top campuses, donors, events
• Goals Progress: Gauge charts
• Strategic Initiatives: Activity summary
• Challenges and Action Plans: Alerts

Quick Daily Check-In

1. Open Executive Dashboard (default: Today)
2. Review Activity Summary only
3. Check Alerts for high priority items
4. Take immediate actions as needed

Daily Routine (5 minutes):

• 8:00am: Open dashboard
• Check: Calls, donations, new partners today
• Review: High priority alerts
• Action: Assign urgent items
• Done: Ready for the day

Goal Progress Monitoring

1. Focus on Performance Gauges section
2. Review each gauge for progress
3. Calculate pace needed
4. Adjust strategies if behind

Example Analysis:

• Partner Goal: 82% with 2 months left = On pace
• Donation Goal: 77% with 2 months left = Need $2.3M/month
• Active Rate: 79% vs 80% target = Close, minor push
• Action: Increase donation campaigns

Identifying Problems Early

1. Review KPI cards for red (declining) indicators
2. Check trend charts for downward slopes
3. Review alerts for emerging issues
4. Drill into specific reports for details

Red Flags:

• Declining total partners (attrition > acquisition)
• Dropping active percentage (engagement issues)
• Falling donation trend (giving decline)
• High overdue follow-ups (execution problems)

Response:

• Immediate investigation
• Drill into relevant detailed reports
• Develop action plan
• Assign ownership
• Monitor resolution

Export Options

PDF Export

Best For: Board meetings, executive briefings, printed reports

Includes:

• All KPI cards
• Trend charts
• Top metrics table
• Performance gauges
• Professional formatting

Use Case: Monthly board packet, executive briefing document

Excel Export

Best For: Detailed analysis, custom presentations

Includes:

• KPI values with comparison data
• Trend data tables
• Top metrics lists
• Goal tracking data

Use Case: Create custom presentations, deeper analysis

PowerPoint Export (if available)

Best For: Presentations to board or stakeholders

Includes:

• Dashboard snapshot as slides
• One slide per section
• Ready for presentation

Use Case: Board presentations, stakeholder updates

Best Practices

Regular Review Cadence

Daily (5 min):

• Activity summary quick check
• High priority alerts

Weekly (15 min):

• KPI cards review
• Activity summary vs targets
• Medium priority alerts

Monthly (30 min):

• Complete dashboard review
• Trend analysis
• Goal progress assessment
• All alerts addressed

Quarterly (60 min):

• Comprehensive analysis
• Board presentation preparation
• Strategic adjustments
• Goal setting for next quarter

Setting Realistic Targets

KPI Targets:

• Based on historical performance
• Account for growth goals (10-20% increase)
• Consider seasonal patterns
• Adjust for organizational changes

Example - Partner Growth Target:

• Last year: 728 partners
• Growth goal: 15%
• This year target: 728 × 1.15 = 838 partners
• Current: 818 (98% of target)
• Assessment: On track

Using Dashboard for Decision-Making

Strategic Decisions:

• Resource allocation based on campus performance
• Campaign timing based on donation trends
• Hiring needs based on activity volumes
• Event planning based on sourcing effectiveness

Tactical Decisions:

• Daily call priorities
• Follow-up assignments
• Staff coaching needs
• Immediate problem resolution

Effective Alert Management

Alert Workflow:

1. Review all alerts daily
2. Categorize by priority (High/Medium/Low)
3. Assign high priority immediately
4. Schedule medium for this week
5. Plan low priority for later
6. Track resolution
7. Remove resolved alerts

Prevent Alert Fatigue:

• Set appropriate thresholds (not too sensitive)
• Address alerts promptly (don't accumulate)
• Delegate ownership
• Automate routine items

Combining with Detailed Reports

Dashboard = Overview, Reports = Detail

Workflow:

1. Dashboard identifies issue (e.g., "Active % declining")
2. Open relevant report (Partner Status)
3. Analyze root cause
4. Develop action plan
5. Monitor improvement on dashboard

Examples:

• Dashboard shows donation decline → Open Donation Summary for details
• Dashboard alerts to inactive donors → Open Top Donors for list
• Dashboard shows low call activity → Open Call Activity for user breakdown

Troubleshooting

KPIs Not Updating

Possible Causes:

• Data refresh delay
• Filter settings incorrect
• Date range not current

Solutions:

1. Click refresh button
2. Check filter settings (reset to default)
3. Verify date range includes today
4. Check system status

Trends Not Showing Patterns

Possible Causes:

• Insufficient historical data
• Date range too short or too long
• High variability in data

Solutions:

1. Extend date range to 12 months
2. Use monthly grouping for smoothing
3. Compare to previous periods for context

Gauges Show Red but Performance Seems Good

Possible Causes:

• Unrealistic targets set
• Seasonal fluctuations not accounted for
• Comparison period inappropriate

Solutions:

1. Review and adjust targets
2. Use year-over-year comparison
3. Account for seasonality in goal-setting
4. Assess pace (are we on track given time remaining?)

Related Reports

• Partner Status - Detailed partner health metrics
• Donation Summary - Comprehensive giving analysis
• Campus Performance - Campus-level details
• Top Donors - Major donor deep dive
• Follow-Up Required - Action items detail

Next Steps

1. Set Up Regular Reviews: Schedule daily/weekly/monthly dashboard check-ins
2. Establish Targets: Set realistic KPI targets and goals
3. Configure Alerts: Define thresholds for important notifications
4. Assign Ownership: Designate who monitors each metric
5. Create Action Plans: Develop responses for red indicators